Last week the CIRM Board awarded $5.53 million to Dr. Rosa Bacchetta at Stanford to complete the work necessary to conduct a clinical trial for IPEX syndrome. This is a rare disease caused by mutations in the FOXP3 gene which leaves people with the condition vulnerable to immune system attacks on their organs and tissues. … Continue reading The challenges of living with IPEX
Stanford University
Stem Cell Agency Approves Funding for Clinical Trials Targeting Parkinson’s Disease and Blindness
The governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) yesterday invested $32.92 million to fund the Stem Cell Agency’s first clinical trial in Parkinson’s disease (PD), and to support three clinical trials targeting different forms of vision loss. This brings the total number of clinical trials funded by CIRM to 60. The PD … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency Approves Funding for Clinical Trials Targeting Parkinson’s Disease and Blindness
Rare Disease, Type 1 Diabetes, and Heart Function: Breakthroughs for Three CIRM-Funded Studies
This past week, there has been a lot of mention of CIRM funded studies that really highlight the importance of the work we support and the different disease areas we make an impact on. This includes important research related to rare disease, Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), and heart function. Below is a summary of the … Continue reading Rare Disease, Type 1 Diabetes, and Heart Function: Breakthroughs for Three CIRM-Funded Studies
CIRM-funded Stanford study finds potential diagnostic tool, treatment for Parkinson’s
Dr. Xinnan Wang, a neurosurgeon and author of a study that has identified a molecular pathway apparently responsible for the death of dopaminergic neurons that causes the symptoms of Parkinson's. Of the various neurodegenerative diseases, Parkinson's is the second most common and affects 35 million people world wide. It is caused by the gradual breakdown of … Continue reading CIRM-funded Stanford study finds potential diagnostic tool, treatment for Parkinson’s
Next generation of stem cell scientists leave their mark
One of the favorite events of the year for the team here at CIRM is our annual SPARK (Summer Program to Accelerate Regenerative Medicine Knowledge) conference. This is where high school students, who spent the summer interning at world class stem cell research facilities around California, get to show what they learned. It’s always an … Continue reading Next generation of stem cell scientists leave their mark
Stem cell progress and promise in fighting leukemia
Computer illustration of a cancerous white blood cell in leukemia. There is nothing you can do to prevent or reduce your risk of leukemia. That’s not a very reassuring statement considering that this year alone almost 62,000 Americans will be diagnosed with leukemia; almost 23,000 will die from the disease. That’s why CIRM is funding … Continue reading Stem cell progress and promise in fighting leukemia
Newly discovered “don’t eat me” signal shows potential for ovarian and triple-negative breast cancer treatment
Stanford researchers have found that cancer cells have a protein called CD24 on their surface that enables them to protect themselves against the body's immune cells. Courtesy of Shutterstock Getting a breast cancer diagnosis is devastating news in and of itself. Currently, there are treatment options that target three different types of receptors, which are … Continue reading Newly discovered “don’t eat me” signal shows potential for ovarian and triple-negative breast cancer treatment
One family’s fight to save their son’s life, and how stem cells made it possible
CIRM's mission is very simple: to accelerate stem cell treatments to patients with unmet medical needs. Anne Klein's son, Everett, was a poster boy for that statement. Born with a fatal immune disorder Everett faced a bleak future. But Anne and husband Brian were not about to give up. The following story is one Anne … Continue reading One family’s fight to save their son’s life, and how stem cells made it possible
CIRM funded study identifies potential drug target for deadly heart condition
Joseph Wu is co-senior author of a study that demonstrates how patient-derived heart cells can help scientists better study the heart and screen potential therapies. Photo courtesy of Steve Fisch Heart disease continues to be the number one cause of death in the United States. An estimated 375,000 people have a genetic form of heart … Continue reading CIRM funded study identifies potential drug target for deadly heart condition
New study points to potential treatment for balance disorders
Alan Cheng and his colleagues were able to regenerate hair cells inside the ears of mice — a first in mature mammals. Photo Courtesy of Steve Fisch A sense of balance is important for a wide range of activities, from simple ones such as walking, running, and driving, to more intricate ones such as dancing, … Continue reading New study points to potential treatment for balance disorders