Delivering a protein to testes could help treat male infertility

Delivering a protein (red fluorescence) to mice testes with a fibroin nanoparticle-encapsulated cationic lipid complex (green) restored male fertility. Credit: Adapted from ACS Nano 2020, DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c04936 For many couples that are ready to start a family, infertility, which is the inability to conceive children, can be a devastating setback. In fact, according to the Mayo Clinic, … Continue reading Delivering a protein to testes could help treat male infertility

Repairing damaged muscles

Close-up of the arm of a 70-year-old male patient with a torn biceps muscle as a result of a bowling injury; Photo courtesy Science Photo Library In the time of coronavirus an awful lot of people are not just working from home they’re also working out at home. That’s a good thing; exercise is a … Continue reading Repairing damaged muscles

CIRM funded trial for LAD-I announces positive results

Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency-I (LAD-I) is a rare pediatric disease caused by a mutation in a specific gene that causes low levels of a protein called CD18. Due to low levels of CD18, the adhesion of immune cells is affected, which negatively impacts the body’s ability to combat infections. Rocket Pharmaceuticals has announced positive results from … Continue reading CIRM funded trial for LAD-I announces positive results

A model for success

Dr. Maria Millan, CIRM's President & CEO Funding models are rarely talked about in excited tones.  It’s normally relegated to the dry tomes of academia. But in CIRM’s case, the funding model we have created is not just fundamental to our success in advancing regenerative medicine in California, it’s also proving to be a model … Continue reading A model for success

Miss the CIRM Grantee Meeting? Watch it online now!

Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, CIRM converted its 2020 Grantee Meeting with UC Irvine & UC San Diego to a completely virtual format this year. Held on September 14 & 15, we brought together stem cell scientists and trainees that have received CIRM funding.  In addition to the complex science, we also heard from … Continue reading Miss the CIRM Grantee Meeting? Watch it online now!

Could stem cells help reverse hair loss?

I thought that headline would grab your attention. The idea behind it grabbed my attention when I read about a new study in the journal Cell Metabolism that explored that idea and came away with a rather encouraging verdict of “perhaps”. The research team from the University of Helsinki say that on average people lose … Continue reading Could stem cells help reverse hair loss?

An Atlas of the Human Heart that May Guide Development of New Therapies

By Lisa Kadyk, PhD. CIRM Senior Science Officer Illustration of a man's heart - Courtesy Science Photo I love maps; I still have auto club maps of various parts of the country in my car.  But, to tell the truth, those maps just don’t have as much information as I can get by typing in … Continue reading An Atlas of the Human Heart that May Guide Development of New Therapies

Partners in health

From left to right: Heather Dahlenburg, staff research associate; Jan Nolta, director of the Stem Cell Program; Jeannine Logan White, advanced cell therapy project manager; Sheng Yang, graduate student, Bridges Program, Humboldt State University, October 18, 2019. (AJ Cheline/UC Davis) At CIRM we are modest enough to know that we can't do everything by ourselves. … Continue reading Partners in health

Battling COVID and turning back the clock on stem cell funding

Coronavirus Battling the virus that causes COVID-19 is something that is top of everyone’s mind right now. That’s why CIRM is funding 17 different projects targeting the virus. But one of the most valuable tools in helping develop vaccines against a wide variety of diseases in the past is now coming under threat. We’ll talk … Continue reading Battling COVID and turning back the clock on stem cell funding

Byron’s story

Bryon Jenkin’s is one of the people we profiled in our recent 18 Month Report. The theme of the report is “Perseverance” and Byron certainly epitomizes that. This is his story. Photo of Byron Jenkins - hand on the plane - in his Navy fighter pilot days A former Navy flight officer and accomplished athlete … Continue reading Byron’s story