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.

LUMC oncologist presents survival data for brentuximab vedotin at 17th EHA Congress

A new cancer drug with remarkably few side effects is dramatically improving survival in Hodgkin lymphoma patients who fail other treatments and are nearly out of options.

28 Jun 2012

Scientists transplant stem cells from patients with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy into mice

Stem cells from patients with a rare form of muscular dystrophy have been successfully transplanted into mice affected by the same form of dystrophy, according to a new study published today in Science Translational Medicine.

28 Jun 2012

Scientists reverse diabetes in mice using stem cells

University of British Columbia scientists, in collaboration with an industry partner, have successfully reversed diabetes in mice using stem cells, paving the way for a breakthrough treatment for a disease that affects nearly one in four Canadians.

28 Jun 2012

Federal government makes $13 billion in duplicative payments to veterans

A new study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that the federal government made about $13 billion in duplicative payments to provide health-care services to veterans who were simultaneously enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans from 2004-2009.

27 Jun 2012

Magnet guides iron-loaded cells to specific damaged sites in the heart

Optimal stem cell therapy delivery to damaged areas of the heart after myocardial infarction has been hampered by inefficient homing of cells to the damaged site. However, using rat models, researchers in France have used a magnet to guide cells loaded with iron oxide nanoparticles to key sites, enhancing the myocardial retention of intravascularly delivered endothelial progenitor cells.

27 Jun 2012

ESCs and iPSCs demonstrate similar survival and neural differentiation capabilities

Researchers in Japan who evaluated the risks and efficacy of transplanting two varieties of stem cells into mouse cochlea have concluded that both adult-derived induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells and mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells demonstrate similar survival and neural differentiation capabilities.

27 Jun 2012

Study investigates how glucose metabolism affects biochemical signals in cancer cells

Compared to normal cells, cancer cells have a prodigious appetite for glucose, the result of a shift in cell metabolism known as aerobic glycolysis or the "Warburg effect." Researchers focusing on this effect as a possible target for cancer therapies have examined how biochemical signals present in cancer cells regulate the altered metabolic state.

27 Jun 2012

HemoGenix receives first Master File Number from FDA CBER for HALO-96 PQR

HemoGenix announced today that FDA CBER has given HemoGenix its first Master File Number for an in vitro blood stem cell potency, quality and release assay (HALO-96 PQR) for cellular therapy products used for stem cell transplantation purposes. HALO-96 PQR is the first commercially available stem cell potency assay for cellular therapy products.

27 Jun 2012

Neuralstem commences dosing in NSI-189 Phase Ib trial for major depressive disorder

Neuralstem, Inc. announced that the first patients were dosed in Phase Ib of its ongoing trial to test the safety of NSI-189 in the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD).

25 Jun 2012

Researchers create endothelial cells with blood-brain barrier qualities

The blood-brain barrier -- the filter that governs what can and cannot come into contact with the mammalian brain -- is a marvel of nature. It effectively separates circulating blood from the fluid that bathes the brain, and it keeps out bacteria, viruses and other agents that could damage it.

25 Jun 2012

DVS Sciences announces business agreement with Cytobank

DVS Sciences, Inc., a privately held innovator and manufacturer of novel CyTOF multi-parameter single-cell analyzers and reagents for biological research, today announced a business agreement with Cytobank, Inc., a privately held developer of cloud based scientific, informatics and software solutions for the flow cytometry market.

25 Jun 2012

GMCSF linked with rapid cognitive recovery in patients with cancer

Growth factors shown to cure Alzheimer's disease in a mouse model and administered to cancer patients as part of their treatment regimen were linked to significant improvements in the patients' cognitive function following stem cell transplantation, a preliminary clinical study reports.

23 Jun 2012

Rensselaer Center for Stem Cell Research launches today

Ground-breaking research to advance the application of stem cells to address critical injuries and diseases will be taking place at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in a new center funded by New York state and opened today.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 23 Jun 2012

CARHY announces comprehensive hematopoietic stem cell transplant service

Adding an impetus to the already existing image of Bangalore being a healthcare destination of India, Columbia Asia Referral Hospital, Yeshwanthpur (CARHY), announced comprehensive bone marrow transplant (stem cell transplant) service on Thursday.

23 Jun 2012

International conference showcases breadth of research possible with zebrafish

It's clear where the black-and-white striped zebrafish got its name, but less obvious at first glance is what zebrafish has to do with biomedical research. Amazingly, it has biological similarities to humans, which are making this small freshwater fish an increasingly popular model organism for studying vertebrate development, genetics, physiology, and mechanisms of disease.

23 Jun 2012

New methods to track stem cells

Researchers at the University of Liverpool have developed new methods to track stem cells and further understanding of what happens to them after they have been in the body for a significant period of time.

22 Jun 2012

Aeterna Zentaris announces perifosine Phase 1 trial on neuroblastoma

Aeterna Zentaris Inc. today announced that Phase 1 trial results for its oral PI3K/Akt inhibitor, perifosine, showed the drug's activity against chemo-resistant and radio-resistant neuroblastoma, while allowing good quality of life and sparing vital organs. Neuroblastoma is a type of childhood cancer which usually begins in nerve tissues.

22 Jun 2012

New understanding of how motor neurons die in spinal muscular atrophy patients

Cedars-Sinai's Regenerative Medicine Institute has pioneered research on how motor-neuron cell-death occurs in patients with spinal muscular atrophy, offering an important clue in identifying potential medicines to treat this leading genetic cause of death in infants and toddlers.

21 Jun 2012

GBM patients with CNP subtype may have less aggressive subtype of cancer

A diagnosis of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is generally a death sentence, but new research from the University of Wisconsin-Madison lab of Dr. John Kuo shows that at least one subtype is associated with a longer life expectancy. This discovery could help with better patient prognoses and lead to targeted drug treatments for GBM subtypes.

21 Jun 2012

Tinkering with p190RhoGAP molecule shapes development of cardiac stem cells

Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered that a single protein molecule may hold the key to turning cardiac stem cells into blood vessels or muscle tissue, a finding that may lead to better ways to treat heart attack patients.

21 Jun 2012