Progress to a Cure for Bubble Baby Disease

Welcome back to our “Throwback Thursday” series on the Stem Cellar. Over the years, we’ve accumulated an arsenal of exciting stem cell stories about advances towards stem cell-based cures for serious diseases. Today we’re featuring stories about the progress of CIRM-funded clinical trials for the treatment of a devastating, usually fatal, primary immune disease that … Continue reading Progress to a Cure for Bubble Baby Disease

CIRM-funded life-saving stem cell therapy gets nod of approval from FDA

If you have read our 2016 Annual Report (and if you haven’t you should, it’s brilliant) or just seen the cover you’ll know that it features very prominently a young girl named Evie Padilla Vaccaro. Evie was born with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency or SCID – also known as “bubble baby disease”; we’ve written about it … Continue reading CIRM-funded life-saving stem cell therapy gets nod of approval from FDA

Latest space launch sends mice to test bone-building drug

Astronauts on the International Space Station (ISS) received some furry guests this weekend with the launch of SpaceX’s Dragon supply capsule. On Saturday June 3rd, 40 mice were sent to the ISS along with other research experiments and medical equipment. Scientists will be treating the mice with a bone-building drug in search of a new … Continue reading Latest space launch sends mice to test bone-building drug

A Clinical Trial Network Focused on Stem Cell Treatments is Expanding

Geoff Lomax is a Senior Officer of CIRM's Strategic Initiatives. California is one of the world-leaders in advancing stem cell research towards treatments and cures for patients with unmet medical needs. California has scientists at top universities and companies conducting cutting edge research in regenerative medicine. It also has CIRM, California’s Stem Cell Agency, which … Continue reading A Clinical Trial Network Focused on Stem Cell Treatments is Expanding

Stem Cell Profiles in Courage: Brenden Whittaker

It’s not often you meet someone who says one of their favorite things in the world is mowing the lawn. But then, there aren’t many people in the world like Brenden Whittaker. In fact, as of this writing, he may be unique. Brenden was born with severe chronic granulomatous disease (x-CGD), a rare genetic disorder … Continue reading Stem Cell Profiles in Courage: Brenden Whittaker

Stem Cell Stories that caught our eye: a womb with a view, reversing aging and stabilizing stem cells

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. Today we bring you a trifecta of stem cell stories that were partially funded by grants from CIRM. A womb with a view: using 3D … Continue reading Stem Cell Stories that caught our eye: a womb with a view, reversing aging and stabilizing stem cells

Stem cell agency funds clinical trials in three life-threatening conditions

A year ago the CIRM Board unanimously approved a new Strategic Plan for the stem cell agency. In the plan are some rather ambitious goals, including funding ten new clinical trials in 2016. For much of the last year that has looked very ambitious indeed. But today the Board took a big step towards reaching … Continue reading Stem cell agency funds clinical trials in three life-threatening conditions

Deleting a single gene can boost blood stem cell regeneration

A serious side effect that cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy experience is myelosuppression. That’s a big word for a process that involves the decreased production of the body’s immune cells from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) or blood stem cells in the bone marrow. Without these important cells that make up the immune system, patients are at … Continue reading Deleting a single gene can boost blood stem cell regeneration

Accelerating the drive for new stem cell treatments

Acceleration is defined as the “increase in the rate or speed of something.” For us that “something” is new stem cell treatments for patients with unmet medical needs. Today our governing Board just approved a $15 million partnership with Quintiles to help us achieve that acceleration. Quintiles was awarded the funding to create a new … Continue reading Accelerating the drive for new stem cell treatments

Family ties help drive UCLA’s search for a stem cell treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy

April Pyle, Courtney Young and Melissa Spencer: Photo courtesy UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center People get into science for all sorts of different reasons. For Courtney Young the reason was easy; she has a cousin with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Now her work as part of a team at UCLA has led to a new … Continue reading Family ties help drive UCLA’s search for a stem cell treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy