Do you want to become a stem cell scientist, or know someone who does? If so, this article is a Christmas gift for you; or, more accurately, three gifts— all from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), which our beloved state voted into law in 2004. First, if you are in High School or
“I was the little girl who at the age of five gathered up mosquito fish”, said Jan Nolta in a personal interview. The fish were to eat mosquito larvae and then be used as fertilizer for Northern California rice fields. When the knee-deep water dried up, the fish died and enriched the soil—but Jan rescued
Do you know those ATM machines in front of banks, where people go to make deposits or withdrawals of money? What if there was an ATM which collected blood—you stick your arm in a slot and a needle pokes and some blood is taken out and new blood put in? There isn’t any such ATM,
When you come to one of the board meetings of the California stem cell program, (and you should, you are welcome!) you will see twenty-nine people sitting behind long tables, arranged in a square so they can see each other. It is nothing fancy, no luxuries: just each person has a pitcher of water before
My recent bout with cancer resulted in a medical bill of $960,000. Think of that— almost a million bucks for the surgery, radiation, hormone injections, etc.— how could Gloria, life-partner of 48 years, and I possibly pay such an enormous bill? We are senior citizens on a limited income. I have no savings, no stocks
Cystic Fibrosis (CF)... Imagine a progressive disease of breathing problems so severe your only chance is a double lung transplant—requiring a person newly deceased and with previously approved permission to donate body parts—an operation you may not survive. That’s just the beginning; also, there are digestive difficulties: your body can’t absorb enough nutrients, so that
At the end of this story is my non-scientific but heart-felt belief on how to keep your hair from falling out. But first, is baldness-cure research important, or just vanity? Think of one single hair on your head. If you pluck it, or if the skin around it is damaged, that stalk of hair will
FLASH! Yesterday morning, , December 14th, Mark Tuszynski won his grant from CIRM! Yayyyyy!!! So read this story, and know that it had a happy ending! If you, or someone you love, has suffered a spinal cord injury, next Thursday, December 14th, is an important day for you. If you want to be a part
Zika…Zeeekaahh… sounds poisonous and evil, doesn’t it? But the reality is worse. Some adults may go through a session of Zika and barely notice it: mild headaches, stomach upset, aching in joints. Others may contract the paralyzing condition Guillain-Barre, or acute myelitis and other disorders of the nerve system. But the worst danger is to
