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
Cell Type
Going back to figure out how the embryo makes muscles led team to way to mass produce muscle fibers
Sometimes in science what seems like the simpler task turns out to be the hardest. We have written extensively about research teams building mini-organs in lab dishes turning stem cells into multiple layers of tissues organized and functioning, at least in part, like the kidney, liver or stomach they mimic. Given these successes and the … Continue reading Going back to figure out how the embryo makes muscles led team to way to mass produce muscle fibers
Even the early worm gets old: study unlocks a key to aging
A new study poses the question, ‘When does aging really begin?’ One glance in the mirror every morning is enough for me to know that regardless of where it begins I know where it’s going. And it’s not pretty. But enough about me. Getting back to the question about aging, two researchers at Northwestern University … Continue reading Even the early worm gets old: study unlocks a key to aging
Sonic Hedgehog provides pathway to fight blood cancers
For a lot of people Sonic Hedgehog is a video game. But for stem cell researcher Dr. Catriona Jamieson it is a signaling pathway in the body that offers a way to tackle and defeat some deadly blood cancers. Dr. Jamieson - a researcher at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) - has a … Continue reading Sonic Hedgehog provides pathway to fight blood cancers
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
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: fixing defects we got from mom, lung repair and staunching chronic nerve pain
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. Two ways to clean up mitochondrial defects. Every student gets it drilled into them that we get half our genes from mom and half from … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: fixing defects we got from mom, lung repair and staunching chronic nerve pain
Pushing, pulling and dragging stem cell research forward
Government agencies are known for many things, but generally speaking a willingness to do some voluntary, deep self-examination is not one of them. However, for the last few weeks CIRM has been doing a lot of introspection as we develop a new Strategic Plan, a kind of road map for where we are heading. But … Continue reading Pushing, pulling and dragging stem cell research forward
Giving stem cells the right physical cues produced micro hearts, maybe a tool to avoid birth defects
Heart defects, one of the leading types of birth defects, often result from drugs mom is taking, but we have not had a good model of developing fetal hearts to test drugs for these side effects. Now, a team at the University of California, Berkeley and the Gladstone Institutes has created micro heart chambers in … Continue reading Giving stem cells the right physical cues produced micro hearts, maybe a tool to avoid birth defects
Two studies show genes and their switches critical to brain cancer’s resistance to therapy
Two California teams discovered genetic machinery that cancer stem cells in high-grade brain cancers use to evade therapy. One CIRM-funded team at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles pinpointed a family of genes that turn off other genes that chemotherapy targets —effectively hiding them from the chemo. The other team at the University of California, San Diego … Continue reading Two studies show genes and their switches critical to brain cancer’s resistance to therapy
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: correcting cystic fibrosis gene, improving IVF outcome, growing bone and Dolly
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. Cystic Fibrosis gene corrected in stem cells. A team at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston corrected the defective gene that causes cystic … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: correcting cystic fibrosis gene, improving IVF outcome, growing bone and Dolly