At CIRM we don’t have a disease hierarchy list that we use to guide where our funding goes. We don’t rank a disease by how many people suffer from it, if it affects children or adults, or how painful it is. But if we did have that kind of hierarchy you can be sure that … Continue reading Stem cell agency funds Phase 3 clinical trial for Lou Gehrig’s disease
Stem cells
Bridging the divide: stem cell students helping families with rare diseases become partners in research
Sometimes it’s the simplest things that make the biggest impact. For example, introducing a scientist to a patient can help them drive stem cell research forward faster than either one could do on their own. Want proof? This year, students in CIRM’s Bridges to Stem Cell Research and Therapy program at California State University (CSU) … Continue reading Bridging the divide: stem cell students helping families with rare diseases become partners in research
Humacyte Receives Prestigious Technology Pioneer Award for Kidney Failure Treatment
This month, a CIRM-funded company called Humacyte was named one of the World Economic Forum’s 30 Technology Pioneers for 2017. This prestigious award “recognizes early-stage companies from around the world that are involved in the design, development and deployment of new technologies and innovations, and are poised to have a significant impact on business and … Continue reading Humacyte Receives Prestigious Technology Pioneer Award for Kidney Failure Treatment
Have scientists discovered a natural way to boost muscle regeneration?
Painkillers like ibuprofen and aspirin are often a part of an athlete’s post-exercise regimen after intense workouts. Sore muscles, aches and stiffness can be more manageable by taking these drugs – collectively called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDS – to reduce inflammation and pain. But research suggests that the anti-inflammatory effects of these painkillers might … Continue reading Have scientists discovered a natural way to boost muscle regeneration?
Throwback Thursday: Progress to a Cure for Diseases of Blindness
Welcome back to our “Throwback Thursday” series on the Stem Cellar. Over the years, we’ve accumulated an arsenal of exciting stem cell stories about advances towards stem cell-based cures for serious diseases. This month we’re featuring stories about CIRM-funded clinical trials for blindness. 2017 has been an exciting year for two CIRM-funded clinical trials that … Continue reading Throwback Thursday: Progress to a Cure for Diseases of Blindness
Latest space launch sends mice to test bone-building drug
Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) received some furry guests this weekend with the launch of SpaceX’s Dragon supply capsule. On Saturday June 3rd, 40 mice were sent to the ISS along with other research experiments and medical equipment. Scientists will be treating the mice with a bone-building drug in search of a new … Continue reading Latest space launch sends mice to test bone-building drug
ViaCyte Advances Cell Replacement Therapy for High Risk Type 1 Diabetes
San Diego regenerative medicine company ViaCyte announced this week that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved their Investigational New Drug (IND) Application for PEC-Direct, a cell-based therapy to treat patients at risk for severe complications caused by type 1 diabetes. In the US, IND approval is the final regulatory step required before a therapy … Continue reading ViaCyte Advances Cell Replacement Therapy for High Risk Type 1 Diabetes
Bridging the Gap: Regenerating Injured Bones with Stem Cells and Gene Therapy
Scientists from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have developed a new stem cell-based technology in animals that mends broken bones that can’t regenerate on their own. Their research was published today in the journal Science Translational Medicine and was funded in part by a CIRM Early Translational Award. Over two million bone grafts are conducted every year … Continue reading Bridging the Gap: Regenerating Injured Bones with Stem Cells and Gene Therapy
Kidney Disease: There’s an Organ-on-a-Chip for That
“There’s an app for that” is a well-known phrase trademarked by Apple to promote how users can do almost anything they do on a computer on their mobile phone. Apps are so deeply ingrained in everyday life that it’s hard for some people to imagine living without them. (I know I’d be lost without google … Continue reading Kidney Disease: There’s an Organ-on-a-Chip for That
Scientists make stem cell-derived nerve cells damaged in spinal cord injury
The human spinal cord is an information highway that relays movement-related instructions from the brain to the rest of the body and sensory information from the body back to the brain. What keeps this highway flowing is a long tube of nerve cells and support cells bundled together within the spine. When the spinal cord … Continue reading Scientists make stem cell-derived nerve cells damaged in spinal cord injury