California Institute for Regenerative Medicine

09/22/2026

Join us for a Closer to Cures event where you can hear about progress of CIRM grantees toward FDA approval on September 24 at *2:45 PM (PST). Featured speaker, Dr. Maria Grazia Roncarolo, will share some of the latest news on the cell therapy that Tr1x, Inc. is developing for the chronic autoimmune disease, multiple sclerosis.

The livestreamed event is part of the full CIRM board meeting: https://www.youtube.com/

*Time of presentation may be changed without notice.

09/21/2026

Gisselle Contreras is the first person in her family to earn a college degree, and she is charting a brand-new path, not just for herself but for her family and the future of cancer research.

A molecular biology graduate from Cal State Fullerton and now a researcher at City of Hope, Gisselle is on the team researching cutting-edge gene and cell therapies to treat glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer. Her work under Dr. Karen S. Aboody is even helping prepare for first-in-human ovarian cancer trials scheduled for 2027.

Gisselle’s incredible journey from a self-described high school "band kid" intimidated by science to presenting research at an international neuro-oncology conference was made possible by mentorship and opportunity through the CIRM Bridges Program.

Today, Gisselle is paying it forward. By volunteering with local nonprofits and CIRM’s SPARK program, she is helping introduce STEM and stem cell research to high school students who, like her younger self, might not otherwise know these career paths exist. Read more of Gisselle's story: https://bit.ly/4iGGyaE

Discover how the CIRM-supported Bridges program helped Gisselle Contreras achieve her dreams in molecular biology and cancer research.

09/16/2026

Join us for our upcoming speaker series, Closer to Cures, on Thursday, September 24 at *2:45 PM (PT).

Hear from CIRM awardees Dr. Maria Grazia Roncarolo of Stanford University and Tr1X Inc and Dr. Stephanie Cherqui of the Gene Therapy Initiative at UC San Diego, about the progress of their clinical trials for multiple sclerosis and cystinosis.

These presentations are part of the CIRM governing board meeting, which is open to the public and can be viewed on the CIRM YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/

*Time of presentation may be changed without notice.

09/16/2026

Can "virtual stress" hold the key to stopping aggressive brain cancer? Glioblastomas are among the most difficult cancers to treat. Because they develop invasive tendrils that reach into healthy brain tissue, surgical removal is incredibly risky, and traditional treatments like chemotherapy can cause widespread damage to the body.

However, researchers at UC Santa Barbara may have found a new way forward. Led by synthetic biologist Max Wilson and graduate student Lisa Månsson, the team discovered that triggering an Integrated Stress Response (ISR) in glioblastoma cells can suppress their growth and completely halt their ability to invade neighboring tissue.

Using an innovative optogenetic platform, the team engineered cancer cells with light-responsive plant proteins. This let them use light to trigger a "virtual stress" response in the lab without physically damaging the cells. The virtual stress dialed down the cells' migration genes and stopped them from building the protein scaffold they use to push into healthy tissue. In 3D mini-tumor models, the light-targeted side of the tumor stopped invading entirely.

This research suggests an exciting new paradigm in cancer therapy. Instead of only focusing on destroying cancer cells, we might be able to modify tumor behavior to make them easier to remove surgically or safer to live with.

Researchers find that triggering a stress response in glioblastoma cells with light stops them from spreading — a development that could point the way for treatments for the hard-to-reach brain tumors

09/14/2026

When Michael Zepeda first started at CSUSB, he wanted to become a medical doctor to help people directly. But after working in Professor Nicole Bournias-Vardiabasis's lab, his path completely changed. Through scientific research and toxicology, he could protect and educate entire communities rather than treat patients one by one.

Today, Michael is a Master’s graduate, a CIRM Bridges trainee, and is starting his PhD in Environmental and Occupational Health at the University of California, Irvine. His research focuses on the real-world toxicological effects of ni****ne and e-cigarettes, a commitment directly inspired by his upbringing and local community in San Bernardino.

Learn more about Michael’s journey: https://bit.ly/3VnHlDy

Through CSUSB’s CIRM Bridges Program, two-time alumnus Michael Zepeda discovered a passion for research that improves lives and serves communities.

08/28/2026

When Marguerite Casillas was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in 2003, she faced the fear and uncertainty that so many newly diagnosed patients feel. But instead of letting MS define her limits, she spent 18 years continuing her corporate career before dedicating her retirement to a new purpose: advocacy.

Now serving on CIRM’s board, Marguerite is urging scientists to remember the human beings behind the data points.

Why is patient advocacy crucial for scientific breakthroughs?

🔵 Patients are the experts: Nobody understands a condition better than those living with it daily.

🔵 Accessible research: Marguerite’s feedback helped researchers break an exhausting 90-minute interview into shorter, manageable sessions—making the study accessible for people dealing with MS fatigue.

🔵 "Nothing about us without us": True progress happens when patients have an active seat at the table.

Marguerite’s message to future researchers is clear: Listen to patients, involve them early, and never lose sight of why the science matters.

Read Marguerite's whole story: https://bit.ly/4qEGXfu

08/27/2026

The human immune system is designed to protect us from harmful cells and foreign substances, and with a little help from cell and gene therapy, it can do even more.

CAR T-cell therapy is a form of genetic engineering that gives the immune system a powerful boost by leveraging the body’s own defenses to fight disease. Scientists collect a patient’s own T-cells, modify them in a lab so they can recognize specific harmful cells, and then return those modified cells to the patient’s body.

Once inside the body, these CAR T-cells act like a “living drug,” searching for and destroying targeted cells. Today, CAR T-cell therapies are primarily used to treat certain blood cancers, including leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma.

Researchers are also exploring how this approach could be used to treat other diseases, including autoimmune diseases, HIV, aggressive brain cancers, and kidney cancer.

CIRM is supporting CAR T-cell research and clinical trials that aim to expand the potential of this promising therapy and bring new options to patients.

Learn how CAR T-cell therapy works and why scientists are excited about its future: https://bit.ly/46o7Fjb

08/20/2026

The families and patient advocates who live with autism every day are helping scientists make advances in autism research.

Researcher Matthew State, MD, PhD, chief scientific advisor for the Aligning Research to Impact Autism (ARIA) initiative and chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at UCSF, has worked alongside patient advocates including Allyson Berent of Foundation for Angelman Syndrome Therapeutics and Alison Singer of the Autism Science Foundation for years.

Their alliance helps foster research that can have the greatest positive impact for patients with schizophrenia, profound autism, and other severe neurodevelopmental disorders.

How CIRM supports this momentum:

🔵 The ReMIND Initiative: Funding multi-investigator projects to help researchers make breakthroughs faster together, which is important for complex neurological research projects, such as studies related to schizophrenia, profound autism, and other severe neurodevelopmental disorders.

🔵 Advocates at the Table: CIRM includes patient advocates on its governing board, giving them a direct voice in funding decisions. When research teams treat families as partners, we break down barriers, reduce stigma, and clear the path toward life-changing therapies.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4xb2YVR

08/14/2026

Knee osteoarthritis affects millions of people and remains a major cause of pain, disability, and reduced mobility.

Tara Ghiglieri, a former Broadway dancer and Radio City Rockette, participated in an early clinical trial at UC San Diego testing GNSC-001, an investigational gene therapy developed by Genascence. Funded in part by CIRM, the therapy is being studied as a potential way to provide longer-lasting relief by targeting inflammation and cartilage damage directly in the joint.

Explore an innovative experimental treatment for knee osteoarthritis to alleviate pain and improve mobility after injuries.

08/13/2026

We marveled at the first sparks of innovation coming from the next generation of California scientists this summer in Berkeley, where more than 100 high school interns converged for the 2026 CIRM SPARK conference.

The students got the chance to show off some of what they learned about cell and gene therapy while working in labs, research institutions, and universities across the state. The high school intern conference came on the heels of another CIRM conference the week prior in Sacramento for undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral students.

Over the last 20 years, CIRM has supported more than 4,600 students, including high school, undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral fellows, through internships and training programs across the state. Many CIRM student alumni are now part of the science infrastructure that makes California a world leader in biotechnology. The students we saw this summer will help grow that workforce in the future and keep the state at the forefront of regenerative medicine.

Thank you to Biocom California Institute and Generation STEAM for organizing the event — and to our incredible speakers for sharing your insights, stories, and encouragement.