California Institute for Regenerative Medicine

08/04/2026

A CIRM-funded early-stage clinical trial is exploring whether a single infusion of modified CAR-T cells could offer a new approach to treating HIV.

Dr. Steven Deeks of UCSF presented the preliminary findings that showed promising signs of viral control in some participants after stopping standard HIV treatment. The study remains ongoing, but the results add to growing interest in whether cell and gene therapy strategies could one day reduce or eliminate the need for lifelong antiretroviral therapy.

Read full story: https://bit.ly/3UdghpZ

08/03/2026

KPBS wrote a wonderful update on Connor Dalby, a patient who received treatment from Dr. Olivia Kim-McManus' CIRM-funded clinical trial.

Could a treatment designed for one San Diego County teenager with a rare genetic disease one day help other children like him? That’s the question UCSD researchers are asking after a personalized treatment helped one patient walk for the first time in his life.

07/31/2026

California didn't just bet on science. It bet on scientists.

This week at the 2026 CIRM Trainee Networking Conference in Sacramento, nearly 500 attendees, including undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral trainees, came together to share their research, swap career strategies, and hear from patient advocates about how their lab work is changing lives.

From poster sessions featuring research on cell and gene therapy to panel discussions on biotech careers to the patient stories, this group of scientists was reminded why their work matters.

Programs like Bridges, COMPASS, and CIRM Scholars represent something bigger than training. They're California's investment in a generation of brilliant scientists who will carry regenerative medicine from the lab bench to the clinic.

Thank you to the trainees, program directors, patient advocates, and speakers who made this more than a conference. Most of all, thank you to the people of California, who invested in building the science infrastructure and invested in the people who have made the state a world leader in regenerative medicine.

The future of science in our state is in good hands.

07/24/2026

This is a meaningful milestone for the cystinosis community.

These preliminary results reflect years of dedication from families, advocates, researchers, and organizations committed to advancing this work, including early funding from CIRM that helped move the trial forward from its beginning stages.

07/21/2026

A Phase 1 clinical trial at Stanford Medicine points to a promising path toward safer stem cell transplants for children with Fanconi anemia, replacing radiation or high-risk chemotherapy with a targeted antibody approach. The early results are encouraging, with all three patients doing well at least two years after treatment.

The work reflects years of translational research aimed at reducing toxicity while preserving the life-saving potential of stem cell transplantation. CIRM funded more than $10 million to this research that is helping advance innovative approaches that could improve outcomes for patients with rare and fragile conditions.

Learn more:

Researchers are pioneering a safer stem cell transplant for children with Fanconi anemia, reducing toxicity and improving outcomes.

07/17/2026

A research team called the Braingeneers, which includes members from UC Santa Cruz, UCSF, UCSB, Stanford, and Washington University in St. Louis, is developing a platform that combines AI and human brain organoids. Their goal is to study how neural circuits develop, work, and break down in diseases.

Recently, the team showed that lab-grown brain organoids can be trained to perform simple tasks and that AI tools can monitor and respond to changes in their activity, including seizure-like events. The ultimate aim is to develop a high-throughput platform that allows researchers to run hundreds or even thousands of organoid experiments at the same time, improving our understanding of neurological and psychiatric diseases.

This research builds on a growing collection of CIRM-funded studies that use organoids to model human diseases and speed up discovery. As science evolves, researchers are increasingly focusing on the ethical issues that arise from advanced interactions between AI and human brain tissue.

A meeting of researchers and industry leaders discussed the potential of AI and organoid research for understanding neurological conditions

07/13/2026

A study funded by CIRM and led by Dr. Steven Deeks at UCSF Health found that a new CAR-T cell therapy for HIV was safe. Early results from the first human trial showed that this treatment might help delay the virus from rebounding or keep the virus suppressed for a longer time.

This research is still in the early stages, but shows that CAR-T therapy could be a promising way to find a lasting cure for HIV.

Read full article: https://bit.ly/4wt23iy

Best known as a cancer treatment, engineered T cells might lead to a functional cure, or durable remission after stopping antiretrovirals.

07/08/2026

Recently interviewed on the reGEN podcast, Dr. Sheldon Morris, MD, Director of the Sanford Stem Cell Institute Clinical Center, highlighted the center's collaborative nature. Partnering with clinical trial experts from UC San Diego Health, industry leaders, and other researchers is crucial for advancing novel discoveries and therapeutics in stem cells, regenerative medicine, and gene therapies.

Listen to the full interview:

This episode features Sheldon Morris, MD, MPH, and an overview of t...

07/06/2026

More than 3 million Californians live with knee osteoarthritis, a leading cause of disability, chronic pain, and reduced mobility.

Genascence is developing a gene therapy, GNSC-001, with $12 million in CIRM funding. GNSC-001 is an investigational gene therapy designed to help the knee produce a protein that may block inflammation, pain, and cartilage damage.

The company recently shared promising early clinical data and plans to move into a larger late-stage trial. UC San Diego, one of CIRM’s Alpha Clinics, has been part of this important clinical research effort.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3QA4aCf

07/03/2026

The USC Roski Eye Institute and Keck Medicine of USC are launching a CIRM-funded Phase 2b clinical trial to test a stem cell-derived retinal implant for advanced dry age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss in older adults.

The study will examine whether the implant can safely replace damaged retinal cells and improve vision for patients with few treatment options.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4p59fPE

LOS ANGELES — Age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss and blindness for Americans 65 and older, is a progressive disease affecting central vision. Over time, faces, book pages and anything directly in front of a person become obscured by blurry, dark or blind spots.Now, ...