Could revving up stem cells help senior citizens heal as fast as high school seniors?

All physicians, especially surgeons, sport medicine doctors, and military medical corps share a similar wish: to able to speed up the healing process for their patients’ incisions and injuries. Data published this week in Cell Reports may one day fulfill that wish. The study – reported by a Stanford University research team – pinpoints a single … Continue reading Could revving up stem cells help senior citizens heal as fast as high school seniors?

Stem Cell Stories that caught our eye: a womb with a view, reversing aging and stabilizing 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. Today we bring you a trifecta of stem cell stories that were partially funded by grants from CIRM. A womb with a view: using 3D … Continue reading Stem Cell Stories that caught our eye: a womb with a view, reversing aging and stabilizing stem cells

Translating great stem cell ideas into effective therapies

In science, there are a lot of terms that could easily mystify people without a research background; “translational” is not one of them. Translational research simply means to take findings from basic research and advance them into something that is ready to be tested in people in a clinical trial. Yesterday our Governing Board approved … Continue reading Translating great stem cell ideas into effective therapies

Trash talking and creating a stem cell community

Imilce Rodriguez-Fernandez likes to talk trash. No, really, she does. In her case it’s cellular trash, the kind that builds up in our cells and has to be removed to ensure the cells don’t become sick. Imilce was one of several stem cell researchers who took part in a couple of public events over the … Continue reading Trash talking and creating a stem cell community

Embryonic gene reverses old age in adult stem cells, in the lab

Getting old is an inevitable fact of life but what exactly causes it? One major hallmark of the aging process is cell senescence, in which cells gradually lose the ability to divide, leading to a breakdown in proper organ function. Adult stem cells that reside in our tissues usually spring into action to replenish cells … Continue reading Embryonic gene reverses old age in adult stem cells, in the lab

Finally a possible use for your excess fat; using it to fix your arthritic knee

One of the most common questions we get asked at CIRM, almost every other day to be honest, is “are there any stem cell treatments for people with arthritis in their knees?” It’s not surprising. This is a problem that plagues millions of Americans and is one of the leading causes of disability in the … Continue reading Finally a possible use for your excess fat; using it to fix your arthritic knee

Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Trifecta of nerve news on aging, Parkinson’s and myelin diseases, also expanding cord blood

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. To save nerves, make them slow down. Nerves, like all cells, constantly make protein, but that task uses up a lot of energy and older … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Trifecta of nerve news on aging, Parkinson’s and myelin diseases, also expanding cord blood

Scientists tackle aging by stabilizing defective blood stem cells in mice

Aging is an inevitable process that effects every cell, tissue, and organ in your body. You can live longer by maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle, but there is no magic pill that can prevent your body’s natural processes from slowly breaking down and becoming less efficient. As author Chinua Achebe would say, “Things Fall Apart”. … Continue reading Scientists tackle aging by stabilizing defective blood stem cells in mice

New type of diabetes caused by old age may be treatable

I’m going to tell you a secret: I love sugar. I love it so much that as a little kid my mom used to tell me scary stories about how my teeth would fall out and that I might get diabetes one day if I ate too many sweets. Thankfully, none of these things happened. … Continue reading New type of diabetes caused by old age may be treatable

How Brain Stem Cells Could Stay Forever Young

As we age, so do the cells that make up our bodies. To keep us spry as we get older, our bodies rely on adult stem cells to replace the cells in our tissues and organs. Adult stem cells can only generate cell types specific to the organ or tissue that they live in. For … Continue reading How Brain Stem Cells Could Stay Forever Young