Will CIRM be funding stem cell research after this year? From even before we were created by the passage of Proposition 71 back in 2004, the voices of patients and patient advocates have been at the heart of CIRM’s existence. Today they are every bit as vital to the work we do, and even more … Continue reading Rallying to support CIRM and stem cell research
Stem cell research
Stanford study successful in transplant of mismatched stem cells, tissue in mice
Dr. Irv Weissman at Stanford University A transplant can be a lifesaving procedure for many people across the United States. In fact, according to the Health Resources & Services Administration, 36,528 transplants were performed in 2018. However, as of January 2019, the number of men, women, and children on the national transplant waiting list is … Continue reading Stanford study successful in transplant of mismatched stem cells, tissue in mice
Clinical trials: separating the wheat from the chaff
What do you do when the supposed solution to a problem actually turns out to be a part of the problem? That’s the situation facing people who want to direct patients to scientifically sound clinical trials. Turns out the site many were going to may be directing patients to therapies that are not only not … Continue reading Clinical trials: separating the wheat from the chaff
Salk scientists discover new findings related to the age of organs
Dr. Rafael Arrojo e Drigo (left) and Dr. Martin Hetzer (right) at the Salk Institute in San Diego It has been a long held belief in the scientific community that nerve cells, or possibly the heart, are the oldest cells in the body. This is due to the fact that the brain and heart are … Continue reading Salk scientists discover new findings related to the age of organs
Blood-brain barrier chip created with stem cells expands potential for personalized medicine
An Organ-Chip used in the study to create a blood-brain barrier (BBB). The brain is a complex part of the human body that allows for the formation of thoughts and consciousness. In many ways it is the essence of who we are as individuals. Because of its importance, our bodies have developed various layers of … Continue reading Blood-brain barrier chip created with stem cells expands potential for personalized medicine
CIRM funded clinical trial shows promising results for patients with blood cancers
An illustration of a macrophage, a vital part of the immune system, engulfing and destroying a cancer cell. Antibody 5F9 blocks a "don't eat me" signal emitted from cancer cells. Courtesy of Forty Seven, Inc. Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) are both types of blood cancers that can be difficult to treat. CIRM … Continue reading CIRM funded clinical trial shows promising results for patients with blood cancers
Media matters in spreading the word
Cover of New Yorker article on "The Birth Tissue Profiteers". Illustration by Ben Jones When you have a great story to tell the best and most effective way to get it out to the widest audience is still the media, both traditional mainstream and new social media. Recently we have seen three great examples of … Continue reading Media matters in spreading the word
Stanford and University of Tokyo researchers crack the code for blood stem cells
Blood stem cells grown in lab Blood stem cells offer promise for a variety of immune and blood related disorders such as sickle cell disease and leukemia. Like other stem cells, blood stem cells have the ability to generate additional blood stem cells in a process called self-renewal. Additionally, they are able to generate blood … Continue reading Stanford and University of Tokyo researchers crack the code for blood stem cells
Stem Cell Agency Board Approves New Clinical Trial for Type 1 Diabetes
Dr. Peter Stock at the capitol in Sacramento in May 2016. Photo courtesy of Steve German. Today the governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) awarded $11.08 Million to Dr. Peter Stock at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) to conduct a clinical trial for treatment of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency Board Approves New Clinical Trial for Type 1 Diabetes
How a see-through fish could one day lead to substitutes for bone marrow transplants
Human blood stem cells For years researchers have struggled to create human blood stem cells in the lab. They have done it several times with animal models, but the human kind? Well, that’s proved a bit trickier. Now a CIRM-funded team at UC San Diego (UCSD) think they have cracked the code. And that would … Continue reading How a see-through fish could one day lead to substitutes for bone marrow transplants
The Stem Cellar 