Stem Cell Agency Board Invests in Therapy Targeting Deadly Blood Cancers

THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Dr. Ezra Cohen, photo courtesy UCSD Hematologic malignancies are cancers that affect the blood, bone marrow and lymph nodes and include different forms of leukemia and lymphoma. Current treatments can be effective, but in those patients that do not respond, there are few treatment options. Today, … Continue reading Stem Cell Agency Board Invests in Therapy Targeting Deadly Blood Cancers

CIRM Board Approves Funding for New Clinical Trials in Solid Tumors and Pediatric Disease

Dr. Theodore Nowicki, physician in the division of pediatric hematology/oncology at UCLA. Photo courtesy of Milo Mitchell/UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center The governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) awarded two grants totaling $11.15 million to carry out two new clinical trials.  These latest additions bring the total number of CIRM funded … Continue reading CIRM Board Approves Funding for New Clinical Trials in Solid Tumors and Pediatric Disease

Second “Don’t Eat Me” Signal Identified in Cancer Cells, Points to New Immunotherapies

When the immune system comes up as a topic in everyday conversation, it’s usually related to fighting off a cold or flu. While our immune cells certainly do detect and neutralize invading bacteria and viruses, they also play a critical role in killing abnormal, cancerous cells from within our bodies. “Don’t Eat Me” Signal 101 … Continue reading Second “Don’t Eat Me” Signal Identified in Cancer Cells, Points to New Immunotherapies

10 Years/10 Therapies: 10 Years after its Founding CIRM will have 10 Therapies Approved for Clinical Trials

In 2004, when 59 percent of California voters approved the creation of CIRM, our state embarked on an unprecedented experiment: providing concentrated funding to a new, promising area of research. The goal: accelerate the process of getting therapies to patients, especially those with unmet medical needs. Having 10 potential treatments expected to be approved for … Continue reading 10 Years/10 Therapies: 10 Years after its Founding CIRM will have 10 Therapies Approved for Clinical Trials