It began as an ambitious idea; yesterday it became a reality when the CIRM Board approved two projects under CIRM 2.0, one of them a Phase 3 clinical trial for a deadly form of skin cancer. Just to recap, CIRM 2.0 was introduced by Dr. C. Randal Mills when he took over as President and … Continue reading Two for 2.0 and Two for us
Uncategorized
Stem cells, Darth Vader and the high cost of hope and hype
It’s not very often that you get stories about stem cells that mention Darth Vader, Obi Wan Kenobi, the Pittsburgh Steelers and a Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, but those references all popped up in a recent flurry of articles that are shining – yet again – the light on many of the unproven, unregulated uses … Continue reading Stem cells, Darth Vader and the high cost of hope and hype
Taking a step back, to move forward
Progress doesn’t always come in straight lines. Particularly when you are a pioneer in a whole new field of medicine like stem cells where virtually everything you do is being done for the first time, and the therapies you are developing are going to be tested in people for the first time. That’s why everything … Continue reading Taking a step back, to move forward
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: reversing aging, mature hearts, arthritic knees and tiny organs
Here are some stem cell stories that caught our eye this past week. Some are groundbreaking science, others are of personal interest to us, and still others are just fun. Making stem cells feels young again. Stem cells are supposed to rejuvenate our tissues, whether brain or muscle, and keep them functioning at their peak. … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: reversing aging, mature hearts, arthritic knees and tiny organs
How stimulating! A new way to repair broken bones
For those of us who live in earthquake country the recent devastating quakes in Nepal are a reminder, as if we needed one, of the danger and damage these temblors can cause. Many of those injured in the quake suffered severe bone injuries – broken legs, crushed limbs etc. Repairing those injuries is going to … Continue reading How stimulating! A new way to repair broken bones
Using stem cells to mend a broken heart and winning $6,000 to boot
It’s no secret that the members of the CIRM blog team are all big fans of scientists who are good public communicators. We feel that the more scientists talk about their research, the better the public will understand the importance of science and it’s ability to help them or someone they love. So on Monday … Continue reading Using stem cells to mend a broken heart and winning $6,000 to boot
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: spina bifida, review of heart clinical trials, tracking cells and cell switches
Here are some stem cell stories that caught our eye this past week. Some are groundbreaking science, others are of personal interest to us, and still others are just fun. Stem cells boost fetal surgery for spina bifida. Fetal surgery to correct the spinal defect that causes spina bifida has revolutionized treatment for the debilitating … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: spina bifida, review of heart clinical trials, tracking cells and cell switches
Charting a new, faster way to fund science and help patients
Change is never easy. In fact, sometimes it can be downright hard. But change is also essential if you want to grow, to get faster and better. When we launched CIRM 2.0 we set out to produce a better, faster, more effective and efficient way to deliver stem cell therapies to patients with unmet medical … Continue reading Charting a new, faster way to fund science and help patients
A new approach to killing blood cancer
It’s not often that you get a therapy named after you, particularly one that has so much promise for helping to save lives. So when researchers at the University of California, San Diego Moores Cancer Center named the treatment Cirmtuzumab after us it’s understandable we should feel just a little pride. After all, we provided … Continue reading A new approach to killing blood cancer
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Hair stem cells, amniotic fluid cells for repair and fixing kids’ faulty genes
Here are some stem cell stories that caught our eye this past week. Some are groundbreaking science, others are of personal interest to us, and still others are just fun. With hair, lose a few to grow more. A team at the University of Southern California has shown that if you pull out a couple … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Hair stem cells, amniotic fluid cells for repair and fixing kids’ faulty genes