200 people in Boston take the Ice Bucket Challenge: Photo courtesy Forbes A couple of years ago millions of people did something they probably never thought they would: they dumped a bucket of ice cold water on their head to raise awareness about a disease most of them had probably never heard of, and almost … Continue reading How the Ice Bucket Challenge changed the fight against ALS
Discovery Research
From flies to mice: Improving stem cell therapy for degenerative eye diseases
Stem cell therapies for degenerative eye diseases sound promising – inject retinal progenitor cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells into the eye where they will integrate and replace damaged retinal tissue to hopefully restore sight. However, a significant road block is preventing these stem cell transplants from doing their job: the transplanted cells are … Continue reading From flies to mice: Improving stem cell therapy for degenerative eye diseases
What’s the big idea? Or in this case, what’s the 19 big ideas?
Have you ever stood in line in a supermarket checkout line and browsed through the magazines stacked conveniently at eye level? (of course you have, we all have). They are always filled with attention-grabbing headlines like “5 Ways to a Slimmer You by Christmas” or “Ten Tips for Rock Hard Abs” (that one doesn’t work … Continue reading What’s the big idea? Or in this case, what’s the 19 big ideas?
UCSF study explains how chronic inflammation impairs blood stem cell function
Inflammation is the immune system’s natural protective response to infection and injury. It involves the activation and mobilization of immune cells that can kill off foreign invaders and help repair damaged tissue. At the heart of the inflammatory response are hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). These are blood stem cells found in the bone marrow that … Continue reading UCSF study explains how chronic inflammation impairs blood stem cell function
UCSF Scientists find molecular link between brain stem cells and Zika Infection
The Zika virus scare came to a head in 2015, prompting the World Health Organization to declare the outbreak a global health emergency earlier this year. From a research standpoint, much of the effort has centered on understanding whether the Zika infection is actually a cause of birth defects like microcephaly and how the virus … Continue reading UCSF Scientists find molecular link between brain stem cells and Zika Infection
New stem cell could offer new ways to study birth defects
You never know what you are going to find in the trash. For a group of intrepid researchers at Michigan State University their discovery could lead to new ways of studying birth defects and other reproductive problems. Because what they found in what’s normally considered cellular trash was a new kind of stem cell. The … Continue reading New stem cell could offer new ways to study birth defects
CIRM-funded study suggests methods to make pluripotent stem cells are safe
We live in an era where stem cell treatments are already being tested in human clinical trials for eye disease, spinal cord injury, and type 1 diabetes. The hope is that transplanting stem cells or their cell derivatives will replace diseased tissue, restore function, and cure patients – all while being safe and without causing … Continue reading CIRM-funded study suggests methods to make pluripotent stem cells are safe
Scientists use cotton candy to make artificial blood vessels
Cotton candy gets a bad rap. The irresistible, brightly colored cloud of sugar is notorious for sending kids into hyperactive overdrive and wreaking havoc on teeth. While it’s most typically found at a state fair or at a sports stadium, cotton candy is now popping up at the lab bench and is re-branding itself into … Continue reading Scientists use cotton candy to make artificial blood vessels
A cardiac love triangle: how transcription factors interact to make a heart
Here’s a heartfelt science story for all those Valentine’s day fans out there. Scientists from the Gladstone Institutes have identified how a group of transcription factors interact during embryonic development to make a healthy heart. Their work will increase our biological understanding of how the heart is formed and could produce new methods for treating … Continue reading A cardiac love triangle: how transcription factors interact to make a heart
Regenerating damaged muscle after a heart attack
Images of clusters of heart muscle cells (in red and green) derived from human embryonic stem cells 40 days after transplantation. Courtesy UCLA Every year more than 735,000 Americans have a heart attack. Many of those who survive often have lasting damage to their heart muscle and are at increased risk for future attacks and … Continue reading Regenerating damaged muscle after a heart attack
The Stem Cellar 