Please don’t be intimidated by the title of this post! By the end of this blog, you’ll be well versed in X chromosome inactivation, and you’ll understand why you should care about this topic. Males and females are different in countless ways, but the underlying cause of these differences originates with chromosomes. Women have two … Continue reading Specialized Embryonic Stem Cells Yield Insights into X Chromosome Inactivation
Cell Type
Da Mayor and the clinical trial that could help save his vision
Former San Francisco Mayor and California State Assembly Speaker Willie Brown is many things, but shy is not one of them. A profile of him in the San Francisco Chronicle once described him as “Brash, smart, confident”. But for years Da Mayor – as he is fondly known in The City – said very little … Continue reading Da Mayor and the clinical trial that could help save his vision
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: potentially safer cell reprogramming, hair follicle cells become nerve and liver 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. A potentially safer way to reprogram cells. Ever since then soon-to-be Nobel Prize winner Shinya Yamanaka showed how to reprogram adult cells to an embryonic … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: potentially safer cell reprogramming, hair follicle cells become nerve and liver stem cells
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
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
Bridging the gap: training scientists to speak everyday English
Getting a start in your chosen career is never easy. Without experience it’s hard to get a job. And without a job you can’t get experience. That’s why the CIRM Bridges program was created, to help give undergraduate and Master’s level students a chance to get the experience they need to start a career in … Continue reading Bridging the gap: training scientists to speak everyday English
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
The Stem Cellar 