So similar yet so different Whenever I go to the zoo, I could easily spend my entire visit hanging out with our not-so-distant relatives, the chimpanzees. To say we humans are similar to them is quite an understatement. Sharing 96% of our DNA, chimps are more closely related to us than they are to gorillas. And … Continue reading CIRM-funded team traces molecular basis for differences between human and chimp face
Author: Todd Dubnicoff
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: diabetes drug hits cancer, video stem cell tracker and quick n’ easy stem cells for fatal lung disease
Teaching an old drug new tricks. One the quickest way to get a drug to market is to find one that’s already been FDA approved for other diseases. Reporting this week in Cell Metabolism, researchers from London and Madrid identified the mechanisms that enable the anti-diabetic drug, metformin, to kill pancreatic cancer stem cells (PanCSCs). … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: diabetes drug hits cancer, video stem cell tracker and quick n’ easy stem cells for fatal lung disease
3D Printing Cells with DNA Velcro
One of the Holy Grails of stem cell research is growing body parts to replace those damaged by disease or injury. Enormous strides have been made in a key first step: mastering recipes for maturing stem cells into various specialized cell types. But a lawn of, say, liver cells in a petri dish is not … Continue reading 3D Printing Cells with DNA Velcro
Boo-Boos and Stem Cells: New Children’s Book Explains Body’s Healing Process
With two boys under six, scraped elbows and knees are a common sight in my household. After the crying and tears subside, the excitement of deciding between the Captain America or the Lightning McQueen band aid soon follows. Over those next several days, my boys get a thrill out of peeking at their boo-boos as they gradually heal. … Continue reading Boo-Boos and Stem Cells: New Children’s Book Explains Body’s Healing Process
Alzheimer’s Nightmare Spurs Comedy Fundraiser to Help Caregivers – New Video
You could have heard a pin drop in the auditorium. The audience of young stem cell researchers was gripped by every word of Lauren Miller’s heartbreaking story about the impact that Alzheimer’s disease has had on her family. Only a child when her grandfather was diagnosed with and later died of Alzheimer’s, she mistook his symptoms, … Continue reading Alzheimer’s Nightmare Spurs Comedy Fundraiser to Help Caregivers – New Video
Earliest stem cells made in lab; provide “extraordinary” potential
Embryonic stem cells are classified as pluripotent cells because they are able (“potent”) to mature into almost every (“pluri”) cell type. Thanks to Nobel Prize winner Shinya Yamanaka, researchers have been able to reprogram fully matured cells, like skin or blood, into embryonic stem cell-like induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS). The technique has revolutionized stem … Continue reading Earliest stem cells made in lab; provide “extraordinary” potential
Mini-Brains Help Unlock Autism’s Secrets
Some diseases like sickle cell anemia, an inherited blood disorder, can be traced to a single known genetic mutation. But other diseases like autism spectrum disorder (ASD), are so varied in their symptoms and severity that pinpointing the underlying cause is extremely complicated. People with autism typically have difficulties communicating with the world around them, … Continue reading Mini-Brains Help Unlock Autism’s Secrets
New Video: Paving a path to cures with the Alpha Stem Cell Clinics Network
In The Stem Cellar, you often read phrases like, “as their research progresses toward the clinic.” That’s because it’s a very noteworthy milestone to advance an initial idea in the laboratory to an actual experimental therapy that has approval to be tested in people. It’s a process that can be years in making. Through our … Continue reading New Video: Paving a path to cures with the Alpha Stem Cell Clinics Network
Protein Revs Up Bone Stem Cells; Points Toward Future Osteoporosis Drug
Take a moment to feel your arm and wrist bones. They’re a lot more like solid rock than the soft stretchy skin that covers them. But bone is very much a living tissue continually being broken down and built back up in a process called bone remodeling. In people with osteoporosis, this balance tips toward … Continue reading Protein Revs Up Bone Stem Cells; Points Toward Future Osteoporosis Drug
Holy Guacamole! Nutrient in Avocado Kills Cancer Stem Cells
Over four billion avocados were sold last year in the U.S. and for good reason – they're so darn delicious and good for you too (wish you could say the same for doughnuts). Often called the world's perfect food, avocados are high in fiber and packed with vitamins. Even the fat they contain is the … Continue reading Holy Guacamole! Nutrient in Avocado Kills Cancer Stem Cells
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