The targeted disease is retinitis pigmentosa (RP), a severe form of blindness that runs in families. This disease is not common, yet represents an attractive near term target for stem…
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a devastating movement disorder caused by the death of dopaminergic neurons (a type of neurons in the central nervous system) present in the midbrain. These neurons…
RNA interference is a naturally occurring means to block the function of genes in our body. We propose that RNA interference can be used to block HIV-1 infection and its…
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is a major health problem in the U.S. with 10% of people over the age of 65 and 50% of people over the age of 85 afflicted…
The goal of our team is to capitalize on the remarkable advances in stem cell biology to apply those advances to the treatment of human diseases, disorders, and injuries. We…
With a current prevalence of greater than 170 million individuals world-wide, diabetes has attained epidemic proportions. The widespread secondary complications this disease extract a relentless and costly toll on the…
Five million people in the U.S. suffer with heart failure, resulting in ~60,000 deaths/year at a cost of $30 billion/year. Heart failure occurs when the heart is damaged and becomes…
Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability. As Californians adopt health measures that minimize stroke risk factors, such as high blood pressure and smoking, the number one risk factor…
Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) are motor neuron diseases. Motor neurons control the voluntary muscles that are used for activities such as crawling, walking, head and…
Retinal degeneration represents a group of blinding diseases that are increasingly impacting the health and well being of Californians. It is estimated that by 2020, over 450,000 Californians will suffer…
