Revealing the Invisible: Scientists Uncover the Secret Ingredient to Making Blood-Forming Stem Cells

They are among the most versatile types of stem cell types in the body. They live inside bone marrow and in the blood of the umbilical cord. They can be used to treat deadly cancers such as leukemia (Leukemia Fact Sheet) as well as many blood disorders. But no one really understood the details of … Continue reading Revealing the Invisible: Scientists Uncover the Secret Ingredient to Making Blood-Forming Stem Cells

A life long battle with Parkinson’s disease earns Dr. David Higgins a place on our Board

As a child David Higgins imagined that the reason his grandmother wouldn’t talk to him was because of something he did, some fault of his. In time he came to realize that the reason was because his grandmother had Parkinson’s disease and she had trouble communicating with, not just him, but with everyone. It was … Continue reading A life long battle with Parkinson’s disease earns Dr. David Higgins a place on our Board

Breast Cancer Commandeers Mammary Stem Cells for Own, Nefarious Purposes

Most instances of breast cancer happen later in life—often after menopause. In many cases, the cancer progresses slowly, over a period of months or even years, often giving physicians precious time to implement a treatment plan, successfully battling that cancer into remission. But there is another far more aggressive form of breast cancer that tends … Continue reading Breast Cancer Commandeers Mammary Stem Cells for Own, Nefarious Purposes

Putting the promise to the test: a new move to see if stem cell therapies can help injured athletes

One of the toughest questions we get asked, and we get asked this a lot, is a variation on the theme of “I have xxxx disease and want to know where I can get a stem cell therapy for it?” All too often, in fact pretty much all the time, we have to explain that … Continue reading Putting the promise to the test: a new move to see if stem cell therapies can help injured athletes

Stem Cell Stories that Caught our Eye: “Let it Grow” Goes Viral, Stroke Pilot Study, The Bowels of Human Stem Cells, Tumor ‘Safety Lock.’

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. “Let it Grow” Goes Viral (and National!): Last week on The Stem Cellar we shared one of our favorite student videos from our annual Creativity … Continue reading Stem Cell Stories that Caught our Eye: “Let it Grow” Goes Viral, Stroke Pilot Study, The Bowels of Human Stem Cells, Tumor ‘Safety Lock.’

Grafted Stem Cells Snake through Spinal Cord, CIRM-Funded Study Finds

New research lends increasing support to the notion that paralysis may not be so permanent after all. Scientists at the University of California, San Diego have generated stem cells that, when grafted onto the injured spines of rats—traverse through the injury sites, coupling with nerve cells hidden beneath the damaged tissue. These results, published today … Continue reading Grafted Stem Cells Snake through Spinal Cord, CIRM-Funded Study Finds

CIRM Creativity Student Hanan Sinada’s ‘Extraordinary’ Journey as a Budding Scientist

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, we hear from Hanan Sinada, who has been busy at the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco. Extraordinary. That is the word … Continue reading CIRM Creativity Student Hanan Sinada’s ‘Extraordinary’ Journey as a Budding Scientist

Creaky Cell Machinery Affects the Aging Immune System, CIRM-Funded Study Finds

Why do our immune systems weaken over time? Why are people over the age of 60 more susceptible to life-threatening infections and many forms of cancer? There’s no one answer to these questions—but scientists at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), have uncovered an important mechanism behind this phenomenon. Reporting in the latest issue … Continue reading Creaky Cell Machinery Affects the Aging Immune System, CIRM-Funded Study Finds

Stem cell stories that caught our eye: better cell reprogramming, heart failure and false claims for stem cells

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. Improving the efficiency of creating stem cell lines. Ever since researchers first learned to reprogram adult cells to behave like embryonic stem cells in 2007 … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: better cell reprogramming, heart failure and false claims for stem cells

Creativity Program Students Reach New Heights with Stem Cell-Themed Rendition of “Let it Go”

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, photos and videos. Today, we bring you an outstanding group video from CIRM Interns at City of Hope in Los Angeles, with their own … Continue reading Creativity Program Students Reach New Heights with Stem Cell-Themed Rendition of “Let it Go”