Sometimes a solution to a disease doesn’t come in the form of a drug or a stem cell therapy, but from within ourselves. Yesterday, scientists from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden reported an alternative strategy for treating Parkinson’s disease that involves reprogramming specific cells in the brain into the nerve cells killed off by the … Continue reading Could the Answer to Treating Parkinson’s Disease Come From Within the Brain?
How Parkinson’s disease became personal for one stem cell researcher
April is Parkinson's disease Awareness Month. This year the date is particularly significant because 2017 is the 200th anniversary of the publication of British apothecary James Parkinson's "An Essay on the Shaking Palsy", which is now recognized as a seminal work in describing the disease. To mark the occasion we talked with Dr. Birgitt Schuele, … Continue reading How Parkinson’s disease became personal for one stem cell researcher
Stem Cell Stories That Caught Our Eye: Plasticity in the pancreas and two cool stem cell tools added to the research toolbox
There’s more plasticity in the pancreas than we thought. You’re taught a lot of things about the world when you’re young. As you get older, you realize that not everything you’re told holds true and it’s your own responsibility to determine fact from fiction. This evolution in understanding happens in science too. Scientists do research … Continue reading Stem Cell Stories That Caught Our Eye: Plasticity in the pancreas and two cool stem cell tools added to the research toolbox
Fantastic Voyage: using stem cells to build live 3D maps of our cells
From the 1966 sci-fi action thriller Fantastic Voyage to the recent, hilarious cartoon, Phineas and Ferb, TV and film have often depicted the idea of people miniaturizing themselves and traveling into the microscopic world of the human body. Now, that journey is a reality for you and me. Well, sort of. This week, the Allen … Continue reading Fantastic Voyage: using stem cells to build live 3D maps of our cells
CIRM-funded team uncovers novel function for protein linked to autism and schizophrenia
Imagine you’ve just stopped your car at the top of the steepest street in San Francisco. Now, if want to stay at the top of the hill you’re going to need to keep your foot on the brakes. Let go and you’ll start rolling down. Fast. Conceptually, similar decision points happen in human development. A … Continue reading CIRM-funded team uncovers novel function for protein linked to autism and schizophrenia
One scientist’s quest to understand autism using stem cells
April is National Autism Awareness Month and people and organizations around the world are raising awareness about a disorder that affects more than 20 million people globally. Autism affects early brain development and causes a wide spectrum of social, mental, physical and emotional symptoms that appear during childhood. Because the symptoms and their severity can … Continue reading One scientist’s quest to understand autism using stem cells
You Are Invited: CIRM Patient Advocate Event, San Diego April 20th
The word “cured” is one of the loveliest words in the English language. Last year we got to use it twice when we talked about stem cell therapies we are funding. Two of our clinical trials are not just helping people, they are curing them (you can read about that in our Annual Report). But … Continue reading You Are Invited: CIRM Patient Advocate Event, San Diego April 20th
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: menstrual cycle on a chip, iPS cells from urine, Alpha Stem Cell Clinic Symposium videos
Say hello to EVATAR, a mini female reproductive system on a 3D chip. (Karen Ring) I was listening to the radio this week in my car and caught snippets of a conversation that mentioned the word “Evatar”. Having tuned in halfway through the story, naturally I thought that the reporters were talking about James Cameron’s … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: menstrual cycle on a chip, iPS cells from urine, Alpha Stem Cell Clinic Symposium videos
Bye Bye bubble baby disease: promising results from stem cell gene therapy trial for SCID
You don’t need to analyze any data to know for yourself that Evangelina Vaccaro’s experimental stem cell therapy has cured her of a devastating, often fatal disease of the immune system. All you have to do is look at a photo or video of her to see that she’s now a happy, healthy 5-year-old with a … Continue reading Bye Bye bubble baby disease: promising results from stem cell gene therapy trial for SCID
Telomere length matters: scientists find shorter telomeres may cause aging-related disease
Aging is inevitable no matter how much you exercise, sleep or eat healthy. There is no magic pill or supplement that can thwart growing older. However, preventing certain age-related diseases is a different story. Genetic mutations can raise the risk of acquiring age-related diseases like heart disease, diabetes, cancer and dementia. And scientists are on … Continue reading Telomere length matters: scientists find shorter telomeres may cause aging-related disease
The Stem Cellar 