Photo Courtesy: City of Hope The scientific community lost a true pioneer with the passing of John A. Zaia, MD, a visionary virologist, gene therapy trailblazer, and esteemed leader at City of Hope. Dr. Zaia dedicated over four decades to advancing regenerative medicine, leaving a profound impact on HIV research, pediatric diseases, stem cell transplantation, … Continue reading Honoring Dr. John Zaia: A Legacy of Science, Leadership, and Kindness
City of Hope
Universal donor stem cells could one day provide lifesaving therapy for lethal brain conditions
Yanhong Shi, Ph.D., Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope. Progress is being made to treat cancer patients suffering from degenerative brain diseases. Scientists at City of Hope, one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States, have developed universal donor stem cells that could one day provide lifesaving therapy to … Continue reading Universal donor stem cells could one day provide lifesaving therapy for lethal brain conditions
Making transplants easier for kids, and charting a new approach to fighting solid tumors.
Every year California performs around 100 kidney transplants in children but, on average, around 50 of these patients will have their body reject the transplant. These children then have to undergo regular dialysis while waiting for a new organ. Even the successful transplants require a lifetime of immunosuppression medications. These medications can prevent rejection but … Continue reading Making transplants easier for kids, and charting a new approach to fighting solid tumors.
CIRM Board Approves Funding for New Clinical Trial Targeting Brain Tumors
The governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has awarded almost $12 million to carry out a clinical trial targeting brain tumors. This brings the total number of CIRM funded clinical trials to 83. $11,999,984 was awarded to Dr. Jana Portnow at the Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope. They are using Neural stem … Continue reading CIRM Board Approves Funding for New Clinical Trial Targeting Brain Tumors
Life lessons learned in the CIRM summer intern program
SPARK poster session; Photo by Esteban Cortez When I was in high school I spent my summers working in a shoe shop and playing soccer with my mates. It never occurred to me that I could do something really worthwhile with that time. So, when I meet the high school students who took part in … Continue reading Life lessons learned in the CIRM summer intern program
How CIRM contributed to City of Hope study helping man with HIV into long-term remission
The news that a stem cell transplant at City of Hope helped a man with HIV go into long-term remission made banner headlines around the world. As it should. It’s a huge achievement, particularly as the 66-year-old man had been living with HIV since 1988. What wasn’t reported was that work supported by the California … Continue reading How CIRM contributed to City of Hope study helping man with HIV into long-term remission
It’s nice to be appreciated
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Photo: courtesy City of Hope No one likes to be taken for granted, to feel that people only like you because you have scads of cash and they want some of it. That’s why it’s so lovely when you feel you are appreciated because of all … Continue reading It’s nice to be appreciated
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
Creating a diverse group of future scientists
Students in CIRM's Bridges program showing posters of their work If you have read the headlines lately, you’ll know that the COVID-19 pandemic is having a huge impact on the shipping industry. Container vessels are forced to sit out at anchor for a week or more because there just aren’t enough dock workers to unload … Continue reading Creating a diverse group of future scientists
Learning life lessons in the lab
Rohan Upadhyay, CIRM SPARK student 2021 One of the most amazing parts of an amazing job is getting to know the students who take part in CIRM’s SPARK (Summer Program to Accelerate Regenerative Medicine Knowledge) program. It’s an internship giving high school students, that reflect the diversity of California, a chance to work in a … Continue reading Learning life lessons in the lab
The Stem Cellar 