When I think of a pioneer I have an image in my head of people heading west across the Americans plains in the 18th century, riding in a covered wagon pulled by weary oxen. Karl Trede doesn’t fit that image at all. He is a trim, elegant man who has a ready smile and a … Continue reading Stem Cell Profiles in Courage: Karl’s Fight with Cancer
cancer stem cells
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: a surprising benefit of fasting, faster way to make iPSCs, unlocking the secret of leukemia cancer cells
Here are some stem cell stories that caught our eye this past week. Some are groundbreaking science, others are of personal interest to us, and still others are just fun. Is fasting the fountain of youth? Among the many insults our bodies endure in old age is a weakened immune system which leaves the elderly … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: a surprising benefit of fasting, faster way to make iPSCs, unlocking the secret of leukemia cancer cells
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: fighting cancer, a cell’s neighborhood matters, funding next generation scientists
Here are some stem cell stories that caught our eye this past week. Some are groundbreaking science, others are of personal interest to us, and still others are just fun. Reprogramming skin to fight cancer. Earlier CIRM-funded research showed that adult nerve stem cells can home to the residual brain cancer left behind after surgery … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: fighting cancer, a cell’s neighborhood matters, funding next generation scientists
New drug kicks the cancer stem cell addiction
Did you know that cancer stem cells have an addiction problem? This might sound bizarre, but the science checks out. Cancer stem cells are found in many different types of cancer tumors. They have the uncanny ability to survive even the most aggressive forms of treatment. After weathering the storm, cancer stem cells are able … Continue reading New drug kicks the cancer stem cell addiction
Using baking ingredient to create “nano” bombs and destroy cancer stem cells
"I am not a cook". Richard Nixon and the baking ingredient that could help win the "war on cancer" In 1971 President Richard Nixon declared a “war on cancer” and signed the National Cancer Act into law. Forty years later we’re still waging that war, and cancer is still one of the leading causes of … Continue reading Using baking ingredient to create “nano” bombs and destroy cancer stem cells
Helping patient’s fight back against deadliest form of skin cancer
Caladrius Biosciences has been funded by CIRM to conduct a Phase 3 clinical trial to treat the most severe form of skin cancer: metastatic melanoma. Metastatic melanoma is a disease with no effective treatment, only around 15 percent of people with it survive five years, and every year it claims an estimated 10,000 lives in … Continue reading Helping patient’s fight back against deadliest form of skin cancer
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: diabetes drug hits cancer, video stem cell tracker and quick n’ easy stem cells for fatal lung disease
Teaching an old drug new tricks. One the quickest way to get a drug to market is to find one that’s already been FDA approved for other diseases. Reporting this week in Cell Metabolism, researchers from London and Madrid identified the mechanisms that enable the anti-diabetic drug, metformin, to kill pancreatic cancer stem cells (PanCSCs). … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: diabetes drug hits cancer, video stem cell tracker and quick n’ easy stem cells for fatal lung disease
Bye Bye BORIS: Gene Silencing Gives Cancer Stem Cells the Boot
A popular theory behind why cancer tumors recur post treatment is the existence of cancer stem cells (CSCs). These cells have stem cell-like qualities and are stubbornly resistant to common cancer cell killing techniques such as radiation and chemotherapy. CSCs are resilient and can reproduce themselves after all other cancer cells die off, creating new … Continue reading Bye Bye BORIS: Gene Silencing Gives Cancer Stem Cells the Boot
Sonic Hedgehog provides pathway to fight blood cancers
For a lot of people Sonic Hedgehog is a video game. But for stem cell researcher Dr. Catriona Jamieson it is a signaling pathway in the body that offers a way to tackle and defeat some deadly blood cancers. Dr. Jamieson - a researcher at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) - has a … Continue reading Sonic Hedgehog provides pathway to fight blood cancers
Partnering with Big Pharma to benefit patients
Our mission at CIRM is to accelerate the development of stem cell therapies for patients with unmet medical needs. One way we have been doing that is funding promising research to help it get through what’s called the “Valley of Death.” This is the time between a product or project showing promise and the time … Continue reading Partnering with Big Pharma to benefit patients