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. Could cells in arteries be elusive heart stem cells? Our hearts have a modest limited ability to regenerate and repair themselves, suggesting we must have … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: heart stem cells, lizard tails and mapping progress in the field
World’s largest pharmaceutical company signs deal with ViaCyte supporting stem cell therapy for type 1 diabetes
It’s been a good week for ViaCyte, a good week for us here at the stem cell agency and potentially a great week for people with type 1 diabetes.Earlier this week ViaCyte announced they have been given approval to start a clinical trial for their new approach to treating type 1 diabetes. Then today they announced … Continue reading World’s largest pharmaceutical company signs deal with ViaCyte supporting stem cell therapy for type 1 diabetes
Disease in a Dish – That’s a Mouthful: Using Human Stem Cells to Find ALS Treatments
Saying “let’s put some shrimp on the barbie” will whet an Australian’s appetite for barbequed prawns but for an American it conjures up an odd image of placing shrimp on a Barbie doll. This sort of word play confusion doesn’t just happen across continents but also between scientists and the public. Take “disease in a … Continue reading Disease in a Dish – That’s a Mouthful: Using Human Stem Cells to Find ALS Treatments
Tiny transparent zebra fish yields big clue to black box of Alzheimer’s disease
The PR folks at the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology in Belgium produced an unusual press release to describe recent work there published in Developmental Cell. They devoted the first half to the marvels of their animal model the zebra fish. For those who have only seen these nearly transparent little guys in a home aquarium … Continue reading Tiny transparent zebra fish yields big clue to black box of Alzheimer’s disease
First of its kind stem cell production facility sets its sights on deadly childhood disease
We are used to hearing about immune suppression when transplanting organs or cells from one person to another. It’s a necessary step in preventing the body from attacking the transplanted material. Now Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) has just unveiled its newest tool to treat rare childhood diseases. Instead of focusing on immune suppression … Continue reading First of its kind stem cell production facility sets its sights on deadly childhood disease
CIRM funded therapy for type 1 diabetes gets FDA approval for clinical trial
It’s always nice to start the week off with some good news and we got this week off to a great start with some great news. ViaCyte has been given the green light to start a clinical trial with its therapy for type 1 diabetes, a program we are funding.ViaCyte applied to the Food and … Continue reading CIRM funded therapy for type 1 diabetes gets FDA approval for clinical trial
Mapping Metastasis: Scientists Discover how Cancer Cells Colonize Distant Organs
How does cancer spread? How does it traverse from one organ to the next—often undetected—until it has colonized the far reaches of the human body? And more importantly, how can researchers stop this from happening? These questions plague even the most renowned experts, but new research from scientists at Brown University has uncovered clues to … Continue reading Mapping Metastasis: Scientists Discover how Cancer Cells Colonize Distant Organs
A Cool New Way of Raising Funds and Awareness
Raising money to help fight a disease is tough. Trying to raise awareness about the disease can be just as tough. Doing both together is positively masochistic; an experience that is often as rewarding as dumping a bucket of ice cold water over your head. And that’s precisely what a growing number of people around … Continue reading A Cool New Way of Raising Funds and Awareness
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Willie Nelson’s contribution to muscular dystrophy, cell fate maps and funding
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. Cell fate map can show quality of cells. The phrase “there is more than one way to skin a cat” fits much of science. It … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Willie Nelson’s contribution to muscular dystrophy, cell fate maps and funding
CIRM Creativity Student Cindy Nguyen Goes “Beyond the Classroom”
This summer we’re sponsoring high school interns in stem cell labs throughout California as part of our annual Creativity Program. We asked those students to share their experiences through blog posts and videos. Today in our final installment, we hear from Cindy Nguyen, who has been busy at Stanford University’s Beckman Center for Molecular and … Continue reading CIRM Creativity Student Cindy Nguyen Goes “Beyond the Classroom”
The Stem Cellar 