Teaching an old drug new tricks. One the quickest way to get a drug to market is to find one that’s already been FDA approved for other diseases. Reporting this week in Cell Metabolism, researchers from London and Madrid identified the mechanisms that enable the anti-diabetic drug, metformin, to kill pancreatic cancer stem cells (PanCSCs). … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: diabetes drug hits cancer, video stem cell tracker and quick n’ easy stem cells for fatal lung disease
Disease Areas
Using satellites to build bigger biceps
There are several ways you can build bigger, stronger muscles. You can take the approach favored by our former Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and pump iron till your biceps are as inflated as a birthday balloon. Or you could follow the lead of a research team we are funding and try to use stem cells to … Continue reading Using satellites to build bigger biceps
Brain Stem Cells in a Dish to the Rescue
The best way to impress your friends at the next party you attend might be to casually mention that scientists can grow miniature brain models in a dish using human stem cells. Sure, that might scare away some people, but when you explain how these tiny brain models can be used to study many different … Continue reading Brain Stem Cells in a Dish to the Rescue
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: our earliest days, cell therapy without the cells and unproven therapies
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. Mapping our earliest days—as an embryo. We have some 23,000 genes in every cell of our body, but on day two after fertilization just 32 … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: our earliest days, cell therapy without the cells and unproven therapies
Watch Spinal Cord Cells Take a Hike!
What exactly goes on inside the human body? If you asked this question to the children’s book character Ms. Frizzle, she would throw you into her Magic School Bus and take you on a wild ride “Inside the Human Body” to get you up close and personal with the different organs and structures within our … Continue reading Watch Spinal Cord Cells Take a Hike!
The Stem Cell Bank is open for business
When you go to a bank and withdraw money you know that the notes you get are all going to look the same and do the same job, namely allow you to buy things. But when you get stem cells for research that’s not necessarily the case. Stem cells bought from different laboratories don’t always … Continue reading The Stem Cell Bank is open for business
What’s Fat Got to do With Alzheimer’s?
Diets these days are a dime a dozen, and dietary trends come and go. First eggs were “out” because they contain cholesterol, but now they are back “in” because we now know that some types of cholesterol can be actually good for the body. Then there was the era of “fat-free” or “reduced-fat” foods. This … Continue reading What’s Fat Got to do With Alzheimer’s?
CIRM-funded clinical trial for spinal cord injury reports promising results
Today, the Menlo Park-based biotech company Asterias Biotherapeutics reported positive results from the first three patients treated in its Phase 1/2a clinical study using stem cell therapy to treat patients with spinal cord injury. This trial is funded by a CIRM Strategic Partnerships Award grant of $14.3 million. Asterias has developed a stem cell therapy … Continue reading CIRM-funded clinical trial for spinal cord injury reports promising results
Boo-Boos and Stem Cells: New Children’s Book Explains Body’s Healing Process
With two boys under six, scraped elbows and knees are a common sight in my household. After the crying and tears subside, the excitement of deciding between the Captain America or the Lightning McQueen band aid soon follows. Over those next several days, my boys get a thrill out of peeking at their boo-boos as they gradually heal. … Continue reading Boo-Boos and Stem Cells: New Children’s Book Explains Body’s Healing Process
Bye Bye BORIS: Gene Silencing Gives Cancer Stem Cells the Boot
A popular theory behind why cancer tumors recur post treatment is the existence of cancer stem cells (CSCs). These cells have stem cell-like qualities and are stubbornly resistant to common cancer cell killing techniques such as radiation and chemotherapy. CSCs are resilient and can reproduce themselves after all other cancer cells die off, creating new … Continue reading Bye Bye BORIS: Gene Silencing Gives Cancer Stem Cells the Boot
The Stem Cellar 