Stem Cells News and Research

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Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. In addition, in many tissues they serve as a sort of internal repair system, dividing essentially without limit to replenish other cells as long as the person or animal is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential either to remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell.

Study maps DNA methylation changes driving MDS stem cell dysfunction

Published on April 01, 2026, in Volume 2, article number 19 of the journal Immunity & Inflammation, a collaborative team led by Prof. Cao at the Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, along with Dr. Liangding Hu at the Fifth Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital, and Professors Qian Zhang and Yanmei Han at the National Key Laboratory of Immunity and Inflammation, Naval Medical University, has generated the first base-resolution DNA methylome of human MDS HSCs.

9 Apr 2026

New 3D organoid model advances pediatric glioma research and treatment

A three-dimensional experimental system has been developed to study the response to drugs in low-grade glioma, a tumor of the central nervous system that often occurs in children.

9 Apr 2026

OICR funds four Ontario teams to develop next-generation cancer therapies

Better cancer care depends on better treatment options. That's why the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) is supporting four Ontario-based research teams working to develop the next generation of cancer therapies that are designed to be more effective at destroying tumors, have reduced side effects, and make cancer less likely to return.

9 Apr 2026

Study reveals lung-brain link between smoking and neurodegeneration

The correlation between smoking and neurodegeneration is well-documented, with one study from 2011 finding heavy smoking in midlife was associated with a greater than 100% increase in risk of dementia, Alzheimer's and vascular dementia more than two decades later.

8 Apr 2026

Stem cell study identifies universal checkpoint controlling cell identity

A study published in Cell Research advances a central idea in stem cell biology by identifying a checkpoint that controls the identity of many different types of stem cells across developmental stages.

8 Apr 2026

New MRI method tracks transplanted heart stem cells for months

Researchers at the Institute of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Toronto have demonstrated a new way to monitor transplanted stem-cell-derived heart cells using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

8 Apr 2026

Study reveals how hyperdiploidy creates rare pre-leukemic clones in children

B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the most common form of childhood cancer. In this type of cancer, which affects blood cells, one of the most common abnormalities is the presence of cells with an excess of chromosomes (hyperdiploidy), a condition that leads to chromosomal instability.

8 Apr 2026

Study advances safe, reversible male contraceptive without hormones

Cornell University scientists have taken a major step toward developing a safe, reversible, long-acting and 100% effective nonhormonal male contraceptive, considered the holy grail of male contraception.

7 Apr 2026

CiQUS researchers develop flexible chemical strategy to create biomimetic synthetic cells

A team at the Center for Research in Biological Chemistry and Molecular Materials (CiQUS) at the University of Santiago de Compostela has developed a more flexible chemical strategy to create biomimetic structures—artificial systems that mimic cellular functions.

7 Apr 2026

Scientists create large library of mitochondrial DNA mutant models

Some of your most important life partners are the mitochondria that power all your cells. You and these little cellular powerhouses are in a 1.5-billion-year-old evolutionary relationship-but mitochondria brought some baggage.

6 Apr 2026

Researchers develop low-cost scalable sensors to study genetic brain disorders

Researchers have demonstrated a new class of low-cost, scalable sensors that can be used to monitor electrical activity in human cerebral organoids.

2 Apr 2026

Gene-edited treatment shows promising outcomes for severe sickle cell disease

New results from a clinical trial show promising outcomes for a gene-edited treatment for severe sickle cell disease, a genetic blood disorder with few curative options.

1 Apr 2026

PRISM ALS: A new global collaboration to expand patient-derived stem cell models and accelerate treatments

A new global initiative launched today aims to close a critical gap in ALS/MND drug discovery - current cell models used for testing treatments do not currently reflect the diverse nature of the disease - that affects both researchers developing therapies and the people urgently waiting for them.

From ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) 1 Apr 2026

Machine learning helps predict risks during stem cell therapy for myeloma

Multiple myeloma is a cancer in which plasma cells, which normally produce antibodies, multiply uncontrollably in the bone marrow.

31 Mar 2026

New stem cell therapy offers permanent cure for Hirschsprung disease

Scientists are developing a revolutionary new stem cell therapy to treat a rare and life-threatening disease that leaves newborn babies unable to function without invasive surgery, thanks to a collaboration between UCL, the University of Sheffield and Queen's University Belfast.

31 Mar 2026

New T cell mechanism could lead to longer-lasting vaccines

Researchers at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine have identified a possible way to make longer lasting vaccines for respiratory viruses like influenza and the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

31 Mar 2026

Chronic colitis reshapes colon stem cells in ways that can accelerate tumour growth

Researchers showed that chronic colitis leaves a long-lasting epigenetic memory in colonic stem cells, persisting for more than 100 days after recovery in mice. This memory is marked by durable AP-1-linked chromatin changes and later amplifies tumour outgrowth after oncogenic mutation.

29 Mar 2026

FDA approves first gene therapy for rare pediatric immune disorder

Dr. Donald Kohn has been developing gene therapies for rare pediatric immune disorders for over 30 years.

27 Mar 2026

Scientists discover how brain development programs fuel pediatric tumors

A team of researchers at Baylor College of Medicine, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Texas Children's Hospital, and collaborating institutions reveals in the journal Nature a novel mechanism that drives the development of pediatric supratentorial ependymoma (EPN), the third most common pediatric brain tumor. The findings suggest potential new approaches to treat these aggressive and chemo-resistant tumors.

26 Mar 2026

New brain atlas reveals how the human neocortex forms over time

In a bid to better understand, and potentially treat, a host of conditions that affect early cognition, neurodevelopment and the brain later in life, investigators at Johns Hopkins Medicine and colleagues throughout the world have been mapping the molecular construction of the human brain.

25 Mar 2026