“Over the next five to ten years, we want to make Huntington’s disease an increasingly treatable condition.” This bold and inspiring statement was made by Dr. Ray Dorsey at the inaugural HD-CARE symposium for Huntington’s disease (HD) research held at UC Irvine last month. The event brought together scientists, doctors, patients, family members, and caregivers … Continue reading On the Hunt for Huntington’s Disease Treatments in the New Millennium
UC Irvine
A visual guide on using stem cells to treat blindness
Some stories are so sweet or powerful or wonderful - or all three - that they just stick in your mind. About 18 months ago Rosalinda and German Barrero came to talk to the CIRM Board about retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a devastating genetic disease that slowly destroys a person’s vision. Contrary to what everyone expected … Continue reading A visual guide on using stem cells to treat blindness
Patients are the Heroes at the CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinics Symposium
UCSD’s Catriona Jamieson and patient advocate Sandra Dillon at the CIRM Alpha Clinic Network Symposium Sometimes, when you take a moment to stand back and look at what you have accomplished, you can surprise yourself at how far you have come, and how much you have done in a short space of time. Take the … Continue reading Patients are the Heroes at the CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinics Symposium
CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinics: Paving a Path to Cures
Our mission at CIRM is to accelerate stem cell treatments to patients with unmet medical needs. Over the past ten years, our agency has been tasked with carefully distributing $3 billion dollars of California state tax payer money to the best and brightest scientists in California (and outside too, providing they meet certain requirements). These … Continue reading CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinics: Paving a Path to Cures
Alzheimer’s and the Inflamed Brain: Their Links Run Deeper than Thought
Given that Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a brain disorder and the leading cause of dementia, it seems logical to assume that some sort of breakdown in the connections of the brain’s nerve cells is mostly to blame. But based on an increasing volume of research, it turns out that our immune system is also closely … Continue reading Alzheimer’s and the Inflamed Brain: Their Links Run Deeper than Thought
The Critical Role of Patient Advocates in Accelerating Stem Cell Cures
At CIRM, our goal is to bring stem cell therapies to patients with unmet medical needs, and we do that by funding the most promising and innovative research in regenerative medicine. A critical component of this goal is to support our patient advocates and make sure that their voices are heard. At this year’s World … Continue reading The Critical Role of Patient Advocates in Accelerating Stem Cell Cures
Eyeing Stem Cell Therapies for Vision Loss
Back by popular demand (well, at least a handful of you demanded it!) we’re pleased to present the third installment of our Stem Cells in Your Face video series. Episodes one and two set out to explain – in a light-hearted, engaging and clear way – the latest progress in CIRM-funded stem cell research related … Continue reading Eyeing Stem Cell Therapies for Vision Loss
How do you know if they really know what they’re saying “yes” to?
How can you not love something titled “Money, Mischief and Science.” It just smacks of intrigue and high stakes. And when the rest of the title is “What Have We Learned About Doing Stem Cell Research?” you have an altogether intriguing topic for a panel discussion. That panel – featuring CIRM’s own Dr. Geoff Lomax, … Continue reading How do you know if they really know what they’re saying “yes” to?
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: new CRISPR fix for sickle cell disease, saving saliva stem cells, jumping genes in iPSCs and lung stem cells.
An end run around sickle cell disease with CRISPR The CRISPR-based gene editing technique has got to be the hottest topic in biomedical research right now. And I sense we’re only at the tip of the iceberg with more applications of the technology popping up almost every week. Just two days ago, researchers at the Dana … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: new CRISPR fix for sickle cell disease, saving saliva stem cells, jumping genes in iPSCs and lung stem cells.
Cell mate: the man who makes stem cells for clinical trials
When we announced that one of the researchers we fund - Dr. Henry Klassen at the University of California, Irvine - has begun his clinical trial to treat the vision-destroying disease retinitis pigmentosa, we celebrated the excitement felt by the researchers and the hope from people with the disease. But we missed out one group. … Continue reading Cell mate: the man who makes stem cells for clinical trials
The Stem Cellar 