Government agencies are known for many things, but generally speaking a willingness to do some voluntary, deep self-examination is not one of them. However, for the last few weeks CIRM has been doing a lot of introspection as we develop a new Strategic Plan, a kind of road map for where we are heading. But … Continue reading Pushing, pulling and dragging stem cell research forward
UC San Diego
Partnering with Big Pharma to benefit patients
Our mission at CIRM is to accelerate the development of stem cell therapies for patients with unmet medical needs. One way we have been doing that is funding promising research to help it get through what’s called the “Valley of Death.” This is the time between a product or project showing promise and the time … Continue reading Partnering with Big Pharma to benefit patients
Share your voice, shape our future
There is power in a single voice. I am always reminded of that whenever I meet a patient advocate and hear them talk about the need for treatments and cures – and not just for their particular disease but for everyone. The passion and commitment they display in advocating for more research funding reflects the … Continue reading Share your voice, shape our future
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
Moving one step closer to a therapy for type 1 diabetes
When I was a medical journalist one word I always shied away from was “breakthrough”. There are few true breakthroughs in medicine. Usually any advance is the result of years and years of work. That’s why good science takes time; it takes hundreds of small steps to make a giant leap forward. Today we took … Continue reading Moving one step closer to a therapy for type 1 diabetes
Stem Cell Stories that Caught our Eye: Perspective on “Walking” Patient, Blood Stem Cells have a Helper and Three Clinical Trials at One Campus
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. Some perspective on nasal stem cells and ”walking” patient. PZ Meyers writing on ScienceBlogs did a good job of putting some perspective into the hype … Continue reading Stem Cell Stories that Caught our Eye: Perspective on “Walking” Patient, Blood Stem Cells have a Helper and Three Clinical Trials at One Campus
New Cellular Tracking Device Tests Ability of Cell-Based Therapies to Reach Intended Destination
Therapies aimed at replacing damaged cells with a fresh, healthy batch hold immense promise—but there remains one major sticking point: once you have injected new, healthy cells into the patient, how do you track them and how do you ensure they do the job for which they were designed? Unfortunately, there’s no easy solution. The … Continue reading New Cellular Tracking Device Tests Ability of Cell-Based Therapies to Reach Intended Destination
Breast Cancer Commandeers Mammary Stem Cells for Own, Nefarious Purposes
Most instances of breast cancer happen later in life—often after menopause. In many cases, the cancer progresses slowly, over a period of months or even years, often giving physicians precious time to implement a treatment plan, successfully battling that cancer into remission. But there is another far more aggressive form of breast cancer that tends … Continue reading Breast Cancer Commandeers Mammary Stem Cells for Own, Nefarious Purposes
Grafted Stem Cells Snake through Spinal Cord, CIRM-Funded Study Finds
New research lends increasing support to the notion that paralysis may not be so permanent after all. Scientists at the University of California, San Diego have generated stem cells that, when grafted onto the injured spines of rats—traverse through the injury sites, coupling with nerve cells hidden beneath the damaged tissue. These results, published today … Continue reading Grafted Stem Cells Snake through Spinal Cord, CIRM-Funded Study Finds
At BIO2014 Stem Cells Shine as Path for Changing How Medicine is Researched and Practiced
For the first time ever at BIO International, the largest annual biotechnology conference in North America, stem cells and regenerative medicine are being showcased today in an all-day forum. This morning kicked off with a panel discussing how stem cells are shifting the paradigm in how we research disease, discover drugs and treat patients. With … Continue reading At BIO2014 Stem Cells Shine as Path for Changing How Medicine is Researched and Practiced
The Stem Cellar 