How stem cells know the right way to make a heart . And what goes wrong when they don’t

Gladstone scientists Deepak Srivastava (left), Yvanka De Soysa (center), and Casey Gifford (right) publish a complete catalog of the cells involved in heart development. The invention of GPS navigation systems has made finding your way around so much easier, providing simple instructions on how to get from point A to point B. Now, a new … Continue reading How stem cells know the right way to make a heart . And what goes wrong when they don’t

A Bridge to the future for stem cell students

Students present their research finding at the 2016 CIRM Bridges conference CIRM's recognizes undergraduate and mater's level college students each year with Bridges to Stem Cell Research Awards. How good a program is it? It's terrific. You don't have to take my word for it. Just read this piece by a great stem cell champion, … Continue reading A Bridge to the future for stem cell students

NIH-scientists are told to stop buying fetal tissue for research, highlighting importance of CIRM’s voter-created independence

The news that President Trump’s administration has told scientists employed by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that they can’t buy any new human fetal tissue for research has left many scientists frustrated and worried. The news has also highlighted the reason why voters created CIRM in the first place and the importance of having … Continue reading NIH-scientists are told to stop buying fetal tissue for research, highlighting importance of CIRM’s voter-created independence

Prostate Cancer Research Gets Support from CIRM

A program hoping to supercharge prostate cancer research by using a patient’s own immune system cells received $3.99 million from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) A leading cause of death Prostate cancer is the second‑leading cause of cancer deaths in U.S. men. Each year, about 170,000 men are diagnosed, and more than 29,000 … Continue reading Prostate Cancer Research Gets Support from CIRM

CCSF’s CIRM Bridges scholars: the future of stem cell research is in good hands

In need of an extra dose of inspiration? You might read a great book or listen to that podcast your friend recommended. You might even take a stroll along the beach. But I can do you one better: go to a conference poster session where young stem cell scientists describe their research. That’s what I … Continue reading CCSF’s CIRM Bridges scholars: the future of stem cell research is in good hands

Gladstone scientists tackle heart failure by repairing the heart from within

Modern medicine often involves the development of a drug or treatment outside the body, which is then given to a patient to fix, improve or even prevent their condition. But what if you could regenerate or heal the body using the cells and tissue already inside a patient? Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes are pursuing … Continue reading Gladstone scientists tackle heart failure by repairing the heart from within

Stem Cell Stories that Caught Our Eye: New law to protect consumers; using skin to monitor blood sugar; and a win for the good guys

New law targets stem cell clinics that offer therapies not approved by the FDA For some time now CIRM and others around California have been warning consumers about the risks involved in going to clinics that offer stem cell therapies that have not been tested in a clinical trial or approved by the U.S. Food … Continue reading Stem Cell Stories that Caught Our Eye: New law to protect consumers; using skin to monitor blood sugar; and a win for the good guys

Hearts and brains are center stage at CIRM Patient Advocate event

Describing the work of a government agency is not the most exciting of topics. Books on the subject would probably be found in the “Self-help for Insomniacs” section of a good bookstore (there are still some around). But at CIRM we are fortunate. When we talk about what we do, we don’t talk about the … Continue reading Hearts and brains are center stage at CIRM Patient Advocate event

Treatments, cures and clinical trials: an in-person update on CIRM’s progress

Patients and Patient Advocates are at the heart of everything we do at CIRM. That’s why we are holding three free public events in the next few months focused on updating you on the stem cell research we are funding, and our plans for the future. Right now we have 33 projects that we have … Continue reading Treatments, cures and clinical trials: an in-person update on CIRM’s progress

Stem cell stories that caught our eye: skin grafts fight diabetes, reprogramming the immune system, and Asterias expands spinal cord injury trial sites

Here are the stem cell stories that caught our eye this week. Skin grafts fight diabetes and obesity. An interesting new gene therapy strategy for fighting type 1 diabetes and obesity surfaced this week. Scientists from the University of Chicago made genetically engineered skin grafts that secrete a peptide hormone called glucagon-liked peptide-1 (GLP-1). This … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: skin grafts fight diabetes, reprogramming the immune system, and Asterias expands spinal cord injury trial sites