Can you hear me now? If you’re old enough, you probably recognize this phrase from an early 2000’s Verizon Wireless commercial where the company claims to be “the nation’s largest, most reliable wireless network”. However, no matter how hard wireless companies like Verizon try, there are still dead zones where cell phone reception is zilch … Continue reading Listen Up: A stem cell-based solution for hearing loss
Stem cell research
Rare diseases are not so rare
It seems like a contradiction in terms to say that there are nearly 7,000 diseases, affecting 30 million people, that are considered rare in the US. But the definition of a rare disease is one that affects fewer than 200,000 people and the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD) … Continue reading Rare diseases are not so rare
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: drug safety for heart cells, worms hijack plant stem cells & battling esophageal cancer
Devising a drug safety measuring stick in stem cell-derived heart muscle cells One of the mantras in the drug development business is “fail early”. That’s because most of the costs of getting a therapy to market occur at the later stages when an experimental treatment is tested in clinical trials in people. So, it’s best … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: drug safety for heart cells, worms hijack plant stem cells & battling esophageal cancer
TV’s Dr. Oz takes on clinics offering dubious stem cell treatments
At first glance motor car racing legend A. J. Foyt and TV celebrity heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz would seem to have little in common. But this week they both made news for being at opposite ends of an all too familiar story: for-profit medical clinics offering unproven stem cell therapies. Foyt, who is now … Continue reading TV’s Dr. Oz takes on clinics offering dubious stem cell treatments
Rhythmic brain circuits built from stem cells
The TV commercial is nearly 20 years old but I remember it vividly: a couple is driving down a street when they suddenly realize the music on their tape deck is in sync with the repetitive activity on the street. From the guy casually dribbling a basketball to people walking along the sidewalk to the … Continue reading Rhythmic brain circuits built from stem cells
Wishing You and Your Stem Cells a Happy Valentine’s Day!
Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, Let’s thank pluripotent stem cells, For making humans like me and you Happy Valentine’s Day from me and everyone at CIRM! Today, we are celebrating this day of love by sending our warmest wishes to you our readers. We’re grateful for your interest in learning more about stem cells … Continue reading Wishing You and Your Stem Cells a Happy Valentine’s Day!
The power of the patient’s voice: how advocates shape clinical trials and give hope to those battling deadly diseases
Tennis great Martina Navratilova was once being interviewed about what made her such a great competitor and she said it was all down to commitment. When pressed she said “the difference between involvement and commitment is like ham and eggs; the chicken is involved but the pig is committed.” That’s how I feel about the … Continue reading The power of the patient’s voice: how advocates shape clinical trials and give hope to those battling deadly diseases
Stem Cell Stories That Caught our Eye: Making blood and muscle from stem cells and helping students realize their “pluripotential”
Stem cells offer new drug for blood diseases. A new treatment for blood disorders might be in the works thanks to a stem cell-based study out of Harvard Medical School and Boston Children’s hospital. Their study was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine. The teams made induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from the skin … Continue reading Stem Cell Stories That Caught our Eye: Making blood and muscle from stem cells and helping students realize their “pluripotential”
“Apples to Apples” analysis: induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) method doesn’t increase mutations
It’s full steam ahead for the development of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived clinical trials. That’s according to a group at the National Human Genome Research Institute in Bethesda, Maryland who report this week in PNAS that the process of reprogramming a skin cell into the embryonic stem cell-like state of an iPSC does not … Continue reading “Apples to Apples” analysis: induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) method doesn’t increase mutations
Results are in: The Winners of our 2017 #StemCellResolution Campaign
We asked and you answered! In January, we launched our first Stem Cell Resolution campaign to raise awareness about the importance of stem cell research. We challenged scientists, students, institutes and the public to make a #StemCellResolution and share it on social media. The goal of our campaign was to start a larger conversation about … Continue reading Results are in: The Winners of our 2017 #StemCellResolution Campaign
The Stem Cellar 