Breathing. So crucial to life yet so easy to take for granted—maybe because it’s one of the few functions our bodies control both unconsciously and consciously. But I imagine people with lung disease, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are all too aware as their continual struggle to breathe worsens over time. COPD, the third … Continue reading Newly Identified Stem Cells Breathe Life into Lung Disease Therapy
Disease Areas
British Parliament votes to approve “three parent” baby law
After what is being described as “an historic debate”, the British Parliament today voted to approve the use of an IVF technique that critics say will lead to the creation of “three parent” babies. Parliament voted 382 to 128 in favor of the technique known as mitochondrial donation, which will prevent certain genetic diseases being … Continue reading British Parliament votes to approve “three parent” baby law
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: new ways to reprogram, shifting attitudes on tissue donation, and hockey legend’s miracle questioned
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. Insulin-producing cells produced from skin. Starting with human skin cells a team at the University of Iowa has created iPS-type stem cells through genetic reprogramming … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: new ways to reprogram, shifting attitudes on tissue donation, and hockey legend’s miracle questioned
Getting the right tools for the right job
Imagine a device that sits outside the body and works like a form of dialysis for a damaged liver, filtering out the toxins and giving the liver a chance to regenerate, and the patient a chance to avoid the need for a transplant. Or imagine a method of enhancing the number of stem cells we … Continue reading Getting the right tools for the right job
Extending the Lease: Stanford Scientists Turn Back Clock on Aging Cells
In the end, all living things—even the cells in our bodies—must die. But what if we could delay the inevitable, even just for a bit? What new scientific advances could come as a result? In research published this week in the FASEB Journal, scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have devised a new … Continue reading Extending the Lease: Stanford Scientists Turn Back Clock on Aging Cells
Our Tainted Food Supply: Its Lasting Effects on Stem Cells May Explain Declines in Sperm Counts
In the science fiction film, Children of Men, humans in the year 2027 face extinction due to decades of infertility. This premise doesn’t seem all that far-fetched when you consider studies in the U.S., Japan, and Europe over the past two decades that point to declining sperm counts. A 2013 study, for instance, that followed … Continue reading Our Tainted Food Supply: Its Lasting Effects on Stem Cells May Explain Declines in Sperm Counts
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Heart self-repair, MS therapy and genetic screening
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. Uncovering mystery of heart self-repair. We have often written about work that tries to get the body’s self-healing mechanisms to do a better job. This … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Heart self-repair, MS therapy and genetic screening
Scientists Send Rodents to Space; Test New Therapy to Prevent Bone Loss
In just a few months, 40 very special rodents will embark upon the journey of a lifetime. Today UCLA scientists are announcing the start of a project that will test a new therapy that has the potential to slow, halt or even reverse bone loss due to disease or injury. With grant funding from the … Continue reading Scientists Send Rodents to Space; Test New Therapy to Prevent Bone Loss
UC Davis Surgeons Begin Clinical Trial that Tests New Way to Deliver Stem Cells; Heal Bone Fractures
Each year, approximately 8.9 million people worldwide will suffer a bone fracture. Many of these fractures heal with the help of traditional methods, but for some, the road to recovery is far more difficult. After exhausting traditional treatments—such as surgically implanted pins or plates, bed rest and injections to spur bone growth—these patients can undergo … Continue reading UC Davis Surgeons Begin Clinical Trial that Tests New Way to Deliver Stem Cells; Heal Bone Fractures
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: brain repair, bone repair and boosting old 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. Potential drugs to make brain stem cells do a better job. Patients with strokes and neurodegenerative diseases usually have a double whammy of faulty self-repair … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: brain repair, bone repair and boosting old stem cells