Posts Tagged: CIRM

News

Tangled tale: Research, profits and the ‘bubble baby’ syndrome

Evangelina, a former 'bubble baby,' plays inside a giant plastic bubble. (Photo: Stem Cellar Report, CIRM)

Little Evangelina Padilla-Vaccaro is more than a poster girl for the $12 billion California stem cell agency. She embodies a big bet by the agency that its efforts will conquer at least a few of the terrible diseases that are currently incurable. In the case of Evie, as the eight-year-old is known, she was born with what has come to be described as the bubble baby syndrome, a rare genetic mutation that crippled her immune system to the point that she would have died if left untreated.

News

State stem cell agency follows the money — $5.5 billion

A pipette and receptacles used in stem cell research. (Photo: CI Photos)

The talk at the California stem cell agency this week was of ”boiling the ocean,” the meaning of “unlikely” and “DEI.” All of which involves how $5.5 billion in taxpayer dollars will be used over the next decade or so.

News

Recipient of $22 million from stem cell agency named to its board

Stem cell researcher and professor Larry Goldstein. (Photo: Screen capture, UCTV).

Larry Goldstein, a well-known stem cell researcher at the University of California, San Diego who has received nearly $22 million in awards from the California stem cell agency, today was named to its governing board. It was the first time in the history of the 16-year-old agency that a scientist who has received agency awards has been appointed to the board.

News

Stem cell agency, now flush with $5.5 billion, turns new page

Stem cell research using what's known as a PCR strip. (Image: Science Photo via Shutterstock)

California’s ambitious stem cell agency has launched itself on a new, $5.5 billion journey, approving a plan to hand out $182 million to researchers by the middle of next year and beefing up its efforts to bring equality to therapies and scientific labs.

News

Voters favor $5.5 billion more for state stem cell research

A scientist at work in a biological lab. (Photo: anyaivanova)

California voters have apparently approved spending $5.5 billion more on stem cell research over the next 10 to 15 years and significantly broadening the scope of its state stem cell agency, according to unofficial figures this morning. 

Opinion

Billions more of public money for stem cell research?

A scientist with a pipette doing cellular research. (Photo: 18percentgrey, via Shutterstock)

OPINION: At a time of budget crisis, Proposition 14 commits California to spending $5 billion (plus interest) that we don’t have, on a bureaucracy we don’t need, in pursuit of cures no one can guarantee. Specifically, Prop. 14 would refinance the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), also known as the state stem cell agency.

Opinion

Prop. 14 will continue CA’s life-saving stem cell research

A liquid nitrogen bank containing a suspension of stem cells. (Photo: Elena Pavlovich, via Shutterstock)

OPINION: The Golden State boasts the 5th largest economy, the biggest and best public university systems and, thanks to support from California voters, it’s the global epicenter for advancing stem cell research and treatments for chronic diseases and conditions that will afflict nearly all California families.

News

CIRM board member, former chair tangle over Prop. 14

Robert Klein, left, and CIRM board member Jeff Sheey, right. At center is Board Vice Chair Art Torres. (Photo: California Stem Cell Report)

The two men once worked together over the last 16 years to spend $3 billion in state funds on stem cell research in California. This week, however, they were very publicly on opposite sides of a ballot initiative to spend $5.5 billion more. The initiative is Proposition 14, which would require the state to borrow the additional billions.

News

Those linked to stem cell board received more than $2.1 billion

A medical researcher examines cancer stem cells. (Photo: luchschenF, via Shutterstock)

Over the last 15 years, California’s stem cell agency has spent $2.7 billion on research on everything from cancer to arthritis.  The vast majority of the money has gone to enterprises that have ties to members of the agency’s governing board. Eight out of every ten dollars that agency has handed out have been collected by 25 institutions such as Stanford University, multiple campuses of the University of California and scientific research organizations. Their combined total exceeds $2.1 billion.

News

Stem cell agency OKs firm’s clinical trial lauded by Giuliani

Rudy Giuliani, left, and Robert Hariri. (Photo: Hariri Twitter page.)

California’s stem cell agency last week awarded $750,000 to a New Jersey firm to help finance a clinical trial for the firm’s proposed Covid-19 treatment — a therapy that has been hailed by President Trump’s personal attorney as having “real potential.” The firm is Celularity, Inc. Its president and co-founder is Robert Hariri, who describes himself as a longtime friend of Rudy Giuliani.

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