THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST The culinary herb rosemary is commonly used in our kitchens to season an array of dishes, and is also considered a good source for vitamins and minerals. Rosemary is also valued for its medicinal properties, and has traditionally been used to help alleviate muscle pain, boost the immune and circulatory system, as well as many other health benefits. Now, scientists at Scripps Research have found … Continue reading Could a common herb help in the fight against COVID-19 and other inflammatory diseases?
inflammation
Using a stem cell’s journey to teach kids science
THIS BLOG CAN ALSO BE HEARD AS AN AUDIOCAST ON SPOTIFY As far as Aldo Pourchet is concerned you are never too young to learn about stem cells. Aldo should know. He’s a molecular and cellular biologist and the co-founder and CEO of Omios Bio, which develops immunotherapies for cancer, infectious and inflammatory diseases. Aldo … Continue reading Using a stem cell’s journey to teach kids science
Study shows connection between bipolar disorder and neuroinflammation
Astrocytes, which provide structural support and protection for neurons and also supply them with nutrients and oxygen. Bipolar disorder (BPD) is a mental disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, concentration, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. In the United States, recent research has shown that 1.6% of the population … Continue reading Study shows connection between bipolar disorder and neuroinflammation
A shot in the arm for people with bad knees
Almost every day I get an email or phone call from someone asking if we have a stem cell therapy for bad knees. The inquiries are from people who’ve been told they need surgery to replace joints damaged by age and arthritis. They’re not alone. Every year around 600,000 Americans get a knee replacement. That … Continue reading A shot in the arm for people with bad knees
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: spinal cord injury trial keeps pace; SMART cells make cartilage and drugs
CIRM-funded spinal cord injury trial keeping a steady pace Taking an idea for a stem cell treatment and developing it into a Food and Drug Administration-approved cell therapy is like running the Boston Marathon because it requires incremental progress rather than a quick sprint. Asterias Biotherapeutics continues to keep a steady pace and to hit … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: spinal cord injury trial keeps pace; SMART cells make cartilage and drugs
UCSF study explains how chronic inflammation impairs blood stem cell function
Inflammation is the immune system’s natural protective response to infection and injury. It involves the activation and mobilization of immune cells that can kill off foreign invaders and help repair damaged tissue. At the heart of the inflammatory response are hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). These are blood stem cells found in the bone marrow that … Continue reading UCSF study explains how chronic inflammation impairs blood stem cell function
New type of diabetes caused by old age may be treatable
I’m going to tell you a secret: I love sugar. I love it so much that as a little kid my mom used to tell me scary stories about how my teeth would fall out and that I might get diabetes one day if I ate too many sweets. Thankfully, none of these things happened. … Continue reading New type of diabetes caused by old age may be treatable
Stay on Target: Scientists Create Chemical ‘Homing Devices’ that Guide Stem Cells to Final Destination
When injecting stem cells into a patient, how do the cells know where to go? How do they know to travel to a specific damage site, without getting distracted along the way? Scientists are now discovering that, in some cases they do but in many cases, they don’t. So engineers have found a way to … Continue reading Stay on Target: Scientists Create Chemical ‘Homing Devices’ that Guide Stem Cells to Final Destination
Stem cells and professional sports: a call for more science and less speculation
In the world of professional sports, teams invest tens of millions of dollars in players. Those players are under intense pressure to show a return on that investment for the team, and that means playing as hard as possible for as long as possible. So it’s no surprise that players facing serious injuries will often … Continue reading Stem cells and professional sports: a call for more science and less speculation
CIRM Scientists Discover Key to Blood Cells’ Building Blocks
Our bodies generate new blood cells—both red and white blood cells—each and every day. But reproducing that feat in a petri dish has proven far more difficult. But now, scientists have identified the missing ingredient to producing hematopoietic stem cells, or HSC’s—the type of stem cell that gives rise to all blood and immune cells … Continue reading CIRM Scientists Discover Key to Blood Cells’ Building Blocks
The Stem Cellar 