Thomas Edison Legend has it that Thomas Edison “failed” 1,000 times before he managed to create the incandescent lightbulb. Edison says he didn’t get discouraged, instead he looked at each unsuccessful experiment as being one step closer to finding the method that really worked. That’s a lesson in optimism and persistence for all of us. … Continue reading Making a good thing better
Asterias Biotherapeutics
Good news for two CIRM-supported therapies
Jake Javier, a patient in the spinal cord injury stem cell therapy clinical trial It’s always satisfying to see two projects you have supported for a long time do well. That’s particularly true when the projects in question are targeting conditions that have no other effective therapies. This week we learned that a clinical trial … Continue reading Good news for two CIRM-supported therapies
One year later, spinal cord therapy still looks promising
Jake Javier - participant in the SCIStar study The beginning of a clinical trial, particularly the first time a new therapy is being tested in people, is often a time of equal parts anticipation and nervousness. Anticipation, because you have been working to this point for many years. Nervousness, because you have never tested this … Continue reading One year later, spinal cord therapy still looks promising
Stories that caught our eye: National Geographic takes a deep dive into iPS cells; Japanese researchers start iPS cell clinical trial for spinal cord injury; and do high fat diets increase your risk of colorectal cancer
Can cell therapy beat the most difficult diseases? That’s the question posed in a headline in National Geographic. The answer; maybe, but it is going to take time and money. The article focuses on the use of iPS cells, the man-made equivalent of embryonic stem cells that can be turned into any kind of cell … Continue reading Stories that caught our eye: National Geographic takes a deep dive into iPS cells; Japanese researchers start iPS cell clinical trial for spinal cord injury; and do high fat diets increase your risk of colorectal cancer
Stem Cell Agency celebrates 50 clinical trials with patient #1
Yesterday the CIRM Board approved funding for our 50th clinical trial (you can read about that here) It was an historic moment for us and to celebrate we decided to go back in history and hear from the very first person to be treated in a CIRM-funded clinical trial. Rich Lajara was treated in the … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency celebrates 50 clinical trials with patient #1
Stem cell treatment for spinal cord injury offers improved chance of independent life for patients
A spinal cord injury is devastating, changing a person’s life in a heartbeat. In the past there was little that doctors could do other than offer pain relief and physical therapy to try and regain as much muscle function as possible. That’s why the latest results from the CIRM-supported Asterias Biotherapeutics spinal cord injury trial … Continue reading Stem cell treatment for spinal cord injury offers improved chance of independent life for patients
Stem Cell Roundup: Jake Javier’s amazing spirit; TV report highlights clinic offering unproven stem cell therapies
In the Roundup we usually focus on studies that highlight advances in stem cell research but today we’re going to do something a little different. Instead of relying on print for our stories, we’re turning to video. We begin with a piece about Jake Javier. Regular readers of our blog will remember that Jake is … Continue reading Stem Cell Roundup: Jake Javier’s amazing spirit; TV report highlights clinic offering unproven stem cell therapies
Friday Roundup: A better kind of blood stem cell transplant; Encouraging news from spinal cord injury trial; Finding an “elusive” cell that could help diabetics
Cool Instagram image of the week: Chemo- and radiation-free blood stem cell transplant showing promise Bubble baby disease, also known as severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), is an inherited disorder that leaves newborns without an effective immune system. Currently, the only approved treatment for SCID is a blood stem cell transplant, in which the patient’s defective … Continue reading Friday Roundup: A better kind of blood stem cell transplant; Encouraging news from spinal cord injury trial; Finding an “elusive” cell that could help diabetics
How a stem cell transplant may help transform Lucas Lindner’s life
On a Sunday morning in early 2016, Lucas Lindner was driving to get some donuts for his grandmother. A deer jumped in front of his truck. Lucas swerved to avoid it and crashed, suffering a severe spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the neck down. Lucas took part in a CIRM-funded clinical trial, … Continue reading How a stem cell transplant may help transform Lucas Lindner’s life
Positive update on Asterias’ SCiStar study for spinal cord injury at TMM 2017
This guest blog is reposted with permission from Signals Blog, published by the Center for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM) in Canada. With the extensive exploitation of regenerative medicine through the marketing and selling of unapproved stem cell “therapies” online, it was refreshing to hear an update about clinical trials for a legitimate stem cell … Continue reading Positive update on Asterias’ SCiStar study for spinal cord injury at TMM 2017
The Stem Cellar 