Dr. Bruce Hensel: courtesy Drbrucehensel.com As a former TV journalist who specialized in covering health and medical news I have long lamented the fact that there are fewer and fewer specialist health reporters in TV today, and even fewer who are doing really good in-depth stories. Happily NBC TV news in Los Angeles has Dr. … Continue reading Stopping bad stem cells could block deadly cancers

The most common type of stem cell used in clinical trials today is the mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) found in bone marrow and fat. The federal web site, clinicaltrials.gov lists a few hundred MSC trials. A pair of news stories on the web this morning detail why MSCs are so versatile, but also why they … Continue reading Mesenchymal type stem cells function more like a drugstore than a source of direct repair

Last summer, I blogged here about our friend Chris Furbee’s 18 year journey to complete an autobiographical documentary film about the impact of Huntington’s disease on him and his family. When I wrote about it in July, Chris was still nearing the finish line but I’m incredibly happy to report that the film, Huntington’s Dance, … Continue reading Huntington’s Disease Advocate’s Film Huntington’s Dance Premieres at SlamDance Fest this Weekend

Chemical modification of genetic material (RNA, shown here) helps keep stem cells in their "ground state", study finds The year is a mere 14 days old and yet my colleagues have already blogged here about very positive news regarding CIRM-funded stem cell-based clinical trial projects for treating heart disease and sickle cell anemia. At times … Continue reading To be or not to be a stem cell: Sanford-Burnham lab finds new mechanism

Joe Panetta: photo by K.C. Alfred, San Diego Union TribuneYou can never have too much help in making good decisions, that’s why we are delighted to welcome Joe Panetta as the newest member of our governing Board, the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee.Joe has just been appointed to the Board by Governor Jerry Brown and he … Continue reading New face brings fresh perspective to stem cell agency Board

The size of the crowd at the ARM briefing is a measure of the growth of the industryIt’s an auspicious start to the week when you begin your day at a conference and one of the first lines you hear from the podium is: “This industry is ready for prime time.” In this case, the … Continue reading State of the industry briefing shows a field coming of age, ready to start benefiting patients.

A stem cell treatment for TB? A report this week from Sweden suggests yes.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. Artificial bone marrow. Stem cell transplants using cells originating in bone marrow have … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: a tool toward safer bone marrow transplants, Parkinson’s and a Spinal cord clinical trial.

Jackie Ward is a stem cell researcher at U.C. San Diego. She recently came across something that caused her to pause and think about her responsibilities as a scientist. It's an issue that most scientists have to face at some point or other in their careers. This is her storyAmong the multiple cat pictures that … Continue reading A stem cell researcher’s dilemma, to tell or not to tell

Adrienne ShapiroEarlier today Sangamo Biosciences announced it had reached a collaborative agreement with Biogen Idec, something that could help speed up development of a cure for sickle cell disease. That can't come soon enough for Adrienne Shapiro, a Patient Advocate and mother of a daughter with sickle cell disease. In this guest blog Adrienne talks … Continue reading The Last Generation – a mother’s hope for her daughter

Sickle cell blood cells - targets for a new deal2014 is getting off to a very good start for CIRM-funded companies. Today Sangamo BioSciences announced that it has reached agreement on a global collaboration with Biogen Idec, a move that could speed up work to develop cures for both sickle cell disease and Beta-thalassemia.This follows … Continue reading Big deal raises big hopes for treating sickle cell disease and Beta-thalassemia