Photo Courtesy: City of Hope The scientific community lost a true pioneer with the passing of John A. Zaia, MD. Dr. Zaia was a visionary virologist, gene therapy trailblazer, and esteemed leader at City of Hope. He dedicated over four decades to advancing regenerative medicine. He left behind a profound impact on HIV research, pediatric … Continue reading Honoring Dr. John Zaia: A Legacy of Science, Leadership, and Kindness
City of Hope
Universal donor stem cells could provide lifesaving therapy for degenerative brain diseases
Yanhong Shi, Ph.D., Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope. Scientists are advancing treatments for cancer patients who develop cognitive or motor problems, as well as people with degenerative brain diseases. Researchers at City of Hope, one of the largest cancer research and treatment organizations in the United States, developed universal donor stem cells. These … Continue reading Universal donor stem cells could provide lifesaving therapy for degenerative brain diseases
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
Training 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 Training 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
SPARK Students Show the Future of Science is in Good Hands
Dr. Kelly Shepard, SPARK program director The past year tested us all. The pandemic changed how we work, learn, and connect. Yet it also revealed something encouraging: the next generation of scientists is ready to meet challenges head-on. We saw that firsthand during CIRM's SPARK Conference. SPARK, or the Summer Program to Accelerate Regenerative Medicine … Continue reading SPARK Students Show the Future of Science is in Good Hands
Want to help us solve a mystery?
Patient that has recovered from Covid-19 donating blood plasma. Photo courtesy Science Photo Convalescent plasma has been in the news a lot lately as a potential treatment for people infected with the coronavirus. In August the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorization (EUA) to use these products based on preliminary data … Continue reading Want to help us solve a mystery?
Explaining COVID can be a pitch
When people ask me what I do at CIRM I sometimes half-jokingly tell them that I’m the official translator: I take complex science and turn it into everyday English. That’s important. The taxpayers of California have a right to know how their money is being spent and how it might benefit them. But that message … Continue reading Explaining COVID can be a pitch
Charting a new course for stem cell research
What are the latest advances in stem cell research targeting cancer? Can stem cells help people battling COVID-19 or even help develop a vaccine to stop the virus? What are researchers and the scientific community doing to help address the unmet medical needs of underserved communities? Those are just a few of the topics being … Continue reading Charting a new course for stem cell research
COVID plasma study
Sometimes it’s the smallest things that make the biggest difference. In the clinical trial CIRM is funding, all it takes to be part of it is four teaspoons of blood. The clinical trial is being run by Dr. John Zaia and his team at the City of Hope in Duarte, near Los Angeles, in partnership … Continue reading COVID plasma study