State Stem Cell & Gene Therapy Agency Sets up Support Program to Help Patients Participate in Clinical Trials

For many patients battling deadly diseases, getting access to a clinical trial can be life-saving, but it can also be very challenging. Today the governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) approved a concept plan to make it financially and logistically easier for patients to take part in CIRM-funded clinical trials. The … Continue reading State Stem Cell & Gene Therapy Agency Sets up Support Program to Help Patients Participate in Clinical Trials

Stem Cell Agency Invests $46 Million in New Education Program

CIRM Bridges students 2022. The CIRM Board approved funding for a program to help even more students advance a career in science. The governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has approved $46,076,430 to invest in its newest education pillar- the COMPASS (Creating Opportunities through Mentorship and Partnership Across Stem cell Science) … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency Invests $46 Million in New Education Program

Stem Cell Agency funds clinical trial targeting scarred urethras

A urethral stricture is scarring of the tube that carries urine out of the body. If left untreated it can be intensely painful and lead to kidney stones and infections. That's why the governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) is investing more than $3.8 million in a Phase 1 clinical trial … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency funds clinical trial targeting scarred urethras

Stem Cell Agency Board Invests in 19 Discovery Research Programs Targeting Cancers, Heart Disease and Other Disorders

THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Dr. Judy Shizuru, Stanford University While stem cell and gene therapy research has advanced dramatically in recent years, there are still many unknowns and many questions remaining about how best to use these approaches in developing therapies. That’s why the governing Board of the California Institute … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency Board Invests in 19 Discovery Research Programs Targeting Cancers, Heart Disease and Other Disorders

The power of the patient advocate: how a quick visit led to an $11M grant to fund a clinical trial

THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Members of NFOSD visiting UC Davis in 2013 At the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) we are fortunate in having enough money to fund the most promising research to be tested in a clinical trial. Those are expensive projects, often costing tens of millions of … Continue reading The power of the patient advocate: how a quick visit led to an $11M grant to fund a clinical trial

Stem Cell Agency Board Approves Funding for Rare Immune Disorder

THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Taylor Lookofsky (center), a person with IPEX syndrome, with his father Brian and Dr. Rosa Bacchetta IPEX syndrome is a rare condition where the body can’t control or restrain an immune response, so the person’s immune cells attack their own healthy tissue. The syndrome mostly affects … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency Board Approves Funding for Rare Immune Disorder

CIRM Board gives thumbs up to training and treatment programs

THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST CIRM Bridges student discusses her poster presentation At CIRM, the bread and butter of what we do is funding research and hopefully advancing therapies to patients. But the jam, that's our education programs. Helping train the next generation of stem cell and gene therapy scientists is … Continue reading CIRM Board gives thumbs up to training and treatment programs

Overcoming obstacles and advancing treatments to patients

THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST UC Davis GMP Manufacturing facility: Photo courtesy UC Davis When you are trying to do something that has never been done before, there are bound to be challenges to meet and obstacles to overcome. At the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) we are used to … Continue reading Overcoming obstacles and advancing treatments to patients

Stem Cell Agency Board Approves Roadmap for Next Five Years

Dr. Maria Millan, CIRM's President & CEO It's hard to get somewhere if you don't know where you are going. Without a map you can't plan a route to your destination. That's why the CIRM Board approved a new Strategic Plan laying out a roadmap for the Stem Cell Agency for the next five years. … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency Board Approves Roadmap for Next Five Years

Stem Cell Agency Board Invests in Therapy Targeting Deadly Blood Cancers

THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Dr. Ezra Cohen, photo courtesy UCSD Hematologic malignancies are cancers that affect the blood, bone marrow and lymph nodes and include different forms of leukemia and lymphoma. Current treatments can be effective, but in those patients that do not respond, there are few treatment options. Today, … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency Board Invests in Therapy Targeting Deadly Blood Cancers