The Stem Cellar’s Most Read Blogs of 2024

2024 was a significant year for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). We reached many milestones, including celebrating our 20th anniversary and introducing our Strategic Allocation Framework (SAF) impact goals, all while continuing to fund innovative research and advancements in regenerative medicine.

The Stem Cellar blog is where we share these stories and achievements, providing our community of readers with the latest updates on cell and gene therapy research.

Below is a collection of some of our most read blogs this year. Thank you for being a subscriber, and we look forward to bringing you even more inspiring stories in 2025!

To discover even more key moments, significant achievements, and the people behind the science shaping the future of regenerative medicine, be sure to read our 2024 Annual Report.

Most Read Blogs of 2024

Where Are They Now: Jake Javier

At the 2024 CIRM Trainee Network Conference, patient advocate Jake Javier shared his incredible journey from a life-altering spinal cord injury to being one of the first to participate in a CIRM-funded clinical trial. His story is a powerful testament to medical innovation and personal resilience.

Identifying a Potential New Stem Cell Treatment for Ovarian Cancer

This year, CIRM granted $5.3 million to Karen Aboody, MD, of City of Hope for late-stage preclinical research on a neural stem cell-mediated treatment for chemo-resistant, metastatic ovarian cancer. With over 22,000 new cases annually in the US and a low five-year survival rate, there's a crucial need for safer, more effective treatments.

The proposed therapy aims to use neural stem cells to deliver an oncolytic virus-a virus that infects and breaks down cancer cells but not normal cells-directly to abdominal ovarian tumor sites. This could potentially offer a less toxic and more efficient treatment option for Stage III ovarian cancer patients.

Turning Hope into Reality: How a Genetic Therapy Helped Connor

Diagnosed with a rare SCN2A gene mutation, Connor has experienced hundreds of seizures daily as an infant. After years of searching, whole genome sequencing has finally provided answers.

Thanks to n-Lorem Foundation and funding from CIRM, Connor is now receiving personalized therapy that is bringing new hope and progress to his life.

Two CIRM-Funded Research Projects Receive RMAT Designation from FDA

The FDA recently granted Regenerative Medicine Advanced Therapy (RMAT) designations to two CIRM-funded projects. The RMAT designation represents a significant milestone aimed at speeding up the development and evaluation of promising therapies for serious or life-threatening diseases.

These designations reflect CIRM's commitment to advancing innovative therapies and supporting researchers working at the forefront of regenerative medicine.

A Step Forward in the Fight Against Advanced Kidney Cancer

CIRM spoke with John LeGall, MD, the principal investigator of ALLO-316, an allogeneic CAR-T cell therapy targeting CD70-a protein prevalent in clear cell RCC tumors. This groundbreaking therapy, developed by Allogene Therapeutics, received funding support from CIRM.

Recently, the FDA designated ALLO-316 an RMAT designation, highlighting its potential to transform the treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

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