Rare Disease: An Uphill Battle for Diagnosis and Treatment

THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST When Dalia was 5 years old, she was finally diagnosed with MERRF syndrome– an extremely rare form of mitochondrial disease. By then, her parents had been searching for an answer for three frustrating years. And like most parents of a child suffering from an undiagnosed medical … Continue reading Rare Disease: An Uphill Battle for Diagnosis and Treatment

Inspiring new documentary about stem cell research

2020 has been, to say the very least, a difficult and challenging year for all of us. But while the focus of the world has, understandably, been on the coronavirus there was also some really promising advances in stem cell research. Those advances are captured in a great new documentary called Ending Disease. The documentary … Continue reading Inspiring new documentary about stem cell research

Stem cell treatment restores man’s sight in right eye after 25 years

At 18 years old, there are several life-changing moments that young people look forward to. For some, it involves graduating from high school, starting college, and being able to cast a vote in an election. For others, this momentous occasion symbolizes the official start of adulthood. For James O’ Brien, this milestone was marked by … Continue reading Stem cell treatment restores man’s sight in right eye after 25 years

Stem Cell Agency Approves Funding for Clinical Trials Targeting Parkinson’s Disease and Blindness

The governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) yesterday invested $32.92 million to fund the Stem Cell Agency’s first clinical trial in Parkinson’s disease (PD), and to support three clinical trials targeting different forms of vision loss. This brings the total number of clinical trials funded by CIRM to 60. The PD … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency Approves Funding for Clinical Trials Targeting Parkinson’s Disease and Blindness

jCyte Shares Encouraging Update on Clinical Trial for Retinitis Pigmentosa

Stepping out of the darkness into light. That’s how patients are describing their experience after participating in a CIRM-funded clinical trial targeting a rare form of vision loss called retinitis pigmentosa (RP). jCyte, the company conducting the trial, announced 12 month results for its candidate stem cell-based treatment for RP. RP is a genetic disorder … Continue reading jCyte Shares Encouraging Update on Clinical Trial for Retinitis Pigmentosa