Blurring at the center of vision in macular degenerationThe very first time a potential therapy gets tested in people it’s part of what’s called a phase 1 trial, which is very small and is mostly just testing to make sure the drug, cells or device are even safe. Until the start of a trial the … Continue reading Early phase stem cell trials show promise in stroke and blindness

Image from the NIHNature ran a great profile of our grantee Karl Deisseroth, who has a New Faculty Award to develop ways of controlling neurons derived from stem cells. He's the Stanford bioengineer who recently made such a splash with his see-through brain (that's the technology on display in this most awesome video ever). Deisseroth's … Continue reading Karl Deisseroth profile: using light to control neurons, understand brain diseases

CIRM President Alan TrounsonPatt Morrison of the L.A. Times had a wide-ranging conversation with CIRM President Alan Trounson, which appears in today's paper. The conversation included cell lines generated from cloning, personal attacks during his work developing IVF technology and conflicts of interest, among other topics.One of the things they discussed was the alpha clinic … Continue reading Alan Trounson on stem cell progress, new clinics and the pace of research

A three-dimensional, reconstructed magnetic resonance image (upper) shows a cavity caused by a spinal injury nearly filled with grafted neural stem cells, colored green. The lower image depicts neuronal outgrowth from transplanted human neurons (green) and development of putative contacts (yellow dots) with host neurons (blue). CIRM grantees at University of California, San Diego have … Continue reading CIRM grantees at UCSD use stem cell injections to improve spinal cord injuries in rats

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.Roller coaster ride for a breakthrough. News that scientists in Oregon had finally made embryonic stem cells from cloned embryos ricocheted around the globe last week. … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: ups and downs of cloning, another windpipe, and the value of fat

Dr. Claire Pomeroy, Dean of the UC Davis Medical School, receiving her proclamation at her final CIRM Board meetingI’m never bored at our Board meetings. There’s always something fascinating going on, and this time was no exception. I’m not just talking about the fact that at our meeting this week the Board approved $36 million … Continue reading Attracting the brightest, and saying goodbye to the best: Farewell to Claire Pomeroy

The words “breakthrough” and “revolutionary” are overused in the media for many stories, and particularly for medical ones, but it’s hard not to search for something powerful and descriptive when you hear how doctors in Ohio used a 3D printer to create a new windpipe that saved the life of a baby boy. (Here's a … Continue reading Doctors use 3D printer to create windpipe and save baby’s life

Periodically we feature "Tales from the bench" stories of life in the lab from our grantees. Jacqueline Ward is a graduate student in the lab of Albert La Spada at the University of California, San Diego, where she has a CIRM training grant to use stem cells to better understand and treat forms of blindness.I’m … Continue reading Tales from the bench: The puzzling nature of research

Today, the Italian government approved an untested use of stem cells that advocates say could be the last hope for some critically ill people. However, despite a lot of hope on the part of families—and some celebrities—there’s no evidence that the cells work or are even safe. Lawrence Goldstein of UCSD wrote about the issue … Continue reading Italians allow untested use of stem cells

Fred Fisher, President and CEO of the ALS Association Golden West Chapter, in a video spreading awareness for ALSIn 2003, I joined the fight against Lou Gehrig’s Disease. During my time as the President and CEO of The ALS Association Golden West Chapter, I have personally seen the devastation that ALS causes. We have lost … Continue reading Breaking the isolation; raising awareness for #ALS