Photo Courtesy of Andrea Fernandez de Soto Imagine a life where every time you step outside, everything in your environment poses a life-threatening risk. For children born with ADA-SCID (adenosine deaminase severe combined immunodeficiency), this is a reality. Their immune systems are so compromised that a common cold or a simple scrape on the knee … Continue reading Gene Therapy Brings Hope to Families Affected by Rare Immune Disorder
Blood stem cells
Tackling sickle cell disease from within
Photo Credit: Jaquell Chandler Evie Junior was born with sickle cell disease, a life-threatening condition that affects around 100,000 Americans, most of them Black and Latino. People with sickle cell disease have blood cells that are shaped like a hook (or sickle) rather than smooth and round, which can create clogs, causing intense pain, organ … Continue reading Tackling sickle cell disease from within
Replacement brain cells offer hope for Parkinson’s treatment
A colony of iPSCs from a Parkinson's patient (left) and dopaminergic neurons made from these iPSCs (right) to model PD. (Image credit: Jeanne Loring) A new study that used adult blood stem cells to create replacement brain nerve cells appears to help rats with Parkinson’s. In Parkinson’s, the disease attacks brain nerve cells that produce … Continue reading Replacement brain cells offer hope for Parkinson’s treatment
UCLA-led team creates first comprehensive map of human blood stem cell development
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Human blood stem cells emerging from specialized endothelial cells in the wall of an embryonic aorta. UCLA scientists’ confirmation of this process clarifies a longstanding controversy about the stem cells’ cellular origin. Image Credit: Hanna Mikkola Lab/UCLA, Katja Schenke-Layland Lab/University of Tübingen, Nature California researchers from … Continue reading UCLA-led team creates first comprehensive map of human blood stem cell development
One step closer to making ‘off-the-shelf’ immune cell therapy for cancer a reality
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses a person's own immune system to fight cancer. It comes in a variety of forms including targeted antibodies, cancer vaccines, and adoptive cell therapies. While immunotherapies have revolutionized the treatment of aggressive cancers in recent decades, they must be created … Continue reading One step closer to making ‘off-the-shelf’ immune cell therapy for cancer a reality
Paving the Way
When someone scores a goal in soccer all the attention is lavished on them. Fans chant their name, their teammates pile on top in celebration, their agent starts calling sponsors asking for more money. But there’s often someone else deserving of praise too, that’s the player who provided the assist to make the goal possible … Continue reading Paving the Way
Study shows reduction in brain injury after stroke patients were treated with their own stem cells
Illustration showing the mechanism of an ischemic stroke. In an ischemic stroke, blood supply to part of the brain is decreased, leading to dysfunction of that area of the brain. Here, a blood clot is the reason for restricted blood flow. Stroke is the third leading cause of death and serious long-term disability and affects … Continue reading Study shows reduction in brain injury after stroke patients were treated with their own stem cells
Surviving with Joy
Dr. Tippi MacKenzie (left) of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital San Francisco, visits with newborn Elianna and parents Nichelle Obar and Chris Constantino. Photo by Noah Berger Alpha thalassemia major is, by any stretch of the imagination, a dreadful, heart breaker of a disease. It's caused by four missing or mutated genes and it almost always … Continue reading Surviving with Joy
CIRM funded trial for sickle cell disease gives patient a chance for a better future
Evie Junior is participating in a CIRM funded clinical trial for sickle cell disease that uses a stem cell gene therapy approach. Image credit: UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center For Evie Junior, personal health and fitness have always been a top priority. During his childhood, he was active and played football, basketball, and baseball … Continue reading CIRM funded trial for sickle cell disease gives patient a chance for a better future
CIRM funded trial for LAD-I announces positive results
Leukocyte Adhesion Deficiency-I (LAD-I) is a rare pediatric disease caused by a mutation in a specific gene that causes low levels of a protein called CD18. Due to low levels of CD18, the adhesion of immune cells is affected, which negatively impacts the body’s ability to combat infections. Rocket Pharmaceuticals has announced positive results from … Continue reading CIRM funded trial for LAD-I announces positive results
The Stem Cellar 