California Cures!: How The California Stem Cell Program Is Fighting Your Incurable Disease!

California Cures!: How The California Stem Cell Program Is Fighting Your Incurable Disease! PDF Author: Reed Don C
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 9813231386
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 352

Get Book

Book Description
Thirteen years ago, America faced an epidemic of chronic disease: cancer, paralysis, blindness, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and more. But California voters said "YES!" to a $3 billion stem cell research program: the awkwardly-named California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). Born into battle, the scrappy little state agency was immediately blocked by three years of anti-science lawsuits — but it defeated them all. And then? A quiet triumph. With a focused intensity like the Manhattan Project (but for peaceful purposes, not to build a bomb), scientists funded by CIRM took on the challenges: disease and disability called chronic: incurable. In a series of connected stories, accurate though written to entertain, "California Cures" relates a war: science against disease, with lives on the line. Think what it means for a paralyzed young man to recover the use of his hands, or for a formerly-blind mother to see her teenaged children — for the first time! Do you know the "bubble-baby" syndrome? Infants without a proper immune system typically die young; a common cold can kill. But for eighteen babies in a stem cell clinical trial, a different future: they were cured of their disease. No one can predict the pace of science, nor say when cures will come; but California is bringing the fight. The reader will meet the scientists involved, the women and men behind the microscope, and share their struggle. Above all, "California Cures" is a call for action. Washington may argue about the expense of health care (and who will get it), but California works to bring down the mountain of medical debt: stem cell therapies to ease suffering, and save lives. Will California build on success — and invest $5 billion more in stem cell research? "We have the momentum," says author Don C Reed, "We dare not stop short. Chronic disease threatens everyone — we are fighting for your family, and mine!" Contents: Introduction: Evangelina and the Golden State The Absolute Minimum You Need to Know First To Breathe, or Not to Breathe The Strongest Man in the World When the Dolphin Broke My Ear The Boy with Butterfly Skin The Great Baldness "Comb-Over" Replacement? "He Sees! He Sees!" Cop at the Window "Go West, Young (Wo)Man" — To a Biomed Career? And How Will You be Paying for that New Heart? The Answer to Cancer? A Political Obstacle to Heart Disease Cure? Your Friend, the Liver! "Bring 'em Back Alive" The Color of Fat Revenge for My Sister A Story with No Happy Ending? Aging and Stem Cells The "Impending Alzheimer's Healthcare Disaster" President Trump's Great Stem Cell Opportunity Leiningen's Ants and Parkinson's Disease On the Morality of Fetal Cell Research Democracy and Gloria's Knees Three Children, and the Eternal Flame Autism, Mini-Brains, and the Zika Virus Why "The Big Bang Theory" Matters to Me Musashi and the Two-Sword Solution "The Magnificent Seven" The Connecticut Commitment In Memory of Beau To Relocate Alligators, or Turn a Country on to Biomed? Whale Sharks and Outer Space Mr Science Goes to Washington? When Oklahoma is Not Ok James Bond and Melanoma Neurological Diseases vs. California Driving to the Storm Door into Tomorrow Stem Cell Battles — On Times Square? Annette, Richard Pryor, and Multiple Sclerosis Mike Pence, and Reproductive Servitude Motorcycle Wrecks and Complex Fractures Even Dracula Gets Arthritis Tugboat for Cure Wheelchair Warriors, Take Back Your Rights! Sickle Cell Dis

California Cures!: How The California Stem Cell Program Is Fighting Your Incurable Disease!

California Cures!: How The California Stem Cell Program Is Fighting Your Incurable Disease! PDF Author: Reed Don C
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 9813231386
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 352

Get Book

Book Description
Thirteen years ago, America faced an epidemic of chronic disease: cancer, paralysis, blindness, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and more. But California voters said "YES!" to a $3 billion stem cell research program: the awkwardly-named California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). Born into battle, the scrappy little state agency was immediately blocked by three years of anti-science lawsuits — but it defeated them all. And then? A quiet triumph. With a focused intensity like the Manhattan Project (but for peaceful purposes, not to build a bomb), scientists funded by CIRM took on the challenges: disease and disability called chronic: incurable. In a series of connected stories, accurate though written to entertain, "California Cures" relates a war: science against disease, with lives on the line. Think what it means for a paralyzed young man to recover the use of his hands, or for a formerly-blind mother to see her teenaged children — for the first time! Do you know the "bubble-baby" syndrome? Infants without a proper immune system typically die young; a common cold can kill. But for eighteen babies in a stem cell clinical trial, a different future: they were cured of their disease. No one can predict the pace of science, nor say when cures will come; but California is bringing the fight. The reader will meet the scientists involved, the women and men behind the microscope, and share their struggle. Above all, "California Cures" is a call for action. Washington may argue about the expense of health care (and who will get it), but California works to bring down the mountain of medical debt: stem cell therapies to ease suffering, and save lives. Will California build on success — and invest $5 billion more in stem cell research? "We have the momentum," says author Don C Reed, "We dare not stop short. Chronic disease threatens everyone — we are fighting for your family, and mine!" Contents: Introduction: Evangelina and the Golden State The Absolute Minimum You Need to Know First To Breathe, or Not to Breathe The Strongest Man in the World When the Dolphin Broke My Ear The Boy with Butterfly Skin The Great Baldness "Comb-Over" Replacement? "He Sees! He Sees!" Cop at the Window "Go West, Young (Wo)Man" — To a Biomed Career? And How Will You be Paying for that New Heart? The Answer to Cancer? A Political Obstacle to Heart Disease Cure? Your Friend, the Liver! "Bring 'em Back Alive" The Color of Fat Revenge for My Sister A Story with No Happy Ending? Aging and Stem Cells The "Impending Alzheimer's Healthcare Disaster" President Trump's Great Stem Cell Opportunity Leiningen's Ants and Parkinson's Disease On the Morality of Fetal Cell Research Democracy and Gloria's Knees Three Children, and the Eternal Flame Autism, Mini-Brains, and the Zika Virus Why "The Big Bang Theory" Matters to Me Musashi and the Two-Sword Solution "The Magnificent Seven" The Connecticut Commitment In Memory of Beau To Relocate Alligators, or Turn a Country on to Biomed? Whale Sharks and Outer Space Mr Science Goes to Washington? When Oklahoma is Not Ok James Bond and Melanoma Neurological Diseases vs. California Driving to the Storm Door into Tomorrow Stem Cell Battles — On Times Square? Annette, Richard Pryor, and Multiple Sclerosis Mike Pence, and Reproductive Servitude Motorcycle Wrecks and Complex Fractures Even Dracula Gets Arthritis Tugboat for Cure Wheelchair Warriors, Take Back Your Rights! Sickle Cell Dis

Revolutionary Therapies: How The California Stem Cell Program Saved Lives, Eased Suffering - And Changed The Face Of Medicine Forever

Revolutionary Therapies: How The California Stem Cell Program Saved Lives, Eased Suffering - And Changed The Face Of Medicine Forever PDF Author: Don C Reed
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 9811213305
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 369

Get Book

Book Description
For author Don C Reed, father of a paralyzed son, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) is the greatest medical advance since penicillin.REVOLUTIONARY THERAPIES is Reed's third book about the $3 billion stem cell program.Voted into law in November 2004, CIRM is now running out of money.Should its funding be renewed? Thereby hangs a tale, or rather several dozen of them, for each of the book's 71 short chapters is framed by a yarn or vignette.The factual background is accurate, vetted by the scientists, but Reed's goal is clearly both entertainment and education.A favorite example is a little girl named Evie, imprisoned in a plastic bubble: her body's immune system did not work, and she would die outside. She joined a CIRM clinical trial ... Imagine how Evie's parents felt — when she got well.Some stories are comical, like 'How Stem Cell Research Saved My Car'; others surprising, like the comparison between politics and the giant crocodile Gustave; others are tragic or inspiring: but all point to this: More than 100 million Americans suffer chronic disease, causing mountains of medical debt — and the only way to reduce that expense ($3 trillion last year) — is cure.Related Link(s)

Science, Politics, Stem Cells And Genes: California's War On Chronic Disease

Science, Politics, Stem Cells And Genes: California's War On Chronic Disease PDF Author: Don C Reed
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 9811261431
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 336

Get Book

Book Description
Is there a way to fight back against 'incurable' disease? California thought so — and put its money where its mind was — three billion dollars' worth! And when that was gone, how about five and a half billion dollars more — to build and expand the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine?For some, science excites; it is the great adventure, to challenge the impossible: like a real-life battle with a giant squid, or the proposed disassembly of the Eiffel Tower, or ejecting from a jet in the sky, from a height greater than Mount Everest.For others, regenerative medicine is a mystery — could the urge to do murder have a genetic cause — which might be reduced?And for everyone, there is the fight to protect our loved ones' lives— 133 million of us, suffering from chronic disease — from America alone, a colossal cost of $3 trillion dollars last year.An epic battle, 'Science, Politics, Stem Cells and Genes: CALIFORNIA'S WAR ON CHRONIC DISEASE' takes the reader behind the scenes.An award-winning teacher, Reed shares science in stories — including the systematic assault on Alzheimer's disease, cancer, autism, epilepsy, liver failure, schizophrenia, obesity, stroke, sickle cell, arthritis, blindness, paralysis, kidney failure, ALS, aging, and much, much more.Readers can expect a greater understanding of the intricate adventure of stem cell research, as well as the political wrestling it took to make progress possible — that California's effort may benefit the world.From early research to clinical trials, America should take pride in the accomplishments of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.Read on.

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309265932
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 177

Get Book

Book Description
The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) was created in 2005 by The California Stem Cell Research and Cures Act (Proposition 71) to distribute $3 billion in state funds for stem cell research. The passage of Proposition 71 by the voters of California occurred at a time when federal funding for research involving human embryonic stem cells was uncertain, given the ethical questions raised by such research. During its initial period of operations, CIRM has successfully and thoughtfully provided more than $1.3 billion in awards to 59 California institutions, consistent with its stated mission. As it transitions to a broadened portfolio of grants to stimulate progress toward its translational goals, the Institute should obtain cohesive, longitudinal, and integrated advice; restructure its grant application review process; and enhance industry epresentation in aspects of its operations. CIRM's unique governance structure, while seful in its initial stages, might diminish its effectiveness moving forward. The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine: Science, Governance, and the Pursuit of Cures recommends specific steps to enhance CIRM's organization and management, as well as its scientific policies and processes, as it transitions to the critical next stages of its research and development program.

Stem Cells: From Hype To Hope

Stem Cells: From Hype To Hope PDF Author: Khawaja Husnain Haider
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 981120554X
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 281

Get Book

Book Description
During the last two decades, stem cells have progressed from merely a concept to a vibrant field of regenerative medicine which is aimed at addressing the root cause of the problem rather than conventional methods of intervention that mostly provide symptomatic relief.Stem cell therapy either alone or in combination with the other established treatment strategies is a hope for patients who suffer from the 'incurable' diseases such as Alzheimer, diabetes, myocardial infarction etc. Besides aspirations in the clinical perspective, stem cells provide excellent in vitro disease models for drug development.Given the significance of the field, the proposed book will be a compilation of the bench experience of experts from various research labs involved in the cutting edge area of stem cell research.

Stem Cell Battles: Proposition 71 And Beyond - How Ordinary People Can Fight Back Against The Crushing Burden Of Chronic Disease - With A Posthumous Foreword By Christopher Reeve

Stem Cell Battles: Proposition 71 And Beyond - How Ordinary People Can Fight Back Against The Crushing Burden Of Chronic Disease - With A Posthumous Foreword By Christopher Reeve PDF Author: Don C Reed
Publisher: World Scientific
ISBN: 9814618292
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 440

Get Book

Book Description
This is a one-of-a-kind book: combining easy-to-understand science, in-the-trenches political warfare, and inspirational stories. It aims to give hope to individuals and families who suffer from chronic disease or disability; to point out how ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference in the battle to ease suffering and save lives through supporting medical research; to share in “people talk” some of the amazing progress already achieved in the new field of stem cell research; to show how even such a magnificent success as the California stem cell program is under constant attack from ideological groups; to offer medical research as a force for international cooperation; to suggest how cure research lessens the need for the mountainous costs of endless care.Unparalleled background: the author has been involved in virtually every important stem cell battle (state, national, and international) since embryonic stem cell research began. The author works closely with Robert N. Klein, sponsor of the California stem cell program, the largest source of such stem cell research funding in the world. In addition, the author is an award-winning teacher as well as writer, and seeks to entertain as well as educate. His book is not only substantive, but also fun.The book would be a treasured gift: for anyone suffering an “incurable” illness or who is a caregiver for a loved one; for a college student considering a rewarding career in biomedicine; for scientists who want to protect and enhance their research funding; and for anyone who wants to see government respond to the needs of its citizenry. Chronic disease and disability are a prison: cure is the triumphant escape — wheelchairs should be for temporary occupancy only.

Bugs as Drugs

Bugs as Drugs PDF Author: Robert A. Britton
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1555819702
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 514

Get Book

Book Description
Examining the enormous potential of microbiome manipulation to improve health Associations between the composition of the intestinal microbiome and many human diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, cardiovascular disease, metabolic disorders, and cancer, have been elegantly described in the past decade. Now, whole-genome sequencing, bioinformatics, and precision gene-editing techniques are being combined with centuries-old therapies, such as fecal microbiota transplantation, to translate current research into new diagnostics and therapeutics to treat complex diseases. Bugs as Drugs provides a much-needed overview of microbes in therapies and will serve as an excellent resource for scientists and clinicians as they carry out research and clinical studies on investigating the roles the microbiota plays in health and disease. In Bugs as Drugs, editors Robert A. Britton and Patrice D. Cani have assembled a fascinating collection of reviews that chart the history, current efforts, and future prospects of using microorganisms to fight disease and improve health. Sections cover traditional uses of probiotics, next-generation microbial therapeutics, controlling infectious diseases, and indirect strategies for manipulating the host microbiome. Topics presented include: How well-established probiotics support and improve host health by improving the composition of the intestinal microbiota of the host and by modulating the host immune response. The use of gene editing and recombinant DNA techniques to create tailored probiotics and to characterize next-generation beneficial microbes. For example, engineering that improves the anti-inflammatory profile of probiotics can reduce the number of colonic polyps formed, and lactobacilli can be transformed into targeted delivery systems carrying therapeutic proteins or bioengineered bacteriophage. The association of specific microbiota composition with colorectal cancer, liver diseases, osteoporosis, and inflammatory bowel disease. The gut microbiota has been proposed to serve as an organ involved in regulation of inflammation, immune function, and energy homeostasis. Fecal microbiota transplantation as a promising treatment for numerous diseases beyond C. difficile infection. Practical considerations for using fecal microbiota transplantation are provided, while it is acknowledged that more high-quality evidence is needed to ascertain the importance of strain specificity in positive treatment outcomes. Because systems biology approaches and synthetic engineering of microbes are now high-throughput and cost-effective, a much wider range of therapeutic possibilities can be explored and vetted.

Exploring Novel Clinical Trial Designs for Gene-Based Therapies

Exploring Novel Clinical Trial Designs for Gene-Based Therapies PDF Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309672988
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 127

Get Book

Book Description
Recognizing the potential design complexities and ethical issues associated with clinical trials for gene therapies, the Forum on Regenerative Medicine of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a 1-day workshop in Washington, DC, on November 13, 2019. Speakers at the workshop discussed patient recruitment and selection for gene-based clinical trials, explored how the safety of new therapies is assessed, reviewed the challenges involving dose escalation, and spoke about ethical issues such as informed consent and the role of clinicians in recommending trials as options to their patients. The workshop also included discussions of topics related to gene therapies in the context of other available and potentially curative treatments, such as bone marrow transplantation for hemoglobinopathies. This publication summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop.

The Role of NIH in Drug Development Innovation and Its Impact on Patient Access

The Role of NIH in Drug Development Innovation and Its Impact on Patient Access PDF Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309498511
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 103

Get Book

Book Description
To explore the role of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in innovative drug development and its impact on patient access, the Board on Health Care Services and the Board on Health Sciences Policy of the National Academies jointly hosted a public workshop on July 24â€"25, 2019, in Washington, DC. Workshop speakers and participants discussed the ways in which federal investments in biomedical research are translated into innovative therapies and considered approaches to ensure that the public has affordable access to the resulting new drugs. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

Relieving Pain in America

Relieving Pain in America PDF Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 030921484X
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 383

Get Book

Book Description
Chronic pain costs the nation up to $635 billion each year in medical treatment and lost productivity. The 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act required the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to enlist the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in examining pain as a public health problem. In this report, the IOM offers a blueprint for action in transforming prevention, care, education, and research, with the goal of providing relief for people with pain in America. To reach the vast multitude of people with various types of pain, the nation must adopt a population-level prevention and management strategy. The IOM recommends that HHS develop a comprehensive plan with specific goals, actions, and timeframes. Better data are needed to help shape efforts, especially on the groups of people currently underdiagnosed and undertreated, and the IOM encourages federal and state agencies and private organizations to accelerate the collection of data on pain incidence, prevalence, and treatments. Because pain varies from patient to patient, healthcare providers should increasingly aim at tailoring pain care to each person's experience, and self-management of pain should be promoted. In addition, because there are major gaps in knowledge about pain across health care and society alike, the IOM recommends that federal agencies and other stakeholders redesign education programs to bridge these gaps. Pain is a major driver for visits to physicians, a major reason for taking medications, a major cause of disability, and a key factor in quality of life and productivity. Given the burden of pain in human lives, dollars, and social consequences, relieving pain should be a national priority.