Rosalinda Barrero has often been mistaken for a rude snob. She has the habit of not saying hello or even acknowledging the presence of acquaintances that she passes around town. But in fact this kind, loving mom of three has been steadily losing her vision over a lifetime. And she doesn’t seem blind because people … Continue reading CIRM-Funded UC-Irvine Team Set to Launch Stem Cell Trial for Retinitis Pigmentosa in 2015
‘Tis the Season to Talk Science
And just like that another holiday season is upon us. It’s that time of year when scientists across the nation sit down for their family holiday dinner and attempt to answer the following question without triggering blank stares around the dining room table: “So dear, tell me again, what is it that you do in … Continue reading ‘Tis the Season to Talk Science
Key stem cell gene controlled from afar, Canadian scientists discover
Embryonic stem cells can, by definition, mature into any cell type in the body. They are able to maintain this state of so-called pluripotency with the help of a gene called Sox2. And now, researchers at the University of Toronto (U of T) have discovered the unseen force that controls it. These findings, reported in … Continue reading Key stem cell gene controlled from afar, Canadian scientists discover
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
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: good fat vs. bad fat, the black box of cell reprogramming and Parkinson’s
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. One day a pill might turn bad fat into good fat. For a few years now several research teams have linked white fat to the … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: good fat vs. bad fat, the black box of cell reprogramming and Parkinson’s
A time to kill, a time to heal: cells linked to aging also help heal wounds
Senescent cells, so called because of the role they play in the aging process, have acquired a bit of a bad reputation. Yet new research from the Buck Institute suggests that these cells may not be so bad after all. Reporting in today's issue of Developmental Cell, Buck Institute scientists have found that, while senescent … Continue reading A time to kill, a time to heal: cells linked to aging also help heal wounds
December ICOC Board Meeting to Begin Soon
The December ICOC Board Meeting begins this morning in Berkeley, CA. The complete agenda can be found here. Dude to inclement weather our Spotlight on Disease has been canceled. For those not able to attend, you are welcome to dial in: To join the event as an attendee ------------------------------------------------------- 1. Go to https://cirm.webex.com/mw0307l/mywebex/default.do?nomenu=true&siteurl=cirm&service=6&rnd=0.3004049356896069&main_url=https%3A%2F%2Fcirm.webex.com%2Fec0606l%2Feventcenter%2Fevent%2FeventAction.do%3FtheAction%3Dlandingfrommail%26confViewID%3D2023263422%26%26EMK%3D4832534b0000000206e16422b6688520d75b860933effb35ce2c41b56594ba5351fdb8c0a969dd92%26email%3Dacheung%2540cirm.ca.gov%26encryptTicket%3Daee20fe734ccdae68884f9fe07b3197e%26%26siteurl%3Dcirm 2. Click … Continue reading December ICOC Board Meeting to Begin Soon
Finding the Sweet Spot: shifting metabolism keeps stem cells in suspended animation
The future is bright for a stem cell: it has the potential to become almost anything. This potential is one of its two defining characteristics. The second is that it can create copies of itself over and over again. This second characteristic, known as the ability to self-renew, is of particular importance to researchers. After … Continue reading Finding the Sweet Spot: shifting metabolism keeps stem cells in suspended animation
Stem cells and professional sports: a call for more science and less speculation
In the world of professional sports, teams invest tens of millions of dollars in players. Those players are under intense pressure to show a return on that investment for the team, and that means playing as hard as possible for as long as possible. So it’s no surprise that players facing serious injuries will often … Continue reading Stem cells and professional sports: a call for more science and less speculation
World Stem Cell Summit: The environment stem cells find themselves in after transplant really matters
On Friday’s closing day of the 2014 World Stem Cell Summit a panel of three researchers working on neurodegenerative diseases drove home the importance of paying attention to the environment that surrounds stem cells after transplant. CIRM grantee Evan Snyder from the Sanford-Burnham Institute noted that most of the neurologic diseases people are looking at … Continue reading World Stem Cell Summit: The environment stem cells find themselves in after transplant really matters
The Stem Cellar 