Stem Cell Agency celebrates 50 clinical trials with patient #1

Yesterday the CIRM Board approved funding for our 50th clinical trial (you can read about that here) It was an historic moment for us and to celebrate we decided to go back in history and hear from the very first person to be treated in a CIRM-funded clinical trial. Rich Lajara was treated in the … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency celebrates 50 clinical trials with patient #1

Stem Cell Agency Board Approves 50th Clinical Trial

May 4th, 2011 marked a landmark moment for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). On that day the Stem Cell Agency’s Board voted to invest in its first ever clinical trial, which was also the first clinical trial to use cells derived from embryonic stem cells. Today the Stem Cell Agency reached another landmark, … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency Board Approves 50th Clinical Trial

AMA takes on unproven stem cell therapies

The Journal of the American Medical Association, sheds light on the growth of clinics that are offering unproven stem cell therapies for profit. More about profit The article, titled ‘Unproven but Profitable: The Boom in US Stem Cell Clinics’ offers a clear look at the growing number of clinics selling unproven stem cell therapies. This … Continue reading AMA takes on unproven stem cell therapies

California’s Stem Cell Agency Accelerates Treatments to Patients

The following article is an Op Ed that appeared in today's print version of the San Francisco Chronicle Biotechnology was born in California in the 1970s based on the discovery out of one of its universities and California is responsible for an industry that has impacted the lives of billions of people worldwide. In 2004, … Continue reading California’s Stem Cell Agency Accelerates Treatments to Patients

Has Regenerative Medicine Come of Age?

For the past few years the Signals blog site -  which offers an insiders’ perspectives on the world of regenerative medicine and stem cell research - has hosted what it calls a "Blog Carnival". This is an event where bloggers from across the stem cell field are invited to submit a piece based on a … Continue reading Has Regenerative Medicine Come of Age?

Regenerative Medicine by the numbers: a snapshot of how the field is progressing

Statistics don’t usually make for very exciting blog fodder, but they can be useful in charting progress. Case in point, the recent quarterly report from the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine (ARM), a global advocate and industry group for the field. In the report ARM takes an in-depth look at cell therapy, gene therapy, tissue engineering … Continue reading Regenerative Medicine by the numbers: a snapshot of how the field is progressing

Can stem cells help people recover from a stroke? Join us for a Facebook Live event this Thursday, May 31 for the answers

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death in the US and the leading cause of serious, long-term disability. But could stem cell therapies change that and help people who’ve had a brain attack?  Could stem cells help repair the damage caused by a stroke and restore a person’s ability to speak normally, to … Continue reading Can stem cells help people recover from a stroke? Join us for a Facebook Live event this Thursday, May 31 for the answers

Mark Noble a pioneer in stem cell research

Mark Noble. Photo by Todd Dubnicoff Mark Noble, Ph.D., is a pioneer in stem cell research and the Director of the University of Rochester Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Institute in New York. He is also a member of CIRM’s Grants Working Group (GWG), the panel of independent scientific experts we use to review research … Continue reading Mark Noble a pioneer in stem cell research

Seeing is believing. Proof a CIRM-funded therapy is making a difference

You have almost certainly never heard of Thelma, or met her, or know anything about her. She’s a lady living in England who, if it wasn’t for a CIRM-funded therapy, might not be living at all. She’s proof that what we do, is helping people. Thelma is featured in a video about a treatment for … Continue reading Seeing is believing. Proof a CIRM-funded therapy is making a difference

The Journey of a Homegrown Stem Cell Research All-Star

Nothing makes a professional sports team prouder than its homegrown talent. Training and mentoring a promising, hard-working athlete who eventually helps carry the team to a championship can lift the spirits of an entire city. Here at CIRM, we hold a similar sense of pride in Brian Fury, one of our own homegrown all-stars. Nearly … Continue reading The Journey of a Homegrown Stem Cell Research All-Star