Darren Bidulka rests after his modified blood stem cells were transplanted into him at the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary in 2017, allowing him to stop his enzyme therapy. (From left): Dr. Jeffrey Medin, Medical College of Wisconsin, Dr. Aneal Khan, the experimental trial lead in Calgary, and Darren Bidulka. Image Credit: Darren Bidulka Fabry … Continue reading Stem cell gene therapy for Fabry disease shows positive results in patients
A word from our Chair, several in fact
In 2005, the New Oxford American Dictionary named “podcast" its word of the year. At the time a podcast was something many had heard of but not that many actually tuned in to. My how times have changed. Now there are some two million podcasts to chose from, at least according to the New York … Continue reading A word from our Chair, several in fact
Scientists look at how the lung and brain respond differently to SARS-CoV-2 infection
UC San Diego School of Medicine researchers found approximately 10-fold higher SARS-CoV-2 infection (green) in lung organoids (left), compared to brain organoids (right). Image courtesy of UCSD Health Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic early last year, scientists all over the world are still trying to better understand SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. … Continue reading Scientists look at how the lung and brain respond differently to SARS-CoV-2 infection
Charting a course for the future
A new home for stem cell research? Have you ever been at a party where someone says “hey, I’ve got a good idea” and then before you know it everyone in the room is adding to it with ideas and suggestions of their own and suddenly you find yourself with 27 pages of notes, all … Continue reading Charting a course for the future
Unlocking a key behind why our bones get weaker as we age
Magnified image of a bone with osteoporosis. Photo Courtesy Sciencephoto.com Getting older brings with it a mixed bag of items. If you are lucky you can get wiser. If you are not so lucky you can get osteoporosis. But while scientists don’t know how to make you wiser, they have gained some new insights into … Continue reading Unlocking a key behind why our bones get weaker as we age
Tipping our hat to the good guys (& gals)
A search on Google using the term “stem cell blogs” quickly produces a host of sites offering treatments for everything from ankle, hip and knee problems, to Parkinson’s disease and asthma. Amazingly the therapies for those very different conditions all use the same kind of cells produced in the same way. It’s like magic. Sadly, … Continue reading Tipping our hat to the good guys (& gals)
U.C. San Diego Scientist Larry Goldstein Joins Stem Cell Agency’s Board
Larry Goldstein, PhD. Larry Goldstein PhD, has many titles, one of which sums up his career perfectly, “Distinguished Professor”. Dr. Goldstein has distinguished himself on many fronts, making him an ideal addition to the governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). Dr. Goldstein – everyone calls him Larry - is a Cell … Continue reading U.C. San Diego Scientist Larry Goldstein Joins Stem Cell Agency’s Board
Scientists use stem cells to create Neanderthal-like “mini-brain”
Alysson R. Muotri, Ph.D. The evolution of modern day humans has always been a topic that has been shrouded in mystery. Some of what is known is that Neanderthals, an archaic human species that lived on this planet up until about 11,700 years ago, interbred with our species (Homo sapiens) at some point in time. … Continue reading Scientists use stem cells to create Neanderthal-like “mini-brain”
UCSF Nursing Professor Joins CIRM Board
Elena Flowers, PhD, RN, newest member of the CIRM Board: Photo courtesy UCSF Elena Flowers, PhD, RN, an associate professor of physiological nursing at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is joining the Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the state’s Stem Cell Agency. Dr. Flowers was appointed to the Board … Continue reading UCSF Nursing Professor Joins CIRM Board
Biotechnology companies join forces in developing treatment for X-SCID
Jasper Therapeutics, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on blood stem cell therapies, and Graphite Bio, Inc., a biotechnology company focused on gene editing therapies to treat or cure serious diseases, announced a research and clinical collaboration for a treatment for X-SCID. X-SCID, which stands for X-linked severe combined immunodeficiency, is a genetic disorder that interferes … Continue reading Biotechnology companies join forces in developing treatment for X-SCID