Dr. Judy Shizuru: Photo courtesy Jasper Therapeutics Over the years, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has invested a lot in helping children born with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), a fatal immune disorder. And we have seen great results, with some researchers reporting a 95 percent success rate in curing these children. SCID therapy … Continue reading Clinical trial for SCID
Bone marrow transplant
Man with HIV in remission after blood stem cell transplant
News that a stem cell transplant at City of Hope helped a man with HIV achieve long‑term remission made headlines worldwide—and rightly so. It’s a major achievement, especially because the 66‑year‑old patient had lived with HIV since 1988. What wasn’t highlighted is that the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine supported the work that made this … Continue reading Man with HIV in remission after blood stem cell transplant
CIRM funds research on cancer and heart disease
Dr. Judy Shizuru, Stanford University While stem cell and gene therapy research has advanced dramatically in recent years, many unknowns and questions remain about how best to use these approaches to develop therapies. Nineteen research programs awarded The governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has approved almost $25 million for 19 … Continue reading CIRM funds research on cancer and heart disease
A new approach to a deadly childhood cancer
Cancers of the blood, bone marrow, and lymph nodes—also called hematologic malignancies—are the most common cancers in children and young adults. Current treatments can be effective but often carry serious, sometimes life‑threatening risks. Now, Stanford researchers have developed a new approach, and the CIRM Board voted to support it in a clinical trial. The Board … Continue reading A new approach to a deadly childhood cancer
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 measure, a devastating disease. Caused by four missing or mutated genes, it almost always leads to death before or shortly after birth. Treatment … Continue reading Surviving with Joy
Overcoming obstacles in blood stem cell therapies
Photo Credit: OHSU Knight Cancer Institute Today, we here at CIRM wanted to provide an update on the fascinating world of hematopoietic (blood) stem cell-based therapies. What is the current status of this promising field and what are some of the challenges that need to be overcome? Dr. Kelly Shepard, Associate Director of Discovery and … Continue reading Overcoming obstacles in blood stem cell therapies
Capturing an image of blood stem cells
Image of a blood stem cell in its natural environment: Photo courtesy UC Merced UC Merced’s Professor Joel Spencer and his team developed a way of capturing an image of blood stem cells or image of blood stem cells inside their niche in the bone marrow. “Everyone knew black holes existed, but it took until … Continue reading Capturing an image of blood stem cells
Facebook Live: Ask the Stem Cell Team
On December 12th we hosted our latest 'Facebook Live: Ask the Stem Cell Team' event. We got a lot of questions and didn't have enough time to address them all. So here's answers to all the questions. What are the obstacles to using partial cellular reprogramming to return people’s entire bodies to a youthful state? … Continue reading Facebook Live: Ask the Stem Cell Team
Stem cell progress and promise in fighting leukemia
Computer illustration of a cancerous white blood cell in leukemia. There is nothing you can do to prevent or reduce your risk of leukemia. That’s not a very reassuring statement considering that this year alone almost 62,000 Americans will be diagnosed with leukemia; almost 23,000 will die from the disease. That’s why CIRM is funding … Continue reading Stem cell progress and promise in fighting leukemia