July 2012 Newsletter
CIRM July Newsletter
- CIRM Publishes New Strategic Plan
- CIRM-Funded Research Featured on NPR's Science Friday
- CIRM President's June 2012 Update on Advances in Stem Cell Science
- 1000 and Counting: The Latest Publications on CIRM-Funded Research
- Videos: New Imaging Technology a Game-Changer for Stem Cell Therapies
- Upcoming Events
CIRM Publishes New Strategic Plan
CIRM recently released it's 2012 Strategic Plan which was developed in close consultation with CIRM Board members, researchers, industry experts, patient advocates and other key stakeholders. The new plan is shaped by two main objectives; developing therapies that will deliver not just health but also economic benefits to the people of California; and the desire to make California’s investment sustainable.
CIRM-Funded Research Featured on NPR's Science Friday
On June 8th, CIRM-funded research from the UC Berkeley laboratory of Song Li was the topic of conversation on National Public Radio's Science Friday program. Host Ira Flatow spoke to Jill Helms, a co-author on the Nature Communications article that found a type of stem cell in blood vessel walls which is responsible for vascular disease. Scientists had long thought that vessel wall smooth muscle interacted with cholesterol and fat to clog arteries.
CIRM President's June 2012 Stem Cell Research Picks
Each month CIRM President Alan Trounson reports on advances in stem cell science by highlighting recently published papers from CIRM grantees and other leading research teams around the world. This month's report includes a review of the trends spotted at this year’s annual meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research in Yokohama, Japan, June 13-16.
1000 and Counting: The Latest Publications on CIRM-funded Research
With over 1000 publications and counting, CIRM grantees are making steady progress on understanding the molecular basis of stem cell biology and moving stem cell-based therapies toward clinical trials. Here is a partial list of science journals that published CIRM-funded research in June along with links to press releases from the CIRM grantees' home institutions as well as entries from the CIRM Stem Cell Research Blog:
June 6th - Nature Communications
- UC Berkeley Press Release: The real culprit behind hardened arteries? Stem cells, says landmark study
- CIRM Blog: Newly discovered blood vessel stem cells point to new therapies for vascular disease
June 7th - Cell Stem Cell
- The Gladstone Institutes Press Release: Gladstone Scientists Reprogram Skin Cells into Brain Cells
June 11th - Stem Cells Translational Medicine
- UCLA Press Release: A Better Way to Grow Bone: Fresh, Purified Fat Stem Cells Grow Bone Better, Faster
June 19th - PLoS One
- Cedars-Sinai Press Release: Cedars-Sinai researchers, with stem cells, advance understanding of spinal muscular atrophy
- CIRM Blog: New stem cell findings point to future therapies for spinal musclar atrophy
June 28th - Cell Stem Cell
- Cedars-Sinai Medical Center Press Release: Cedars-Sinai Researchers, With Stem Cells And Global Colleagues, Develop Huntington’s Research Tool
- UC Irvine Press Release: Human model of Huntington’s disease created from skin’s stem cells
- CIRM Blog: First human cell model for Huntington’s shows value of consortium science
Videos: New Imaging Technology a Game-Changer for Stem Cell Therapies
To treat diseases like Parkinson's, stem cell-based therapies must be followed in the body to show they're safe and effective. At the May 24th governing board meeting, CIRM grantee Steven Conolly described a powerful new imaging technology that could help track stem cells after injection. Greg Wasson, who has lived with Parkinson's for 17 years, gave his perspectives on stem cell research. Videos of the Spotlight seminar are now available on the CIRM website.
Upcoming Events
ICOC Governing Board Meeting
July 26: The CIRM governing board will hold its fourth meeting of 2012 at the San Francisco Airport Marriott in Burlingame, CA. You can get location and agenda details by watching our meetings page. The agenda will be posted 10 days before the meeting. You can also sign up to receive announcements about CIRM meetings on our website.
Upcoming Requests for Applications (Anticipated Release Date - July 2012)
RFA 12-02: CIRM Disease Modeling Awards
RFA 12-03: CIRM hiPSC Derivation Award
RFA 12-04: CIRM hPSC Bank Award
RFA 12-06: CIRM Genomics Award