An out of control flame can be very dangerous, even life-threatening. But when harnessed, that same flame sustains life in the form of warm air, a source of light, and a means to cook. A similar duality holds true for viruses. Once it infects the body, a virus can replicate like wildfire and cause serious … Continue reading Taming the Zika virus to kill cancer stem cells that drive lethal brain tumor
stem cell research
Stories that caught our eye last week: dying cells trigger stem cells, CRISPR videogames and an obesity-stem cell link
A dying cell’s last breath triggers stem cell division. Most cells in your body are in a constant state of turnover. The cells of your lungs, for instance, replace themselves every 2 to 3 weeks and, believe it or not, you get a new intestine every 2 to 3 days. We can thank adult stem cells … Continue reading Stories that caught our eye last week: dying cells trigger stem cells, CRISPR videogames and an obesity-stem cell link
Stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease shows promise in monkeys
Tremors, muscle stiffness, shuffling, slow movement, loss of balance. These are all symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD), a neurodegenerative disorder that progressively destroys the dopamine-producing neurons in the brain that control movement. While there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, there are drugs like Levodopa and procedures like deep brain stimulation that alleviate or improve … Continue reading Stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease shows promise in monkeys
From trauma to treatment: a Patient Advocate’s journey from helping her son battle a deadly disease to helping others do the same
For every clinical trial CIRM funds we create a Clinical Advisory Panel or CAP. The purpose of the CAP is to make recommendations and provide guidance and advice to both CIRM and the Project Team running the trial. It’s part of our commitment to doing everything we can to help make the trial a success … Continue reading From trauma to treatment: a Patient Advocate’s journey from helping her son battle a deadly disease to helping others do the same
Extra dose of patience needed for spinal cord injury stem cell therapies, rat study suggests
2017 has been an exciting year for Asterias Biotherapeutics’ clinical trial which is testing a stem cell-based therapy for spinal cord injury. We’ve written several stories about patients who have made remarkable recoveries after participating in the trial (here and here). But that doesn’t mean researchers at other companies or institutes who are also investigating spinal … Continue reading Extra dose of patience needed for spinal cord injury stem cell therapies, rat study suggests
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: bubble baby therapy a go in UK, in-utero stem cell trial and novel heart disease target
There were lots of CIRM mentions in the news this week. Here are two brief recaps written by Karen Ring to get you up to speed. A third story by Todd Dubnicoff summarizes an promising finding related to heart disease by researchers in Singapore. CIRM-funded “bubble baby” disease therapy gets special designation by UK. … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: bubble baby therapy a go in UK, in-utero stem cell trial and novel heart disease target
Confusing cancer to kill it
Confusion is not a state of mind that we usually seek out. Being bewildered is bad enough when it happens naturally, so why would anyone actively pursue it? But now some researchers are doing just that, using confusion to not just block a deadly blood cancer, but to kill it. Today the CIRM Board approved … Continue reading Confusing cancer to kill it
Researchers, beware: humanized mice not human enough to study stem cell transplants
A researcher’s data is only as good as the experimental techniques used to obtain those results. And a Stanford University study published yesterday in Cell Reports, calls into question the accuracy of a widely used method in mice that helps scientists gauge the human immune system’s response to stem cell-based therapies. The findings, funded in … Continue reading Researchers, beware: humanized mice not human enough to study stem cell transplants
New research suggests taking a daily dose of vitamin C could prevent leukemia
Did you take your vitamins today? It’s not always easy to remember with such busy lives, but after you read this blog, you’ll be sure to make vitamins part of your daily routine if you haven’t already! Two recent studies, published in the journals Nature and Cell, reported that vitamin C has a direct impact … Continue reading New research suggests taking a daily dose of vitamin C could prevent leukemia
Crossing the Grad School Bridge of Self and Scientific Discovery
Since 2010, the CIRM Bridges Program has provided paid stem cell research internships to students at California colleges and universities that don’t have major stem cell research programs. In order to keep in touch with these interns, The Stem Cellar has an ongoing CIRM Scholars blog series, inviting alumni from our training programs to reflect … Continue reading Crossing the Grad School Bridge of Self and Scientific Discovery
The Stem Cellar 