“Can you imagine slowly losing the ability to live life as you know it? To slowly lose the ability to see, to walk, to grab an object, all the while experiencing pain, fatigue and depression?” These sobering questions are posed at the beginning of a recent video produced by Youreka Science and Americans for Cures … Continue reading Video illustrates potential path to stem cell repair for multiple sclerosis
Brain stem cells
Stem Cell Roundup: No nerve cells for you, old man; stem cells take out the trash; clues to better tattoo removal
Stem cell image of the week: Do they or don’t they? The debate on new nerve cell growth in adult brain rages on. For the longest time, it was simply a given among scientists that once you reach adulthood, your brain’s neuron-making days were over. Then, over the past several decades, evidence emerged that the adult … Continue reading Stem Cell Roundup: No nerve cells for you, old man; stem cells take out the trash; clues to better tattoo removal
A Tribute to Stem Cells on Valentine’s Day
In case you forgot, today is Valentine’s Day. Whether you love, hate, or could care less about this day, you do have one thing in common with our other readers – you’re a fan of stem cells. (If you’re not, then why are you reading this blog??) As a tribute to how awesome and important … Continue reading A Tribute to Stem Cells on Valentine’s Day
New Insights into Adult Neurogenesis
To be a successful scientist, you have to expect the unexpected. No biological process or disease mechanism is ever that simple when you peel off its outer layers. Overtime, results that prove a long-believed theory can be overturned by new results that suggest an alternate theory. UCSF scientist Arturo Alvarez-Buylla is well versed with the … Continue reading New Insights into Adult Neurogenesis
Stem Cell Roundup: Rainbow Sherbet Fruit Fly Brains, a CRISPR/iPSC Mash-up and more
This week’s Round Up is all about the brain with some CRISPR and iPSCs sprinkled in: Our Cool Stem Cell Image of the Week comes from Columbia University’s Zuckerman Institute: This rainbow sherbet-colored scientific art is a microscopy image of a fruit fly nervous system in which brain cells were randomly labeled with different colors. … Continue reading Stem Cell Roundup: Rainbow Sherbet Fruit Fly Brains, a CRISPR/iPSC Mash-up and more
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: the tale of a tail that grows back and Zika’s devious Trojan Horse
The tale of a tail that grows back (Kevin McCormack) Ask people what they know about geckos and the odds are they’ll tell you geckos have English accents and sell car insurance. Which tells you a lot more about the power of advertising than it does about the level of knowledge about lizards. Which is … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: the tale of a tail that grows back and Zika’s devious Trojan Horse
Caught our eye: new Americans 4 Cures video, better mini-brains reveal Zika insights and iPSC recipes go head-to-head
How stem cell research gives patients hope (Karen Ring). You can learn about the latest stem cell research for a given disease in seconds with a quick google search. You’ll find countless publications, news releases and blogs detailing the latest advancements that are bringing scientists and clinicians closer to understanding why diseases happen and how … Continue reading Caught our eye: new Americans 4 Cures video, better mini-brains reveal Zika insights and iPSC recipes go head-to-head
Blocking spike in stem cell growth after brain injury may lessen memory decline, seizures
Survivors of traumatic brain injury (TBI) often suffer from debilitating, life changing symptoms like memory decline and epileptic seizures. Researchers had observed that following TBI, a stem cell-rich area of the brain provides a spike in new nerve cell growth, presumably to help replace damaged or destroyed brain cells. But, like a lot of things … Continue reading Blocking spike in stem cell growth after brain injury may lessen memory decline, seizures
Taming the Zika virus to kill cancer stem cells that drive lethal brain tumor
An out of control flame can be very dangerous, even life-threatening. But when harnessed, that same flame sustains life in the form of warm air, a source of light, and a means to cook. A similar duality holds true for viruses. Once it infects the body, a virus can replicate like wildfire and cause serious … Continue reading Taming the Zika virus to kill cancer stem cells that drive lethal brain tumor
Brain stem cells unintentionally talk with brain tumors, allowing their spread
A stem cell’s capacity to lay quiet and, when needed, to self-renew plays a key role in restoring and maintaining the health of our organs. Unfortunately, cancer stem cells possess that same property allowing them to evade radiation and chemotherapy treatments which leads to tumor regrowth. And a CIRM-funded study published today in Cell shows … Continue reading Brain stem cells unintentionally talk with brain tumors, allowing their spread
The Stem Cellar 