Talking 'Bout (re) Generation: Recent Episodes
Kevin
A fun, engaging, sometimes provocative look at the field of stem cell, gene therapy and regenerative medicine research. Who is doing it right, who is doing it wrong, and how you can tell the difference. Why does that matter? Because we are helping change the face of medicine, saving lives and changing lives. There's a lot to talk about. So join us.
Dennis Clegg has lots of titles and honors but what makes him most interesting is the progress he is helping drive in finding cures for macular degeneration, one of the leading causes of vision loss in the world. In this podcast Dennis talks about how a small patch they have developed is showing real promise in restoring vision.
Stanford University professor Dr. Jill Helms wears many hats. She's a gifted stem cell researcher, she's part of a company developing therapies for aging, she's a teacher, mentor, terrific public speaker, a fashionista extraordinaire and someone who has ridden her horse to work.
She's also a fascinating guest, as I found out when I sat down to chat with her for the latest episode of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine's podcast, Talking 'Bout (re) Generation.
Enjoy
In 2011 Sean Entin suffered a devastating, almost fatal stroke. He was put in a coma and when he woke he couldn't talk, couldn't count, couldn't remember much of his life. Doctors told him he would never walk again. But they didn't know Sean. He not only turned life around for himself, now he's helping other people who have had a stroke find their path to recovery.
Lou Gehrig's disease, or ALS, is a nasty degenerative condition that destroys the brain cells controlling movement. The average life expectancy for someone diagnosed with ALS is just two to five years. It has a devastating impact on the people diagnosed and their families. On the latest episode of Talking 'Bout (re)Generation we talk to two women who have suffered a loss in this fight, but who are using their experience with ALS to help others battling the disease.
Dr. Jan Nolta heads several different stem cell research institutes at the University of California at Davis, oversees multi-million dollar research budgets, sits on numerous boards, has 35 aquariums in her home and has a truly eclectic taste in music. We talk about all of that and more in this latest episode of Talking 'Bout (re)Generation.
Dr. Alysson Muotri is one of the most creative minds in science today. That's appropriate because the focus of his research is the brain. He's working to uncover how it works, and along the way try and find ways to help children with autism. He's also messing around with Neanderthal brains and sending mini-brains into orbit. This is a conversation you definitely don't want to miss.
When it comes to scientific research much of the media and public attention is focused on scientists who are working on clinical trials, where therapies are tested in people. But basic or discovery research, while less glamorous, is just as important. Without that basic work we would never develop ideas and approaches that ultimately lead to clinical trials. In this episode we talk to three researchers working on early stage science, and show how what they have done might just have led to a treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
When the COVID pandemic hit and the 2020 election became one of the most contentious in living history it suddenly made trying to get a proposition on the ballot in California a lot harder. That meant the future of CIRM, California's Stem Cell Agency, was in doubt and with it the future funding for scientific research that could change and even save lives. Happily the team behind Proposition 14 came up with some brilliant ideas to win the day.
In this podcast we talk to two of the key figures behind all this, Melissa King and Maria Bonneville. Melissa helped secure the votes needed to pass Proposition 14, and Maria kept CIRM on track to cope with whatever the outcome of the election was.
Around 1.6 million Americans are suffering from type 1 diabetes (T1D), an autoimmune disorder that leaves them unable to generate the insulin they need to keep their blood sugar at a safe and healthy level. The consequences of not treating T1D in a timely manner can be fatal. Right now keeping the condition under control requires regular testing of blood to determine if you need to inject insulin to keep the glucose levels healthy. But there are a number of new approaches in the pipeline, ones that might one day eliminate the need for regular testing and injections. In this episode we talk to two women at the forefront of this work and hear what it could mean for patients.
Adrienne Shapiro and Marissa Cors are a remarkable pair by any definition. The mother and daughter duo share a common bond, and a common goal. And they are determined not to let anyone stop them achieving that goal.
Marissa was born with sickle cell disease (SCD) a life-threatening genetic condition where normally round, smooth red blood cells are instead shaped like sickles. These sickle cells are brittle and can clog up veins and arteries, blocking blood flow, damaging organs, and increasing the risk of strokes. It’s a condition that affects approximately 100,000 Americans, most of them Black.
Adrienne became a patient advocate, founding Axis Advocacy, after watching Marissa get poor treatment in hospital Emergency Rooms. Marissa often talks about the way she is treated like a drug-seeker simply because she knows what medications she needs to help control excruciating pain on her Sickle Cell Experience Live events on Facebook.
Now the two are determined to ensure that no one else has to endure that kind of treatment. They are both fierce patient advocates, vocal both online and in public. And we recently got a chance to sit down with them for our podcast, Talking ‘Bout (re) Generation. These ladies don’t pull any punches.
Without Bob Klein there would almost certainly be no CIRM. He was the author of and driving force behind Proposition 71, the 2004 California ballot initiative that led to the creation of CIRM. He's also the author of and driving force behind Proposition 14, the ballot initiative that led to CIRM being refunded in November 2020 - you might have missed that because there were a couple of other things on the ballot that day! Bob's a former Navy captain and the was named as one of TIME Magazine's 100 Most Influential People; and Scientific American's “The Scientific American 50” as a leader shaping the future of science. He's a fascinating chap with a great story to tell. I hope you enjoy it.
Lauren Miller Rogen is a writer, actor and director with many films to her name including "For a Good Time Call", "50/50" and "Superbad". Dr. David Higgins is a scientist with a PhD in molecular biology and genetics and a long career in both industry and academia. But while they come from different backgrounds they share one thing in common; they are both on the CIRM Board. And for a good reason. Both are patient advocates with a strong personal connection to the cause they have committed so much time and energy to raising awareness about - Lauren for Alzheimer's and David for Parkinson's. It's their passion and commitment to those causes that make them such a fascinating pair to talk to.
We sit down with stem cell scientist Paul Knoepfler to talk about his research at the University of California at Davis, his role as one of the preeminent bloggers about stem cell research and his efforts to combat clinics offering bogus therapies.
Dr. Derrick Rossi is one of the most famous people most people don't know. He is the co-founder of Moderna, the company that has developed one of the most effective vaccines against COVID-19. In this episode he sits down for an in-depth chat with CIRM's President & CEO Dr. Maria Millan talking about his career, the virus and the vaccine.