Two rare diseases, two pieces of good news

Dr. Stephanie Cherqui Last week saw a flurry of really encouraging reports from projects that CIRM has supported. We blogged about two of them last Wednesday, but here’s another two programs showing promising results. UC San Diego researcher Dr. Stephanie Cherqui is running a CIRM-funded clinical trial for cystinosis. This is a condition where patients … Continue reading Two rare diseases, two pieces of good news

CIRM Board Approves Clinical Trials Targeting COVID-19 and Sickle Cell Disease

Coronavirus particles, illustration. Today the governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) approved new clinical trials for COVID-19 and sickle cell disease (SCD) and two earlier stage projects to develop therapies for COVID-19. Dr. Michael Mathay, of the University of California at San Francisco, was awarded $750,000 for a clinical trial testing … Continue reading CIRM Board Approves Clinical Trials Targeting COVID-19 and Sickle Cell Disease

Promising results from CIRM-funded projects

Severe Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency-1 (LAD-1) is a rare condition that causes the immune system to malfunction and reduces its ability to fight off viruses and bacteria. Over time the repeated infections can take a heavy toll on the body and dramatically shorten a person’s life. But now a therapy, developed by Rocket Pharmaceuticals, is showing … Continue reading Promising results from CIRM-funded projects

A clear vision for the future

Dr. Henry Klassen and Dr. Jing Yang, founders of jCyte When you have worked with a group of people over many years the relationship becomes more than just a business venture, it becomes personal. That's certainly the case with jCyte, a company founded by Drs. Henry Klassen and Jing Yang, aimed at finding a cure … Continue reading A clear vision for the future

Scientists at Gladstone and UCSF form two new research institutes

Dr. Melanie Ott (left) and Dr. Alexander Marson (right)Image Credit: Gladstone Institutes In a previous blog post, we talked about how scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have shifted their current operations towards helping with the current coronavirus pandemic. Now scientists at Gladstone and U.C. San Francisco have formed two new research institutes to broaden its … Continue reading Scientists at Gladstone and UCSF form two new research institutes

A true Hall of Fame winner

Dr. Larry Goldstein: Photo courtesy UCSD You know you are working with some of the finest scientific minds in the world when they get elected to the prestigious National Academy of Sciences (NAS). It’s the science equivalent of the baseball, football or even Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. People only get in if their … Continue reading A true Hall of Fame winner

Huge honor, hugely deserved for CIRM-funded stem cell researcher

Dr. Andy McMahon: Photo courtesy USC Andy McMahon is one of the most understated, humble and low-key people you are ever likely to meet. He’s also one of the smartest. And he has a collection of titles to prove it. He is the W.M. Keck Provost and University Professor in USC’s departments of Stem Cell … Continue reading Huge honor, hugely deserved for CIRM-funded stem cell researcher

Treatment for heart failure shows promising results for COVID-19 patients

Dr. Linda Marbán To help with the coronavirus pandemic, many scientists are repurposing previously developed approaches or treatments to see if they can be used to treat patients with COVID-19. Capricor Therapeutics, lead by Dr. Linda Marbán, is using cardiosphere derived cells (CDCs), which are stem cells derived from heart tissue, to treat critically ill … Continue reading Treatment for heart failure shows promising results for COVID-19 patients

Stem Cells for Parkinson’s Disease

While the world has been turned upside down by the coronavirus pandemic, the virus poses an increased threat to people with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Having a compromised immune system, particularly involving the lungs, means people with PD are at higher risk of some of the more dangerous complications of COVID-19. So, this seems like an … Continue reading Stem Cells for Parkinson’s Disease

Two UCLA scientists receive CIRM funding for discovery research for COVID-19

Dr. Brigitte Gomperts (left) and Dr. Gay Crooks (right), UCLAImage Credit: UCLA Broad Stem Cell Center This past Friday, the CIRM Board approved funding for its first clinical study for COVID-19. In addition to this, the Board also approved two discovery stage research projects, which support promising new technologies that could be translated to enable … Continue reading Two UCLA scientists receive CIRM funding for discovery research for COVID-19