The State of California is considering re-funding its stem cell agency, CIRM, to the tune of more than $5 billion dollars, but the issue has generated surprisingly little media attention. The main coverage has been by David Jensen over at California Stem Cell Report. Prop 14 polling data non-existent in public domain To my knowledge, …
Prop 14 polling on CIRM re-funding stays moderately upbeat Read More »
Katie Thomas at the New York Times reports that BARDA has dropped considering funding applications for stem cells for COVID-19. The move is part of a larger shift in funding priorities away from lung treatments and toward vaccine development. The decision has puzzled and even angered some stem cell firms and researchers. BARDA stands for …
BARDA drops funding of research into stem cells for COVID-19 Read More »
I recently started 2 polls on the future of CIRM. The polls are focused on the effort led by Robert Klein to get more funding from the State of California for the stem cell agency. They asked readers about whether Californians will refund CIRM and whether Californians should refund CIRM. Basically, the polls are asking …
Upbeat poll results on the future of CIRM funding Read More »
Today I’m doing 2 polls on the future of the California stem cell agency better known as CIRM as it hangs in the balance, awaiting the results of us California voters going to the polls in November. At that time, Californians will vote on the new proposition that would fund CIRM for $5 billion more. …
Our California stem cell agency, CIRM, started as a baby even before I came to California in 2006 to start my lab here at UC Davis School of Medicine, but now CIRM or to use its full name the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine is I’d say a full-grown, mature adult at about age 13 …
Poll on refunding CIRM on eve of informational legislative hearing Read More »
The idea of CIRM as a dedicated state stem cell agency was one of the things that got me excited about starting my time as a professor doing research on stem cells in California way back in 2005-2006 on the job hunt. Fast forwarding to today now 11 years later, CIRM is still on the …
3 CIRM challenges: search for new prez, funding, & clinical POW! Read More »
Today’s post is the last of a three-part series on the Burt stem cell trials at Northwestern. This piece is focused on funding and the future of the trial, and also includes perspectives from patients. You can read Part 1 here and Part 2 here, which focused on issues related to potential encouragement of patient fundraising that unintentionally releases …
Burt Northwestern Stem Cell MS Trial Part 3: Funding, Patient Perspectives, & the Future Read More »
Washington State is considering state funding for regenerative medicine. How cool is that? You can read more about this effort in an opinion piece authored by Washington stem cell researcher, Professor Charles Murry. There’s so much important stem cell research going on that federal funding, private and biotech investors, and philanthropy simply cannot fund it …
Washington State considers stem cell regenerative medicine funding Read 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. Research Funding Ups and Downs: CIRM. CIRM funded some basic research to the tune of a total of $4 million, …
TGIF Science: funding, CRISPR v. NgAgo, secrets, Zika, & more Read More »
Chimeras are one of the more controversial and fascinating areas of human stem cell and early embryo research. The notion of a chimera traces back thousands of years to creatures that were mixtures of various animals including humans in some cases. What about a real human chimera embryo? Today, chimera research has the potential to …
NIH suspends funding of human chimera research pending policy review Read More »