California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)

Collage of four images featuring Loma Linda University: top left shows the Community Health System building, top right displays the facade of The Lundquist Institute, bottom left captures a researcher working in a lab, and bottom right is an aerial view of the university campus.

Access to clinical trials shouldn’t depend on where you live. CIRM is investing $27M to establish three Community Care Centers of Excellence in South LA, the Inland Empire & Desert Region, & the Central Valley—bringing stem cell & gene therapy trials closer to home. For more: https://bit.ly/3Wwl4Rq

Yael Wyte, the newest CIRM Board member and Alzheimer's patient advocate, engaged in a conversation at a table beside a window.

Yael Wyte has spent 20+ years advocating for people with #Alzheimers. Now, as a CIRM Board member, she’s helping advance #RegenerativeMedicine with compassion and purpose.

Read her full story: https://bit.ly/48HhD1B

Exposure to any germs could've killed her. 11 years later, she's living a normal life thanks to a gene therapy treatment. New research found that gene therapy for children with a form of severe combined immunodeficiency was successful in 95% of trial participants.

Backed by early CIRM funding, a @uclastemcell.bsky.social-led gene therapy for a deadly childhood immune condition appears successful and has achieved success with 95% of the children in the trial regaining full functioning immune systems.

Read more: nbcnews.to/46Wd81X

CIRM’s 2025 Annual Report, Looking Forward: Advancing California’s Scientific Vision, is now available. It highlights #ScientificProgress, patient stories, and efforts to expand access to #RegenerativeMedicine across California.

Explore it here: https://adobe.ly/42FSVed

Quote about the lengthy process of bringing a successful treatment to the market by Kim Barrett, Vice Dean for Research, UC Davis School of Medicine, and member of the CIRM Board. The background is dark blue with the CIRM logo at the bottom.

Behind every breakthrough is years of science. Kim Barrett, PhD, says @ucdavishealth.bsky.social CuRe Trial for spina bifida was possible thanks to early studies funded by CIRM’s Discovery program. Investing across the pipeline turns discoveries into therapies.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3W2nUNF

Portrait of Adrienne Shapiro, an advocate known for her work on sickle cell disease, smiling with a headline reading "Transforming sickle cell's future" and text describing her advancement in a clinical trial that gained national recognition.

Adrienne Shapiro, a 4th-generation mother of children with sickle cell disease, has been a tireless advocate for stem cell research and a powerful patient voice at CIRM. Her efforts helped advance a groundbreaking trial at @uclastemcell.bsky.social.

Read her story: https://bit.ly/3VAQfKY

“Discovery research is critical for uncovering novel disease targets and biomarkers that we can translate into therapies for clinical use,” said Kelly Shepard, PhD, Director of Discovery & Education programs at CIRM.

Read the full announcement: https://bit.ly/4gDLREC

Image shows a male crouching and hugging a happy dog, both displaying big smiles, in front of a house.

Evie Junior, born with #SickleCellDisease, participated in a CIRM-funded clinical trial at @uclastemcell.bsky.social, using his own modified stem cells. He’s now free from pain crises and meds.

This #SickleCellAwarenessMonth, we highlight the promise of curative therapies. https://bit.ly/47YO3o6

Illustration of a fetus with a magnifying glass over it held by a hand focused on its spine, showcasing spina bifida.

Babies with spina bifida are growing into walking, healthy toddlers thanks to a CIRM-funded trial at @ucdavishealth.bsky.social. Board member Kim Barrett shares why this work brings real hope.

Read the full story: https://bit.ly/3W2nUNF

“An awesome responsibility”: A conversation with CIRM board member Kim Barrett Written by Holly Alyssa MacCormick It’s not every day that you get to contribute to something that could help save a life, but when Kim Barrett joined the board of the California Institute for Rege…

When Kim Barrett joined CIRM’s board in 2021, she called it “an awesome responsibility.” Now Vice Dean for Research at @ucdavis.bsky.social, she helps guide how California invests in regenerative medicine.

UCLA scientists reprogram stem cells to create renewable cancer-fighting T cells In a first-of-its-kind clinical trial, UCLA scientists have shown it’s possible to reprogram a patient’s blood-forming stem cells to generate a continuous supply of functional T cells, the immune syst...

CIRM-funded @uclastemcell.bsky.social researchers reprogrammed blood #StemCells to produce #cancer-targeting T cells—offering a renewable path for immunotherapy. Early results are promising for treatment-resistant tumors.

#BlueskyBiotech

Quote graphic of CIRM COMPASS work trainee alum, Maya Singh.

Maya Singh, a CIRM COMPASS trainee from @ucberkeleyofficial.bsky.social, helped advance #CancerResearch and gained key skills for med school. Now at Tuoro University California, she credits the COMPASS program for shaping her path.

blog.cirm.ca.gov/2025/08/27/c...

UCLA scientists develop off-the-shelf immunotherapy for metastatic kidney cancer UCLA researchers have developed a new kind of immunotherapy that uses specially engineered immune cells equipped with built-in weapons to attack kidney cancer tumors and reprogram their protective env...

Kidney cancer is among the top 10 most common cancers in the US.

With support from CIRM funding, @uclahealth.org researchers are developing AlloCAR70-NKT—an “off-the-shelf” stem cell–derived immunotherapy that targets tumors and reprograms their environment.

Jeffrey Randall Allen Champions CTD Research to Help His Son Beast Games winner Jeffrey Allen is using his $10 million prize to fund research for his son’s rare genetic disorder, creatine transporter deficiency (CTD). Speaking at the 2025 CIRM Trainee Networkin...

Hope drives Beast Games winner Jeffrey Allen, whose son has creatine transporter deficiency. At the #CIRMTraineeConference, he urged researchers to connect with patients. CIRM is funding @uclahealth.org's $2.3M gene therapy project for CTD and other #RareDiseases.

#BioSky #MedSky #Biotech #EduSky

Thank you to all the incredible trainees, program directors, patient advocates, and inspiring speakers who joined us for the 2025 #CIRMTraineeConference!

We’re grateful for the insights you shared and the community we continue to build together in advancing #RegenerativeMedicine. #BlueskyBiotech

CIRM Trainee Networking Conference career panel sessions discussing their experiences and personal journeys of having a career in regernative medicine.

It’s great to hear about the various career paths in the #RegenerativeMedicine field—from R&D and lab work to policy and #SciComms. Thank you to our panelists for sharing their experiences and insights. #CIRMTraineeConference

We couldn’t agree more! CIRM proudly supports the next generation of scientists through education and training programs that advance stem cell research and regenerative medicine. Enjoy connecting and sharing your journey! #NextGenStemCell #STEMeducation #CAworkforce

20 Years of CIRM: Building the Workforce In celebration of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)’s 20th anniversary, we have been reflecting on some of the early projects we supported and their outcomes.Today, we’re lo…

CIRM supports hands-on research training for students of all education levels. These highly trained students help power California’s $414 billion #LifeSciences industry and bring new treatments closer to patients.

Learn more about how we’re investing in people, and not just science. #BlueskyBiotech

A surgeon’s second calling: Gene therapy for the brain’s energy crisis Nothing could have prepared Dr. Gerald Lipshutz for what he experienced at a small patient-physician symposium in 2022 in Utah.

Jeffrey, who has raised global awareness through the Prime Video show Beast Games, will share his advocacy journey at CIRM’s Trainee Networking Conference, inspiring the next generation of scientists advancing cell and gene therapy research. [3/3]

stemcell.ucla.edu/news/surgeon...

At @uclastemcell.bsky.social, Gerald Lipshutz, MD, and his team, with a $2.2 million CIRM award, are developing a one-time gene therapy to treat CTD at its source. [2/3]

Creatine Transporter Deficiency (CTD) is a rare brain disorder with no cure—yet. But families like Jeffrey Randall Allen’s are fighting for a future where gene therapy changes everything. [1/3]

Millions live with painful osteoarthritis worldwide. A CIRM-funded clinical trial by Genascence reported positive early results using a gene therapy approach, demonstrating safety and sustained efficacy at 12 months.

Learn more on our blog at bit.ly/4nzlpzb

#BlueskyBiotech #Science #ClinicalTrials

How Patient-Derived Cells Are Changing ALS Research Research Investigator Julia Kaye, PhD, stands for a portrait in a lab at Gladstone Institutes. Photo courtesy of Gladstone Institutes. Before there can be any therapies for disease, scientists need…

Most ALS cases have no known genetic cause. With CIRM support, Julia Kaye, PhD, at @gladstoneinst.bsky.social, is using patient-derived #StemCells to uncover disease mechanisms and test potential therapies for sporadic #ALS.

#RareDiseases #Science #Biotech #RegenerativeMedicine

Gene therapy restores immune function and extends lives of children with rare immune disorder An investigational gene therapy has successfully restored immune function in all nine children treated with the rare and life-threatening immune disorder called severe leukocyte adhesion deficiency-I,...

A #GeneTherapy trial for rare immune disorder LAD-I, developed by Rocket Pharmaceuticals and co-led by @uclastemcell.bsky.social, with support from a $5.8M CIRM grant, restored immune function in all 9 children treated—marking a major step forward in gene therapy.

#RegenerativeMedicine #RareDisease

The next generation of #scientists are being trained in #California, and they're making a difference.

Through the CIRM Bridges program at CSU Northridge, undergraduates are contributing to groundbreaking #StemCellResearch while preparing for careers in #RegenerativeMedicine and beyond. #biosky

Backed by a $14 million CIRM award, Neurona Therapeutics is advancing a stem cell therapy that could transform epilepsy treatment without surgery or tissue damage. Learn more on our blog: blog.cirm.ca.gov/2025/06/20/n...

#neuroskyence #blueskybiotech #epilepsy #regenerativemedicine

🚨 REMINDER: Prospective DISC4 applicants, the Pre-Submission Form deadline is June 16 at 2 PM.
The DISC4 Awards support large, cross-disciplinary teams working on innovative ways to understand and treat human disease. Learn more at www.cirm.ca.gov/disc4/.

🚨 REMINDER: Preclinical Development (PDEV) Pre-submission forms are due June 12.

www.cirm.ca.gov/preclinical/

CIRM’s Clinical Trial (CLIN2) Awards accelerate the development of regenerative medicine therapies for serious unmet medical needs. Our goal is to help these therapies progress toward FDA approval, improving patient care in California. Learn more at www.cirm.ca.gov/clinical/

The Preclinical Development (PDEV) Awards accelerate the development of stem cell and genetic therapies. This funding supports preclinical work, from candidate optimization to FDA IND clearance, helping researchers bring treatments to patients. Learn more: www.cirm.ca.gov/preclinical/