The poet T. S. Eliot once wrote: “If you aren't in over your head, how do you know how tall you are?” Well, everyone at CIRM, California’s stem cell institute, is about to find out how tall we are. Yesterday our governing Board approved a new Strategic Plan. To call it ambitious might be considered … Continue reading Board gives stem cell institute marching orders, and a road map
Wiping out a cell’s identity shifts cellular reprogramming into high gear
If stretched out end to end, the DNA in just one cell of your body would reach a whopping six feet in length. A complex cellular structure called chromatin – made up of coils upon coils of DNA and protein – makes it possible to fit all that DNA into a single cell nucleus that’s … Continue reading Wiping out a cell’s identity shifts cellular reprogramming into high gear
Doing nothing is not OK: A call for change at the FDA
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is caught between a rock and a hard place. And CIRM is going to try and help them get out from under that. As things stand today, if the FDA approves a therapy quickly and a patient later dies from it, then they are widely criticized. If they … Continue reading Doing nothing is not OK: A call for change at the FDA
A step forward for Parkinson’s disease?
Imagine how frustrating it would be to not know whether you could physically sit through a dinner with friends or to worry about getting stuck in the grocery isle, fighting against a body that refuses to move. These nightmare-like experiences are what many Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients deal with on a daily basis. PD affects … Continue reading A step forward for Parkinson’s disease?
The Critical Role of Patient Advocates in Accelerating Stem Cell Cures
At CIRM, our goal is to bring stem cell therapies to patients with unmet medical needs, and we do that by funding the most promising and innovative research in regenerative medicine. A critical component of this goal is to support our patient advocates and make sure that their voices are heard. At this year’s World … Continue reading The Critical Role of Patient Advocates in Accelerating Stem Cell Cures
Why “Right to Try” laws are more feel good than do good
L to R: Don Gibbons, CIRM; Jeanne Loring; Beth Roxland; Aaron Levine In the last few years some 24 states have approved so-called “Right to Try” laws. These are intended to give terminally ill patients faster and easier access to experimental therapies. But a panel of experts at the World Stem Cell Summit in Atlanta … Continue reading Why “Right to Try” laws are more feel good than do good
To modify, or not to modify: Experts discuss human germline modification at WSCS15
The question of whether human germline modification, or the genetic modification of human reproductive cells, should be allowed or banned was discussed by a panel of experts in the Ethics, Law and Society session during Day 1 of the World Stem Cell Summit. On the panel were Aubrey de Grey, Chief Science Officer of the … Continue reading To modify, or not to modify: Experts discuss human germline modification at WSCS15
The bottom line: stem cell therapies will never be widely available if insurers won’t pay for them
The second session of the World Stem Cell Summit in Atlanta moved past all the promising science and right to the nitty-gritty of making cell-based therapies common. Four panelists reminded the audience that while they too are super excited by the potential for this field, unless folks developing therapies think about reimbursement early those therapies … Continue reading The bottom line: stem cell therapies will never be widely available if insurers won’t pay for them
Call to Action by FDA at World Stem Cell Summit
FDA Deputy Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf talking at the World Stem Cell Summit The World Stem Cell Summit annual conference in Atlanta kicked off today with a clarion call from Dr. Robert Califf, the Deputy Commissioner for the Food and Drug Administration. He told the audience: “We want you to accelerate translation to produce safe … Continue reading Call to Action by FDA at World Stem Cell Summit
Bringing down the gatekeeper for a stem cell-based Parkinson’s cure
On the surface, a stem cell-based cure for Parkinson’s disease seems pretty straight-forward. This age-related neurodegenerative disorder, which leads to progressively worsening tremors, slowness of movement and muscle rigidity, is caused by the death of a specific type of nerve cell, or neuron, that produces the chemical dopamine in a specific region of the brain. … Continue reading Bringing down the gatekeeper for a stem cell-based Parkinson’s cure
The Stem Cellar 