I have been to a lot of stem cell conferences over the years and there’s one recent trend I really like: the growing importance and frequency of the role played by patient advocates. There was a time, not so long ago, when having a patient advocate speak at a scientific conference was almost considered a … Continue reading Patients at the heart of Alpha Stem Cell Clinics Symposium
UC Irvine
Video illustrates potential path to stem cell repair for multiple sclerosis
“Can you imagine slowly losing the ability to live life as you know it? To slowly lose the ability to see, to walk, to grab an object, all the while experiencing pain, fatigue and depression?” These sobering questions are posed at the beginning of a recent video produced by Youreka Science and Americans for Cures … Continue reading Video illustrates potential path to stem cell repair for multiple sclerosis
Alpha clinics and a new framework for accelerating stem cell treatments
Last week, at the World Stem Cell Summit in Miami, CIRM took part in a panel discussion about the role and importance of Alpha Clinics in not just delivering stem cell therapies, but in helping create a new, more collaborative approach to medicine. The Alpha Clinic concept is to create a network of top medical … Continue reading Alpha clinics and a new framework for accelerating stem cell treatments
jCyte Shares Encouraging Update on Clinical Trial for Retinitis Pigmentosa
Stepping out of the darkness into light. That’s how patients are describing their experience after participating in a CIRM-funded clinical trial targeting a rare form of vision loss called retinitis pigmentosa (RP). jCyte, the company conducting the trial, announced 12 month results for its candidate stem cell-based treatment for RP. RP is a genetic disorder … Continue reading jCyte Shares Encouraging Update on Clinical Trial for Retinitis Pigmentosa
The Alpha Stem Cell Clinics: Innovation for Breakthrough Stem Cell Treatments
During this third week of the Month of CIRM, we are focusing on CIRM’s Infrastructure programs which are all focused on helping to accelerate stem cell treatments to patients with unmet medical needs. So here is the question of the day: What is the world’s largest network of medical centers dedicated to providing stem cell … Continue reading The Alpha Stem Cell Clinics: Innovation for Breakthrough Stem Cell Treatments
UC Irvine scientists engineer stem cells to “feel” cancer and destroy it
By blocking cell division, chemotherapy drugs take advantage of the fact that cancer cells multiply rapidly in the body. Though this treatment can extend and even save the lives of cancer patients, it’s somewhat like destroying an ant hill with an atomic bomb: there’s a lot of collateral damage. The treatment is infused through the … Continue reading UC Irvine scientists engineer stem cells to “feel” cancer and destroy it
Stories that caught our eye: An antibody that could make stem cell research safer; scientists prepare for clinical trial for Parkinson’s disease; and the stem cell scientist running for Congress
Antibody to make stem cells safer: There is an old Chinese proverb that states: ‘What seems like a blessing could be a curse’. In some ways that proverb could apply to stem cells. For example, pluripotent stem cells have the extraordinary ability to turn into many other kinds of cells, giving researchers a tool to … Continue reading Stories that caught our eye: An antibody that could make stem cell research safer; scientists prepare for clinical trial for Parkinson’s disease; and the stem cell scientist running for Congress
Stem cell-derived blood-brain barrier gives more complete picture of Huntington’s disease
Like a sophisticated security fence, our bodies have evolved a barrier that protects the brain from potentially harmful substances in the blood but still allows the entry of essential molecules like blood sugar and oxygen. Just like in other parts of the body, the blood vessels and capillaries in the brain are lined with endothelial … Continue reading Stem cell-derived blood-brain barrier gives more complete picture of Huntington’s disease
jCyte gets FDA go-ahead for Fast Track review process of Retinitis Pigmentosa stem cell therapy
When the US Congress approved, and President Obama signed into law, the 21st Century Cures Act last year there was guarded optimism that this would help create a more efficient and streamlined, but no less safe, approval process for the most promising stem cell therapies. Even so many people took a wait and see approach, … Continue reading jCyte gets FDA go-ahead for Fast Track review process of Retinitis Pigmentosa stem cell therapy
jCyte starts second phase of stem cell clinical trial targeting vision loss
Studies show that Americans fear losing their vision more than any other sense, such as hearing or speech, and almost as much as they fear cancer, Alzheimer’s and HIV/AIDS. That’s not too surprising. Our eyes are our connection to the world around us. Sever that connection, and the world is a very different place. For … Continue reading jCyte starts second phase of stem cell clinical trial targeting vision loss