It’s always exciting to read a science article featuring a talented scientist who is breaking boundaries in the field of regenerative medicine. It’s especially exciting to us at CIRM when the scientist is a CIRM grantee. Last week, OZY published a fun and inspiring piece on Stanford scientist Joe Wu. Dr. Wu is the Director … Continue reading Spotlight on CIRM Grantee Joe Wu: Clinical Trials for Heart Disease in a Dish?
Presentations at ISSCR that caught our eye: Stem cell clinical trials expand as work to improve our understanding of just how they work goes on in parallel
In a special edition of our weekly roundup, here are some highlights from just the first two days of the four-day annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research Seeing stem cells from both sides now. As the biggest gathering of stem cell researchers each year, the annual meeting of the International Society … Continue reading Presentations at ISSCR that caught our eye: Stem cell clinical trials expand as work to improve our understanding of just how they work goes on in parallel
Circular RNAs: the Mind-Boggling Dark Matter of the Human Genome
We were just a few hours into the 2016 annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) yesterday afternoon and my mind was already blown away. Pier Paolo Pandolfi of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard, spoke during the first plenary session about circular RNAs, which he dubbed, “the mind-boggling … Continue reading Circular RNAs: the Mind-Boggling Dark Matter of the Human Genome
Multi-Talented Stem Cells: The Many Ways to Use Them in the Clinic
CIRM kicked off the 2016 International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) Conference in San Francisco with a public stem cell event yesterday that brought scientists, patients, patient advocates and members of the general public together to discuss the many ways stem cells are being used in the clinic to develop treatments for patients with … Continue reading Multi-Talented Stem Cells: The Many Ways to Use Them in the Clinic
Sickle Cell Disease Leaves No Organ Untouched
“There really isn’t an organ in the body that isn’t affected by sickle cell disease.” This striking comment was made by the Dr. Bertram Lubin, the CEO and President of the Children’s Hospital Oakland Research Institute (CHORI) and a CIRM Board Member. Yesterday Dr. Lubin visited CIRM headquarters to talk about sickle cell disease (SCD). … Continue reading Sickle Cell Disease Leaves No Organ Untouched
Need a new ear, why not grow it from an apple?
That may be one of the strangest headlines you have read in a while, but believe me, the rest of this post is not going to be any less strange. And yet, the work behind that headline could open up the possibility of using everyday produce, such as apples and asparagus, as tools to help … Continue reading Need a new ear, why not grow it from an apple?
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: hearts with nerve, keeping adult stem cells as stem cells and lab models for the inner ear and pituitary
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. Hearts with nerve. When trying to heal a damaged heart you can’t just worry about the heart muscle, you also need to pay attention to … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: hearts with nerve, keeping adult stem cells as stem cells and lab models for the inner ear and pituitary
Women in Bio on The Influential Paths of Great Visionary Leaders
Powerful women made powerful statements last week at the Women in Bio (WIB) Plenary Event during the 2016 BIO International Convention. A panel of influential women leaders discussed difficult yet critical topics, such as how to brand yourself as a woman in a male-dominated industry, the importance of side hustles, and how to close the … Continue reading Women in Bio on The Influential Paths of Great Visionary Leaders
Accelerating the drive for new stem cell treatments
Acceleration is defined as the “increase in the rate or speed of something.” For us that “something” is new stem cell treatments for patients with unmet medical needs. Today our governing Board just approved a $15 million partnership with Quintiles to help us achieve that acceleration. Quintiles was awarded the funding to create a new … Continue reading Accelerating the drive for new stem cell treatments
Filling the Holes in our Understanding of Stem Cell Fate
How does a single-celled human embryo transform into a human body with intricate organ systems containing trillions of specialized cells? Step into any college lecture discussing this question and I bet “transcription factors” is a phrase you’ll often hear. Transcription factors are DNA-binding proteins that act as cell fate control switches during development. For cells … Continue reading Filling the Holes in our Understanding of Stem Cell Fate
The Stem Cellar 