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.

Researchers use gelation chips to develop strong muscle fibers

USC researcher Megan L. McCain and colleagues have devised a way to develop bigger, stronger muscle fibers. But instead of popping up on the bicep of a bodybuilder, these muscles grow on a tiny scaffold or "chip" molded from a type of water-logged gel made from gelatin.

1 Jul 2016

Novel high-resolution method helps study which genes are active in tissues

Scientists at Karolinska Institutet and the Royal Institute of Technology have devised a new high-resolution method for studying which genes are active in a tissue.

1 Jul 2016

New technique can help identify aggressive forms of DCIS

When a woman is diagnosed with the earliest stage of breast cancer, how aggressive should her treatment be? Will the non-invasive cancer become invasive? Or is it a slow-growing variety that will likely never be harmful?

1 Jul 2016

Researchers develop in vitro model system for investigating etiology of NAFLD

Researchers from the Institute for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine at the University Clinic of Düsseldorf have established an in vitro model system for investigating nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

30 Jun 2016

Researchers develop 2D culture system that mimics development of the whole eye

Research groups led by Professor Kohji Nishida of the Department of Ophthalmology and Endowed Associate Professor Ryuhei Hayashi of the Department of Stem Cells and Applied Medicine, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, developed a 2D culture system which mimics the development of the whole eye by promoting cell-autonomous differentiation of human iPS cells.

30 Jun 2016

New IDSA guidelines focus on diagnosis, treatment of deadly aspergillosis

New therapies are improving care, but early diagnosis remains critical in the effective treatment of invasive, a potentially deadly fungal infection, according to new guidelines released by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

30 Jun 2016

Stem cell procedure may be safe for ALS patients

A phase II clinical trial in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease, suggests that transplanting human stem cells into the spinal cord may be done safely.

30 Jun 2016

Researchers devise method to identify functional contribution of SIRT6

The enzyme sirtuin 6, or SIRT6, serves many key biological functions in regulating genome stability, DNA repair, metabolism and longevity, but how its multiple enzyme activities relate to its various functions is poorly understood.

29 Jun 2016

Therapeutic stem cells exit bloodstream in different way than previously thought

Researchers at North Carolina State University have discovered that therapeutic stem cells exit the bloodstream in a different manner than was previously thought. This process, dubbed angiopellosis by the researchers, has implications for improving our understanding of not only intravenous stem cell therapies, but also metastatic cancers.

29 Jun 2016

Scientists develop novel bionic cardiac patch to treat heart problems

Scientists and doctors in recent decades have made vast leaps in the treatment of cardiac problems - particularly with the development in recent years of so-called "cardiac patches," swaths of engineered heart tissue that can replace heart muscle damaged during a heart attack.

28 Jun 2016

LIF-treated muscle stem cells show promise in treatment of muscular dystrophy

Satellite cells are stem cells found in skeletal muscles. While transplantation of such muscle stem cells can be a potent therapy for degenerative muscle diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, these cells tend to lose their transplantation efficiency when cultured in vitro.

28 Jun 2016

Combined therapy approach could prove promising to treat brain cancer

A "combined therapy" approach to treating the most common form of brain cancer could prove promising, scientists say.

28 Jun 2016

3D printing with bioink may produce cartilage patches for worn out joints

Strands of cow cartilage substitute for ink in a 3D bioprinting process that may one day create cartilage patches for worn out joints, according to a team of engineers.

28 Jun 2016

Eye donations: what stops people? An interview with Rory Passmore

Despite a shortage of corneas for transplant purposes, our new research reveals that eyes are the one body part we are least likely to donate.

27 Jun 2016

Regenerative medicine shows promise for bronchopleural fistulas

When current treatment isn't enough, patients at Mayo Clinic often are among the first to benefit from innovative therapies, new techniques and technologies. For the first time in human application, Mayo Clinic researchers successfully closed an open wound on the upper chest caused by postoperative complications of lung removal.

25 Jun 2016

New study shows microRNAs play important role in inducing asthma

A new study shows that microRNAs, which are small, noncoding RNA molecules that can silence genes, have an important role in inducing asthma.

24 Jun 2016

Scientists uncover how changes in metabolism of embryonic stem cells can help engineer new blood vessels

Researchers from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine have uncovered how changes in metabolism of human embryonic stem cells help coax them to mature into specific cell types — and may improve their function in engineered organs or tissues.

24 Jun 2016

Scientists elucidate why acute leukemias with same genetic abnormality vary in aggressiveness

Scientists at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research and the University of Basel have discovered why acute leukemias with the same genetic abnormality vary in their aggressiveness based on their cellular origin.

24 Jun 2016

Gamma-ray irradiation improves safety of stem cell transplantation in Parkinson’s disease patients

Replacing dopamine-producing cells in the brain represents a promising therapeutic approach in Parkinson's disease, and a new study shows how post-transplantation gamma-ray irradiation can reduce the risk of tumor formation.

24 Jun 2016

Scientists discover how faulty genetic instructions contribute to development of AML

Scientists have previously identified a series of genetic errors that commonly occur inside cancerous blood cells, but it hasn't been clear exactly how those genetic malfunctions create immature blood cells that overpopulate, crowd out healthy cells and spread in patients with acute myeloid leukemia or AML.

24 Jun 2016