Bone marrow transplants are currently the only approved stem cell-based therapy in the United States. They involve replacing the hematopoietic, or blood-forming stem cells, found in the bone marrow with healthy stem cells to treat patients with cancers, immune diseases and blood disorders. For bone marrow transplants to succeed, patients must undergo radiation therapy to … Continue reading Engineered bone tissue improves stem cell transplants
A call to put the ‘public’ back in publication, and make stem cell research findings available to everyone
Thomas Gray probably wasn’t thinking about stem cell research when, in 1750 in his poem “Elegy in a Country Churchyard”, he wrote: “Full many a flower is born to blush unseen”. But a new study says that’s precisely what seems to happen to the findings of many stem cell clinical trials. They take place, but … Continue reading A call to put the ‘public’ back in publication, and make stem cell research findings available to everyone
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: better ovarian cancer drugs, creating inner ear tissue, small fish big splash
Two drugs are better than one for ovarian cancer (Karen Ring). Earlier this week, scientists from UCLA reported that a combination drug therapy could be an effective treatment for 50% of aggressive ovarian cancers. The study was published in the journal Precision Oncology and was led by Dr. Sanaz Memarzadeh. Women with high-grade ovarian tumors … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: better ovarian cancer drugs, creating inner ear tissue, small fish big splash
Keeping intestinal stem cells in their prime
The average length of the human gut is 25 feet long. That’s equivalent to four really tall people or five really short people lined up head to toe. Intestinal stem cells have the fun job of regenerating and replacing ALL the cells that line the gut. Therefore, it’s important for these stem cells to be … Continue reading Keeping intestinal stem cells in their prime
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
CIRM’s Randy Mills leaving stem cell agency to take on new challenge
Some news releases are fun to write. Some less so. The one that CIRM posted today definitely falls into that latter group. It announced that CIRM’s President and CEO, Randy Mills, is leaving us to take up the role of President and CEO at the National Marrow Donor Program – NMPD/Be The Match. It’s a … Continue reading CIRM’s Randy Mills leaving stem cell agency to take on new challenge
Stem cell-derived, 3D brain tissue reveals autism insights
Studying human brain disorders is one of the most challenging fields in biomedical research. Besides the fact that the brain is incredibly complex, it’s just plain difficult to peer into it. For one thing, it’s not practical, let alone ethical, to drill into an affected person’s skull and collect brain cells to learn about their … Continue reading Stem cell-derived, 3D brain tissue reveals autism insights
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: spinal cord injury trial keeps pace; SMART cells make cartilage and drugs
CIRM-funded spinal cord injury trial keeping a steady pace Taking an idea for a stem cell treatment and developing it into a Food and Drug Administration-approved cell therapy is like running the Boston Marathon because it requires incremental progress rather than a quick sprint. Asterias Biotherapeutics continues to keep a steady pace and to hit … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: spinal cord injury trial keeps pace; SMART cells make cartilage and drugs
Capricor reports positive results on CIRM-funded stem cell trial for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Capricor Therapeutics, a Los Angeles-based company, published an update about its CIRM-funded clinical trial for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a devastating degenerative muscle disease that significantly reduces life expectancy. The company reported positive results from their Phase I/II HOPE trial that’s testing the safety of their cardiosphere stem cell-based therapy called CAP-1002. The trial had … Continue reading Capricor reports positive results on CIRM-funded stem cell trial for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Knocking out sexually transmitted disease with stem cells and CRISPR gene editing
When used in tandem, stem cells and gene editing make a powerful pair in the development of cell therapies for genetic diseases like sickle cell anemia and bubble baby disease. But the applications of these cutting-edge technologies go well beyond cell therapies. This week, researchers at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in the UK and … Continue reading Knocking out sexually transmitted disease with stem cells and CRISPR gene editing
The Stem Cellar 