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.

ISSCR statement calls for moratorium nuclear genome editing of human germ line

In a statement released yesterday, the International Society for Stem Cell Research called for a moratorium on attempts at clinical application of nuclear genome editing of the human germ line to enable more extensive scientific analysis of the potential risks of genome editing and broader public discussion of the societal and ethical implications.

23 Mar 2015

Stempeutics' Stempeucel drug receives ATMP classification from EMA for treatment of TAO

Stempeutics Research, a group company of Manipal Education and Medical Group and a Joint Venture with Cipla Group, announced today that the European Medicines Agency has granted Advanced Therapy Medicinal Product classification for its novel stem cell drug 'Stempeucel' which will be used for the treatment of Thromboangiitis Obliterans (TAO).

23 Mar 2015

Cambridge scientists successfully create 'mini-lungs' to study cystic fibrosis

Scientists at the University of Cambridge have successfully created 'mini-lungs' using stem cells derived from skin cells of patients with cystic fibrosis, and have shown that these can be used to test potential new drugs for this debilitating lung disease.

20 Mar 2015

RNA molecule can be manipulated to generate more neurons from neural stem cells

A research team at UC San Francisco has discovered an RNA molecule called Pnky that can be manipulated to increase the production of neurons from neural stem cells.

20 Mar 2015

New technology developed to determine resistance to rabies virus

Researchers at Texas A&M AgriLife Research have developed a new technology to determine sensitivity or resistance to rabies virus.

20 Mar 2015

Targeted drug doubles progression free survival in Hodgkin lymphoma

A phase 3 trial of brentuximab vedotin (BV), the first new drug for Hodgkin lymphoma in over 30 years, shows that adults with hard-to-treat Hodgkin lymphoma given BV immediately after stem cell transplant survived without the disease progressing for twice as long as those given placebo (43 months vs 24 months).

19 Mar 2015

Neurology Times features special coverage of MS in observance of MS Awareness Month

UBM Medica US announces that Neurology Times, a leading online community and information resource for neurologists and other healthcare providers, is featuring special coverage of multiple sclerosis in observance of MS Awareness Month.

19 Mar 2015

New bone marrow transplant unit launched in Bangalore, India

A bone marrow transplant can mean the difference between life and death for people with blood cancers and related disorders. But many patients in India can't afford the high treatment costs, and for them a transplant is not an option. This is changing thanks to a newly launched bone marrow transplant unit at M.S. Ramaiah Medical College in Bangalore.

19 Mar 2015

Researchers identify promising new approach to treat pulmonary fibrosis

By uncovering the mechanism by which fibrous tissue cells in the lung multiply, researchers at The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles, along with colleagues in Mexico and Canada, have identified a promising new approach for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis.

18 Mar 2015

Laura De Laporte receives ERC grant to develop minimally invasive therapy for spinal cord injury

The research objective of Dr.-Ing. Laura De Laporte, junior group leader at DWI - Leibniz Institute for Interactive Materials in Aachen, is to develop a minimally invasive therapy for spinal cord injury. Her goal and her scientific approach to develop an injectable material with the ability to provide biochemical and physical guidance for regenerating nerves across the injury site, was selected by the European Research Council.

18 Mar 2015

Researchers team up to study stomach flu

Rice University bioengineers are teaming with colleagues from Baylor College of Medicine and MD Anderson Cancer Center to apply the latest techniques in tissue engineering toward the study of one of the most common and deadly human illnesses -- the stomach flu.

17 Mar 2015

Penn researchers find evidence of new culprit in colon cancer

Colon cancer is a heavily studied disease -- and for good reason. It is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, and its numbers are on the rise, from 500,00 deaths in 1990 to 700,000 in 2010.

17 Mar 2015

Study defines new subtype of 'lethal' prostate cancer

A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published in the journal Cancer Research defines a new, distinct subtype of "lethal" prostate cancer marked by the loss of two genes, MAP3K7 and CHD1. Overall about 10 percent of men with prostate cancer will die from the disease.

16 Mar 2015

CTCA in Philadelphia installs TomoHDA TomoTherapy machine to provide precise treatment to patients

Cancer Treatment Centers of America in Philadelphia has announced the installation of the TomoHDA TomoTherapy machine. TomoTherapy combines an advanced form of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), with the accuracy of computed tomography (CT) scanning technology, all in one machine.

16 Mar 2015

Super-resolution microscopes reveal the link between genome packaging and cell pluripotency

In 1953 Watson and Crick first published the discovery of the double helix structure of the DNA. They were able to visualize the DNA structure by means of X-Ray diffraction. Techniques, such as electron microscopy, allowed scientists to identify nucleosomes, the first and most basic level of chromosome organisation

13 Mar 2015

Combination of anti-Nodal and DTIC therapy can produce anti-cancer effects

Metastatic melanoma is the leading cause of skin cancer deaths in the United States; once melanoma has spread (metastasized), life expectancy for patients can be dramatically shortened.

13 Mar 2015

Gene variant may help predict people’s response to investigational Alzheimer's therapy

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified a gene variant that may be used to predict people most likely to respond to an investigational therapy under development for Alzheimer's disease (AD).

13 Mar 2015

Finding could lead to more effective, less invasive treatment for 'bubble boy' disease

For infants with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID), something as simple as a common cold or ear infection can be fatal. Born with an incomplete immune system, kids who have SCID--also known as "bubble boy" or "bubble baby" disease--can't fight off even the mildest of germs.

12 Mar 2015

Slow-growing tumors have treatment-resistant stem cells, shows study

Scientists are eager to make use of stem cells' extraordinary power to transform into nearly any kind of cell, but that ability also is cause for concern in cancer treatment.

12 Mar 2015

Neuralstem reports top line data from NSI-566 Phase II trial for treatment of ALS

Neuralstem, Inc. announced top line data from the Phase II trial of NSI-566 spinal cord-derived neural stem cells under development for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study met primary safety endpoints. The maximum tolerated dose of 16 million transplanted cells and the surgery was well tolerated.

12 Mar 2015