How does cancer spread? How does it traverse from one organ to the next—often undetected—until it has colonized the far reaches of the human body? And more importantly, how can researchers stop this from happening? These questions plague even the most renowned experts, but new research from scientists at Brown University has uncovered clues to … Continue reading Mapping Metastasis: Scientists Discover how Cancer Cells Colonize Distant Organs
Month: August 2014
A Cool New Way of Raising Funds and Awareness
Raising money to help fight a disease is tough. Trying to raise awareness about the disease can be just as tough. Doing both together is positively masochistic; an experience that is often as rewarding as dumping a bucket of ice cold water over your head. And that’s precisely what a growing number of people around … Continue reading A Cool New Way of Raising Funds and Awareness
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Willie Nelson’s contribution to muscular dystrophy, cell fate maps and funding
Here are some stem cell stories that caught our eye this past week. Some are groundbreaking science, others are of personal interest to us, and still others are just fun. Cell fate map can show quality of cells. The phrase “there is more than one way to skin a cat” fits much of science. It … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Willie Nelson’s contribution to muscular dystrophy, cell fate maps and funding
CIRM Creativity Student Cindy Nguyen Goes “Beyond the Classroom”
This summer we’re sponsoring high school interns in stem cell labs throughout California as part of our annual Creativity Program. We asked those students to share their experiences through blog posts and videos. Today in our final installment, we hear from Cindy Nguyen, who has been busy at Stanford University’s Beckman Center for Molecular and … Continue reading CIRM Creativity Student Cindy Nguyen Goes “Beyond the Classroom”
Revealing the Invisible: Scientists Uncover the Secret Ingredient to Making Blood-Forming Stem Cells
They are among the most versatile types of stem cell types in the body. They live inside bone marrow and in the blood of the umbilical cord. They can be used to treat deadly cancers such as leukemia (Leukemia Fact Sheet) as well as many blood disorders. But no one really understood the details of … Continue reading Revealing the Invisible: Scientists Uncover the Secret Ingredient to Making Blood-Forming Stem Cells
A life long battle with Parkinson’s disease earns Dr. David Higgins a place on our Board
As a child David Higgins imagined that the reason his grandmother wouldn’t talk to him was because of something he did, some fault of his. In time he came to realize that the reason was because his grandmother had Parkinson’s disease and she had trouble communicating with, not just him, but with everyone. It was … Continue reading A life long battle with Parkinson’s disease earns Dr. David Higgins a place on our Board
Breast Cancer Commandeers Mammary Stem Cells for Own, Nefarious Purposes
Most instances of breast cancer happen later in life—often after menopause. In many cases, the cancer progresses slowly, over a period of months or even years, often giving physicians precious time to implement a treatment plan, successfully battling that cancer into remission. But there is another far more aggressive form of breast cancer that tends … Continue reading Breast Cancer Commandeers Mammary Stem Cells for Own, Nefarious Purposes
Putting the promise to the test: a new move to see if stem cell therapies can help injured athletes
One of the toughest questions we get asked, and we get asked this a lot, is a variation on the theme of “I have xxxx disease and want to know where I can get a stem cell therapy for it?” All too often, in fact pretty much all the time, we have to explain that … Continue reading Putting the promise to the test: a new move to see if stem cell therapies can help injured athletes
Stem Cell Stories that Caught our Eye: “Let it Grow” Goes Viral, Stroke Pilot Study, The Bowels of Human Stem Cells, Tumor ‘Safety Lock.’
Here are some stem cell stories that caught our eye this past week. Some are groundbreaking science, others are of personal interest to us, and still others are just fun. “Let it Grow” Goes Viral (and National!): Last week on The Stem Cellar we shared one of our favorite student videos from our annual Creativity … Continue reading Stem Cell Stories that Caught our Eye: “Let it Grow” Goes Viral, Stroke Pilot Study, The Bowels of Human Stem Cells, Tumor ‘Safety Lock.’
Grafted Stem Cells Snake through Spinal Cord, CIRM-Funded Study Finds
New research lends increasing support to the notion that paralysis may not be so permanent after all. Scientists at the University of California, San Diego have generated stem cells that, when grafted onto the injured spines of rats—traverse through the injury sites, coupling with nerve cells hidden beneath the damaged tissue. These results, published today … Continue reading Grafted Stem Cells Snake through Spinal Cord, CIRM-Funded Study Finds
The Stem Cellar 