| 363 Health - Stem Cell Resources |
| 3-D long-term bone marrow culture to analyze stromal cell biological function |
| Stromal cells, as distinct from hematopoietic cells, are an essential component of the bone marrow microenvironment and are necessary for the long-term maintenance of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in vitro. Previous studies have shown that stromal cells regulate the proliferation and differentiation of HSCs through the production of diffusible hematopoietic regulatory factors and extracellular matrix, and through physical cell-cell interactions involving adhesion molecules and gap junction-mediated cell communication. However, the ability of stromal cells to support the expansion of HSCs and to maintain their self-renewal potential has generally been investigated in long-term, two-dimensional (2D) bone marrow culture systems (BMCS), and most of the reports have shown a decline in HSCs within 4 amd half weeks in culture. |
| November 2, 2011 |
| 5 Questions: Rando on resetting the 'aging clock,' cell by cell |
| Advances in the study of stem cells have fueled hopes that someday, via regenerative medicine, doctors could restore aging people's hearts, livers, brains and other organs and tissues to a more youthful state. A key to reaching this goal -- to be able to provide stem cells that will differentiate into other types of cells a patient needs -- appears to lie in understanding "epigenetics," which involves chemical marks stapled onto DNA and its surrounding protein husk by specialized enzyme complexes inside a cell's nucleus. |
| January 23, 2012 |
| 59-year-old enrolls in study of stem cell transplantation during cardiac bypass |
| A 59-year-old Houston man became the first individual in the United States to enroll in a study using stem cell transplantation during cardiac bypass to treat severe heart failure. |
| May 12, 2011 |
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| A Drugstore Within: Mesenchymal Stem Cells Protect and Heal |
| A stem cell that can morph into a number of different tissues is proving a natural protector, healer and antibiotic maker, researchers at Case Western Reserve University and their peers have found. |
| July 6, 2011 |
| A first -- lab creates cells used by brain to control muscle cells |
| University of Central Florida researchers, for the first time, have used stem cells to grow neuromuscular junctions between human muscle cells and human spinal cord cells, the key connectors used by the brain to communicate and control muscles in the body. |
| November 22, 2011 |
| A first: Brain support cells from umbilical cord stem cells |
| For the first time ever, stem cells from umbilical cords have been converted into other types of cells, which may eventually lead to new treatment options for spinal cord injuries and multiple sclerosis, among other nervous system diseases. |
| January 17, 2012 |
| A new program for neural stem cells |
| German researchers succeed in obtaining brain and spinal cord cells from stem cells of the peripheral nervous system. |
| May 12, 2011 |
| A new stem cell enters the mix: Induced conditional self-renewing progenitor cells |
| In the past few months, a slew of papers have indicated that the therapeutic potential of a promising type of stem cell, called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, might be limited by reprogramming errors and genomic instability. iPS cells are engineered by reprogramming fully differentiated adult cells, often skin cells, back to a primitive, embryonic-like state. |
| March 7, 2011 |
| A*STAR-CSI scientists discover how body uses single communication system to decide fate of stem cells |
| Scientists from the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), an institute of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), in collaboration with the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI), have discovered how the body uses a single communication system to decide the fate of stem cells. The study, published in the scientific journal PLoS Genetics on 23rd June 2011, paves the way for the development of new methods of stem cell therapy with fewer side effects. |
| June 24, 2011 |
| ACT receives UK MHRA clearance for hESC-derived RPE cell trial for Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy |
| Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. ("ACT"), a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today that it has received clearance from the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to begin treating patients as part of a Phase 1/2 clinical trial for Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy (SMD) using retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). ACT received similar approval from the Gene Therapy Advisory Committee (GTAC), which has responsibility for the ethical oversight of proposals to conduct clinical trials involving gene or stem cell therapies in the U.K. |
| September 22, 2011 |
| Adult Stem Cells Carry Their Own Baggage: Epigenetics Guides Stem Cell Fate |
| Adult stem cells and progenitor cells may not come with a clean genetic slate after all. That's because a new report in the FASEB Journal shows that adult stem or progenitor cells have their own unique "epigenetic signatures," which change once a cell differentiates. This is important because epigenetic changes do not affect the actual make up in a cell's DNA, but rather, how that DNA functions. Epigenetic changes have been shown to play a role in a wide range of diseases, including obesity, and have been shown to be heritable from mother to child. |
| June 30, 2011 |
| Adult Stem Cells Could Improve Angioplasy Outcome; Study to Explore Usage |
| A Creighton University School of Medicine researcher has received a $3.3 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health to study what role adult stem cells might play in repairing damaged coronary arteries, a complication that often occurs in patients after they undergo angioplasty and stenting. |
| January 23, 2012 |
| Adult stem cells take root in livers and repair damage |
| Johns Hopkins researchers have demonstrated that human liver cells derived from adult cells coaxed into an embryonic state can engraft and begin regenerating liver tissue in mice with chronic liver damage. |
| May 11, 2011 |
| Adult stem cells use special pathways to repair damaged muscle |
| When a muscle is damaged, dormant adult stem cells called satellite cells are signaled to "wake up" and contribute to repairing the muscle. Researchers recently found how even distant satellite cells could help with the repair, and are now learning how the stem cells travel within the tissue. This knowledge could ultimately help doctors more effectively treat muscle disorders such as muscular dystrophy, in which the muscle is easily damaged and the patient's satellite cells have lost the ability to repair. |
| December 1, 2011 |
| Advanced Cell Technology: Stem cell retinal implants safe |
| Early results from the world's first human trial using embryonic stem cells to treat diseases of the eye suggest the method is safe, say researchers. |
| January 23, 2012 |
| Age no longer a barrier to stem cell transplantation for older patients |
| Age alone no longer should be considered a defining factor when determining whether an older patient with blood cancer is a candidate for stem cell transplantation. That's the conclusion of the first study summarizing long-term outcomes from a series of prospective clinical trials of patients age 60 and over who were treated with the mini-transplant, a "kinder, gentler" form of allogeneic (donor cell) stem cell transplantation developed at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. |
| November 1, 2011 |
| Aging stem cells may explain higher prevalence of leukemia, infections among elderly |
| Understanding when and how these stem cells begin to falter as the years pass may explain why some diseases, such as acute myeloid leukemia, increase in prevalence with age, and also why elderly people tend to be more vulnerable to infections such as colds and the flu. |
| November 28, 2011 |
| Andor Deep-depletion CCD Camera Captures Advance that Could Speed-up Introduction of Stem Cell Therapy |
| Many medical researchers believe that stem cell therapy will revolutionise the treatment of human disease and may provide treatments for many currently incurable diseases. However, one problem still to be overcome is controlling the excessive proliferation of cells with unwanted phenotypes after transplantation to prevent tissue overgrowth and tumour formation. |
| October 11, 2011 |
| Article reports on bright future and enormous need for stem cell therapeutics |
| Stem cell transplantation may offer therapy through "simple cell replacement" procedures to restructure damaged organs, tissues and cells, or provide methods for "reawakening" biological cues to regenerate cells. |
| June 9, 2011 |
| Artificial blood could soon be on the way |
| Researchers at Edinburgh University in Scotland have announced that they believe the type of artificial blood they are working on could be ready for testing in humans in as little as two or three years. Made from growing stem cells taken from adult human bone marrow, the blood they create would be of the rare type "O-negative" that some 98% of people in need could use. |
| October 28, 2011 |
| Artificial Mouse Sperm Created Using Stem Cells |
| For the first time sperm cells created with stem-cell techniques have been successfully used to fertilize eggs and produce offspring. Japanese scientists, led by Professor Mitinori Saitou from the Kyoto University, have published their findings in journal Cell. It is not the first time a study like this has been conducted. Scientists have tried to create sperm by using stem cells in earlier in vitro studies using mice and human cells, but up until now they haven't been successful. |
| August 10, 2011 |
| Australia's Mesoblast receives nod to start first European trial of allogeneic stem cell treatment for heart attacks |
| Global regenerative medicine company, Mesoblast Limited, today announced that it had received clearance from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) to begin a 225-patient multi-center Phase 2 clinical trial in Europe for its lead cardiovascular product Revascor™ in conjunction with angioplasty and stent procedures to prevent heart failure after a major heart attack. Revascor™ is an allogeneic, or "off-the-shelf", adult stem cell product derived from Mesoblast's proprietary Mesenchymal Precursor Cell (MPC) platform technology which is being developed for use in a range of cardiovascular diseases including congestive heart failure, chronic angina, and heart attacks (acute myocardial infarction). |
| September 5, 2011 |
| Autologous adult stem cells reduce frequency of angina episodes |
| New research published online today in Circulation Research found that injections of adult patients' own CD34+ stem cells reduced reports of angina episodes and improved exercise tolerance time in patients with chronic, severe refractory angina (severe chest discomfort that did not respond to other therapeutic options). |
| July 8, 2011 |
| Autologous stem cell transplantation does not improve os in patients with follicular lymphoma |
| High-dose chemotherapy and autologous stem cell transplantation, for previously untreated patients with advanced follicular lymphoma (FL) does not improve overall survival compared with conventional-dose chemotherapy alone. |
| December 21, 2011 |
| Azellon receives MHRA approval to initiate stem cell bandage clinical trial in torn meniscal cartilage |
| Millions of people with knee injuries could benefit from a new type of stem cell bandage treatment if clinical trials are successful. The world's first clinical trial for the treatment of patients with torn meniscal cartilage has received approval from the UK regulatory agency, the MHRA, to commence. |
| June 6, 2011 |
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| Ban on stem-cell patents 'wrong' |
| Developing therapies from human embryonic stem cells is under threat in Europe, say scientists. |
| April 27, 2011 |
| Banning federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research would derail related work |
| Banning federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research would have "disastrous consequences" on the study of a promising and increasingly popular new stem cell type that is not derived from human embryos, according to a University of Michigan researcher and his colleagues. |
| June 9, 2011 |
| Beike, ThermoGenesis enter agreement to employ new technology for stem cell therapies |
| Beike Biotechnology Co. Ltd., China's leading stem cell research and regenerative medicine company, announced an agreement with USA-based ThermoGenesis Corp. to employ new, cutting edge stem cell processing and storage technology across its adult stem cell collection, processing, and archive platform. |
| March 17, 2011 |
| Bioengineers Reprogram Muscles to Combat Degeneration |
| Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have turned back the clock on mature muscle tissue, coaxing it back to an earlier stem cell stage to form new muscle. Moreover, they showed in mice that the newly reprogrammed muscle stem cells could be used to help repair damaged tissue. |
| September 22, 2011 |
| BioLife becomes the leading supplier of pre-formulated cord blood stem cell freeze media products |
| BioLife Solutions, Inc., a leading developer and manufacturer of clinical grade biopreservation media products for cells and tissues, today announced that it has become the leading supplier of pre-formulated GMP cryopreservation media for umbilical cord blood stem cells, a key segment of the Company's strategic biobanking market. |
| June 21, 2011 |
| Biologists capture cell's elusive 'motor' on videotape, solving the mystery of its deployment |
| In basic research with far-reaching impact, cell biologists Wei-Lih Lee and Steven Markus report in an article released today in Developmental Cell, with videos, that they have solved one of the fundamental questions in stem cell division: How dynein, the cell's two-part, nano-scale "mitotic motor," positions itself to direct the dividing process. |
| May 18, 2011 |
| BMDCs can contribute to olfactory neurons through plasticity mechanism |
| Bone marrow-derived stem cells have been recognized as a source for transplantation because they can contribute to different cell populations in a variety of organs under both normal and pathological conditions. |
| December 20, 2011 |
| Bone marrow-derived cells differentiate in the brain through mechanisms of plasticity |
| Bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMDCs) have been recognized as a source for transplantation because they can contribute to different cell populations in a variety of organs under both normal and pathological conditions. |
| December 19, 2011 |
| Brain cell regrowth linked to benefits of exercise, sexual behaviors and reproductive issues |
| Two studies published by an interdisciplinary team of Hong Kong researchers in the current special issue of Cell Transplantation (20:1), now freely available on-line, link the regrowth of key adult brain cells (neurogenesis) in two critical areas of the brain to both the benefits of exercise as a stress reducer and also to sexual behavior and reproductive issues. The two studies reviewing the causes and impacts of neurogenesis came out of a recent Pan Pacific Symposium on Stem Cell Research held in Taichung, Taiwan. |
| March 10, 2011 |
| Brain structure adapts to environmental change |
| Scientists have known for years that neurogenesis takes place throughout adulthood in the hippocampus of the mammalian brain. Now Columbia researchers have found that under stressful conditions, neural stem cells in the adult hippocampus can produce not only neurons, but also new stem cells. The brain stockpiles the neural stem cells, which later may produce neurons when conditions become favorable. This response to environmental conditions represents a novel form of brain plasticity. The findings were published online in Neuron on June 9, 2011. |
| June 13, 2011 |
| Brazilian researchers develop hES cell line for therapeutic transplantation |
| According to the study's corresponding author, Dr. Lygia V. Pereira of the Molecular Genetics Laboratory at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, pluripotent human embryonic stem cells are an important tool for basic and applied stem cell transplantation research. However, immunocompatibility is an issue, especially in a genetically diverse population such as that in Brazil where the population is comprised of European, African and Native South American ancestry. |
| May 3, 2011 |
| Breakthrough Method of Stem Cell Expansion |
| Researchers in the Department of Pathology at Stony Brook University School of Medicine have discovered a laboratory method to expand adult hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) using the SALL4 gene. Professor Yupo Ma, M.D., Ph.D., Lead Author, and colleagues used this method to produce a more than 10,000-fold increase in HSCs derived from normal human bone marrow. Their findings define a new mechanism of stem cell self-renewal, providing a means to produce large numbers of HSCs that could be used to treat hematological malignancies and other blood disorders. |
| June 7, 2011 |
| Breakthrough research isolates human blood stem cell in its purest form |
| For the first time since stem cells were discovered by University of Toronto researchers 50 years ago, scientists have isolated a human blood stem cell in its purest form -- as a single stem cell capable of regenerating the entire blood system. This breakthrough opens the door to harnessing the power of these life-producing cells to treat cancer and other debilitating diseases more effectively. |
| August 29, 2011 |
| Breakthrough: Human stem cells successfully transplanted into mouse brains |
| In research published this week, scientists report that they've successfully transplanted human stem cell-derived neurons into the brains of living mice. That's right, we're talking about a functioning trans-species transplant of brain matter. |
| November 23, 2011 |
| British scientist wins NYSCF - Robertson Stem Cell Prize |
| Professor Peter J. Coffey's stem cell therapy for age-related macular degeneration expected to begin clinical trials in 2012 |
| October 12, 2011 |
| Bush embryonic stem cell lines different from newly derived cell lines |
| Established human embryonic cell lines, including those approved for federal research funding under former President George W. Bush, are different than newly derived human embryonic stem cell lines, according to a study by UCLA stem cell researchers. |
| December 1, 2011 |
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| Cardiac cells 'heal heart damage' |
| Stem cells taken from a patient's own heart have, for the first time, been used to repair damaged heart tissue, researchers claim. |
| November 14, 2011 |
| Can stem cell boost, treadmill use improve artery disease? |
| Northwestern Medicine researchers have launched a clinical trial testing a new combination of treadmill exercise and drug regimen to see if the two together improve the walking ability of people with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) more than either therapy individually. Scientists are studying if a combination of walking and the medication together increase the production of a participant's own stem cells, and, ultimately, the development of greatly needed new blood vessels in the calf muscles. |
| November 1, 2011 |
| Can We Get There from Here? Translating Stem Cell Research Into Therapies |
| A new article published by Cell Press in the May 26 issue of the journal Neuron provides comprehensive insight into the current status of neural stem cell research and the sometimes labyrinthine pathways leading to stem cell-based therapies. |
| May 25, 2011 |
| Cancer cells and stem cells share same origin: study |
| Oncogenes are generally thought to be genes that, when mutated, change healthy cells into cancerous tumor cells. Scientists at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) have proven that those genes also can change normal cells into stem-like cells, paving the way to a safer and more practical approach to treating diseases like multiple sclerosis and cancer with stem cell therapy. |
| July 18, 2011 |
| CBAI modifies authorized shares from pro-rata 500 to 250 million |
| Cord Blood America, Inc., the umbilical cord blood stem cell preservation company focused on bringing the life saving potential of stem cells, a biological insurance policy, to families nationwide and internationally, today announced that the Company's management team and board of directors has modified the proposed one share for each 500 outstanding shares reverse stock split to one share for each 100 outstanding shares. In addition, CBAI has adjusted down the authorized shares from a pro-rata 500 million to 250 million. |
| March 4, 2011 |
| Cell Freeze Cryogenic Storage Containers for HPC's OK'ed in Europe |
| Charter Medical, a part of Lydall, received the EU CE Mark for its Cell Freeze cryogenic storage containers for Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells (HPC's). The devices, which were approved just over a year ago in the U.S., can safely go down to -200° C and handle temperature changes common to stem cell applications. They're available in sizes from 50 mL to 750 mL. |
| January 27, 2012 |
| Cell Transformation from One Type of Cell to Another |
| Researchers from the Haematopoietic Differentiation and Stem Cell Biology group at the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), have described one of the mechanisms by which a cell (from the skin, for example) can be converted into another which is completely different (e.g., a neuron or hepatic cell). They have discovered that the cell transcription factor C/EBPa is a determinant factor in cell transdifferentiation. |
| October 03, 2011 |
| Cells Derived from Different Stem Cells: Same or Different? |
| Stem cells are considered by many to be promising candidate sources of cells for therapies to regenerate and repair diseased tissues. There are two types of stem cell considered in this context: embryonic stem (ES) cells, which are derived from early embryos; and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, which are derived by reprogramming cells of the body such that they have the ability to generate any cell type. |
| May 2, 2011 |
| Cells Derived from Pluripotent Stem Cells Are Developmentally Immature |
| Stem cell researchers at UCLA have discovered that three types of cells derived from human embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells are similar to each other, but are much more developmentally immature than previously thought when compared to those same cell types taken directly from human tissue. |
| August 17, 2011 |
| Cellular Laser Microsurgery Illuminates Research in Vertebrate Biology |
| Using an ultrafast femtosecond laser, researchers at Tufts University in Medford, Mass., were able to label, draw patterns on, and remove individual melanocytes cells from a species of frog tadpole (Xenopus) without damaging surrounding cells and tissues. Melanocytes are the cells responsible for skin pigment; they also are descendants of a specific type of stem cell that has regenerative potential and other characteristics similar to some cancer cells. |
| August 17, 2011 |
| Cerebral Spinal Fluid Guides Stem Cell Development in the Brain |
| Cerebrospinal fluid -- the clear and watery substance that bathes the brain and spinal cord -- is much more important to brain development than previously realized. |
| March 9, 2011 |
| China PharmaHub, University of California enter license agreement for stem cell universal donor blood product |
| China PharmaHub Corp., a biopharmaceutical acquisition and development company, today announced that it has signed a exclusive worldwide license agreement with the University of California, for worldwide rights to develop, commercialize and market a universal donor blood product derived from embryonic stem cells developed by UCSD Associate Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics Dr. Ewa Carrier. The red blood cells have the potential to serve as a synthetic human blood substitute and can be mass-produced in vitro. |
| March 21, 2011 |
| Clean Correction of a Patient's Genetic Mutation: New Gene Therapy Methods Accurately Correct Mutation in Patient's Stem Cells |
| For the first time, scientists have cleanly corrected a human gene mutation in a patient's stem cells. The result, reported Oct. 12 in the journal Nature, brings the possibility of patient-specific therapies closer to becoming a reality. |
| October 12, 2011 |
| Cloned Human Stem Cells, with a Twist |
| Researchers create a genetic oddity in pursuit of a more versatile cell. |
| October 05, 2011 |
| Combining Stem Cells and Optogenetics Holds Promise for Neurodegenerative Disorders |
| Embryonic stem cells have the potential to treat a range of diseases and conditions for which current treatment options are lacking. Capable of differentiating practically into all of the types of tissues in the human body, the cells could be used in therapies to treat conditions such as paralysis, brain damage, and Parkinson's disease. Among the many challenges to be overcome before human embryonic stem cells live up to their promise is difficulty in proving whether transplanted stem cells can integrate successfully in vivo. |
| November 22, 2011 |
| Correcting sickle cell disease with stem cells |
| Using a patient's own stem cells, researchers at Johns Hopkins have corrected the genetic alteration that causes sickle cell disease (SCD), a painful, disabling inherited blood disorder that affects mostly African-Americans. The corrected stem cells were coaxed into immature red blood cells in a test tube that then turned on a normal version of the gene. |
| September 28, 2011 |
| Could This Be the End of Embryonic Stem Cell Research? |
| A biotech company that after much turmoil and huge expense launched the first human embryonic stem cell clinical trial in the United States is getting out of the stem cell business. |
| November 15, 2011 |
| Court grants motion to dismiss Cryo-Cell International lawsuit against Cord Blood America |
| Cord Blood America, Inc., the umbilical cord blood stem cell preservation company focused on bringing the life saving potential of stem cells to families nationwide and internationally, is pleased to announce that the Pinellas County Circuit Court granted a motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Cryo-Cell International against Cord Blood America, which CBAI management believed was an attempt to inhibit the pending deal between Cryo-Cell Mexico and CBAI. |
| April 5, 2011 |
| Creating precursor liver cells from stem cells |
| Scientists from the Departments of Biology & Biochemistry and Pharmacy & Pharmacology have discovered a new way to create precursor liver cells from stem cells, with the potential to impact on the testing of new medicines. |
| June 8, 2011 |
| Critical similarity between two types of do-it-all stem cells revealed in new study |
| Ever since human induced pluripotent stem cells were first derived in 2007, scientists have wondered whether they were functionally equivalent to embryonic stem cells, which are sourced in early-stage embryos. |
| September 11, 2011 |
| Cultured ES cells can self-organize into three-dimensional tissue-like structures |
| The possibility that functional, three-dimensional tissues and organs may be derived from pluripotent cells, such as embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, represents one of the grand challenges of stem cell research, but is also one of the fundamental goals of the emerging field of regenerative medicine. |
| November 14, 2011 |
| D |
| Delayed Stem Cell Therapy Following Heart Attack Is Safe but Not Effective |
| Stem cells obtained from bone marrow, known as BMCs, can be safely injected into people 2-3 weeks following a heart attack, reports a new clinical trial supported by the National, Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health. However, while safe, the BMCs did not improve heart function six months after their administration. |
| November 16, 2011 |
| Development of 'matrix' material controlling differentiation of stem cells |
| The Tissue Regeneration Materials Unit of the International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science in Japan succeeded in developing a matrix material which can control the differentiation of stem cells for regenerative medicine. |
| December 22, 2011 |
| Discovery of a New Muscle Repair Gene |
| The researchers investigated several families with children suffering from a progressive muscle disease. Using a genetic analysis technique known as "next generation sequencing" the scientists identified a defective gene called MEGF10 responsible for the muscle weakness. |
| November 23, 2011 |
| Distinct Types of Stem Cells Contribute to Mammary Gland Development and Maintenance |
| One of the key questions in biology is the identification of stem cells responsible for tissue morphogenesis and regeneration. |
| October 10, 2011 |
| Doctors question Perry's stem cell back treatment |
| He calls it innovative. Others call it a big risk. In any case, the stem cell procedure that Texas Gov. Rick Perry had last month was an unusual experiment to fix a common malady: a bad back. |
| August 19, 2011 |
| Dopamine controls formation of new brain cells |
| A study of the salamander brain has led researchers at Karolinska Institutet to discover a hitherto unknown function of the neurotransmitter dopamine. In an article published in the prestigious scientific journal Cell Stem Cell they show how in acting as a kind of switch for stem cells, dopamine controls the formation of new neurons in the adult brain. Their findings may one day contribute to new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's. |
| April 8, 2011 |
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| Early Embryos Can Correct Genetic Abnormalities During Development: Findings Have Significant Implications for Fertility Treatment and Stem Cell Therapies |
| Professor William G. Kearns told the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology that a three-day-old embryo (called a cleavage stage embryo) with an incorrect number of chromosomes (known as "aneuploidy") was capable of undergoing "a dynamic process of genetic normalisation" so that by day five, when it had developed to the blastocyst stage, it had become euploid, with the correct number of chromosomes. |
| July 5, 2011 |
| Editing Scrambled Genes in Human Stem Cells May Help Realize the Promise of Stem Cell-Gene Therapy |
| In principle, genetic engineering is simple, but in practice, replacing a faulty gene with a healthy copy is anything but. Using mutated versions of the lamin A gene as an example to demonstrate the versatility of their virus-based approach, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies successfully edited a diseased gene in patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells as well as adult stem cells |
| May 19, 2011 |
| Embryonic Cells: Predicting the Fate of Personalized Cells Next Step Toward New Therapies |
| Discovering the step-by-step details of the path embryonic cells take to develop into their final tissue type is the clinical goal of many stem cell biologists. To that end, Kenneth S. Zaret, PhD, professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and associate director of the Penn Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and Cheng-Ran Xu, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the Zaret laboratory, looked at immature cells called progenitors and found a way to potentially predict their fate. They base this on how the protein spools around which DNA winds -- called histones -- are marked by other proteins. |
| May 19, 2011 |
| Embryonic stem cell therapy for paralysis given to first patient in western United States |
| The Stanford University School of Medicine and Santa Clara Valley Medical Center have enrolled the fourth participant in the nation's first trial of cells derived from human embryonic stem cells. The phase-1, FDA-approved trial is meant to test the safety of the cells in up to 10 people with recent spinal cord injuries at seven trial sites across the United States. |
| September 21, 2011 |
| Embryonic Stem Cells Enlisted to Combat Blindness |
| The first European embryonic stem cell therapy in humans is about to start in London. Surgeons will insert the controversial cells into the eyes of 12 patients suffering from Stargardt's macular dystrophy, a major cause of blindness in young people. |
| September 22, 2011 |
| Enhanced cord blood stem cell transplants safe in long-term studies |
| An innovative experimental treatment for boosting the effectiveness of stem-cell transplants with umbilical cord blood has a favorable safety profile in long-term animal studies, report scientists from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), and Children's Hospital Boston (CHB). |
| April 18, 2011 |
| Environment for stem cell development engineered to control differentiation |
| Stem cell technologies have been proposed for cell-based diagnostics and regenerative medicine therapies. However, being able to make stem cells efficiently develop into a desired cell type -- such as muscle, skin, blood vessels, bone or neurons -- limits the clinical potential of these technologies. |
| June 16, 2011 |
| ESCs express genes linked with early germ cell specification |
| Ordinarily, embryonic stem cells exist only a day or two as they begin the formation of the embryo itself. Then they are gone. |
| October 14, 2011 |
| Establishing the first line of human embryonic stem cells in Brazil |
| Brazilian researchers, reporting in the current issue of Cell Transplantation (20:3), discovered difficulties in establishing a genetically diverse line of human embryonic stem cells (hES) to serve the therapeutic stem cell transplantation needs of the diverse ethnic and genetic Brazilian population. |
| May 2, 2011 |
| EU court bans stem cell patents if embryo destroyed |
| Europe's top court banned on Tuesday patents of stem cells when their extraction causes the destruction of a human embryo, a ruling that could have repercussions on medical research. |
| October 18, 2011 |
| Europe's first human embryonic stem cell trial approved |
| A US biotech company said Thursday it will soon begin the first-ever European trials using human embryonic stem cells in an experimental treatment for people with a form of juvenile blindness. |
| September 22, 2011 |
| European court ruling 'threatens stem cell work' |
| Europe's highest court has ruled that stem cells from human embryos cannot be patented, in a case that could have major implications for medicine. |
| October 18, 2011 |
| Evidence for spinal membrane as a source of stem cells may advance spinal cord treatment |
| Italian and Spanish scientists studying the use of stem cells for treating spinal cord injuries have provided the first evidence to show that meninges, the membrane which envelops the central nervous system, is a potential source of self-renewing stem cells. |
| October 28, 2011 |
| Exercise Boosts Health by Influencing Stem Cells to Become Bone, Not Fat, Researchers Find |
| McMaster researchers have found one more reason to exercise: working out triggers influential stem cells to become bone instead of fat, improving overall health by boosting the body's capacity to make blood. |
| September 1, 2011 |
| Experts discuss therapeutic potential of adipose-derived stem cells at ICAS Conference |
| Esthetic therapies with stem cells from autologous fat are revolutionizing cosmetic surgery: Ever more women prefer breast augmentations with autologous stem cells over silicone implants. The world's leading experts recently met at the ICAS (International Cell Assisted Surgery) Conference in Istanbul to discuss the therapeutic potential of stem cells from fat tissue. |
| June 28, 2011 |
| Expression of pluripotency-associated gene marks many types of adult stem cells |
| Investigators at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Regenerative Medicine and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) have found that Sox2 — one of the transcription factors used in the conversion of adult stem cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) — is expressed in many adult tissues where it had not been previously observed. They also confirmed that Sox2-expressing cells found in the stomach, testes, cervix and other structures are true adult stem cells that can give rise to all mature cell types in those tissues. The study appears in the October issue of Cell Stem Cell. |
| October 06, 2011 |
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| Failing Hearts Healed With Stem Cells |
| Bone Marrow Cells Repair Decade-Old Heart Attack Damage |
| March 17, 2011 |
| FDA licenses NYBC's HEMACORD stem cell product |
| The Food and Drug Administration has licensed HEMACORD™ (Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells-Cord, HPC-C) for allogeneic hematopoietic (blood-forming) stem cell transplantation, the first such approval of a stem cell product in the world. |
| November 11, 2011 |
| Fetal stem cells from placenta may help maternal heart recover from injury |
| Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered the therapeutic benefit of fetal stem cells in helping the maternal heart recover after heart attack or other injury. |
| November 14, 2011 |
| Fibrin microthreads support mesenchymal stem cell growth |
| Research team at Worcester Polytechnic Institute shows that stem cells thrive on microthread sutures, creating a novel platform for cellular therapies that may regenerate cardiac tissue |
| December 10, 2010 |
| First 'live' imaging of specialized immune system cells reveals new clues about body's security system |
| To keep the body safe, the immune system enlists more than one form of protection. A circulating task force of immune system cells monitors the body's periphery, and sends information back to field command centers -- the lymph nodes -- located at pivotal traffic points. |
| December 21, 2011 |
| First Government-Approved Embryonic Stem Cell Trial Stopped in Its Tracks By Economy |
| The first company to start human clinical trials using embryonic stem cells is quitting the project and laying off more than a third of its staff. Geron Corp. said it is discontinuing its FDA-approved stem cell test and turning its focus to cancer treatment instead. |
| November 15, 2011 |
| First Successful Transplantation of a Synthetic Tissue Engineered Windpipe |
| For the first time in history, a patient has been given a new trachea made from a synthetic scaffold seeded with his own stem cells. The patient, a 36-year old man, is well on the way to full recovery and is now being discharged from the hospital. |
| July 6, 2011 |
| First US embryonic stem cell trial is halted |
| The first-ever trial using human embryonic stem cells to treat paralysis has been halted due to high costs, and the company will focus instead on new cancer treatments, Geron said Tuesday. |
| November 15, 2011 |
| Foals' umbilical cords can be banked for future stem-cell treatments |
| Horse owners now have the opportunity to collect umbilical cord tissue immediately after a foal is born and save it as a future source of therapeutic stem cells through the Regenerative Medicine Laboratory at UC Davis' School of Veterinary Medicine. |
| March 9, 2011 |
| From a single adult cell, flatworm crafts a new body |
| A single adult cell from one of the most impressive masters of regeneration in the animal kingdom — the planarian — is all it takes to build a completely functional new worm, researchers have learned. The study provides the first hard evidence that adult planarians harbor pluripotent stem cells — cells capable of producing the diverse range of tissue types necessary to build a complete animal. |
| May 12, 2011 |
| From skin cells to motor neurons |
| A team of Harvard stem cell researchers has succeeded in reprogramming adult mouse skin cells directly into the type of motor neurons damaged in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), best known as Lou Gehrig's disease, and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). These new cells, which researchers are calling induced motor neurons (iMNs), can be used to study the development of the paralyzing diseases and to develop treatments for them. |
| August 29, 2011 |
| G |
| Gene Crucial to Normal Development of Lungs and Brain: Discovery May Lead to New Ways to Replace Damaged Lung Tissues With Stem Cells |
| Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have identified a gene that tells cells to develop multiple cilia, tiny hair-like structures that move fluids through the lungs and brain. The finding may help scientists generate new therapies that use stem cells to replace damaged tissues in the lung and other organs. |
| January 12, 2012 |
| Gene therapy and stem cell transplantation successfully reverse hemophilia A |
| For the first time, researchers have combined gene therapy and stem cell transplantation to successfully reverse the severe, crippling bleeding disorder hemophilia A in large animals, opening the door to the development of new therapies for human patients. |
| November 3, 2011 |
| Genetically engineered cardiac stem cells repaired damaged mouse heart |
| Genetically engineered human cardiac stem cells helped repair damaged heart tissue and improved function after a heart attack, in a new animal study. |
| July 19, 2011 |
| Geron bows out of stem cell research |
| Geron Corp. is removing itself from the field it pioneered -- stem cell research. Late Monday, the company said it would halt its study of a stem cell-based treatment for spinal cord injury, the first embryonic stem cell trial approved in the U.S. |
| November 16, 2011 |
| Geron's GRNOPC1 Phase 1 trial results on spinal cord injury presented at international conferences |
| Geron Corporation today announced two presentations on the company's ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial of the human embryonic stem cell-based therapy, GRNOPC1, in patients with spinal cord injury. Data on the first two patients were presented at the 2011 International Conference on Spinal Cord Medicine and Rehabilitation in Washington, D.C. A second presentation was given at the 2011 Spine Symposium, which was held as part of The American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Annual Scientific Meeting. The presentations were given by Edward Wirth, III, M.D., Ph.D., Geron's Medical Director for Cell Therapies and Linda Jones, P.T., M.S., Geron's Senior Clinical Trials Manager for GRNOPC1. |
| June 7, 2011 |
| GIS discovery could help generate stem cells more efficiently for biomedical applications |
| A team of scientists from Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) have shown how proteins involved in controlling genes work together to carry out their functions in stem cells and demonstrated for the very first time, how they can change interaction partners to make other types of cells. |
| May 20, 2011 |
| Giving up smoking averts the adverse birth outcomes associated with tobacco |
| Scientists have shown for the first time in a large population study that mothers' stopping smoking around the time of getting pregnant can prevent the harmful effects of tobacco on their babies' growth. |
| July 5, 2011 |
| Golden Meditech launches Taiwan representative office |
| Golden Meditech Holdings Limited, which embodies a leading medical devices enterprise, a major brand name in haematology hospital and the largest stem cell cord blood banking operator in China, is pleased to announce the launch of its Taiwan representative office today. |
| September 6, 2011 |
| Graphene used in biomedical applications can control the fate of stem cells |
| It is widely believed that stem cell therapies have the potential to revolutionize the treatment of human diseases. The range of potentially ground-breaking therapies based on stem cells ranges from combating Alzheimer's Disease to regenerative medicine (see: "Nanotechnology based stem cell therapies for damaged heart muscles"). |
| May 24, 2011 |
| Greater versatility of adult stem cells thanks to 3-D lab experiments |
| A type of adult stem cell is now proving itself more versatile for research and therapies thanks to revolutionary 3D experiments. These cells have already shown great promise for repairing damaged bone and cartilage but until now have been fairly limited in the types of cells they can form in the laboratory. |
| March 31, 2011 |
| Groundbreaking research uses stem cells to relieve mouth, face pain |
| Research from Boston University Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine shows for the first time that a particular type of stem cell, bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs), can suppress orofacial pain rapidly--within one day of treatment--by either IV injection of cells or direct injection of cells to the injured site. |
| July 6, 2011 |
| H |
| HDM and SCT increase overall survival for patients with AL amyloidosis |
| A team of researchers led by Boston University School of Medicine, has found treatment of selected immunoglobulin light chain amyloidosis patients with high-dose melphalan and autologous stem cell transplantation resulted in a high organ response rate and increased overall survival, even for those patients who did not achieve a hematologic complete response. These findings appear in the current issue of Blood. |
| October 27, 2011 |
| Helping the heart help itself: Research points to new use for stem cells |
| Human trials of stem cell therapy for post-heart attack patients have raised as many questions as they have answered -- because while the patients have tended to show some improvement in heart function, the stem cells do not appear to turn into heart cells or even survive. |
| April 8, 2011 |
| How do you mend a broken heart? |
| Damaged heart tissue is not known for having much inherent capacity for repair. But now, scientists are closing in on signals that may be able to coax the heart into producing replacement cardiac muscle cells. Using a zebrafish model system, researchers have identified a family of molecules that can stimulate stem cells to develop into beating heart muscle cells. |
| December 22, 2011 |
| How Dynamic Changes in Methylation Can Determine Cell Fate |
| Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) and the University of Southern California (USC) have uncovered intriguing new evidence helping to explain one of the ways in which a stem cell's fate can be determined. |
| September 26, 2011 |
| Human Embryonic Stem Cells Provide New Insight Into Muscular Dystrophy |
| Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is the most common inherited muscular dystrophy in adults. New research published online on March 31st in the journal Cell Stem Cell, uses human embryonic stem cells to make a clinically important contribution to the understanding of this disease, and highlights the incredible potential that embryonic stem cells hold for unraveling the complex molecular mechanisms involved in a variety of human conditions. |
| March 31, 2011 |
| Human pluripotent stem cells rely heavily on glycolysis to drive their metabolic activities |
| Human pluripotent stem cells, which can develop into any cell type in the body, rely heavily on glycolysis, or sugar fermentation, to drive their metabolic activities. |
| November 16, 2011 |
| Human skin yields stem cell-like cells |
| Researchers from the UCLA School of Dentistry investigating how stem cells can be used to regenerate dental tissue have discovered a way to produce cells with stem cell-like characteristics from the most common type of human skin cell in the epidermis. |
| December 2, 2011 |
| Human stem cells transformed into key neurons lost in Alzheimer's |
| Northwestern Medicine researchers for the first time have transformed a human embryonic stem cell into a critical type of neuron that dies early in Alzheimer's disease and is a major cause of memory loss. |
| March 4, 2011 |
| Hybrid Plastics Achieves Milestone with a POSS Enabled Synthetic Trachea Inserted in a Human Subject |
| Medical history was made in 2011 with the world's first synthetic organ transplant. A terminally ill cancer patient received a new lease on life with the transplant of a synthetic trachea made from a POSS® nanocomposite polymer. Seeded with the patient's own stem cells, the inert POSS® polymer windpipe scaffold became an organ indistinguishable from a normal healthy one. The patient's body accepted the POSS® polymer trachea with no infection or inflammation, and without the need for strong anti-rejection drugs. POSS® acted as the enabling agent allowing the stem cells to bond to the compound. |
| August 16, 2011 |
| Hype Aside, Hope for Stem Cell Therapy May Be Emerging From Hibernation |
| Two small studies of cardiac stem cells for the treatment of heart failure have shown promise, but ABC News, CBS News and other media outlets are throwing around words like "medical breakthrough" and "heart failure cure." |
| November 15, 2011 |
| I |
| 'Imprinted' developmental genes gain new roles in adult stem cells |
| The repair of tissues damaged by injury or illness relies on the ability of adult stem cells to grow and self-renew. But this ability needs to be tightly controlled; if regulation is lost, the stem cells may instead give rise to cancer. A study from Children's Hospital Boston finds that a network of genes crucial in embryonic development may also keep tight rein on adult stem cells in the lung and other tissues, particularly as these cells rally to repair tissue damage. |
| September 8, 2011 |
| Immunosuppressant combination improves survival of human spinal stem cells in ALS rat model |
| A team of researchers grafting human spinal stem cells into rats modeled with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," a degenerative, lethal, neuromuscular disease, have tested four different immunosuppressive protocols aimed at determining which regimen improved long-term therapeutic effects. |
| December 20, 2011 |
| Improved Method to Create Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells |
| University of Minnesota Medical School researchers have developed a new strategy to improve the development of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS). Currently, iPS cells are created by introducing four defined genes to an adult cell. The genes reprogram the adult cell into a stem cell, which can differentiate into many different types of the cells in the body. Typically, the four genes introduced are Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc, a combination known as OSKM. |
| July 20, 2011 |
| Induced pluripotent cells may make embryonic stem cells unnecessary |
| For nearly two decades, the medical world and the American public have grappled with the lightning-rod topic of stem cells, in particular the controversy surrounding cells from human embryos. But when researchers four years ago successfully "reprogrammed" adult body cells to become stem cells, some thought the ethical debate was nearly over. Those redirected cells, known as induced pluripotent cells, or iPS cells, show potential as therapy. |
| July 5, 2011 |
| International initiative to address safety issues in stem cell therapy |
| An international study, published today in the prestigious journal Nature Biotechnology, reveals more about human pluripotent stem cells and their genetic stability and has important implications for the development of therapies using these cells. |
| November 28, 2011 |
| Investigators discover enzyme essential for healthy lung development |
| Investigators at The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles have provided the first evidence that Eya1 protein phosphatase is a crucial regulator of the development of embryonic lung epithelial stem cells. |
| March 29, 2011 |
| ISCO announces near-term marketing plans for Lifeline Skin Care products |
| International Stem Cell Corporation today announced the Company's near-term marketing plans for products manufactured by its Lifeline Skin Care™ (Lifeline) subsidiary. Following the highly successful launch in late 2010 of Lifeline's first two products with sales that greatly exceeded expectations, Lifeline has now commenced a new phase in the marketing plan for its skin care products. |
| May 13, 2011 |
| ISCO completes first series of hepatocytes preclinical testing |
| International Stem Cell Corporation (ISCO) announces successful completion of the first series of preclinical testing of hepatocytes derived in the lab from human parthenogenetic stem cells (hpSC). In the transplantation mouse model, inoculated cells were capable of engrafting and surviving in specific niches within the liver, and were further developing into cells with essential hepatocyte-like features. Moreover, the transplanted cells could be identified in recipient tissue for a prolonged period of time. |
| April 27, 2011 |
| ISCO enrolls first U.S.-based donor to establish clinical-grade human parthenogenetic stem cell bank |
| International Stem Cell Corporation has now enrolled the first U.S.-based donor in its program to establish a bank of clinical-grade human parthenogenetic stem cells (hpSCs) capable of being immune-matched to millions of patients. |
| May 19, 2011 |
| J |
| Japanese Researchers Create a Pituitary Gland From Scratch in the Lab |
| A team of researchers at Japan's RIKEN Center--the same group who earlier this year engineered a mouse retina that is the most complex tissue ever engineered--have now derived a working pituitary gland from mouse stem cells. |
| November 10, 2011 |
| K |
| Key Gene Function Against Cell Death Discovered |
| A team of researchers at the MedUni Vienna's Institute of Medical Genetics has discovered that two genes are extremely important regulators in the development of stem cells: if these genes are switched off, the stem cells do not develop but instead die a programmed cell death. |
| November 21, 2011 |
| Key innovations in stem-cell technology will advance medicine |
| A scientist at the Gladstone Institutes has made two significant stem-cell discoveries that advance medicine and human health by creating powerful new approaches for using stem cells and stem-cell-like technology. |
| April 25, 2011 |
| Key Molecule for Stem Cell Pluripotency Discovered |
| Researchers of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch have discovered what enables embryonic stem cells to differentiate into diverse cell types and thus to be pluripotent. This pluripotency depends on a specific molecule -- E-cadherin -- hitherto primarily known for its role in mediating cell-cell adhesion as a kind of "intracellular glue." If E-cadherin is absent, the stem cells lose their pluripotency. The molecule also plays a crucial role in the reprogramming of somatic cells (body cells) into pluripotent stem cells. |
| May 27, 2011 |
| Key protein reveals secret of stem cell pluripotency |
| A protein that helps maintain mouse stem cell pluripotency has been identified by researchers at the RIKEN Omics Science Center. The finding, published in the August issue of Stem Cells (first published online July 26, 2011), points the way to advances in regenerative medicine and more effective culturing techniques for human pluripotent stem cells. |
| September 6, 2011 |
| Key regulator of nervous system development works by blocking signaling protein |
| Neuroepithelial stem cells, the early progenitors for much of the nervous system, need to maintain a keen sense of direction in order to properly manage replication, migration and maturation. These cells are highly polarized, and exclusively initiate cell division at their apical (top) end rather than at their basal (bottom) end, although it has remained a mystery how they determine which way is up. |
| April 29, 2011 |
| L |
| Lack of compensation for human egg donors could stall recent breakthroughs in stem cell research |
| Women donating their eggs for use in fertility clinics are typically financially compensated for the time and discomfort involved in the procedure. However, guidelines established by the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) in 2005 state that women who donate their eggs for use in stem cell research should not be compensated, although the procedures they undergo are the same. In the October 7th issue of Cell Stem Cell, researchers at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) and the Department of Bioethics at Case Western Reserve University argue that this lack of compensation could prove to be yet another hurdle for human stem cell research in the United States. |
| October 05, 2011 |
| Largest ever heart stem cell studies get underway |
| Two linked clinical studies that will show whether stem cell therapy can save the lives of heart attack patients are now underway in London, following the award of €11.7 million funding from the European Commission. |
| December 2, 2011 |
| Legislation that slows human embryonic stem cell research will also harm iPS cells study |
| Any legislation that slows human embryonic stem cell research is likely to also seriously harm the study of induced pluripotent stem cells, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine, the Mayo Clinic and the University of Michigan. |
| June 10, 2011 |
| Life Technologies receives FDA 510(k) clearance for StemPro MSC SFM device |
| Life Technologies Corporation today announced it has received FDA 510(k) clearance for StemPro® MSC SFM — a first for this next-generation stem cell culture medium that is now cleared as a medical device and satisfies a crucial requirement for researchers involved in clinical trials in the United States. |
| March 14, 2011 |
| Liquid biomaterials take stem cell therapy to new level |
| At present, cartilage implants created using stem cells can only be constructed as a solid shape, acting as an interim measure before the almost inevitable need for total joint replacement. |
| March 17, 2011 |
| Live cell encapsulation technology helps overcome obstacles facing applications of live stem cell usage |
| Nuvilex, Inc. announced today testing confirmed that through use of live cell encapsulation technology, two major obstacles facing the vast and broad applications of live stem cell use have been overcome. |
| November 23, 2011 |
| Living Cells Modified to Seek Other Cells for Improved Stem Cell Therapy |
| Synthetic nanoparticles are well known vectors that have been successfully made to target specific cell types for delivery of various therapeutic agents. Stem cell therapy still relies on injections of cells into the treatment area, but now a team from Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital has developed a generalized system by which cells can be made to seek out specific tissue types in the body and gather there. |
| November 4, 2011 |
| M |
| Male pattern balding may be due to stem cell inactivation: study |
| Given the amount of angst over male pattern balding, surprisingly little is known about its cause at the cellular level. In a new study, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, a team led by George Cotsarelis, MD, chair of the Department of Dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, has found that stem cells play an unexpected role in explaining what happens in bald scalp. |
| January 4, 2011 |
| Many Americans approve of stem cell research for curing serious diseases |
| While research using human embryonic stem cells has roused political controversy for almost two decades, little has been done to scientifically assess American attitudes on the subject. New research from the University of Nevada, Reno provides decision-makers with a much clearer picture of how their constituents truly feel about the subject. |
| June 29, 2011 |
| Medistem Collaborates on Nanoparticle siRNA Finding for Treatment of Ischemic Conditions |
| Medistem Inc., a clinical stage adult stem cell company, reported today on a publication of a novel method of preventing transplant-associated ischemic liver injury using a nanotechnology delivery system that selectively targets hepatocytes. |
| October 21, 2011 |
| Mesenchymal stem cells protect and heal |
| A stem cell that can morph into a number of different tissues is proving a natural protector, healer and antibiotic maker, researchers at Case Western Reserve University and their peers have found. |
| July 8, 2011 |
| Mice stem cells guided into myelinating cells by the trillions |
| Scientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine found a way to rapidly produce pure populations of cells that grow into the protective myelin coating on nerves in mice. Their process opens a door to research and potential treatments for multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and other demyelinating diseases afflicting millions of people worldwide. |
| September 25, 2011 |
| Microglia plays a key role in memory and learning |
| Immune system cells of the brain, which scavenge pathogens and damaged neurons, are also key players in memory and learning, according to new research by Duke neuroscientists. |
| October 27, 2011 |
| Mitochondrial genome mutates when reprogrammed |
| Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) are truly talented multi-taskers. They can reproduce almost all cell types and thus offer great hope in the fight against diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. However, it would appear that their use is not entirely without risk: during the reprogramming of body cells into iPS cells, disease-causing mutations can creep into the genetic material. The genome of the mitochondria — the cell's protein factories — is particularly vulnerable to such changes. |
| July 28, 2011 |
| Molar Power: Milk Teeth Wanted for Stem Cell Palace Art Project |
| Children across Britain are being asked to donate their milk teeth to create "Palaces" -- a spectacular glittering sculpture made from crystal resin and decorated with retired pearly whites. The project is a part of an art-science collaboration that aims to inspire the nation with the regenerative potential of adult stem cells. |
| March 30, 2011 |
| Molecular chaperones traffic signaling proteins between cells in plant stem-cell maintenance pathway |
| Like all living things, plants depend for their growth and sustenance on elaborate signaling networks to maintain stem cells, cells that have an almost magical regenerative capacity. The signals sent through these networks convey an incredible diversity of instructions, which make it possible for plants to follow genetic and cellular programs regulating growth, shape, and energy production and consumption. |
| August 25, 2011 |
| N |
| Nanion's automated patch clamp platforms show unparalleled results using stem cell derived cardiomyocytes |
| The Patchliner and the SyncroPatch 96 have successfully been used for compound analysis under current- and voltage clamp recording conditions using different stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. The exceptional cell-platform-compatibility and the unique experimental possibilities offered by Nanion's platforms open up whole new avenues for compound safety testing. |
| September 16, 2011 |
| Nanopatterned surface maintains stem cells' long-term viability and phenotype |
| Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are adult stems cells found in bone marrow which can be differentiated into bone, cartilage, fat, and connective tissues. These cells offer tremendous potential for the repair and regeneration of damaged tissues and organs. And, unlike embryonic stem cells, the use of adult stem cells in research and therapy is not controversial because the production of adult stem cells does not require the creation or destruction of an embryo. However, the demand for autologous, patient-specific stem cells for regenerative therapies outstrips their supply. |
| July 20, 2011 |
| Nation's second participant enrolls in human embryonic stem cell trial |
| Researchers at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) recently enrolled their first subject in a national clinical research trial of a human embryonic stem cell-based therapy for participants with a subacute thoracic spinal cord injury. This is only the second enrollment nationwide in the study sponsored by Geron Corp. Northwestern is one of five sites currently open for subject enrollment. The trial will enroll up to 10 subjects nationally. |
| May 12, 2011 |
| National team of scientists peers into the future of stem cell biology |
| Remarkable progress in understanding how stem cell biology works has been reported by a team of leading scientists, directed by experts at UC Santa Barbara. Their research has been published in the journal Cell Stem Cell. |
| December 9, 2010 |
| Need muscle for a tough spot? Turn to fat stem cells |
| Stem cells derived from fat have a surprising trick up their sleeves: Encouraged to develop on a stiff surface, they undergo a remarkable transformation toward becoming mature muscle cells. The new cells remain intact and fused together even when transferred to an extremely stiff, bone-like surface, which has University of California, San Diego bioengineering professor Adam Engler and colleagues intrigued. These cells, they suggest, could hint at new therapeutic possibilities for muscular dystrophy. |
| January 27, 2012 |
| Neural Stem Cells Maintain High Levels of Reactive Oxygen Species, Study Finds |
| For years, the majority of research on reactive oxygen species (ROS) -- ions or very small molecules that include free radicals -- has focused on how they damage cell structure and their potential link to stroke, cardiovascular disease and other illnesses. |
| January 6, 2011 |
| Neuralstem to present HSSC Phase I trial data in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at AAN meeting |
| Neuralstem, Inc. announced that the Phase I safety trial of its human spinal cord stem cells in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is the subject of three presentations at the American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting, April 9-16th, in Honolulu, HI. Chief among these will be a presentation by Eva Feldman, M.D., Ph.D., who is an unpaid consultant to Neuralstem and the Principal Investigator in the ongoing ALS trial, entitled: "A Phase I, Open-Label, First-In-Human Feasibility and Safety Study of Human Spinal Cord-Derived Neural Stem Cell Transplantation for the Treatment of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis," at 2:00 PM, April 11th, 2011. |
| April 7, 2011 |
| Nerve cells grown from stem cells give new insight into Parkinson's |
| Oxford University researchers have succeeded in using stem cell technology to grow nerve cells in the laboratory from initial skin samples taken from Parkinson's patients. It's the first large-scale effort of its kind in the UK. |
| June 20, 2011 |
| Nervous system stem cells can replace themselves, give rise to variety of cell types, even amplify |
| A Johns Hopkins team has discovered in young adult mice that a lone brain stem cell is capable not only of replacing itself and giving rise to specialized neurons and glia — important types of brain cells — but also of taking a wholly unexpected path: generating two new brain stem cells. |
| June 30, 2011 |
| New Antibody for Cell Labeling: Stem Cells Can Be Distinguished on the Basis of Sugar Residues |
| Researchers in Bochum have produced an antibody that allows them to distinguish the numerous types of stem cells in the nervous system better than before. |
| May 10, 2011 |
| New book explores stem cell therapies for heart disease |
| A new book edited by researchers at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) and the Stony Brook University School of Medicine provides a comprehensive look at the science and application of cellular therapies aimed at the leading cause of death---heart disease. |
| May 17, 2011 |
| New class of stem cell-like cells discovered offers possibility for spinal cord repair |
| The Allen Institute for Brain Science announced today the discovery of a new class of cells in the spinal cord that act like neural stem cells, offering a fresh avenue in the search for therapies to treat spinal cord injury and disease. The published collaborative study, authored by scientists from the University of British Columbia, the Allen Institute for Brain Science and The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital at McGill University and titled "Adult Spinal Cord Radial Glia Display a Unique Progenitor Phenotype," appears in the open access journal PLoS One. |
| September 15, 2011 |
| New clues about heart health uncovered by team of biomedical engineer |
| An engineering school isn't where you normally hear about advancements that could improve heart health, but researchers at the University of Calgary's Schulich School of Engineering have used a device that simulates blood flow to uncover new information that could help prevent heart attacks and strokes. |
| July 21, 2011 |
| New discovery may eliminate potentially lethal side effect of stem cell therapy |
| Like fine chefs, scientists are seemingly approaching a day when they will be able to make nearly any type of tissue from human embryonic stem cells. You need nerves or pancreas, bone or skin? With the right combination of growth factors, skill and patience, a laboratory tissue culture dish promises to yield therapeutic wonders. But within these batches of newly generated cells lurks a big potential problem: Any remaining embryonic stem cells - those that haven't differentiated into the desired tissue - can go on to become dangerous tumors called teratomas when transplanted into patients. |
| August 14, 2011 |
| New findings on cancer stem cells |
| In cancer, tumors aren't uniform: they are more like complex societies, each with a unique balance of cancer cell types playing different roles. Understanding this "social structure" of tumors is critical for treatment decisions in the clinic because different cell types may be sensitive to different drugs. A common theory is that tumors are a hierarchical society, in which all cancer cells descend from special self-renewing cancer stem cells. This view predicts that killing the cancer stem cells might suffice to wipe out a cancer. |
| August 20, 2011 |
| New gene therapy methods accurately correct mutation in patient's stem cells |
| For the first time, scientists have cleanly corrected a human gene mutation in a patient's stem cells. The result, reported in Nature on Wednesday 12 October, brings the possibility of patient-specific therapies closer to becoming a reality. |
| October 12, 2011 |
| New Gene Therapy Technique on iPS Cells Holds Promise in Treating Immune System Disease |
| Researchers have developed an effective technique that uses gene therapy on stem cells to correct chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) in cell culture, which could eventually serve as a treatment for this rare, inherited immune disorder, according to a study published in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology. |
| April 28, 2011 |
| New genetic technique converts skin cells into brain cells |
| A research breakthrough has proven that it is possible to reprogram mature cells from human skin directly into brain cells, without passing through the stem cell stage. The unexpectedly simple technique involves activating three genes in the skin cells; genes which are already known to be active in the formation of brain cells at the foetal stage. |
| June 9, 2011 |
| New half-match bone marrow transplant procedure yields promising outcomes for cancer patients |
| Half-matched bone marrow or stem cell transplants for blood cancer patients have typically been associated with disappointing clinical outcomes. However, a clinical trial conducted at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Jefferson testing its unique, two-step half-match procedure has produced some promising results: the probability of overall survival was 45 percent in all patients after three years and 75 percent in patients who were in remission at the time of the transplant. |
| September 1, 2011 |
| New Heart Cells Increase by 30 Percent After Stem Cell Infusion |
| The UB research demonstrated a 30 percent increase in healthy heart muscle cells within a month after receiving cardiosphere-derived cells. This finding is contrary to conventional wisdom which has held that heart cells are terminally differentiated and thus, are unable to divide. |
| November 15, 2011 |
| New method allows human embryonic stem cells to avoid immune system rejection |
| A short-term treatment with three immune-dampening drugs allowed human embryonic stem cells to survive and thrive in mice, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Without such treatment, the animals' immune systems quickly hunt down and destroy the transplanted cells. The finding is important because it may allow humans to accept transplanted stem cells intended to treat disease or injury without requiring the ongoing use of powerful immunosuppressant medications. |
| March 3, 2011 |
| New method to grow synthetic collagen unveiled |
| In a significant advance for cosmetic and reconstructive medicine, scientists at Rice University have unveiled a new method for making synthetic collagen. The new material, which forms from a liquid in as little as an hour, has many of the properties of natural collagen and may prove useful as a scaffold for regenerating new tissues and organs from stem cells. |
| September 8, 2011 |
| New Methods Allow for Insights Into Molecular Mechanisms of Regeneration |
| Researchers of the Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology (BIMSB) at the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch have gained new insights into planarian flatworms, which are an attractive model for stem cell biology and regeneration. Close collaboration between four laboratories at the BIMSB led by Stefan Kempa, Christoph Dieterich, Nikolaus Rajewsky and Wei Chen has led to the identification of thousands of gene products, many of which are expressed and are important in stem cell function. |
| July 5, 2011 |
| New microtweezers may build tiny 'MEMS' structures |
| Researchers have created new "microtweezers" capable of manipulating objects to build tiny structures, print coatings to make advanced sensors, and grab and position live stem cell spheres for research. |
| January 17, 2012 |
| New Muscle Programming Method Uses DNA To Turn Blood Into Beating Heart Cells |
| A new DNA-based cell-transformation method could be a simpler, safer way to convert cells into beating heart cells, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. It involves no viruses and is a foolproof method to create cardiac cells that beat, they say. |
| April 8, 2011 |
| New Properties of Supercooled Confined Water Discovered |
| A study led by the UB researcher Giancarlo Franzese and published in the journal Physical Review Letters suggests that hydrophobic nanoconfinement can alter the thermodynamics of water at supercool temperatures. These findings may have important applications in fields related to conservation at cryogenic temperatures (around -100 şC) -- for example, in the preservation of stem cells, blood and food products. |
| May 12, 2011 |
| New research provides clues on why hair turns gray |
| A new study by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center has shown that, for the first time, Wnt signaling, already known to control many biological processes, between hair follicles and melanocyte stem cells can dictate hair pigmentation. |
| June 14, 2011 |
| New Role of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor in Regulating Skin Cancer Stem Cells |
| One of the key questions in cancer is the identification of the mechanisms that regulate cancer stem cells and tumor growth. |
| October 20, 2011 |
| New Stem Cell Activity Identified in Human Brain |
| Researchers at Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center have identified a new pathway of stem cell activity in the brain that represents potential targets of brain injuries affecting newborns. The recent study, which raises new questions of how the brain evolves, is published in the current issue of Nature. |
| September 28, 2011 |
| New stem cell research |
| Scientists from King's College London have uncovered the first genetic evidence that shows cells found on the surface of blood vessels can act as stem cells to assist in both organ growth and tissue repair. |
| April 5, 2011 |
| New tech aims to help soldiers battle limb injuries |
| When Army National Guardsman Ed Salau's Bradley Fighting Vehicle filled with smoke on November 15, 2004--"sometime after George Bush declared victory on the aircraft carrier and sometime before we won the war in Iraq," he likes to say--Salau and his gunner managed to crawl out of the hatch. |
| September 9, 2011 |
| New technique boosts efficiency of blood cell production from human stem cells |
| Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have developed an improved technique for generating large numbers of blood cells from a patient's own cells. The new technique will be immediately useful in further stem cell studies, and when perfected, could be used in stem cell therapies for a wide variety of conditions including cancers and immune ailments. |
| July 15, 2011 |
| New technique may help scientists probe mysteries of many different stem cells |
| Genetically embedded tools in neural stem cells may aid in development of regenerative medicine - critical for safe and reliable stem cell therapeutics |
| July 8, 2011 |
| New technique with quantum dots allows noninvasive tracking of stem cells in the brain |
| A new technique using "quantum dots" produced through nanotechnology is a promising approach to monitoring the effects of stem cell therapies for stroke and other types of brain damage, reports the April issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. |
| March 24, 2011 |
| New Treatments for Baldness? Scientists Find Stem Cells That Tell Hair It's Time to Grow |
| Yale researchers have discovered the source of signals that trigger hair growth, an insight that may lead to new treatments for baldness. |
| September 1, 2011 |
| NIH awards $12.8 million renewal grant for Louisville adult stem cell research project |
| At the time when Dr. Roberto Bolli received word that he was awarded a $12.8 million grant renewal from the National Institutes of Health for one research project, five patients in another of his clinical trials at the University of Louisville have reached the successful endpoint of their participation. |
| September 9, 2011 |
| Normal Stem Cells Made to Look and Act Like Cancer Stem Cells |
| Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, after isolating normal stem cells that form the developing placenta, have given them the same properties of stem cells associated with an aggressive type of breast cancer. |
| May 5, 2011 |
| Novel factor behind ES cells' neural default |
| Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) are highly regarded for their ability to give rise to the full range of cellular lineages found in the adult body, but left to their own devices ESCs tend to differentiate into neural lineages. Researchers from RIKEN have revealed how the nuclear protein Zfp521 is key to the default neural fate. |
| March 16, 2011 |
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| 'Open wide' for new stem cell potential: Stem cells of the oral mucosa stay young |
| While highly potent embryonic stem cells are often the subject of ethical and safety controversy, adult-derived stem cells have other problems. As we age, our stem cells are less pliant and less able to transform into the stem cells that science needs to find breakthrough treatments for disease. |
| August 23, 2011 |
| Oncolytic viruses effectively target and kill pancreatic cancer stem cells |
| Oncolytic viruses quickly infect and kill cancer stem cells, which may provide a treatment for tumors that are resistant to conventional chemotherapy and radiation, particularly pancreatic cancer, according to new research from Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. The findings are especially important since pancreatic cancer has a poor prognosis and is difficult to detect and treat at early stages. |
| May 9, 2011 |
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| Parkinson's disease breakthrough with stem cell research |
| A new stem cell study has raised hopes for therapy in Parkinson's disease. Researchers said they have, for the first time, generated stem cells from one of the most rapidly-progressing forms of the disease. They said the development will boost research into the condition because it will allow scientists to model the disease in laboratories and help them shed light on why certain nerve cells die. The research was led by the University of Edinburgh in collaboration with University College London (UCL). |
| August 24, 2011 |
| Patient-Specific Stem Cells: Major Step Toward Cell-Based Therapies for Life-Threatening Diseases |
| A team of scientists led by Dieter Egli and Scott Noggle at The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Laboratory in New York City has made an important advance in the development of patient-specific stem cells that could impact the study and treatment of diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's. |
| October 06, 2011 |
| Patients' own cells yield new insights into the biology of schizophrenia |
| After a century of studying the causes of schizophrenia-the most persistent disabling condition among adults-the cause of the disorder remains unknown. Now induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) generated from schizophrenic patients have brought researchers from the Salk Institute for Biological Studies a step closer to a fundamental understanding of the biological underpinnings of the disease. |
| April 13, 2011 |
| Penn study on gut cell regeneration reconciles long-standing research controversy |
| The lining of the intestine regenerates itself every few days as compared to say red blood cells that turn over every four months. The cells that help to absorb food and liquid that humans consume are constantly being produced. |
| November 11, 2011 |
| Periodontal stem cell transplantation shows promise |
| Periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSCs) have been found to be the most efficacious of three kinds of clinically tested dental tissue-derived stem cells, reports a study published in the current issue of Cell Transplantation (20:2). |
| April 11, 2011 |
| Personal stem cell banks could be staple of future health care |
| Old stem cells can be rejuvenated by being placed in a young microenvironment, research from The University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio shows. This raises the possibility that patients' own stem cells may one day be rescued and banked to treat their age-related diseases. |
| November 1, 2011 |
| Personalised stem cells back in the spotlight |
| Scientists on Wednesday said they had made strides in lab research in personalised stem cells, reviving interest in a goal clouded by fraud and ethical storms. |
| October 05, 2011 |
| Pig stem cell transplants: The key to future research into retina treatment |
| A team of American and Chinese scientists studying the role of stem cells in repairing damaged retina tissue have found that pigs represent an effective proxy species to research treatments for humans. The study, published in STEM CELLS, demonstrates how stem cells can be isolated and transplanted between pigs, overcoming a key barrier to the research. |
| April 13, 2011 |
| Potential for Solution to Baldness? Surprising Clues About Communication in Hair Stem Cell Populations |
| In one of the first studies to look at the population behavior of a large pool of stem cells in thousands of hair follicles -- as opposed to the stem cell of a single hair follicle -- Keck School of Medicine of USC scientists deciphered how hair stem cells in mice and rabbits can communicate with each other and encourage mutually coordinated regeneration, according to an article published in the April 29 edition of the journal Science. |
| May 9, 2011 |
| Post heart attack recovery may not be aided by stem cell injections, but trial demonstrates promise |
| University Hospitals Case Medical Center researchers could still be close to giving heart attack patients a second chance…just not as they originally thought. |
| November 14, 2011 |
| Precision with stem cells a step forward for treating MS, other diseases |
| Scientists have improved upon their own previous world-best efforts to pluck out just the right stem cells to address the brain problem at the core of multiple sclerosis and a large number of rare, fatal children's diseases. |
| October 13, 2011 |
| Predicting the fate of personalized cells next step toward new therapies |
| Discovering the step-by-step details of the path embryonic cells take to develop into their final tissue type is the clinical goal of many stem cell biologists. To that end, Kenneth S. Zaret, PhD, professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and associate director of the Penn Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and Cheng-Ran Xu, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the Zaret laboratory, looked at immature cells called progenitors and found a way to potentially predict their fate. They base this on how the protein spools around which DNA winds -- called histones -- are marked by other proteins. This study appeared this week in Science. |
| May 19, 2011 |
| Preventing GVHD by protecting gut stem cells |
| A protein that protects stem cells in the gut relieves a potentially lethal complication of bone marrow transplantation in mice, according to a study published online on January 31 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. |
| January 31, 2011 |
| Protein Switch Controls How Stem Cells Turn Into New Heart Tissue |
| Oxford University researchers have identified a protein that can direct stem cells to become either new heart muscle or blood vessels. The research, which was carried out in zebrafish, offers insight into how it might be possible one day to generate tissues to repair the human heart after damage inflicted by a heart attack. |
| July 14, 2011 |
| ProtoKinetix completes sale of AAGP tool for protecting delicate cells in research |
| ProtoKinetix, announces today that it has completed the sale of (AAGP™) as a vital tool to protect delicate cells in the process of utilizing stem cells, to treat disease and injury. This development will enable the Company to ramp up sales of the unique AAGP™ family of molecules to the medical research community. This community includes major pharmaceutical corporations, universities, foundations, private laboratories, and government agencies. |
| August 18, 2011 |
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| Repaired Stem Cells Treat Liver Disease in Mice |
| Scientists corrected a genetic error in stem cells from patients with liver disease, and implanted those cells in the livers of mice. |
| October 12, 2011 |
| Reprogramming Stem Cells to a More Basic Form Results in More Effective Transplant, Study Shows |
| Chinese stem cell scientists have published new research that improves the survival and effectiveness of transplanted stem cells. |
| November 3, 2011 |
| Research team shows skin stem cells run by circadian clock |
| Most everyone has heard of the circadian rhythm or the internal clock that people have that tells them when to do things, such as go to sleep. In fact, researchers have actually located where this "clock" resides in the human brain. It's in the suprachiasmatic nuclei, a pair of distinct groups of cells located in the hypothalamus. |
| November 10, 2011 |
| Researchers create reprogrammed stem cells for disease studies |
| The University of Michigan's Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies has achieved another of its primary goals: reprogramming adult skin cells so they behave like embryonic stem cells. |
| July 26, 2011 |
| Researchers create stem cells from schizophrenia patients |
| Using skin cells from adult siblings with schizophrenia and a genetic mutation linked to major mental illnesses, Johns Hopkins researchers have created induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) using a new and improved "clean" technique. |
| March 17, 2011 |
| Researchers decode a puzzling movement disorder |
| Neurodegenerative diseases represent one of the greatest challenges of our aging society. However, investigation into these diseases is made particularly difficult due to the limited availability of human brain tissue. |
| November 25, 2011 |
| Researchers develop stem cell-based models for studying mitochondrial disorders |
| Virginia Commonwealth University researchers from the Center for the Study of Biological Complexity, the School of Engineering and the School of Medicine have developed a novel approach for generating stem cell-derived cell models to study neurodegenerative disorders that have defects in their mitochondrial genome and physiology such as Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy, Leigh's syndrome, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. |
| September 23, 2011 |
| Researchers Discover Easy Way to Penetrate Cell Membrane Using Carbon Nanotube |
| Researchers at the University of Bologna in Unibo, Italy have discovered that the simplest way to enable a carbon nanotube to enter a cell membrane is at a flat angle against the surface of the membrane. |
| July 20, 2011 |
| Researchers discover molecular marker for immediate precursors of blood stem cells |
| A research team led by Nancy Speck, has discovered a molecular marker for the immediate precursors of hematopoietic (blood) stem cells (HSCs) in the developing embryo, which provides much-needed insights for making these cells from engineered precursors. |
| December 9, 2011 |
| Researchers engineer blood stem cells to fight melanoma |
| Researchers from UCLA's cancer and stem cell centers have demonstrated for the first time that blood stem cells can be engineered to create cancer-killing T-cells that seek out and attack a human melanoma. The researchers believe this approach could be useful in 40 percent of Caucasians with this malignancy. |
| November 28, 2011 |
| Researchers identify molecules that can stimulate heart muscle regeneration |
| Damaged heart tissue is not known for having much inherent capacity for repair. But now, scientists are closing in on signals that may be able to coax the heart into producing replacement cardiac muscle cells. Using a zebrafish model system, researchers have identified a family of molecules that can stimulate stem cells to develop into beating heart muscle cells. |
| December 23, 2011 |
| Researchers Isolate Chemical Signal that Causes Stem Cells to Repair Skin |
| Bone marrow has long been thought to have a role in repairing damaged skin, and now UK and Japanese researchers think they've found the key to summoning stem cells from bone marrow to the site of damaged skin: a signal known as HMGB1. |
| April 5, 2011 |
| Researchers overcome major obstacle for stem cell therapies and research |
| Stem cells show great potential to enable treatments for conditions such as spinal injuries or Lou Gehrig's disease, and also as research tools. One of the greatest problems slowing such work is that researchers have found major complications in purifying cell mixtures, for instance to remove stem cells that can cause tumors from cells developed for use in medical treatments. But a group of Scripps Research scientists, working with colleagues in Japan, have developed a clever solution to this purification problem that should prove more reliable than other methods, safer, and perhaps 100 times cheaper. |
| September 8, 2011 |
| Researchers parse the origins of hematopoietic stem cells |
| Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified a gene and a novel signaling pathway, both critical for making the first hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in developing vertebrate embryos. The discovery has implications for developing stem cell-based therapies for diseases like leukemia and congenital blood disorders. |
| June 8, 2011 |
| Researchers study how chemicals in drugs and around us impact stem cells |
| Chemicals in pharmaceutical drugs can obviously save lives. But as more and stronger chemicals have been introduced, our basic knowledge of the broader health impact of all these chemicals has not kept up with the rapid pace of innovation. There is exceptionally little information on how chemicals in our drugs and also in the environment around us, including on the food we eat, impact some of the most important cells in our body: stem cells. |
| January 17, 2012 |
| Researchers report progress using iPS cells to reverse blindness |
| Researchers have used cutting-edge stem cell technology to correct a genetic defect present in a rare blinding disorder, another step on a promising path that may one day lead to therapies to reverse blindness caused by common retinal diseases such as macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa which affect millions of individuals. |
| June 15, 2011 |
| Researchers Transform Skin Cells Into Working Neurons for the First Time |
| In a critical first step toward treating nervous system disorders and other degenerative conditions, researchers at Stanford have for the first time transformed human skin cells into functioning neurons. This isn't stem cell technology--using tissue derived from aborted fetuses and the foreskins of newborns, the researchers were able to create working nerve cells that went on to form synapses with other nerve cells. |
| May 31, 2011 |
| Researchers Validate Important Roles of iPSCs in Regenerative Medicine |
| Researchers from Boston University's Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM) have demonstrated that induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) can differentiate into definitive endoderm cells, in vitro, with similar functional potential when compared to embryonic stem cells (ESCs), despite minor molecular differences between the two cell types. |
| May 2, 2011 |
| Rethinking reprogramming: A new way to make stem cells |
| A paper published by Cell Press in the April 8th issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell reveals a new and more efficient method for reprogramming adult mouse and human cells into an embryonic stem cell-like state and could lead to better strategies for developing stem cells for therapeutic use. |
| April 7, 2011 |
| Roberto Bolli discusses cardiac stem cell treatment for heart failure at Cannon Lecture |
| Heart failure affects roughly six million Americans, yet treatment consists of either a heart transplant or the insertion of mechanical devices that assist the heart. This is unacceptable to Roberto Bolli, MD, Chief of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Louisville in Louisville, Ky., which is why he is on a mission to make cardiac stem cell treatment an option for all who must cope with the limitations of a failing heart. |
| April 10, 2011 |
| Rush for patents is choking US stem cell research |
| Cures for paralysis, blindness and diabetes could all be in reach with embryonic stem cell research, but the pursuit of medical progress is being choked by the US rush to secure patents, experts say. |
| January 25, 2011 |
| Results triple researchers' projections with use of adult stem cells for heart failure |
| Patients suffering from heart failure due to a previous myocardial infarction showed an average of 12 percent improvement one year following an investigative treatment that involved infusing them with their own stem cells. |
| November 14, 2011 |
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| 'Stimulated' stem cells stop donor organ rejection |
| Johns Hopkins researchers have developed a way to stimulate a rat's stem cells after a liver transplant as a means of preventing rejection of the new organ without the need for lifelong immunosuppressant drugs. The need for anti-rejection medicines, which carry serious side effects, is a major obstacle to successful long-term transplant survival in people. |
| October 18, 2011 |
| S. Korea approves sales of new stem cell drug |
| South Korea's government drug agency cleared the way Thursday for commercial sales of what it called the world's first approved medicine using stem cells collected from other people. |
| January 19, 2012 |
| Scalable amounts of liver and pancreas precursor cells created using new stem cell production method |
| Scientists in Canada have overcome a key research hurdle to developing regenerative treatments for diabetes and liver disease with a technique to produce medically useful amounts of endoderm cells from human pluripotent stem cells. |
| December 2, 2011 |
| Scientists 'seed' cells, make new organs |
| Engineering organs begins with something missing -- a phantom organ in the body that causes a patient incredible discomfort, dysfunction or pain. It ends with a Star Trek-esque feat of engineering where missing organs are replaced using cells culled from a patient's own body. |
| March 7, 2011 |
| Scientists add four proteins to skin cells to create functional neurons |
| A significant advancement in the effort to study the major diseases of our time |
| May 27, 2011 |
| Scientists characterize and isolate potential stem cells to treat MS, myelin disorders |
| Scientists have improved upon their own previous world-best efforts to pluck out just the right stem cells to address the brain problem at the core of multiple sclerosis and a large number of rare, fatal children's diseases. |
| October 14, 2011 |
| Scientists complete first mapping of molecule found in human embryonic stem cells |
| Stem cell researchers at UCLA have generated the first genome-wide mapping of a DNA modification called 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) in embryonic stem cells, and discovered that it is predominantly found in genes that are turned on, or active. |
| July 21, 2011 |
| Scientists decipher how hair stem cells can communicate with each other |
| Findings hold potential for solution to baldness, with wider implications for stem cell research |
| May 10, 2011 |
| Scientists direct embryonic, induced human stem cells to become astrocytes in lab dish |
| Long considered to be little more than putty in the brain and spinal cord, the star-shaped astrocyte has found new respect among neuroscientists who have begun to recognize its many functions in the brain, not to mention its role in a range of disorders of the central nervous system. |
| May 23, 2011 |
| Scientists discover genetic trigger that makes stem cells differentiate in nose epithelia |
| University of California, Berkeley, neuroscientists have discovered a genetic trigger that makes the nose renew its smell sensors, providing hope for new therapies for people who have lost their sense of smell due to trauma or old age. |
| December 8, 2011 |
| Scientists Devise Way to Sort Brain Cells for Potential Transplants |
| University of Florida scientists have discovered a way to separate the neural wheat from the chaff during the process of generating brain cells for potential patient therapies. |
| July 6, 2011 |
| Scientists find novel form of brain plasticity |
| Scientists have known for years that neurogenesis takes place throughout adulthood in the hippocampus of the mammalian brain. Now Columbia researchers have found that under stressful conditions, neural stem cells in the adult hippocampus can produce not only neurons, but also new stem cells. The brain stockpiles the neural stem cells, which later may produce neurons when conditions become favorable. This response to environmental conditions represents a novel form of brain plasticity. The findings were published online in Neuron on June 9, 2011. |
| June 14, 2011 |
| Scientists Find Stem Cell Reprogramming Technique Is Safer Than Previously Thought |
| Stem cells made by reprogramming patients' own cells might one day be used as therapies for a host of diseases, but scientists have feared that dangerous mutations within these cells might be caused by current reprogramming techniques. A sophisticated new analysis of stem cells' DNA finds that such fears may be unwarranted. |
| October 06, 2011 |
| Scientists gain new insight on role of stem cells in embryonic heart development |
| Breakthrough discovery is likely to advance medicine and human health |
| August 16, 2011 |
| Scientists identify a surprising new source of cancer stem cells |
| Whitehead Institute researchers have discovered that a differentiated cell type found in breast tissue can spontaneously convert to a stem-cell-like state, the first time such behavior has been observed in mammalian cells. These results refute scientific dogma, which states that differentiation is a one-way path; once cells specialize, they cannot return to the flexible stem-cell state on their own. |
| April 11, 2011 |
| Scientists identify gene crucial to normal development of lungs and brain |
| Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have identified a gene that tells cells to develop multiple cilia, tiny hair-like structures that move fluids through the lungs and brain. The finding may help scientists generate new therapies that use stem cells to replace damaged tissues in the lung and other organs. |
| January 12, 2012 |
| Scientists identify lung cancer stem cells and new drug targets |
| Singapore scientists, headed by Dr. Bing Lim, Associate Director of Cancer Stem Cell Biology at the Genome Institute of Singapore, a research institute under the umbrella of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, and Dr Elaine Lim, medical oncologist affiliated with Tan Tock Seng Hospital and National Cancer Centre Singapore, have, for the first time, identified a gene responsible for lung cancer. |
| January 6, 2012 |
| Scientists solve ricin riddle using new technology |
| A protein that controls how the deadly plant poison and bioweapon ricin kills has finally been identified by a team of Austrian researchers in a new study. With a combination of stem cell biology and modern screening methods, the team were able to get to the bottom of how the poison works. |
| December 20, 2011 |
| Scientists identify new stem cell activity in human brain, raise questions of how it develops and evolves |
| Researchers at Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center have identified a new pathway of stem cell activity in the brain that represents potential targets of brain injuries affecting newborns. The recent study, which raises new questions of how the brain evolves, is published in the current issue of Nature, one of the world's most cited scientific journals. |
| September 28, 2011 |
| Scientists learn how stem cell implants help heal traumatic brain injury |
| For years, researchers seeking new therapies for traumatic brain injury have been tantalized by the results of animal experiments with stem cells. In numerous studies, stem cell implantation has substantially improved brain function in experimental animals with brain trauma. But just how these improvements occur has remained a mystery. |
| January 12, 2012 |
| Scientists make human stem cells without working on human embryos |
| Stem cell research courts both controversy and support in the community- depending on your viewpoint. |
| May 17, 2011 |
| Scientists reveal key barrier to reprogramming human zygotes |
| New research from Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) scientists pinpoints a biological barrier that has thus far slowed progress in creating disease-specific stem cell lines using a technique known as nuclear transfer. Identifying the problem opens up new opportunities for scientists to address and possibly overcome it. |
| October 06, 2011 |
| Scientists successfully expand bone marrow-derived stem cells in culture |
| All stem cells -- regardless of their source -- share the remarkable capability to replenish themselves by undergoing self-renewal. Yet, so far, efforts to grow and expand scarce hematopoietic (or blood-forming) stem cells in culture for therapeutic applications have been met with limited success. |
| September 15, 2011 |
| Scientists track neuronal stem cells using MRI |
| Carnegie Mellon University biologists have developed an MRI-based technique that allows researchers to non-invasively follow neural stem cells in vivo. |
| September 29, 2011 |
| Scientists turn back the clock on adult stem cells aging |
| Researchers have shown they can reverse the aging process for human adult stem cells, which are responsible for helping old or damaged tissues regenerate. The findings could lead to medical treatments that may repair a host of ailments that occur because of tissue damage as people age. A research group led by the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and the Georgia Institute of Technology conducted the study in cell culture, which appears in the September 1, 2011 edition of the journal Cell Cycle. |
| September 20, 2011 |
| Scientists Turn Human Skin Cells Directly Into Neurons, Skipping IPS Stage |
| Human skin cells can be converted directly into functional neurons in a period of four to five weeks with the addition of just four proteins, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The finding is significant because it bypasses the need to first create induced pluripotent stem cells, and may make it much easier to generate patient- or disease-specific neurons for study in a laboratory dish. |
| May 26, 2011 |
| Scientists use animal-free reagents to create clinical-grade neurons from skin cells |
| Using a specially designed facility, UCLA stem cell scientists have taken human skin cells, reprogrammed them into cells with the same unlimited property as embryonic stem cells, and then differentiated them into neurons while completely avoiding the use of animal-based reagents and feeder conditions throughout the process. |
| December 9, 2011 |
| Scientists use two methods to manipulate disease-causing mutations in stem cells |
| Using two distinct methods, Whitehead Institute researchers have successfully and consistently manipulated targeted genes in both human embryonic stem (ES) cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells (adult cells that have been reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell-like state). |
| July 16, 2011 |
| Scientists use uterine stem cells to treat diabetes |
| Controlling diabetes may someday involve mining stem cells from the lining of the uterus, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in a new study published in the journal Molecular Therapy. The team treated diabetes in mice by converting cells from the uterine lining into insulin-producing cells. |
| September 14, 2011 |
| Scientists work with RNA silencing and plant stem cells |
| Research on controlling the stem cells of plants could eventually lead to learning how to make them produce more fruit, seed and leaves, according to Dr. Xiuren Zhang, Texas AgriLife Research scientist and professor with the Texas A&M University department of biochemistry and biophysics. Results of a nearly three-year project led by an AgriLife Research team headed by Zhang was published in Cell, one of the most cited scientific peer-review journals in the world. |
| May 16, 2011 |
| SCLZ, Scarlet Heifer enter consulting agreement to develop stem cell cosmetic products |
| Stem Cell Assurance, Inc., announced that it has entered into a consulting agreement with the marketing agency Scarlet Heifer, LLC to develop its Stem Pearls™ cosmetic skincare brand product logo and packaging design, as well as a new ecommerce website. Scarlet Heifer is also working on additional projects with Stem Cell Assurance related to corporate marketing and brand recognition. |
| March 18, 2011 |
| Second annual clinical meeting of Cell Society to be held in San Diego |
| Although demand and interest in adult stem cell therapies are increasing, it has been challenging for physicians, patients and policy-makers to retrieve the most current and accurate information available. |
| December 12, 2011 |
| Sections of retinas regenerated and visual function increased with stem cells from skin |
| Scientists from Schepens Eye Research Institute are the first to regenerate large areas of damaged retinas and improve visual function using IPS cells (induced pluripotent stem cells) derived from skin. The results of their study, which is published in PLoS ONE this month, hold great promise for future treatments and cures for diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, diabetic retinopathy and other retinal diseases that affect millions worldwide. |
| May 16, 2011 |
| Seeking superior stem cells: 100-fold increase in efficiency in reprogramming human cells to induced stem cells |
| Researchers from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute have today announced a new technique to reprogramme human cells, such as skin cells, into stem cells. Their process increases the efficiency of cell reprogramming by one hundred-fold and generates cells of a higher quality at a faster rate. |
| October 10, 2011 |
| Self-Organized Pituitary-Like Tissue from Mouse ES Cells |
| The possibility that functional, three-dimensional tissues and organs may be derived from pluripotent cells, such as embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, represents one of the grand challenges of stem cell research, but is also one of the fundamental goals of the emerging field of regenerative medicine. |
| November 14, 2011 |
| Serum-free media with growth factors can improve MSCs' cell fate regulation |
| Mensenchymal stem cells (MSCs), multipotent cells identified in bone marrow and other tissues, have been shown to be therapeutically effective in the immunosuppression of T-cells, the regeneration of blood vessels, assisting in skin wound healing, and suppressing chronic airway inflammation in some asthma cases. Typically, when MSCs are being prepared for therapeutic applications, they are cultured in fetal bovine serum. |
| June 30, 2011 |
| Signal explains why site of origin affects fate of postnatal neural stem cells |
| New research may help to explain why the location of postnatal neural stem cells in the brain determines the type of new neurons that are generated. The research, published by Cell Press in the July 28 issue of the journal Neuron, demonstrates that a signaling pathway which plays a key role in development also actively regulates the fate of neural stem cells in the adult brain. Manipulation of this signaling pathway redirected the fate of adult stem cells, a finding that may impact the design of future strategies for creating stem cell therapies. |
| July 27, 2011 |
| Signal uncovered to help control when stem cells become fat cells |
| A research team at the School of Medicine and UC-San Francisco has uncovered a molecular signal that plays an important role in directing one type of "adult" stem cells to mature into fat cells. |
| March 28, 2011 |
| Signaling Pathway Is 'Executive Software' of Airway Stem Cells |
| Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have found out how mouse basal cells that line airways "decide" to become one of two types of cells that assist in airway-clearing duties. The findings could help provide new therapies for either blocked or thinned airways. |
| June 20, 2011 |
| Six1 transcription factor an essential regulator in development of embryonic lung epithelial stem cells |
| Scientists at The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles have provided the first evidence that Six1 transcription factor is an essential regulator in the development of embryonic lung epithelial stem cells. |
| May 6, 2011 |
| Sniffing out a new source of stem cells |
| A team of researchers, led by Emmanuel Nivet, now at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, has generated data in mice that suggest that adult stem cells from immune system tissue in the smell-sensing region of the human nose (human olfactory ecto—mesenchymal stem cells [OE-MSCs]) could provide a source of cells to treat brain disorders in which nerve cells are lost or irreparably damaged. |
| June 13, 2011 |
| Source Found for Immune System Effects On Learning, Memory |
| Immune system cells of the brain, which scavenge pathogens and damaged neurons, are also key players in memory and learning, according to new research by Duke neuroscientists. |
| October 26, 2011 |
| South Korea to renew stem cell research after scandal |
| South Korea's president has promised $89m (£56m) in state funds to revive the country's reputation as a world leader in stem cell research. |
| September 19, 2011 |
| Stanford creates first PhD program in stem cell science |
| Stanford University's Faculty Senate today approved the creation of what officials believe is the first stem cell science PhD program in the nation and, perhaps, the world. The new doctoral program in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine is also the first interdisciplinary doctoral program created by the School of Medicine in recent years. |
| April 29, 2011 |
| Stanford team treats final patient in landmark stem cell therapy trial |
| The Stanford University School of Medicine and Santa Clara Valley Medical Center treated the fifth patient in the Geron Corp-sponsored trial of a human embryonic-stem-cell-derived treatment for severe spinal cord injury on Nov. 16. |
| November 21, 2011 |
| Stem Cell Action Coalition issues urgent appeal to Minnesota Governor for SCNT research |
| The Stem Cell Action Coalition issued an urgent appeal to Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton to veto any legislation that contains any impediment to lawful embryonic stem cell research in the state. |
| April 2, 2011 |
| Stem cell bandage human clinical trial for torn meniscal cartilage |
| The company behind a pioneering stem cell bandage, believed to be the world's first adult and autologous stem cell treatment designed to heal torn meniscal cartilage, can now take the technology to human clinical trials thanks to an investment from one of the UK's most successful entrepreneurs. |
| November 14, 2011 |
| Stem cell breakthrough heralds new era of therapy development |
| Scientists at the Universities of Glasgow and Southampton have uncovered a new method for culturing adult stem cells which could lead to the creation of revolutionary stem cell therapies for conditions such as arthritis, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. |
| July 18, 2011 |
| Stem cell discoveries pace growing understanding of human brain's uniqueness |
| Scientists are making great strides in figuring out how the human brain — with its expansive cerebral cortex and corresponding capacity for higher thinking — became one of nature's greatest wonders. Insights about how the brain develops are leading to novel ideas about the causes of a range of brain disorders, and are raising hopes for the regeneration of tissue that is lost in diseases such as Alzheimer's. At the center of this scientific ferment are new stem cell discoveries by researchers at UCSF. |
| April 28, 2011 |
| Stem cell injections may offer hope to patients with no other options |
| An injection of stem cells into the heart could offer hope to many of the 850,000 Americans whose chest pain doesn't subside even with medicine, angioplasty or surgery, according to a study in Circulation Research: Journal of the American Heart Association. |
| July 6, 2011 |
| Stem Cell Mobilization Therapy Safe for Bone Marrow Donors, Study Suggests |
| According to a study published in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), researchers have reported that administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), a drug that releases stem cells from the bone marrow into the blood, is unlikely to put healthy stem cell donors at risk for later development of abnormalities involving loss or gains of chromosomes that have been linked to hematologic disorders such as myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). |
| August 11, 2011 |
| Stem cell odyssey leads from tusks and teeth to gut |
| Look at the teeth on the lab specimen here. Is this the work of a mad scientist? |
| January 11, 2012 |
| Stem cell pluripotency depends on E-cadherin molecule |
| Researchers of the Max Delbr-ck Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch have discovered what enables embryonic stem cells to differentiate into diverse cell types and thus to be pluripotent. This pluripotency depends on a specific molecule - E-cadherin - hitherto primarily known for its role in mediating cell-cell adhesion as a kind of "intracellular glue". If E-cadherin is absent, the stem cells lose their pluripotency. The molecule also plays a crucial role in the reprogramming of somatic cells (body cells) into pluripotent stem cells. |
| May 27, 2011 |
| Stem cell research could prevent premature births |
| Researchers from the University of Reading have developed the first fully tissue-engineered fetal membrane from human stem cells that could significantly reduce the number of premature births. |
| September 7, 2011 |
| Stem cell research in the UK reaches significant milestone |
| Stem cell scientists at King's College London will today announce they have submitted to the UK Stem Cell Bank their first clinical grade human embryonic stem (hES) cell lines that are free from animal-derived products, known as 'xeno-free' stem cells. |
| December 6, 2011 |
| Stem cell researchers awarded $500K prize in NY |
| Three stem cell researchers have been awarded the annual Albany Medical Center Prize in Medicine and Biomedical Research for their pioneering work in human stem cells. |
| March 16, 2011 |
| Stem cell study advances regenerative medicine research |
| Researchers from A*STAR Singapore took lead roles in a study that identified a portion of the genome mutated during long-term culture of human embryonic stem cells. |
| November 28, 2011 |
| Stem cell study aims to reduce amputations |
| UC Davis Vascular Center researchers have embarked on a highly anticipated study that involves using a patient's own stem cells to increase blood circulation to the lower leg with the hope of preventing amputation due to severe arterial disease or diabetes. |
| March 9, 2011 |
| Stem cell study could pave the way to treatment for age-related muscle wasting |
| A team led by developmental biologist Professor Christophe Marcelle has nailed the mechanism that causes stem cells in the embryo to differentiate into specialised cells that form the skeletal muscles of animals' bodies. The scientists published their results in the British journal Nature on Monday (May 16). |
| May 17, 2011 |
| Stem cell study helps clarify the best time for therapy to aid heart attack survivors |
| Physicians have found that stem cells obtained from bone marrow delivered two to three weeks after a person has a heart attack did not improve heart function. This is the first study to systematically examine the timing and method of stem cell delivery and provides vital information for the field of cell therapy. |
| November 14, 2011 |
| Stem cell study reveals complexity of glue molecule's role in cancer |
| A protein molecule that 'glues' cells together and so has a key role in cancer is also responsible for many other important functions of cells, a new study has found. |
| July 14, 2011 |
| Stem cell technology used in unique surgery |
| Surgeon and Professor Michael Olausson was able to create a new connection with the aid of this blood vessel between the liver and the intestines, necessary to cure the girl. The girl is now in good health, and her prognosis is very good. The girl developed during her first year of life a blood clot in the blood vessel that leads blood from the intestines to the liver. This introduced the risk that she would experience life-threatening internal bleeding. The condition can be cured if it is possible to direct the blood along the correct path, back into the liver. In optimal cases, the surgery can be performed using blood vessels from other parts of the patient's body, but a liver transplant may be necessary if the surgery is unsuccessful due to a lack of sufficient blood vessels. A liver transplant will involve subsequent lifelong treatment with immunosuppressive drugs. |
| May 9, 2011 |
| Stem cell therapy for age-related macular degeneration -- a step closer to reality |
| The notion of transplanting adult stem cells to treat or even cure age-related macular degeneration has taken a significant step toward becoming a reality. In a study published today in Stem Cells, Georgetown University Medical Center researchers have demonstrated, for the first time, the ability to create retinal cells derived from human-induced pluripotent stem cells that mimic the eye cells that die and cause loss of sight. |
| March 24, 2011 |
| Stem cell therapy for baldness |
| Researchers have found that molecular signals from stem cells within the skin's fatty layer trigger hair growth in mice. This could mean new treatments for baldness in people. |
| September 5, 2011 |
| Stem cell therapy for diabetes still a long way off |
| Ever since scientists started talking about the potential of embryonic stem cells, curing Type 1 diabetes has been a dear dream. |
| November 11, 2011 |
| Stem cell therapy reverses diabetes |
| Type 1 diabetes is caused by the body's own immune system attacking its pancreatic islet beta cells and requires daily injections of insulin to regulate the patient's blood glucose levels. A new method described in BioMed Central's open access journal BMC Medicine uses stem cells from cord blood to re-educate a diabetic's own T cells and consequently restart pancreatic function reducing the need for insulin. |
| January 10, 2012 |
| Stem Cell Transplant Patients at Greater Risk for Long-Term Health Problems |
| A new study shows that survivors of hematopoietic cell transplants (HCT, which is essentially a stem cell transplant) have a higher risk of developing psychological and chronic health conditions when compared to their siblings. |
| December 11, 2011 |
| Stem cell transplantation prevents further traumatic axonal injury |
| For years, researchers seeking new therapies for traumatic brain injury have been tantalized by the results of animal experiments with stem cells. In numerous studies, stem cell implantation has substantially improved brain function in experimental animals with brain trauma. But just how these improvements occur has remained a mystery. |
| January 13, 2012 |
| Stem Cell Treatment For Blindness Works, and Is Safe |
| Stem cell research, while controversial, has always been touted as the future of disease treatment. There's more evidence to support that claim, as it turns out that stem cell treatment can help cure blindness. |
| January 25, 2012 |
| Stem Cell Treatment May Become Option to Treat Nonhealing Bone Fractures |
| Stem cell therapy enriched with a bone-regenerating hormone, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), can help mend broken bones in fractures that are not healing normally, a new animal study finds. |
| June 6, 2011 |
| Stem Cell-Related Changes That May Contribute to Age-Related Cognitive Decline Identified |
| A new study from Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) offers an explanation for why our brains produce fewer and fewer neurons with age, a phenomenon thought to underlie age-related cognitive decline. The study, published as the cover story in the May 6 issue of Cell Stem Cell, suggests that this drop in production is due to the shrinking cache of adult stem cells in our brains. |
| May 5, 2011 |
| Stem cells could one day stave off blindness, suggests first-ever human trial |
| Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) were first discovered thirteen years ago. Since then, they have shown incredible potential for therapeutic applications in conditions ranging from Alzheimer's disease to diabetes -- but no studies examining their effects in humans had ever been published. Yesterday, however, that all changed. |
| January 24, 2012 |
| Stem cells for the damaged heart |
| Stem cell research got its latest boost. For the first time, stem cells were injected into the hearts of humans who had suffered serious heart damage, and patients improved dramatically. The scientists found that the stem cells grew into new heart cells to replace the damaged tissue. |
| December 5, 2011 |
| Stem cells from bone marrow save the day |
| New research, published in BioMed Central's open access journal Stem Cell Research & Therapy, investigates the therapeutic use of human stem cells from bone marrow against acute lung injury and identifies TNF-a-induced protein 6 as a major molecular component of stem cell action. |
| May 13, 2011 |
| Stem cells from cord blood could help repair damaged heart muscle |
| New research has found that stem cells derived from human cord blood could be an effective alternative in repairing heart attacks. |
| October 13, 2011 |
| Stem cells from patients make 'early retina in a dish' |
| Soon, some treatments for blinding eye diseases might be developed and tested using retina-like tissues produced from the patient's own skin, thanks to a series of discoveries reported by a team of University of Wisconsin-Madison stem cell researchers. |
| June 16, 2011 |
| Stem cells grow fully functional new teeth |
| Researchers from Japan recently published a paper in PLoS One describing their successful growth and transplantation of new teeth created from the stem cells of mice. |
| July 13, 2011 |
| Stem Cells Know Where They Want to Go: Pluripotent Cells Are Not All Equal |
| Human stem cells have the ability to become any cell type in the human body, but when it comes to their destination they know where they want to go. |
| July 6, 2011 |
| Stem cells now being used to treat paralysis in humans — on a trial basis |
| You've heard of stem cell therapies being used to cure or at least partially restore mobility in animals with damaged spinal cords. But what about in humans? Now there are two studies underway. Here's how close we are to seeing humans released from paralysis thanks to stem cells. |
| March 9, 2011 |
| Stem Cells Repair Heart in First-Ever Study |
| It could be the first real treatment for heart failure: a patient's own heart stem cells, harvested during bypass surgery. The first 16 patients treated have better heart function and repair of heart-attack damage. |
| November 14, 2011 |
| Stem Cells Reverse Disease in a Model of Parkinson's Disease |
| A team of researchers -- led by Sang-Hun Lee, at Hanyang University, Republic of Korea, and Kwang-Soo Kim, at Harvard Medical School, Belmont, -- has now compared the ability of cells derived from different types of human stem cell to reverse disease in a rat model of Parkinson disease and identified a stem cell population that they believe could be clinically relevant. |
| May 16, 2011 |
| Stem cells, signaling pathways identified in lung repair |
| Researchers at National Jewish Health have identified cells and signaling molecules that trigger the repair of injured lungs. Stijn De Langhe, PhD, and his colleagues report October 10, 2011, online in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, that destruction of lung tissue in mice induces smooth muscle cells surrounding the airways to secrete a protein known as fibroblast growth factor 10 (FGF10), which induces surviving epithelial cells in the airways to revert to a stem-cell state, proliferate, repair and repopulate the lining of the lungs. |
| October 11, 2011 |
| Stem-Cell Therapy Works Wonders for Race Horses; Are Human Treatments Next? |
| The same techniques used by vets to speed horse rehab might work for humans, too |
| June 14, 2011 |
| Study delineates link between social support and distress after stem cell transplants |
| Researchers at the John Theurer Cancer Center recently published a study delineating the connection of social support to distress after stem cell transplants. Scott Rowley, M.D., Chief, Blood & Marrow Stem Cell Transplantation Program, the John Theurer Cancer Center at Hackensack University Medical Center contributed to the study which was led by Larissa E. Labay from Mt. Sinai. The study was published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, a peer-reviewed publication produced by the American Psychological Association. |
| July 6, 2011 |
| Study finds iPS cells match embryonic stem cells in modeling human disease |
| Stanford University School of Medicine investigators have shown that iPS cells, viewed as a possible alternative to human embryonic stem cells, can mirror the defining defects of a genetic condition — in this instance, Marfan syndrome — as well as embryonic stem cells can. |
| December 13, 2011 |
| Study finds therapies using induced pluripotent stem cells could encounter immune rejection problems |
| Biologists at UC San Diego have discovered that an important class of stem cells known as "induced pluripotent stem cells," or iPSCs, derived from an individual's own cells, could face immune rejection problems if they are used in future stem cell therapies. |
| May 13, 2011 |
| Study identifies new classes of breast stem cells responsible for mammary gland development |
| Publication in Nature advanced on line publication : researchers at the Université libre de Bruxelles, ULB identify distinct types of stem cells that contribute to mammary gland development and maintenance. |
| October 10, 2011 |
| Study identifies unique adult animal stem cells that can turn into neurons |
| A group of scientists at Marshall University is conducting research that may someday lead to new treatments for repair of the central nervous system. |
| March 25, 2011 |
| Study of Stem Cell Diseases Advanced by New Technique |
| A rare genetic disease called dyskeratosis congenita, caused by the rapid shortening of telomeres (protective caps on the ends of chromosomes), can be mimicked through the study of undifferentiated induced pluripotent stem cells, according to new findings from the Stanford University School of Medicine. Although dyskeratosis affects only about one in a million people, the scientists' findings could greatly facilitate research into this and other diseases caused by stem cell malfunctions, including some bone marrow failure syndromes and, perhaps, pulmonary fibrosis. |
| May 23, 2011 |
| Study on effects of adult stem cell treatments in patients with Hereditary Ataxia |
| The Journal of Translational Medicine reports on a new study in which 30 patients with Hereditary Ataxia showed statistically significant improvements in functionality and quality of life after being treated with a combination of cord blood-derived stem cell treatments and physical therapy. |
| September 7, 2011 |
| Study sheds light on stem cell role in regenerating fingers, toes |
| Tissue-specific adult stem cells are responsible for the ability of mammals to re-grow the tips of fingers or toes lost to trauma or surgery, say researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The finding discredits a popular theory that holds that previously specialized cells regress, or dedifferentiate, in response to injury to form a pluripotent repair structure called a blastema. |
| August 25, 2011 |
| Study unlocks origins of blood stem cells |
| A research team led by Nancy Speck, PhD, professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, has discovered a molecular marker for the immediate precursors of hematopoietic (blood) stem cells (HSCs) in the developing embryo, which provides much-needed insights for making these cells from engineered precursors. |
| December 9, 2011 |
| Study uses new stem cell therapy in patients up to 19 days after stroke |
| The first Texas patient has been enrolled by researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) in the country's first double-blind clinical trial studying the safety and efficacy of an innovative stem cell therapy that can be given up to 19 days after an ischemic stroke. |
| July 14, 2011 |
| Studies Track Protein Relevant to Stem Cells, Cancer |
| Last year, a research team at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill discovered one way the protein Tet 1 helps stem cells keep their pluripotency -- the unique ability to become any cell type in the body. In two new studies, the team takes a broad look at the protein's location in the mouse genome, revealing a surprising dual function and offering the first genome-wide location of the protein and its product, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine -- dubbed the "sixth base" of DNA. |
| March 30, 2011 |
| Surgeons use stem cell technology for bone grafts to treat foot, ankle conditions |
| When patients need a bone graft for a foot or ankle surgery, bone often is taken from another part of their body. Now surgeons are using new methods to get bone material and even stem cells right "off the shelf," according to Glenn M. Weinraub, DPM, FACFAS, a California foot and ankle surgeon who is leading a discussion among surgeons on the next decade of bone healing at the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons' (ACFAS) Annual Scientific Conference in Fort Lauderdale. |
| March 14, 2011 |
| Survey reveals scientists have trouble accessing human embryonic stem cell lines |
| The promise of stem cell research for drug discovery and cell-based therapies depends on the ability of scientists to acquire stem cell lines for their research. |
| December 12, 2011 |
| Swiss agency approves clinical trial of UCI-created neural stem cell therapy |
| A therapy developed by Aileen Anderson and Brian Cummings of UC Irvine's Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center in collaboration with researchers at StemCells Inc. will be the basis of the world's first clinical trial using human neural stem cells to treat spinal cord injury. |
| December 7, 2010 |
| Switch That Controls Stem Cell Pluripotency Discovered |
| Scientists have found a control switch that regulates stem cell "pluripotency," the capacity of stem cells to develop into any type of cell in the human body. The discovery reveals that pluripotency is regulated by a single event in a process called alternative splicing. |
| September 15, 2011 |
| T |
| Team develops new method for producing precursor of neurons, bone, other important tissues from stem cells |
| In principle, stem cells offer scientists the opportunity to create specific cell types—such as nerve or heart cells—to replace tissues damaged by age or disease. In reality, coaxing stem cells to become the desired cell type can be challenging, to say the last. |
| November 14, 2011 |
| Teens claim top prizes in 2011 Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology for designing nanoparticles to fight cancer |
| The year's highest science honor for high school students was awarded today to biochemistry research on cancer stem cells and an innovative use of gaming technology in the area of leg injuries and prosthetics in the 2011 Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology. |
| December 5, 2011 |
| Tet further revealed: Studies track protein relevant to stem cells, cancer |
| Last year, a research team at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill discovered one way the protein Tet 1 helps stem cells keep their pluripotency the unique ability to become any cell type in the body. In two new studies, the team takes a broad look at the protein's location in the mouse genome, revealing a surprising dual function and offering the first genome-wide location of the protein and its product, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine dubbed the "sixth base" of DNA. |
| March 30, 2011 |
| Texas Gov. Rick Perry tries experimental stem cell therapy |
| Texas Gov. Rick Perry last month underwent a procedure where stem cells, made from fat taken from his body, were put into his bloodstream to see if they might find their way to help heal the bones in his back. |
| August 22, 2011 |
| The 7th annual World Stem Cell Summit takes place in Pasadena, CA |
| Stem cell research and regenerative medicine has long held the potential to treat serious medical conditions, but only recently has the industry as a whole begun to take shape. What was once confined within the realm of research and academia is now attracting the interest of corporations and philanthropists who are investing large amounts of money into this promising science. |
| September 30, 2011 |
| The case of the missing monocyte: Scientists investigate gene that appears to protect against rheumatoid arthritis |
| An estimated 1.3 million people in the United States suffer from rheumatoid arthritis. The causes behind this chronic disease — which can exhibit itself as pain, swelling, stiffness, deformation, and loss of function in the joints — have eluded scientists for centuries. A new study by UNC researchers offers tantalizing glimmers about the roles of a gene called CCR2, an immune system cell called Th17 cell, and a missing monocyte. |
| October 11, 2011 |
| The future of stem cell research |
| Perhaps no single scientist has had a greater impact on stem cell research than Dr. Shinya Yamanaka. While most of his colleagues were looking for ways to grow human embryonic stem cells into replacement tissues for treating patients, the Japanese researcher took the opposite approach and figured out how to rewind mature body cells to a flexible state where they could again become many types of cells in the body. His 2006 discovery of so-called iPS cells (induced pluripotent stem cells) paves the way for pursuing regenerative medicine therapies without the need to destroy embryos. |
| December 8, 2010 |
| The sweet mysteries of the nervous system |
| Researchers in Germany have produced an antibody that allows them to distinguish the numerous types of stem cells in the nervous system better than before. |
| May 10, 2011 |
| Therapeutically useful stem cell derivatives in need of stability |
| Human stem cells capable of giving rise to any fetal or adult cell type are known as pluripotent stem cells. It is hoped that such cells, the most well known being human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), can be used to generate cell populations with therapeutic utility. In this context, neural derivatives of hESCs are being tested in clinical trials. |
| January 24, 2012 |
| This Is the Smallest Race In the World |
| A group of crazy and wonderful scientists have organized the World Cell Race. 50 lab teams from all over the world sent their microscopic pilots to race against each other. The winner: a bone marrow stem cell line from Singapore. |
| December 5, 2011 |
| Thriving stem cells created by cloning technique |
| In a breakthrough that has been debated and awaited for long, scientists have finally derived colonies of embryonic stem cells from human embryos created using cloning technology. |
| October 06, 2011 |
| Timing for clinical trials for stem cell therapy in spinal cord injuries is right |
| Regenerative medicine in spinal cord injuries (SCI) is proving to help the human body create new cell and nerve connections that are severed during this type of injury. In a review of current scientific research for stem cell treatment in SCI published this month in the Springer journal Neurotheraputics, Dr. Michael Fehlings and Dr. Reaz Vawda from the Krembil Neuroscience Centre, Toronto Western Hospital in Ontario, Canada, provide evidence that supports researchers moving beyond the lab to conduct human clinical trials for stem cells. |
| October 18, 2011 |
| Tiny Cell Patterns Reveal the Progression of Development and Disease |
| Scientists have long known that, to form tissue structures and organs, stem cells migrate and differentiate in response to the other cells, matrix, and signals in their environment. But not much is known about these developmental processes nor how to distinguish between normal and pathological behaviors. A team of researchers at Columbia Engineering School has developed a new technique to evaluate human stem cells using cell micropatterning -- a simple but powerful in vitro tool that will enable scientists to study the initiation of left-right asymmetry during tissue formation, to diagnose disease, and to study factors that could lead to certain birth defects. |
| June 27, 2011 |
| Trade name 'The Stem Cell Group' registered for Celulas Genetica |
| Emerging Healthcare Solutions, Inc. announced today that it registered a trade name, "The Stem Cell Group," for use in marketing and branding its subsidiary company, Celulas Genetica. |
| March 9, 2011 |
| Transplanting umbilical cord and menstrual blood-derived stem cells offer hope for disorders |
| Transplanting stem cells derived from umbilical cord blood cells and menstrual blood cells may offer future therapeutic benefit for those suffering from stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), says a team of neuroscience researchers from the University of South Florida's Department of Neurosurgery and Brain Repair and collaborators from three private-sector research groups, Saneron CCEL Therapeutics, Inc., Tampa, FL, Cryo-Cell International, Inc., Oldsmar, FL, and Cryopraxis, Cell Praxis, BioRio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. |
| March 7, 2011 |
| Turning back the clock on aging stem cells to make better bone |
| Bone-weakening osteoporosis results in a fracture every three seconds worldwide, according to the International Osteoporosis Foundation. The right nutrients resulting in the right signals could help aging stem cells act more youthful, producing stronger bones longer and reducing the death and disability associated with a frail framework, Georgia Health Sciences University researchers say. |
| June 10, 2011 |
| U |
| 'Unnatural' chemical allows researchers to watch protein action in brain cells |
| Researchers at the Salk Institute have been able to genetically incorporate "unnatural" amino acids, such as those emitting green fluorescence, into neural stem cells, which then differentiate into brain neurons with the incandescent "tag" intact. |
| July 6, 2011 |
| U-M's North Campus Research Complex gets first lab-based scientists |
| Scientists bring cutting-edge investigations into heart muscle function, U-M's DNA sequencing unit also relocates to NCRC |
| March 9, 2011 |
| UCF patented on induced pluripotent stem cells, iPS cells |
| A process that prompts a single gene to generate millions of supercharged stem cells, which can then turn into any kind of cell a body needs to repair itself, has been patented at the University of Central Florida. |
| December 22, 2011 |
| UK Researchers Urge Rules Governing Creation and Use of Human-Animal Hybrids |
| A new regulatory group should be formed to oversee experiments that mix animal and human DNA, British researchers said Friday. While the experiments themselves don't necessarily need stricter regulation, there are a few types of experiments that could "approach social and ethically sensitive areas," so they should have an extra layer of scrutiny, the researchers said. |
| July 22, 2011 |
| Umbilical cord blood-derived stem cells studied for lupus therapy |
| Human umbilical cord blood-derived mensenchymal stem cells (uMSCs) have been found to offer benefits for treating lupus nephritis (LN) when transplanted into mouse models of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). SLE is an autoimmune disease with "myriad immune system aberrations" characterized by diverse clinical conditions, including LN, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality for patients with SLE. |
| April 11, 2011 |
| Understanding pluripotent stem cells |
| Paul Tesar, PhD, of Case Western Reserve University, a member of the inaugural class of The New York Stem Cell Foundation — Robertson Investigators, published his research on the ability to isolate epiblast stem cells from preimplantation mouse embryos. This research enhances our understanding of the many forms of pluriportent stem cells that scientists use for researching so many debilitating diseases. |
| March 8, 2011 |
| University of Louisville surgeons perform first prosthetic bypass graft with patient's stem cells at point-of-care |
| The first three patients to undergo an investigational surgical procedure for peripheral vascular disease that involves the patient's own stem cells continue to do well, reports the University of Louisville surgeon who is the principal investigator. |
| June 17, 2011 |
| Using stem cells to regrow muscle, bone |
| Among the most debilitating of diseases are degenerative ones, in which a person's health slowly declines over time. And some of the worst of these diseases involve the deterioration of muscle or bone. |
| March 9, 2011 |
| Uterine stem cells used to treat diabetes in mice |
| NIH-funded researchers convert cells from uterine lining into insulin-producing cells |
| August 30, 2011 |
| UTHealth Phase I trial: Bone marrow stem cell therapy feasible, safe for acute stroke patients |
| Using a patient's own bone marrow stem cells to treat acute stroke is feasible and safe, according to the results of a ground-breaking Phase I trial at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). |
| September 2, 2011 |
| UTHealth studies cord blood stem cells for pediatric traumatic brain injury |
| The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) has begun enrollment for the first Phase I safety study approved by the Food and Drug Administration to investigate the use of a child's own umbilical cord blood stem cells for traumatic brain injury in children. The study is being performed in conjunction with Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, UTHealth's primary children's teaching hospital. |
| January 5, 2011 |
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| Vatican, biotech firm host adult stem cell meeting |
| The Vatican has entered into an unusual partnership with a small U.S. biotech company to promote using adult stem cells for treating disease, rather than focusing research on embryonic stem cells. |
| November 9, 2011 |
| Versatility of stem cells controlled by alliances, competitions of proteins |
| Like people with a big choice to make, stem cells have a process to "decide" whether to transform into a specific cell type or to stay flexible, a state that biologists call "pluripotency." Using a technology he invented, Brown researcher William Fairbrother and colleagues have discovered new molecular interactions in the process that will help regenerative medicine researchers better understand pluripotency. |
| April 27, 2011 |
| Verastem raises $32 million to develop targeted cancer stem cell therapies |
| Verastem, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering and developing drugs to treat breast and other cancers by targeting cancer stem cells, announced today that it has raised $32 million through a Series B financing. Proceeds from the financing will support ongoing research and development and will progress drug candidates into clinical development. The first candidate is projected to enter the clinic in 2012. |
| July 14, 2011 |
| Virus-Free Method Turns Blood Into Heart Cells |
| Turning one type of cell into another generally requires using viruses that carry the necessary genes for the job. Viruses, though, are prone to causing unwanted changes in DNA that can lead to cancer formation. Avoiding viruses altogether, researchers at Johns Hopkins are using non-integrating episomal plasmids to transform blood cells into cardiac cells: |
| April 22, 2011 |
| Vision improves modestly in patients after human embryonic stem cells transplants |
| Researchers at UCLA's Jules Stein Eye Institute and colleagues who successfully transplanted specialized retinal cells derived from human embryonic stem cells into the eyes of two legally blind patients report that the transplants appear safe and that both patients have experienced modest improvement in their vision. |
| January 24, 2012 |
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| What Decides Neural Stem Cell Fate? Only Cells Expressing SOX2 Gatekeeper Gene Have Potential to Become Neurons |
| Early in embryonic development, the neural crest -- a transient group of stem cells -- gives rise to parts of the nervous system and several other tissues. But little is known about what determines which cells become neurons and which become other cell types. A team led by Dr. Alexey Terskikh at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) recently found that expression of a gene called SOX2 maintains the potential for neural crest stem cells to become neurons in the peripheral nervous system, where they interface with muscles and other organs. |
| May 5, 2011 |
| What If We've All Been Wrong About Provenge? |
| One of the first big stories I wrote about at Forbes was the controversy over embryonic stem cells that raged in 2000 and 2001 and resulted in a major compromise announced by President Bush ten years ago. |
| September 8, 2011 |
| Why stem cells don't just want to make neurons |
| Research being presented today at the UK National Stem Cell Network annual science conference provides another piece in the puzzle of why it can be so hard to produce large numbers of the same type of cell in the lab — a process that is vital for scaling up stem cell production for therapeutic use. This knowledge will help researchers to develop strategies for obtaining the desired cell type for use in either research or medicine. |
| April 1, 2011 |
| Why the Human Heart Can't Regenerate Itself |
| Stem cell researchers at UCLA have uncovered for the first time why adult human cardiac myocytes have lost their ability to proliferate, perhaps explaining why the human heart has little regenerative capacity. |
| August 9, 2011 |
| Winding back the clock with kidney stem cells |
| Stem cell research courts both controversy and support in the community- depending on your viewpoint. |
| May 16, 2011 |
| World's first stem cell bandage in human clinical trials |
| The company behind a pioneering stem cell bandage, believed to be the world's first adult and autologous (patient's own) stem cell treatment designed to heal torn meniscal cartilage, can now take the technology to human clinical trials thanks to an investment from one of the UK's most successful entrepreneurs. |
| November 14, 2011 |
| Worm Regenerates a Whole New Body From a Single Cell |
| One cell is all it takes to rebuild a complete, functioning flatworm, researchers have learned. The animals possess a special type of cell throughout their bodies, which shares some qualities with human embryonic stem cells. If scientists can find out how this special cell works, they could someday study ways to use the cells for human tissue regeneration. |
| May 13, 2011 |
| Wound-Treating Jelly Regenerates Fresh, Scar-Free Skin |
| Tissue engineering and tissue healing have a common complication -- it's difficult to build new blood vessels throughout the rebuilt skin, but vasculature is required to keep the skin alive. This is especially problematic for victims of severe burns. A new customized sugary gel substance can work wonders to re-grow skin and the associated blood vessels. |
| December 15, 2011 |
| Z |
| Zebrafish Regrow Fins Using Multiple Cell Types, Not Identical Stem Cells |
| What does it take to regenerate a limb? Biologists have long thought that organ regeneration in animals like zebrafish and salamanders involved stem cells that can generate any tissue in the body. But new research suggests that multiple cell types are needed to regrow the complete organ, at least in zebrafish. |
| May 16, 2011 |