It’s been a good week for diabetes researchers and the over one million Americans with type 1 diabetes who are hoping for an eventual stem cell-based treatment for this incurable disease. Published a day apart, two studies reported on achieving an elusive goal for the field: creating functional insulin-producing cells in a lab dish from induced … Continue reading Diabetes’ demise? Master Switch Identified for Turning Stem Cells into Functional Insulin-Producing Cells
Month: April 2016
Up your “bump-rate” at the biggest stem cell meeting of the year
Often times great science develops after two researchers bump into each other and trade ideas. When I worked at Harvard we designed a new research building with two-story kitchens on every-other floor to force researchers from one floor to bump into researchers from the neighboring floor. Over the next few years I documented several collaborations … Continue reading Up your “bump-rate” at the biggest stem cell meeting of the year
Stem cells from “love-handles” could help diabetes patients
Love handles usually get a bad rap, but this week, a study from Switzerland claims that stem cells taken from the fat tissue of “love handles” could one day benefit diabetes patients. The study, which was published in Nature Communications, generated the much coveted insulin-secreting pancreatic beta cells from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS … Continue reading Stem cells from “love-handles” could help diabetes patients
Two National Parkinson’s Disease Organizations Join Forces
Guest blogger David R. Higgins, PhD, is a Parkinson’s Patient Advocate and a CIRM ICOC board member. Two national Parkinson’s organizations have decided to join forces: The Parkinson’s Action Network (PAN) will be integrated into The Michael J. Fox Foundation (MJFF). Both have served the Parkinson’s community in separate and important ways, but as MJFF CEO … Continue reading Two National Parkinson’s Disease Organizations Join Forces
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: more data suggesting iPS cells may be safe, repairing radiation damage, better gene editing and growing organs
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. More evidence suggesting iPS cells safe. Ever since we learned to reprogram adult cells into embryonic-like stem cells called induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) researchers … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: more data suggesting iPS cells may be safe, repairing radiation damage, better gene editing and growing organs
Good news for the Tin Man: Pig heart transplants work in baboons for 2+ years
If I only had a heart… My favorite character in the Wizard of Oz was the Tin Man because of the scene where he cries and starts to rust, causing Dorothy to rush to his aid with an oil can. He is such a tender heap of metal that just needs a heart to be … Continue reading Good news for the Tin Man: Pig heart transplants work in baboons for 2+ years
Patient Advocates find their voice in a different language
Packed house for stem cell conference in Tokyo - Adrienne Shapiro front row, second from right One of the many wonderful things about travel is that it opens up your eyes and mind to the fact that, while there are many ways in which people around the world differ from each other, there are also … Continue reading Patient Advocates find their voice in a different language
Stem cells provide promising skin in the game for treating burn victims
For severe burn victims and others in need of skin transplants, current treatments using artificial skin grafts made from sheets of lab-grown skin cells aren’t ideal because they lack the complex structures needed to fully restore many of the skin’s critical functions. For example, artificial skin doesn’t contain oil-producing sebaceous glands and forces burn victims … Continue reading Stem cells provide promising skin in the game for treating burn victims
New developments in prostate cancer from UCLA
Today we’re bringing you a research update from a CIRM-funded team at UCLA that’s dedicated to finding a cure for prostate cancer. The team is led by Dr. Owen Witte, the director of the UCLA Broad Stem Cell Research Center and a Howard Hughes Investigator. Dr. Witte is well known for his work in leukemia … Continue reading New developments in prostate cancer from UCLA
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Two ways to build better scaffolds, sepsis and the business side of therapies
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. Customized homes for stem cells. Some of the most exciting team work in stem cell science today involves pulling in chemists and engineers to design … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Two ways to build better scaffolds, sepsis and the business side of therapies
The Stem Cellar 