Stem cell stories that caught our eye: relief for jaw pain, vitamins for iPSCs and Alzheimer’s insights

Jaw bone stem cells may offer relief for suffers of painful joint disorder An estimated 10 million people in the US – mostly women -  suffer from problems with their temporomandibular joint (TMJ) which sits between the jaw bone and skull. TMJ disorders can lead to a number of symptoms such as intense pain in … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: relief for jaw pain, vitamins for iPSCs and Alzheimer’s insights

CIRM and QuintilesIMS Kick Off Accelerating Center to Help Stem Cell Therapies Soar

You wouldn’t ask a goldfish to take flying lessons, right? The chances of success would be slim. But in essence, that’s the predicament in which CIRM has found itself when asking top notch stem cell scientists to use the agency’s funding to carry their great cell therapy ideas into and through clinical trials. While these … Continue reading CIRM and QuintilesIMS Kick Off Accelerating Center to Help Stem Cell Therapies Soar

Buildup of random mutations in adult stem cells doesn’t explain varying frequency of cancers

To divide or not to divide?  It’s a question every cell in your body must constantly ask itself. Cells in your small intestine, for instance, replace themselves about every three days so the cells in that tissue must divide frequently to replenish the tissue. Liver cell are less active and turn over about once a … Continue reading Buildup of random mutations in adult stem cells doesn’t explain varying frequency of cancers

Stem cell stories that caught our eye: healing diabetic ulcers, new spinal cord injury insights & an expanding CRISPR toolbox

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. Stem cells heal diabetic foot ulcers in pilot study Foot ulcers are one of the many long-term complications that diabetics face. About 15 percent of … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: healing diabetic ulcers, new spinal cord injury insights & an expanding CRISPR toolbox

Gene required for sperm stem cells linked to male infertility, UCSD study suggests

Even in this day and age, when a couple is having trouble conceiving a child, it’s often the woman who is initially suspected of having infertility problems and is likely the first to seek out the advice of doctor. But according to Miles Wilkinson, professor of reproductive medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine, … Continue reading Gene required for sperm stem cells linked to male infertility, UCSD study suggests

Faulty fat stem cells & obesity-related diabetes

You see it in the news all the time: more and more people around the world are obese and as a result they’re at a higher risk for diabetes, heart disease and cancer. In fact, 90% of individuals with type 2 diabetes are overweight or obese. “Healthy” obese individuals protected from diabetes and other complications … Continue reading Faulty fat stem cells & obesity-related diabetes

CIRM Grantees Reflect on Ten Years of iPS Cells

For the fourth entry for our “Ten Years of Induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) Cells” series, which we’ve been posting all month, I reached out to three of our CIRM grantees to get their perspectives on the impact of iPSC technology on their research and the regenerative medicine field as a whole: Step back in time … Continue reading CIRM Grantees Reflect on Ten Years of iPS Cells

Stem cell stories that caught our eye: 3D mini-lungs, Parkinson’s culprit, Motherless babies!

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. Mimicking human air sacs –  a new lab tool for studying respiratory disease Studying a flat lawn of cells in a petri dish is so … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: 3D mini-lungs, Parkinson’s culprit, Motherless babies!

Stem cell stories that caught our eye: improving heart care, fixing sickle cell disease, stem cells & sugar

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. Using “disease in a dish” model to improve heart care Medications we take to improve our quality of life might actually be putting our lives … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: improving heart care, fixing sickle cell disease, stem cells & sugar

Beige isn’t bland when it comes to solving the obesity epidemic

Americans spend over $60 billion a year to lose weight and yet two-thirds (that’s more than 200 million) are considered overweight or obese. Losing weight should be easy: just eat less and exercise more, right? But our body’s metabolism is a very complex thing and appears to fight against our best efforts to shed pounds. … Continue reading Beige isn’t bland when it comes to solving the obesity epidemic