Stories that Caught Our Eye: New ways to heal old bones; and keeping track of cells once they are inside you

How Youth Factor Can Help Repair Old Bones As we get older things that used to heal quickly tend to take a little longer to get better. In some cases, a lot longer. Take bones for example. A fracture in someone who is in their 70’s often doesn’t heal as quickly, or completely, as in … Continue reading Stories that Caught Our Eye: New ways to heal old bones; and keeping track of cells once they are inside you

Scientists say they’re one step closer to being able to build a new you, using your own stem cells.

One of the biggest obstacles to transplanting organs from one person to another is that the immune system of the person getting the new life-saving organ often tries to reject it. The immune cells see the new material as “foreign” and attacks it, sometimes destroying it. Right now, the only way to prevent that is … Continue reading Scientists say they’re one step closer to being able to build a new you, using your own stem cells.

New hope for stem cell therapy in patients with leukemia

Of the many different kinds of cancer that affect humans, leukemia is the most common in young people. As with many types cancer, doctors mostly turn to chemotherapy to treat patients. Chemotherapy, however, comes with its own share of issues, primarily severe side effects and the constant threat of disease recurrence. Stem cell therapy treatment … Continue reading New hope for stem cell therapy in patients with leukemia

How CIRM support helped a promising approach to type 1 diabetes get vital financial backing

The “Valley of Death” sounds like a scary place from “Lord of the Rings” or “Game of Thrones” that our heroes have to navigate to reach safety. The reality is not that different. It’s the space that young companies have to navigate from having a good idea to getting financial backing, so they can move … Continue reading How CIRM support helped a promising approach to type 1 diabetes get vital financial backing

Researcher claims to have made first gene-edited baby. But did it really happen?

Remember the Raelians? Probably not. But way back in 2002 the group, some described them as a cult, claimed it had created the world’s first cloned baby. The news made headlines all around the world raising fears we were stepping into uncharted scientific territory. Several weeks later the scientist brought in by the Raelians to … Continue reading Researcher claims to have made first gene-edited baby. But did it really happen?

Japanese scientists implant first Parkinson’s patient with replacement neurons derived from stem cells

Currently, more than 10 million people worldwide live with Parkinson’s disease (PD). By 2020, in the US alone, people living with Parkinson’s are expected to outnumber the cases of multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and Lou Gehrig’s disease combined. There is no cure for Parkinson’s and treatment options consist of medications that patients ultimately develop tolerance … Continue reading Japanese scientists implant first Parkinson’s patient with replacement neurons derived from stem cells

Peddling hope for thousands of dollars – a TV expose on one clinic offering unproven stem cell therapies

You may have seen an ad in your local paper, promoting a seminar on the “wonders” of stem cell therapies. They are becoming increasingly common all around the US. The ads talk about the ability of stem cells to heal everything from arthritis to autism. But what they don’t talk about is that they are … Continue reading Peddling hope for thousands of dollars – a TV expose on one clinic offering unproven stem cell therapies

Promising Approach to Curing Spina Bifida Gets $5.6 Million from Stem Cell Agency

Every day in the U.S. four children are born with spina bifida. It is the most common cause of lifelong paralysis and also frequently leads to other serious health problems affecting the bowel and bladder. The impact on families is enormous. A new approach to repairing the defect that causes spina bifida was today awarded … Continue reading Promising Approach to Curing Spina Bifida Gets $5.6 Million from Stem Cell Agency

CIRM invests $1.3 million to study stem cells in metabolic liver disease

Metabolic liver disease, is an emerging public health concern in Western countries, but has largely been overshadowed by health issues such as cancer and diabetes. Chronic liver disease (of which metabolic liver disease is a significant contributor) however, is a significant public health concern, evidenced by its contribution to nearly 2 million deaths per year … Continue reading CIRM invests $1.3 million to study stem cells in metabolic liver disease

Stories that caught our eye: Is a Texas law opening up access to stem cell treatments working? Another CIRM-funded company gets good news from the FDA.

In 2017 Texas passed a sweeping new law, HB 810, which allowed medical clinics to provide “investigational stem cell treatments to patients with certain severe chronic diseases or terminal illnesses.” Those in favor of the law argued that patients battling life-threatening or life-changing diseases should have the right to try stem cell therapies that were … Continue reading Stories that caught our eye: Is a Texas law opening up access to stem cell treatments working? Another CIRM-funded company gets good news from the FDA.