Plenty of studies show that a lack of sleep is nothing but bad news and can contribute to a whole host of health problems like heart disease, poor memory, high blood pressure and obesity. In a sense, the same holds true for the stem cells in our body. In response to injury, adult stem cells … Continue reading Goodnight, Stem Cells: How Well Rested Cells Keep Us Healthy
Disease Areas
Stem cell stories that caught our eye; cystic fibrosis, brain repair and Type 2 diabetes
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. “Organoids” screen for cystic fibrosis drugs. Starting with iPS-type stem cells made by reprogramming skin cells from cystic fibrosis (CF) patients a team at the … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye; cystic fibrosis, brain repair and Type 2 diabetes
Stem cell stories that caught our eye; drug screening, aging stem cells in brain repair and blood diseases
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. Heart-on-a-chip used to screen drugs. With CIRM funding, a team at the University of California, Berkeley, has used stem cell technology to create a virtual … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye; drug screening, aging stem cells in brain repair and blood diseases
Pathway discovered that could yield therapies to prevent hearts turning to “bone”
In the Rolling Stones’ lyrics having a “Heart of Stone” protected you from heartbreak. But over a million Americans are developing hearts of bone and it could kill them. CIRM-funded researchers at the Gladstone Institutes think they have uncovered the path to this destructive hardening of the heart and that could lead to therapies to … Continue reading Pathway discovered that could yield therapies to prevent hearts turning to “bone”
Avoiding drug trial tragedies: new stem cell-based test predicts dangerous drug toxicity
In 2006 Ryan Wilson, a healthy 20 year old Londoner, volunteered for a first-in-human clinical trial to help test the safety of a new drug, TGN1412, intended to treat rheumatoid arthritis and leukemia. The cash he’d get in exchange for his time would help fund his upcoming vacation. Instead, he nearly died. Even though the … Continue reading Avoiding drug trial tragedies: new stem cell-based test predicts dangerous drug toxicity
I Sing the Bioelectric: Long-Distance Electrical Signals Guide Cell Growth and Repair
Genes turn on, and genes turn off. Again and again, the genes that together comprise the human genome receive electrical signals that can direct when they should be active—and when they should be dormant. This intricate pattern of signals is a part of what guides an embryonic stem cell to grow and mature into any … Continue reading I Sing the Bioelectric: Long-Distance Electrical Signals Guide Cell Growth and Repair
Pioneer’s 25-year struggle to treat blindness
Being a pioneer is never easy. You are charting unknown territory, tackling problems that have defeated others before you. You have to overcome so many obstacles that at times the challenge can seem insurmountable. But for those who succeed in reaching their goal, the rewards can be extraordinary. Last month Italian researcher Graziella Pellegrini saw … Continue reading Pioneer’s 25-year struggle to treat blindness
Stem cell stories that caught our eye; Parkinson’s, drug boosts stem cells in MS and gender equity in science
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. Stem cells survive and aid Parkinson’s in monkey. Ole Isacson, a pioneer in the effort to figure out how to use stem cells to treat … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye; Parkinson’s, drug boosts stem cells in MS and gender equity in science
Cartilage Repair using Embryonic Stem Cells: A Promising Path to Treating Millions of Osteoarthritis Sufferers
Bone scraping on bone — you can practically feel the excruciating pain just thinking about it. Sadly, that’s what happens to people suffering with osteoarthritis (OA), a degenerative joint disease. Except for joint replacement surgery, no cure exists and the available medicines only work on the symptoms, pain and swelling, and not the underlying cause. … Continue reading Cartilage Repair using Embryonic Stem Cells: A Promising Path to Treating Millions of Osteoarthritis Sufferers
One-Time, Lasting Treatment for Sickle Cell Disease May be on Horizon, According to New CIRM-Funded Study
For the nearly 1,000 babies born each year in the United States with sickle cell disease, a painful and arduous road awaits them. The only cure is to find a bone marrow donor—an exceedingly rare proposition. Instead, the standard treatment for this inherited blood disorder is regular blood transfusions, with repeated hospitalizations to deal with … Continue reading One-Time, Lasting Treatment for Sickle Cell Disease May be on Horizon, According to New CIRM-Funded Study
The Stem Cellar 