Over the past 20 years, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has supercharged research in California in ways that have often filled gaps in federal research funding and most recently by focusing on gaps in neurological disease. A few different factors are limiting biomedical research funding across the United States. In addition to recent … Continue reading Filling gaps in federal research funding with a focus on neurological diseases
20 Years of CIRM: From building the infrastructure to clinical trials
Californians voted to support stem cell research 20 years ago. Now we’re building on what we’ve created through the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). Their initial $3 billion investment through Proposition 71 paved the way for voters to approve Proposition 14 in 2020. That added another $5.5 billion to advance the science. CIRM will … Continue reading 20 Years of CIRM: From building the infrastructure to clinical trials
How Patient-Derived Cells Are Changing ALS Research
Research Investigator Julia Kaye, PhD, stands for a portrait in a lab at Gladstone Institutes. Photo courtesy of Gladstone Institutes. Before there can be any therapies for disease, scientists need to understand what goes wrong in the first place. Are cells lost that could be replaced? Is there too much or too little of a … Continue reading How Patient-Derived Cells Are Changing ALS Research
CIRM Bridges Program: Cultivating Future Scientists
Esmerelda “Esme” Ruiz-Garcia grew up in California in a Mexican-American family, where pursuing a career in healthcare is considered a family calling, but through CIRM's Bridges program she's now pursuing her Ph.D. focused on bioengineering and stem cell research.
CIRM awards $2.8 million to develop a gene therapy for rare neuromuscular disorders
Credit: Shutterstock The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) announced in January $100 million in funding for a broad range of projects, including four to support clinical programs. One of these was a $2.8 million award to Patricio Sepulveda, PhD, MBA, CEO of Amplo Biotechnology, Inc. That grant will support the development of a gene … Continue reading CIRM awards $2.8 million to develop a gene therapy for rare neuromuscular disorders
Breaking barriers in rare disease: A gene therapy transforms cystinosis treatment
A 12 year-old Kurt Gillenberg. Photo courtesy of Kurt Gillenberg. When Kurt Gillenberg was 10 months old, his parents knew something wasn’t right. But it wasn’t until he reached 18 months that they found a doctor at the University of California, San Diego, who diagnosed Kurt with cystinosis – a rare genetic, metabolic defect that … Continue reading Breaking barriers in rare disease: A gene therapy transforms cystinosis treatment
Advancing Heart Health: CIRM Funds Tenaya Therapeutics’ Gene Therapy Trial for ARVC
Histology of human cardiac muscle under microscope. Credit: Shutterstock The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) recently announced funding a series of projects spanning the earliest stages of research through to clinical trials. A rare heart condition One of those projects was an $8 million award to Matthew Pollman, MD, MS, Senior Vice President of … Continue reading Advancing Heart Health: CIRM Funds Tenaya Therapeutics’ Gene Therapy Trial for ARVC
Honoring Dr. John Zaia: A Legacy of Science, Leadership, and Kindness
Photo Courtesy: City of Hope The scientific community lost a true pioneer with the passing of John A. Zaia, MD. Dr. Zaia was a visionary virologist, gene therapy trailblazer, and esteemed leader at City of Hope. He dedicated over four decades to advancing regenerative medicine. He left behind a profound impact on HIV research, pediatric … Continue reading Honoring Dr. John Zaia: A Legacy of Science, Leadership, and Kindness
Luxa Biotechnology’s CIRM-funded Dry AMD Therapy Milestone
Credit: Shutterstock The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designation to a promising new treatment for dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD)—a leading cause of vision loss. The therapy is being developed by Luxa Biotechnology and supported in part by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). What RMAT Designation Means RMAT designation … Continue reading Luxa Biotechnology’s CIRM-funded Dry AMD Therapy Milestone
Tackling Cell and Gene Therapy Manufacturing Challenges
CIRM Manufacturing Network Symposium attendees. The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) is driving conversations and collaboration to address the manufacturing challenges of cell and gene therapies (CGT). CIRM hosted its inaugural Manufacturing Network Symposium in South San Francisco, bringing together more than 100 experts and stakeholders from the regenerative medicine field, including scientific leaders … Continue reading Tackling Cell and Gene Therapy Manufacturing Challenges