Stem cell stories that caught our eye: two new approaches to treating diabetes and a video on why this work excites

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 avoid immune rejection. The phrase, there is more than one way to skin a cat often applies to the science of trying … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: two new approaches to treating diabetes and a video on why this work excites

CIRM-Funded UC-Irvine Team Set to Launch Stem Cell Trial for Retinitis Pigmentosa in 2015

Rosalinda Barrero has often been mistaken for a rude snob. She has the habit of not saying hello or even acknowledging the presence of acquaintances that she passes around town. But in fact this kind, loving mom of three has been steadily losing her vision over a lifetime. And she doesn’t seem blind because people … Continue reading CIRM-Funded UC-Irvine Team Set to Launch Stem Cell Trial for Retinitis Pigmentosa in 2015

Stem cell stories that caught our eye: good fat vs. bad fat, the black box of cell reprogramming and Parkinson’s

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. One day a pill might turn bad fat into good fat. For a few years now several research teams have linked white fat to the … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: good fat vs. bad fat, the black box of cell reprogramming and Parkinson’s

A time to kill, a time to heal: cells linked to aging also help heal wounds

Senescent cells, so called because of the role they play in the aging process, have acquired a bit of a bad reputation. Yet new research from the Buck Institute suggests that these cells may not be so bad after all. Reporting in today's issue of Developmental Cell, Buck Institute scientists have found that, while senescent … Continue reading A time to kill, a time to heal: cells linked to aging also help heal wounds

Stem cells and professional sports: a call for more science and less speculation

In the world of professional sports, teams invest tens of millions of dollars in players. Those players are under intense pressure to show a return on that investment for the team, and that means playing as hard as possible for as long as possible. So it’s no surprise that players facing serious injuries will often … Continue reading Stem cells and professional sports: a call for more science and less speculation

Stem Cell Stories that Caught our Eye: Stem Cell Summit Roundup, Spinal Cords in a Dish and Stem Cell Tourism in the NFL

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. Success at the World Stem Cell Summit. This week some of the biggest names in regenerative medicine descended upon San Antonio, Texas for the annual … Continue reading Stem Cell Stories that Caught our Eye: Stem Cell Summit Roundup, Spinal Cords in a Dish and Stem Cell Tourism in the NFL

At World Stem Cell Summit: Why results in trials repairing hearts are so uneven

Just as no two people are the same, neither are the cells in their bone marrow, the most common source of stem cells in clinical trials trying to repair damage after a heart attack. Doris Taylor of the Texas Heart Institute in Houston, which is just a couple hours drive from the site of this … Continue reading At World Stem Cell Summit: Why results in trials repairing hearts are so uneven

CIRM-Funded Scripps Team Replicates Pain in a Lab Dish; Seeks New Treatments for Chronic Sufferers

Pain hurts but it also protects. Thanks to nerve cells called sensory neurons, which weave their nerve fibers throughout our skin and other tissues, we are alerted to dangerous events like touching a hot plate or even to the sense of having a full bladder. However, trauma such as a spinal cord injury or diseases … Continue reading CIRM-Funded Scripps Team Replicates Pain in a Lab Dish; Seeks New Treatments for Chronic Sufferers

Searching for a Cure for HIV/AIDS: Stem Cells and World AIDS Day

It's been 26 years since the first World AIDS Day was held in 1988—and the progress that the international scientific community has made towards eradicating the disease has been unparalleled. But there is much more work to be done. One of the most promising areas of HIV/AIDS research has been in the field of regenerative … Continue reading Searching for a Cure for HIV/AIDS: Stem Cells and World AIDS Day

Using stem cells paves new approach to treating a blistering skin disease

Imagine a child not being able to run or jump or just roll around, for fear that any movement could strip away their skin and leave them with open, painful wounds. That’s what life is like for children with a nasty genetic disease called epidermolysis bullosa or EB. The slightest touch can cause their skin … Continue reading Using stem cells paves new approach to treating a blistering skin disease