Written by Holly Alyssa MacCormick It’s not every day that you get to contribute to something that could help save a life, but when Kim Barrett joined the board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), that’s exactly what happened. Decades of research experience Barrett is a research physiologist. For 36 years, she studied … Continue reading “An awesome responsibility”: A conversation with CIRM board member Kim Barrett
UC Davis
Investing in CAR T-cell therapy to treat cancer
Photo credit: UC Regents The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) is investing $4 million to support Dr. William Murphy and UC Davis researchers in developing and testing a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy to treat various B-cell malignancies, from lymphomas to leukemias. In this Q&A—courtesy of UC Davis Health—Dr. Murphy discusses the importance of T-cell therapy and its … Continue reading Investing in CAR T-cell therapy to treat cancer
Finding a treatment for Tay Sachs disease
CIRM awarded $4,048,253 to Dr. Joseph Anderson and his UC Davis team to develop a blood stem cell gene therapy for Tay‑Sachs disease. Tay-Sachs disease is a rare genetic disorder caused by a deficiency in the Hex A enzyme. Without Hex A, certain fats accumulate in brain and nerve cells, causing progressive neurological decline. The … Continue reading Finding a treatment for Tay Sachs disease
Tratando malformaciones congénitas antes del nacimiento
El bebé, Tobi recibió un tratamiento de células madre, financiado por el CIRM, mientras aún estaba en el útero. To read this blog in English, click here. Michelle y Jeff se llenaron de felicidad al enterarse de que iban a tener un bebé. Luego, un examen de ultrasonido a las 20 semanas de embarazo reveló … Continue reading Tratando malformaciones congénitas antes del nacimiento
Making kidney transplants easier for kids and charting a new approach to fighting solid tumors.
Every year, California performs around 100 kidney transplants in children, but, on average, around 50 of these patients will have their bodies reject the transplant. Improving kidney transplant outcomes These children then have to undergo regular dialysis while waiting for a new organ. Even the successful transplants require a lifetime of immunosuppression medications. These medications … Continue reading Making kidney transplants easier for kids and charting a new approach to fighting solid tumors.
Pioneering a new approach to HIV and AIDS
Dr. Steven Deeks. Photo courtesy UCSF I’ve always been impressed by people's willingness to step forward and volunteer for a clinical trial. Even more so when they are the first person ever to test a first-in-human therapy. They really are pioneers in helping advance a whole new approach to treating disease. That’s certainly the case … Continue reading Pioneering a new approach to HIV and AIDS
CIRM-funding supports world’s first stem cell treatment for spina bifida delivered during fetal surgery
Dr. Diana Farmer (right) meets with Emily Lofton and her baby Robbie who had stem cell treatment for spina bifida in the womb. Photo: UC Davis Health CIRM recently shared encouraging news about a CIRM‑funded stem cell clinical trial for spina bifida at UC Davis Health. Spina bifida occurs when the spine and spinal cord … Continue reading CIRM-funding supports world’s first stem cell treatment for spina bifida delivered during fetal surgery
Couple uproots their lives to help their baby with spina bifida
Michelle, Jeff, and baby Tobi When Michelle Johnson and Jeff Maginnis learned they were expecting a baby, they were elated. Frightening diagnosis Then an ultrasound exam at 20 weeks into the pregnancy showed the fetus had spina bifida, a birth defect that occurs when the spine and spinal cord don't form properly. Spina bifida can … Continue reading Couple uproots their lives to help their baby with spina bifida
Life lessons learned in the CIRM summer intern program
SPARK poster session; Photo by Esteban Cortez In high school, I spent my summers working in a shoe shop and playing soccer with my mates. It never occurred to me that I could do something really worthwhile with that time. So, when I met the high school students who took part in the California Institute … Continue reading Life lessons learned in the CIRM summer intern program
The power of the patient advocate: how a quick visit led to an $11M grant to fund a clinical trial
THIS BLOG IS ALSO AVAILABLE AS AN AUDIO CAST Members of NFOSD visiting UC Davis in 2013 At the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) we are fortunate in having enough money to fund the most promising research to be tested in a clinical trial. Those are expensive projects, often costing tens of millions of … Continue reading The power of the patient advocate: how a quick visit led to an $11M grant to fund a clinical trial