#CIRM 2.0

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Prop 14 California: Big Expectations for CIRM 3.0

Prop 14 California: Big Expectations for CIRM 3.0

Approval of Prop 14 California last month to renew CIRM was one of the biggest state election developments of 2020. Yet it didn’t get much news coverage somehow. The exception is David Jensen over at California Stem Cell Report, who has been a great source of information about the various news surrounding Prop 14 and CIRM so check that out. CIRM is having a public meeting today about its future.…

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A TGIF weekend reading list of new stem cell pubs & headlines

A TGIF weekend reading list of new stem cell pubs & headlines

In case you have some free time for reading this week, here’s a list containing an assortment of interesting research articles and stem cell headlines. I’ve thrown some oddballs in there too including one article from May 1983, when I was just finishing up junior high. No, I didn’t write it. And no the headline for this current blog post is not referring to stem cell-themed pubs where you can go…

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The backstory on my opinion piece in SF Chronicle critical of CIRM lobbying

The backstory on my opinion piece in SF Chronicle critical of CIRM lobbying

Today an opinion piece that I wrote about CIRM was published in the San Francisco Chronicle. The unusual element here is that the article is critical of CIRM. More specifically I raised concerns about a recent political trend at CIRM under its new President Randy Mills lobbying for dramatically weaker stem cell regulatory oversight. The Chronicle piece was first posted on Thursday online on the…

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TGIF Science: funding, CRISPR v. NgAgo, secrets, Zika, & more

TGIF Science: funding, CRISPR v. NgAgo, secrets, Zika, & more

Some stuff on my mind for our TGIF Science this week.

Research Funding Ups: NIH. Is it my imagination or is NIH funding slightly improving? This is the overall vibe I’m hearing from the trenches.

Modified Wikipedia image

Research Funding Ups and Downs: CIRM. CIRM funded some basic research to the tune of a total of $4 million, which is great. On a personal level, just wish my “great idea” had…

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Top 10 stem cell stories of the year 2015

Top 10 stem cell stories of the year 2015

What were the top 10 stem cell stories of the year?

What were the biggest news and science headlines in the stem cell field in 2015, whether good or bad?

Below are mine. What are your top 10 stem cell stories of the past year? Let us know in the comments.

Organoids explode.Stem cell-based mini-organs (organoids) have exploded in terms of impact in the last couple years. 2015 had many examples of…

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Stem Cells on the Mesa: Highlights from Heather Main

Stem Cells on the Mesa: Highlights from Heather Main

By Heather Main

Mesa, one of my first Spanish words since moving to California. The isolated flat-topped hill with steep sides where I have just had the pleasure of listening to some of the best basic and applied science. Mountains of various sorts formed the metaphor of CIRM 2.0 with Randy Mills(President/CEO of CIRM) describing the ‘giant boulder of love and happiness’ that academia pushes and…

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CIRM 2.0 starts off with a bang

CIRM 2.0 starts off with a bang

CIRM has reinvented itself in a new form, CIRM 2.0, under the leadership of its new President Randy Mills.

CIRM is almost like a stem cell that has changed into another new kind of stem cell. Us scientists could see the change coming in the “programming” at CIRM in terms of how it was operating as the 2.0 version, but what would it bring in practical terms?

We are starting to see the new CIRM…

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Top 10 Positive Stem Cell Developments in 2014

Top 10 Positive Stem Cell Developments in 2014

A lot has happened in 2014 in the stem cell and regenerative medicine field and so much of it has been good news.

These positive developments are often the result of many years of creative, hard work by amazing teams of researchers.

Here is my top 10 list of these exciting advances.

1. First IPSC study in humans by team led by Masayo Takahashi.

2. and 3. Major Diabetes advances: ViaCyte starts…

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Radical, Supercharged Vision for Future of CIRM: Interview with New Prez Mills

Radical, Supercharged Vision for Future of CIRM: Interview with New Prez Mills

Change is in the air for the California stem cell agency, CIRM. It has a new President, Randy Mills, and CIRM is soon going to be like a new agency too.

I recently did an interview with Mills that illuminates some of the big changes that are imminent. I also asked him what his favorite type of stem cell is and his view of the regenerative medicine regulatory changes in Japan relative to those…

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CIRM 2.0 Launches Alpha Clinics & Continues Bridges Program

CIRM 2.0 Launches Alpha Clinics & Continues Bridges Program

CIRM issued a press release (PR) a few days ago unveiling CIRM 2.0, a new form of the agency and funding of novel efforts.

The PR focused on action by its Governing Board to fund three Alpha Clinic programs for $8 million each at City of Hope (LA), UCLA, and UCSD. The Alpha Clinics will make a huge difference in moving clinical stem cell research forward.

The only potential hiccup in this…

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CIRM 2.0 Should Include Bridges Training Program

CIRM 2.0 Should Include Bridges Training Program

The California Stem Cell Agency CIRM seems to be in budget cutting mode these days, which from a general perspective makes sense as CIRM seeks to continue operating on its remaining funding through a longer period of time as far out as to 2020.

However, not all cuts are necessarily positive. For example, CIRM reportedlyis considering ending its fantastically successful Bridges training program.…