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. A rested stem cell is a better stem cell. A bone marrow stem cell donor who has a sleep deficit of as little as four … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: sleepy stem cells, pig organ donors, therapy in the womb and dementia
Month: October 2015
Don Reed Reflects on the California Stem Cell Initiative
Yesterday was stem cell awareness day. In honor of this important event, Don Reed held a book reading at CIRM for his newly released book, STEM CELL BATTLES: Proposition 71 and Beyond: How Ordinary People Can Fight Back Against the Crushing Burden of Chronic Disease. Don has worn many hats during his life. He’s been … Continue reading Don Reed Reflects on the California Stem Cell Initiative
Happy Stem Cell Awareness Day!
I woke up today extra early this morning feeling like a kid at Christmas time because it's Stem Cell Awareness day! This exciting day brings together organizations and people around the world working to ensure that we realize the benefits of one of the most promising fields of science in our time. The day is a … Continue reading Happy Stem Cell Awareness Day!
Stem cells and prostate cancer are more similar than we thought
Prostate cancer is a scary word for men, no matter how macho or healthy they are. These days however, prostate cancer is no longer a death sentence for them. In fact, many men survive this disease if diagnosed early. However, for those unlucky ones who have more advanced stages of prostate cancer (where the tumor … Continue reading Stem cells and prostate cancer are more similar than we thought
Keeping elderly cells old to understand the aging process
Aging is a key risk factor for many diseases, particularly disorders of the brain like Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s, which primarily occur in the elderly. So a better understanding of the aging process should provide a better understanding of these neurodegenerative diseases. The induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technique makes it possible to grow human brain … Continue reading Keeping elderly cells old to understand the aging process
Mesa talk a reminder the immune system is a two-way street
The second day of the three-day Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa in La Jolla always ends with a public lecture. This year that slot featured no-longer-rising-star, but rather risen star, Jennifer Elisseeff, of Johns Hopkins. She provided a powerful reminder of the power of interdisciplinary research teams. Her career has always mingled cell biology, … Continue reading Mesa talk a reminder the immune system is a two-way street
The New World That iPS Cells Will Bring
A stem cell champion was crowned last month. Dr. Takahashi from the RIKEN center in Japan received the prestigious Ogawa-Yamanaka Prize for developing a human iPS cell therapy to treat a debilitating eye disease called macular degeneration. We wrote about the event held at the Gladstone Institutes in a previous blog and saved the juicy insights … Continue reading The New World That iPS Cells Will Bring
CIRM scholar Ke Wei talks heart regeneration
“How do you mend a broken heart?” was the topic of one of our recent Stem Cellar blogs highlighting a stellar CIRM-funded publication on the regenerative abilities of the protein FSTL1 following heart injury. One of the master-minds behind this study is co-first author Ke Wei. Ke is a postdoc in Dr. Mark Mercola’s lab … Continue reading CIRM scholar Ke Wei talks heart regeneration
Seeing is believing: using video to explain stem cell science
People are visual creatures. So it’s no surprise that many of us learn best through visual means. In fact a study by the Social Science Research Network found that 65 percent of us are visual learners. That’s why videos are such useful tools in teaching and learning, and that’s why when we came across a … Continue reading Seeing is believing: using video to explain stem cell science
A call for scientists to speak out for Stem Cell Awareness Day
The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) and the journal Cell Stem Cell, are asking stem cell scientists to take part in a social media campaign with the hashtag #AStemCellScientistBecause between October 1 and October 14. “We want to share with the world our pride and excitement to be a part of a worldwide … Continue reading A call for scientists to speak out for Stem Cell Awareness Day
The Stem Cellar 