Guest blogger David R. Higgins, PhD, is a Parkinson’s Patient Advocate and a CIRM ICOC board member. Two national Parkinson’s organizations have decided to join forces: The Parkinson’s Action Network (PAN) will be integrated into The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF). Both have served the Parkinson’s community in separate and important ways, but as MJFF CEO … Continue reading Two National Parkinson’s Disease Organizations Join Forces
Parkinson’s Disease
How do you know what patients want if you never even ask them?
Our mission at CIRM is to accelerate stem treatments to patients with unmet medical needs. But what if those needs are not just unmet, they’re also unknown? What happens when those developing treatments never even bother to ask those they are trying to help if this is what they really need, or want? The question … Continue reading How do you know what patients want if you never even ask them?
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Parkinson’s trial revived, aspirin kills cancer stem cells and a stem cell role in mother-child obesity
Here are some stem cell stories that caught our eye this past week. Some are groundbreaking science, others are of personal interest to us, and still others are just fun. Parkinson’s clinical trials back on track. After nearly 20 years of being stuck on the clinical trial “bookshelf”, an international team from Cambridge, UK revived … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Parkinson’s trial revived, aspirin kills cancer stem cells and a stem cell role in mother-child obesity
Desperate patients and false hope: a troubling trend for stem cell-based therapies
A gambler’s odds are usually stacked against them but the possibility, however slim, of hitting the jackpot keeps bringing them back to the table. Now imagine, unbeknownst to them, the system is rigged so there’s a zero percent chance of any winnings. They’d essentially be giving their money away based on a false hope. Sadly, … Continue reading Desperate patients and false hope: a troubling trend for stem cell-based therapies
Mutation Morphs Mitochondria in Models of Parkinson’s Disease, CIRM-Funded Study Finds
There is no singular cause of Parkinson’s disease, but many—making this disease so difficult to understand and, as a result, treat. But now, researchers at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging have tracked down precisely how a genetic change, or mutation, can lead to a common form of the disease. The results, published last … Continue reading Mutation Morphs Mitochondria in Models of Parkinson’s Disease, CIRM-Funded Study Finds
Bringing out the Big Guns: Scientists Weigh in on How Best to Combat Deadly Diseases of the Brain
Despite our best efforts, diseases of the brain are on the rise. Neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases threaten not only to devastate our aging population, but also cripple our economy. Meanwhile, the causes of conditions such as autism remain largely unknown. And brain and spinal cord injuries continue to increase—leaving their victims … Continue reading Bringing out the Big Guns: Scientists Weigh in on How Best to Combat Deadly Diseases of the Brain
ISSCR 2014: Lorenz Studer talks Parkinson’s cells
Two presentations at the International Society for Stem Cell (ISSCR) conference, from two different sides of the pond, looked at ways to get stem cell therapies out of the lab and into patients. They both focused on the problems that need to be overcome, but came to the positive conclusion that this could be done. … Continue reading ISSCR 2014: Lorenz Studer talks Parkinson’s cells
Stem Cell Stories that Caught our Eye: Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis and the Art of Science
Here are some stem cell stories that caught our eye this past week. Some are groundbreaking science, others are of personal interest to us, and still others are just fun. Three parent embryos called safe. A scientific review panel in the United Kingdom has issued a report saying that a controversial fertility treatment that uses … Continue reading Stem Cell Stories that Caught our Eye: Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis and the Art of Science
Stem Cell Stories that Caught our Eye: Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis and the Art of Science
Here are some stem cell stories that caught our eye this past week. Some are groundbreaking science, others are of personal interest to us, and still others are just fun. Three parent embryos called safe. A scientific review panel in the United Kingdom has issued a report saying that a controversial fertility treatment that uses … Continue reading Stem Cell Stories that Caught our Eye: Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis and the Art of Science
The Stem Cellar 