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.

Notch activation determines signals necessary to generate hematopoietic stem cells in laboratory

An international study led by researchers from IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute) published in the journal Nature Communications has revealed that the intensity or efficiency of the activation of a protein called Notch, which is involved in the different phases of embryonic development, determines the fate of cells, i.e. if cells will form the aorta artery or blood (hematopoietic) stem cells. For artery cells, many Notch molecules need to be activated, whereas for hematopoietic cells many fewer are needed.

14 Oct 2015

New hope for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

New hope for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients. A mouse genetic study in PLoS Medicine reports that targeting the P2RX7 gene, a purinoreceptor, may halt the progression of DMD.

14 Oct 2015

Stem cell research to help combat congenital brittle bone disease

A study involving researchers from the Department of Genetics at the University of Leicester is to be conducted for the first time involving the transplantation of stem cells into foetuses with the brittle-bone disease osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), which causes repeated fractures, often before birth.

12 Oct 2015

UV robots help reduce rates of C. diff transmission among cancer inpatients

Robots are capable of all sorts of tasks to help better treat cancer: They connect oncologists to patients remotely, make incisions, staple them shut, deliver "nano" therapies--and they clean rooms. New research from Penn Medicine infection control specialists found that ultraviolet (UV) robots helped reduce the rates transmission of the common bacterial infection known as Clostridium difficile among cancer inpatients - mostly blood cancer patients, a group more vulnerable to hospital-acquired infections - by 25 percent. The interventions also saved about $150,000 in annual direct medical costs.

12 Oct 2015

Scientists can now use skin samples from older patients to grow brain cells

For the first time, scientists can use skin samples from older patients to create brain cells without rolling back the youthfulness clock in the cells first. The new technique, which yields cells resembling those found in older people's brains, will be a boon to scientists studying age-related diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.

9 Oct 2015

Scientists engineer stem cells to better understand mechanisms behind leukemia

Scientists engineered stem cells to better understand the mechanisms behind a form of leukemia caused by changes in a key gene, according to a study led by Mount Sinai researchers and published online today in the journal Cell Reports.

9 Oct 2015

Light-chain amyloidosis patients treated with high-dose chemo and stem cell transplantation have long-term survival

Patients with Light-chain (AL) amyloidosis who are treated with high-dose chemotherapy (melphalan) and autologous (one's own) stem cell transplantation (HDM/SCT) have the greatest success for long-term survival.

9 Oct 2015

Half-matched donor bone marrow transplant just as good as full match, new study shows

Bone marrow transplantation is a life-saving therapy for many patients with blood cancers like leukemias and lymphomas. Currently, the gold standard blood-generating stem cells are obtained from a donor, a sibling, with a perfect match to the patient in order to minimize the chance of rejection and other complications. However, not all patients will have a perfectly matched sibling. Some cancer centers have begun to explore whether half-matched donors might work just as well.

8 Oct 2015

New report reveals more about how stem cells are affected by immediate surroundings

A Johns Hopkins University biologist has led a research team reporting progress in understanding the mysterious shape-shifting ways of stem cells, which have vast potential for medical research and disease treatment.

8 Oct 2015

Scientists identify culprit genes behind the formation and progression of breast tumours

A team from the SingHealth Duke-NUS Academic Medical Centre, comprising scientists and clinicians from the National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore General Hospital and Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, has uncovered the genetic landscape of a distinct breast tumour group called fibroepithelial tumours.

8 Oct 2015

Three researchers recognised for their contributions to Australian medical research

Three top Walter and Eliza Hall Institute researchers have been recognised for their contributions to Australian medical research, with their election as fellows of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.

7 Oct 2015

Houston Methodist-led research team one step closer to developing technologies to fix broken bones

A collaborative research team led by scientists at Houston Methodist is one step closer to developing technologies that could help mend broken bones faster. The Department of Defense awarded close to $6 million to the Houston Methodist Research Institute for an initiative aimed at studying two new materials to repair complex fractures in long bones.

7 Oct 2015

SCT, Thermo Fisher Scientific collaborate to advance development of cardiac disease models

Stem Cell Theranostics announced today that they have successfully completed a research collaboration with Thermo Fisher Scientific focused on advancing the development of cardiac disease models derived from induced pluripotent stem cells using Thermo Fisher Scientific's suite of work flow reagents and SCT's patient biobank and proprietary disease modeling methods.

7 Oct 2015

Scientists awarded £417,000 to develop a gel to advance breast cancer research, reduce animal testing

Scientists at the Universities of Manchester and Nottingham have been funded to develop a gel that will match many of the biological structures of human breast tissue, to advance cancer research and reduce animal testing.

7 Oct 2015

New book highlights sophisticated neurogenic processes in adult mammalian brain

In discrete locations of the adult brain, new neurons are born from stem cells that differentiate, migrate, and integrate into the existing neural network. This process is implicated in normal brain functions such as memory formation and is disrupted in many disease states, including Alzheimer's, schizophrenia, and depression.

7 Oct 2015

300 research publications using ACD’s RNAscope® Technology

Advanced Cell Diagnostics Inc. (ACD), a technology and market leader in the field of molecular pathology and developer of cell and tissue-based RNA analysis tools, is celebrating a significant milestone.

From Advanced Cell Diagnostics 6 Oct 2015

Chromosome 3q26.2 rearrangements linked to poor CML prognosis

Rearrangements of chromosome 3q26.2 have a significant negative impact on patients with chronic myeloid leukaemia, suggests research published in Blood.

1 Oct 2015

Experimental drug shows promise in mice with multiple sclerosis

An experimental drug originally identified in a National Cancer Institute library of chemical compounds as a potential therapy for brain and basal cell cancers improves the symptoms of mice with a form of the debilitating neurological disorder multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new research from NYU Langone Medical Center.

1 Oct 2015

Research shows why microgravity leads to muscle loss

People can easily feel the presence - or absence - of gravity. Our individual cells actually may be able to sense gravity, too, and that ability could play a role in the loss of muscle that occurs when humans spend time in space.

1 Oct 2015

Leading cancer researchers address eight 'big questions'

Leading cancer researchers address eight of the "big questions" facing the field as part of the inaugural issue of Trends in Cancer, published by Cell Press.

30 Sep 2015

Stem Cells News and Research

Further Reading

Notch activation determines signals necessary to generate hematopoietic stem cells in laboratory

New hope for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Stem cell research to help combat congenital brittle bone disease

UV robots help reduce rates of C. diff transmission among cancer inpatients

Scientists can now use skin samples from older patients to grow brain cells

Scientists engineer stem cells to better understand mechanisms behind leukemia

Light-chain amyloidosis patients treated with high-dose chemo and stem cell transplantation have long-term survival

Half-matched donor bone marrow transplant just as good as full match, new study shows

New report reveals more about how stem cells are affected by immediate surroundings

Scientists identify culprit genes behind the formation and progression of breast tumours

Three researchers recognised for their contributions to Australian medical research

Houston Methodist-led research team one step closer to developing technologies to fix broken bones

SCT, Thermo Fisher Scientific collaborate to advance development of cardiac disease models

Scientists awarded £417,000 to develop a gel to advance breast cancer research, reduce animal testing

New book highlights sophisticated neurogenic processes in adult mammalian brain

300 research publications using ACD’s RNAscope® Technology

Chromosome 3q26.2 rearrangements linked to poor CML prognosis

Experimental drug shows promise in mice with multiple sclerosis

Research shows why microgravity leads to muscle loss

Leading cancer researchers address eight 'big questions'

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