There is no singular cause of Parkinson’s disease, but many—making this disease so difficult to understand and, as a result, treat. But now, researchers at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging have tracked down precisely how a genetic change, or mutation, can lead to a common form of the disease. The results, published last … Continue reading Mutation Morphs Mitochondria in Models of Parkinson’s Disease, CIRM-Funded Study Finds
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Why TED Talks are ChildX’s Play
When the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) talks began in 1984 they were intended to be a one-off event. So much for that idea! Today they are a global event, with TED-sponsored conferences held everywhere from Scotland to Tanzania and India. They have also spawned a mini-industry of copycat events. Well, their slogan is “Ideas Worth … Continue reading Why TED Talks are ChildX’s Play
The eyes have it: a video guide to stem cells
We are visual creatures. Our eyes are essential tools in getting information to our brain to help us learn and understand. For example, visuals are processed about 60,000 times faster in the brain than text is, and some 60 percent of us are visual learners, meaning we respond better to visual information than to plain … Continue reading The eyes have it: a video guide to stem cells
Heartfelt award for brilliant young researcher
It can begin in so many different ways: a pain in the jaw, a sore neck, nausea, or more typically a crushing pain to the chest. But regardless of how it starts, surviving a heart attack is always devastating with the loss of as many as one billion heart cells and permanent damage to the … Continue reading Heartfelt award for brilliant young researcher
The search for a cure: how stem cells could eradicate the AIDS virus
It’s hard to overstate just how devastating the AIDS crisis was at its peak in the U.S. – and still is today in many parts of the world. In 1995 almost 51,000 Americans died from the disease, the numbers of new cases were at almost record highs, and there were few effective therapies against the … Continue reading The search for a cure: how stem cells could eradicate the AIDS virus
How the human genome is unlocking some of the secrets of stem cells, hopefully leading to new treatments
A little over a year ago we set aside $40 million to study how variations in the human genome – the complete map of our genetic information – can affect our ability to use stem cells to treat a wide variety of diseases and disorders. That money helped set up the Stanford/Salk Center of Excellence … Continue reading How the human genome is unlocking some of the secrets of stem cells, hopefully leading to new treatments
Meryl Streep, Lindsay Lohan and the importance of staying above the fray in science communications
Carl Sagan, the astronomer and cosmologist (among many other things) once said: “We live in a society absolutely dependent on science and technology, and yet have cleverly arranged things so that almost no one understands science and technology. That's a clear prescription for disaster.” The goal of two panel discussions at the American Association for … Continue reading Meryl Streep, Lindsay Lohan and the importance of staying above the fray in science communications
Peering inside the brain: how stem cells could help turn skin into therapies for dementia
To truly understand a disease you need to be able to see how it works, how it causes our body to act in ways that it shouldn’t. In cancer, for example, you can take cells from a tumor and observe them under a microscope to see what is going on. But with diseases of the … Continue reading Peering inside the brain: how stem cells could help turn skin into therapies for dementia
A look at 2014: some of the lowlights of stem cell research this past year
It’s been quite a year in stem cell research. Here at the stem cell agency eight projects that we are funding have been approved for clinical trials and several more hope to get approval in early 2015. And Dr. Don Kohn and his team at UCLA announced that they have effectively cured Severe Combined Immunodeficiency … Continue reading A look at 2014: some of the lowlights of stem cell research this past year
Maintaining the momentum: a good start but CIRM 2.0 is just the first step
Newton’s First Law of Physics states that an object either remains at rest or continues to move at a constant velocity unless acted upon by an external force. Well, for the stem cell agency the external force was an exercise in thinking differently about how we do business. That resulted in our governing Board approving … Continue reading Maintaining the momentum: a good start but CIRM 2.0 is just the first step