A large crowd gathered last week to hear a CIRM panel discuss whether regenerative medicine could slow or even reverse aging. The event took place at the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) annual meeting. More than 150 people packed into the room, and more than 800 watched the live stream.
It’s no surprise the session drew such strong interest. The speakers included:
- Dr. Deepak Srivastava, President of the Gladstone Institutes, an expert on heart disease, and former President of ISSCR.
- Dr. Stanley “Tom” Carmichael, Chair of the Department of Neurology at UCLA and an expert on strokes and other forms of brain injury.
- Adrienne Shapiro, the mother of a daughter with sickle cell disease, a tireless patient advocate and supporter of regenerative medicine research, and the co-founder of Axis Advocacy, a family support organization for people with sickle cell.
- Jonathan Tomas, PhD, JD, chairs the CIRM Board.
The topic is timely. An estimated 90 percent of daily deaths are caused by aging‑related diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and cancer. The question now is how to change that—how to not only slow or stop these diseases, but also repair damage already done and replace lost cells and tissues.
The conversation was enlightening, hopeful, and encouraging, but it also included important cautions.
You can watch the full event on our YouTube channel.
I think you’ll enjoy it.