New Blog Series A decade has passed since Dr. Shinya Yamanaka and his colleagues discovered the Nobel Prize-winning technology called induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). These stem cells can be derived from adult tissue and can develop into any cell type in the body. They are an extremely useful tool to model disease in a … Continue reading Sneak Peak of our New Blog Series and the 10 Years of iPSCs Cell Symposium
iPS Cells
How many stem cell trials will it take to get a cure?
When I think about how many clinical trials it will take before a stem cell therapy is available to patients, I’m reminded of the decades old Tootsie Pop commercial where a kid asks a series of talking animals, “How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?” … Continue reading How many stem cell trials will it take to get a cure?
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Zika virus and adult brains, a step toward precision medicine and source of blood stem cells
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. Zika virus and the adult brain. While almost all the press attention for the Zika virus has centered on pregnant women and the devastating impact … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Zika virus and adult brains, a step toward precision medicine and source of blood stem cells
Better, Faster Quality Control for Stem Cell-Based Therapies
“Based”. It’s a pretty boring word but I make sure to include it when writing about the development of stem cell therapies, as in: “Asterias Biotherapeutics is testing an embryonic stem cell-based treatment for spinal cord injury”. It’s a key word here because no legitimate clinic would transplant embryonic stem cells (ESCs) or induced pluripotent … Continue reading Better, Faster Quality Control for Stem Cell-Based Therapies
Stem Cells May Help Endangered Species Live Long and Prosper
It’s the year 2286. The transmission signal of an alien space probe is wreaking havoc on Earth, knocking out the worldwide power grid and causing massive storms. It turns out the mysterious orbiting probe is trying to communicate with humpback whales through whale song and the devastation won’t stop until contact is made. But there’s … Continue reading Stem Cells May Help Endangered Species Live Long and Prosper
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: potential glaucoma therapy, Parkinson’s model, clinical trial list, cancer immune therapy
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 may be option in glaucoma. A few (potentially) blind mice did not run fast enough in an Iowa lab. But lucky for them … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: potential glaucoma therapy, Parkinson’s model, clinical trial list, cancer immune therapy
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: turning on T cells; fixing our brains; progress and trends in stem cells; and one young man’s journey to recover from a devastating injury
A healthy T cell 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. Directing the creation of T cells. To paraphrase the GOP Presidential nominee, any sane person LOVES, LOVES LOVES their T cells, … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: turning on T cells; fixing our brains; progress and trends in stem cells; and one young man’s journey to recover from a devastating injury
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: herding stem cells, mini autistic brains, tendon repair and hair replacement
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. Major advance in getting stem cells to behave. The promise of embryonic stem cells comes from their ability to become any cell type in the … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: herding stem cells, mini autistic brains, tendon repair and hair replacement
Salk Scientists Unlock New Secrets of Autism Using Human Stem Cells
Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder whose mental, physical, social and emotional symptoms are highly variable from person to person. Because individuals exhibit different combinations and severities of symptoms, the concept of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is now used to define the range of conditions. There are many hypotheses for why autism occurs in humans … Continue reading Salk Scientists Unlock New Secrets of Autism Using Human Stem Cells
The Spanish Inquisition and a tale of two stem cell agencies
Monty Python's Spanish Inquisition sketch: Photo courtesy Daily Mail UK It’s not often an article on stem cell research brings the old, but still much loved, British comedy series Monty Python into the discussion but a new study in the journal Cell Stem Cell does just that, comparing the impact of CIRM and the UK’s … Continue reading The Spanish Inquisition and a tale of two stem cell agencies
The Stem Cellar 