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.

Successful gene therapy trial in patients with X-linked Chronic Septic Granulomatosis

American and British teams led by Drs Kohn (University of California, Los Angeles), Malech (NIH), Williams (Boston Children's) and Trasher (Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health) published yesterday in Nature Medicine the conclusive results of a gene therapy trial conducted in the United States and Great Britain in 9 patients with X-linked Chronic Septic Granulomatosis (X-CGD), a rare and severe immune dysfunction. Six of them are free of treatment for complications generated by the disease.

28 Jan 2020

Study suggests prenatal origin for ‘young’ Parkinson’s disease

A new study published in the journal Nature Medicine on January 2020 suggests that Parkinson’s disease developing before the age of 50 years could be due to an abnormality in certain brain cells that remains dormant until the age of onset of the disease. It also indicates the potential usefulness of a specific drug to prevent this by correcting the brain cell disorder.

27 Jan 2020

Scientists reveal the damaging effect of Zika virus on a type of brain cell

The Zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak in Brazil in 2015 sparked for many health agencies and scientists to study the pathogen, which has been linked to microcephaly and other fetal neurological disorders collectively known as Congenital Zika Syndrome.

27 Jan 2020

Parkinson's disease may affect brain cells before birth

People who develop Parkinson's disease before age 50 may have been born with disordered brain cells that went undetected for decades, according to new Cedars-Sinai research. The research points to a drug that potentially might help correct these disease processes.

27 Jan 2020

Research unravels consequences of Zika virus attack on neural cells

Previous studies regarding the damage of the Zika virus on the brain had already pointed out the virus's predilection for a certain neural cell: the astrocyte. However, few studies have proposed to identify the infection effects on these cells, as well as their association with developmental alterations, including brain malformations and microcephaly.

27 Jan 2020

Snake stem cells create real venom to use as medicine

Poisonous snakes kill more than 90,000 people each year across the globe, with about 1.2 million to 5.5 million snake bites occur annually. Despite the venomous bite, scientists have limited knowledge of the snake’s venom, complicating efforts to develop treatments. A new study has found that snake venom gland cells can be cultured in the lab as adult-stem-cell-based organoids, producing real venom, which can be used to develop treatments.

26 Jan 2020

A single number aids biomedical data scientists in finding deadly cancer cells

Biomedical data scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have shown that the number of genes a cell uses to make RNA is a reliable indicator of how developed the cell is, a finding that could make it easier to target cancer-causing genes.

24 Jan 2020

Why yogurt consumption may help reduce breast cancer risk

One of the causes of breast cancer may be inflammation triggered by harmful bacteria say researchers.

24 Jan 2020

Scientists visualize diabetes-related proteins at high resolution

Scientists have examined a key receptor for the first time at high resolution - broadening understanding of how it might function, and opening the door to future improvements in treating conditions such as type 2 diabetes.

24 Jan 2020

3D capillary system offers a new approach to investigate obstruction of microvessels

Engineered human capillaries are providing an astounding view of how red blood cells transit ultra-small blood vessels.

23 Jan 2020

Diabetes-related proteins seen in high-res for the first time

A team of researchers have reported, in an exciting study published in the journal Nature Communications, that they were able to examine an important receptor at high definition for the first time. This detailed visualization has helped them greatly to understand its mechanism of functioning. This could help develop better ways to treat Type 2 diabetes mellitus as well as other conditions.

23 Jan 2020

Study reveals presence of functional extracellular mitochondria in the bloodstream

Mitochondria are organelles that are found in the eukaryotic cells. A place of cellular respiration, they are the cells' "batteries" and play a major role in energy metabolism and intercellular communication.

23 Jan 2020

Scientists use human stem cells to make pain-killing neurons

Researchers at the University of Sydney have used human stem cells to make pain-killing neurons that provide lasting relief in mice, without side effects, in a single treatment.

23 Jan 2020

Transcriptional scanning in the sperm may regulate rate of human evolution

Maturing sperm cells turn on most of their genes, not to follow their genetic instructions like normal, but instead to repair DNA before passing it to the next generation, a new study finds.

23 Jan 2020

Study finds stress does whiten hair

In most cases, hair starts to gray in the thirties, and becomes pronounced in the fifties, at which time the head is typically crowned with a thatch of white, gray and perhaps some hair of the original color. A new study published January 2020 in the journal Nature, shows that this process is speeded up significantly by acute stress persisting over a period, or by severe trauma.

22 Jan 2020

Molecular biologists identify gene that puts brakes on tissue growth

The planarian flatworm is a simple animal with a mighty and highly unusual ability: it can regenerate itself from nearly every imaginable injury, including decapitation. These tiny worms can regrow any missing cell or tissue -- muscle, neurons, epidermis, eyes, even a new brain.

22 Jan 2020