Can you hear me now? If you’re old enough, you probably recognize this phrase from an early 2000’s Verizon Wireless commercial where the company claims to be “the nation’s largest, most reliable wireless network”. However, no matter how hard wireless companies like Verizon try, there are still dead zones where cell phone reception is zilch … Continue reading Listen Up: A stem cell-based solution for hearing loss
Stem cells
Wishing You and Your Stem Cells a Happy Valentine’s Day!
Roses are Red, Violets are Blue, Let’s thank pluripotent stem cells, For making humans like me and you Happy Valentine’s Day from me and everyone at CIRM! Today, we are celebrating this day of love by sending our warmest wishes to you our readers. We’re grateful for your interest in learning more about stem cells … Continue reading Wishing You and Your Stem Cells a Happy Valentine’s Day!
Failed stem cells may cause deadly lung disease
Breathing is something we take for granted. It’s automatic. We don’t need to think about it. But for people with pulmonary fibrosis, breathing is something that is always on their minds. Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a disease where the tissue in your lungs becomes thick and stiff, even scarred, making it difficult to breathe. It … Continue reading Failed stem cells may cause deadly lung disease
Seeing is Believing: New Video on the Power of Stem Cells
The world is full of skeptics. Remember when you first heard about self-driving cars? I’m sure that information was met with comments like, “When pigs fly!” or “I’ll believe it when I see it!” Well, it turns out that the best way to get people to believe something is possible, is to show them. And … Continue reading Seeing is Believing: New Video on the Power of Stem Cells
First spinal cord injury trial patient gets maximum stem cell dose
There comes a pivotal point in every experiment where you say “ok, now we are going to see if this really works.” We may be at that point in the clinical trial we are funding to see if stem cells can help people with spinal cord injuries. Today Asterias Biotherapeutics announced they have given the … Continue reading First spinal cord injury trial patient gets maximum stem cell dose
Discovering stem cells and science at Discovery Day
Someone stole my thigh bone. One minute it was there. The next, gone. I have narrowed down the list of suspects to the more than 25,000 people attending Discovery Day at San Francisco’s AT&T Park. To be honest, the bone was just a laminated image of a bone, stuck to the image of a person … Continue reading Discovering stem cells and science at Discovery Day
Meat the future of stem cells. And I do mean “meat”.
Over the years there have been a lot of interesting, odd ball, even a few really rather crazy stories about stem cell research that have made the news. So in honor of Halloween, we thought we’d look back at a few of them to remind ourselves that not all science is worthy of pursuit. Celebrity … Continue reading Meat the future of stem cells. And I do mean “meat”.
Trash talking and creating a stem cell community
Imilce Rodriguez-Fernandez likes to talk trash. No, really, she does. In her case it’s cellular trash, the kind that builds up in our cells and has to be removed to ensure the cells don’t become sick. Imilce was one of several stem cell researchers who took part in a couple of public events over the … Continue reading Trash talking and creating a stem cell community
Celebrating Stem Cell Awareness Day with SUPER CELLS!
To all you stem cell lovers out there, today is your day! The second Wednesday of October is Stem Cell Awareness Day (SCAD), which brings together organizations and individuals that are working to ensure the general public realizes the benefits of stem cell research. For patients in desperate need of treatments for diseases without cures, … Continue reading Celebrating Stem Cell Awareness Day with SUPER CELLS!
Funding stem cell research targeting a rare and life-threatening disease in children
If you have never heard of cystinosis you should consider yourself fortunate. It’s a rare condition caused by an inherited genetic mutation. It hits early and it hits hard. Children with cystinosis are usually diagnosed before age 2 and are in end-stage kidney failure by the time they are 9. If that’s not bad enough … Continue reading Funding stem cell research targeting a rare and life-threatening disease in children