Speakers at the Alpha Stem Cell Clinics Network Symposium: Photo by Marco Sanchez From Day One CIRM’s goal has been to advance stem cell research in California. We don’t do that just by funding the most promising research -though the 51 clinical trials we have funded to date clearly shows we do that rather well … Continue reading Advancing stem cell research in many ways
ALS
Organoids revolutionize approach to studying a variety of diseases
Organoids There are limitations to studying cells under a microscope. To understand some of the more complex processes, it is critical to see how these cells behave in an environment that is similar to conditions in the body. The production of organoids has revolutionized this approach. Organoids are three-dimensional structures derived from stem cells that … Continue reading Organoids revolutionize approach to studying a variety of diseases
Rare Disease Day – fighting for awareness and hope
It’s hard thinking of something as rare when one in 20 people are at risk of experiencing it in their lifetime. But that’s the situation with rare diseases. There are more than 7,000 of them and each affects under 200,000 people. In some cases they may only affect a few hundred people. But for each … Continue reading Rare Disease Day – fighting for awareness and hope
Stem Cells make the cover of National Geographic
National Geographic is one of those iconic magazines that everyone knows about but few people read. Which is a shame, because it's been around since 1888 and has helped make generations of readers aware about the world around them. And now, it's shifting gears and helping people know more about the world inside them. That's … Continue reading Stem Cells make the cover of National Geographic
The most popular Stem Cellar posts of 2018
You never know when you write something if people are going to read it. Sometimes you wonder if anyone is going to read it. So, it’s always fun, and educational, to look back at the end of the year and see which pieces got the most eyeballs. It isn’t always the ones you think will … Continue reading The most popular Stem Cellar posts of 2018
71 for Proposition 71
Proposition 71 is the state ballot initiative that created California's Stem Cell Agency. This month, the Agency reached another milestone when the 71st clinical trial was initiated in the CIRM Alpha Stem Cell Clinics (ASCC) Network. The ASCC Network deploys specialized teams of doctors, nurses and laboratory technicians to conduct stem cell clinical trials at … Continue reading 71 for Proposition 71
California’s Stem Cell Agency Accelerates Treatments to Patients
The following article is an Op Ed that appeared in today's print version of the San Francisco Chronicle Biotechnology was born in California in the 1970s based on the discovery out of one of its universities and California is responsible for an industry that has impacted the lives of billions of people worldwide. In 2004, … Continue reading California’s Stem Cell Agency Accelerates Treatments to Patients
A stepping stone for bringing stem cell therapy to patients with ALS
Imagine being told that you have a condition that gradually causes you to lose the ability to control your body movements, from picking up a pencil to walking to even breathing. Such is the reality for the nearly 6,000 people who are diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) every year, in the United States alone. … Continue reading A stepping stone for bringing stem cell therapy to patients with ALS
What makes an expert an expert?
When we launched our Facebook Live “Ask the Expert” series earlier this year we wanted to create an opportunity for people to hear from and question experts about specific diseases or disorders. The experts we turned to were medical ones, neurologists and neuroscientists in the case of the first two Facebook Live events, stroke and … Continue reading What makes an expert an expert?
ALS is in the spotlight in CIRM’s “Ask the Expert About ALS & Stem Cells” Facebook Live event
American Football great Dwight Clark was renowned for having the safest hands in the game when he played for the San Francisco 49ers. But in September 2015 he was diagnosed with ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) after not being able to use those hands to open a package of sugar. Less than three … Continue reading ALS is in the spotlight in CIRM’s “Ask the Expert About ALS & Stem Cells” Facebook Live event