Developmental Biology News and Research

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Recreating early embryos using stem cells

In their effort to understand the very earliest stages of life and how they can go wrong, scientists are confronted with ethical issues surrounding the use of human embryos.

23 Apr 2021

Clinical trial examines metabolic effects of natural compound NMN in people

A natural compound previously demonstrated to counteract aspects of aging and improve metabolic health in mice has clinically relevant effects in people, according to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

22 Apr 2021

Stem cell therapy can repair brain damage and improve memory function in mice

A one-time injection of an experimental stem cell therapy can repair brain damage and improve memory function in mice with conditions that replicate human strokes and dementia, a new UCLA study finds.

21 Apr 2021

Study focuses on understanding the origin of neuronal diversity

A mechanistic understanding of brain development requires a systematic survey of neural progenitor cell types, their lineage specification and maturation of postmitotic neurons.

21 Apr 2021

USC Stem Cell scientist receives $2.56 million NIH grant to explore 'synthetic' embryonic development

Whether in an earthworm or a human being, developmental processes are driven by complex networks of genetically-encoded signals that enable cells to take cues from each other and their environment.

8 Apr 2021

Targeting microRNAs makes cancer stem cells more susceptible to chemotherapies

Researchers in Italy have identified a pair of microRNA molecules that help maintain a population of cancerous stem cells that drive the growth of breast cancers and initiate tumor relapse after treatment.

3 Apr 2021

Diet and lifestyle may play a significant role in Alzheimer's disease

For years, research to pin down the underlying cause of Alzheimer's Disease has been focused on plaque found to be building up in the brain in AD patients.

2 Apr 2021

Scientists discover new genetic disease that causes abnormal brain development in children

Scientists have discovered a new genetic disease, which causes some children's brains to develop abnormally, resulting in delayed intellectual development and often early onset cataracts.

31 Mar 2021

Bruker light-sheet microscopes at major comprehensive cancer center

Bruker Corporation (Nasdaq: BRKR), a leading supplier of single-plane illumination microscopy (SPIM) technology for research on live cells and cleared biological samples, today announced that two Luxendo MuVi™ and LCS SPIM™ light-sheet microscopes have been installed by Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK).

From Bruker Nano Surfaces and Metrology 25 Mar 2021

Researchers produce a detailed molecular atlas of lung development

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have produced a detailed molecular atlas of lung development, which is expected to be a fundamental reference in future studies of mammalian biology and of new treatments for diseases, such as COVID-19, that affect the lungs.

24 Mar 2021

New method for growing embryos outside the womb

To observe how a tiny ball of identical cells on its way to becoming a mammalian embryo first attaches to an awaiting uterine wall and then develops into nervous system, heart, stomach and limbs: This has been a highly-sought grail in the field of embryonic development for nearly 100 years.

17 Mar 2021

Unbalanced progesterone may cause preterm or prolonged labor in some pregnant women

New research by the National Institutes of Health found that unbalanced progesterone signals may cause some pregnant women to experience preterm labor or prolonged labor.

11 Mar 2021

Proteins play crucial role in muscle growth

When a muscle grows, because its owner is still growing too or has started exercising regularly, some of the stem cells in this muscle develop into new muscle cells.

26 Feb 2021

Study lays the groundwork for developing novel strategies to treat neurological diseases

A research team from the School of Life Sciences at The Chinese University of Hong Kong has recently discovered that SOX9 protein is an essential regulatory factor of choroid plexus function that ensures the correct composition of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).

24 Feb 2021

Neurons activated by visual stimulus keep more active during subsequent sleep, study shows

When you slip into sleep, it's easy to imagine that your brain shuts down, but University of Michigan research suggests that groups of neurons activated during prior learning keep humming, tattooing memories into your brain.

22 Feb 2021

Understanding the dynamics of brain blood flow could hold key for treating neurologic conditions

While the human brain has over 400 miles of total vasculature, little is known about the tiny capillaries that make up much of this intricate labyrinth of blood vessels critical for delivering oxygenated blood and nutrients to billions of brain cells.

19 Feb 2021

Scientists avert drug resistance in subtype of brain tumors

In far too many cases over the years, scientists have discovered promising new cancer treatments, only to report later that the tumor cells found ways to become resistant. These disappointing results have made overcoming drug resistance a major goal in cancer research.

11 Feb 2021

Study implicates disruption in prenatal neurogenesis in the development of ASDs

A new study of autism risk genes by UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley scientists implicates disruption in prenatal neurogenesis - a process in which specialized "progenitor" cells give rise to new brain cells - in the development of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs).

8 Feb 2021

Researchers explore the origin of the body axis in animals

Egg cells start out as round blobs. After fertilization, they begin transforming into people, dogs, fish, or other animals by orienting head to tail, back to belly, and left to right.

5 Feb 2021

Study highlights barriers faced by cancer survivors in maintaining a healthy diet

The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics focuses on the relationship between diet and cancer and the role nutrition may play in successful cancer outcomes.

4 Feb 2021