Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute have used magnets to guide cardiac stem cells to damaged areas of animal hearts. In a press release, senior author Eduardo Marban said:"Stem cell therapies show great promise as a treatment for heart injuries, but 24 hours after infusion, we found that less than 10 percent of the stem cells … Continue reading Magnets draw stem cells to heart damage
Disease Areas
Small DNA changes, life or death consequences
Two recent papers by CIRM grantees highlight the importance of understanding basic stem cell biology while developing new cures. Both have to do with chemical modifications to the DNA – called epigenetics. One of the two papers shows that an epigenetic change in DNA, called methylation, changes dramatically as human embryonic stem cells mature into … Continue reading Small DNA changes, life or death consequences
Embryonic stem cells repair radiation damage in mice
Radiation can effectively destroy brain tumor cells – but at a cost. While killing the tumor cells the treatment also damages normal cells in portions of the brain involved in learning and memory, leaving people with varying levels of impairment. New work by researchers at the University of California, Irvine suggests that human embryonic stem … Continue reading Embryonic stem cells repair radiation damage in mice
Molecules found that control the development of blood vessel cells
Researchers at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease have identified two molecules, called microRNAs, that push early heart cells to mature into the smooth muscle cells that line blood vessels. These same molecules also control when those smooth muscle cells divide to repair damage or in diseases such as cancer or atherosclerosis, which both involve … Continue reading Molecules found that control the development of blood vessel cells
Support Cells Prevent Mature Heart from Repairing Damage
Researchers at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease may have discovered why developing heart muscles cells multiply in numbers while the adult counterparts do not. This finding could lead to therapies that roll back the clocks on heart muscle cells after injury such as a heart attack, allowing those cells to multiply and repair the … Continue reading Support Cells Prevent Mature Heart from Repairing Damage
Genetic Factor Enables Immature Cells to Form Normal Heart Tissue
Researchers at the Gladstone Institute for Cardiovascular Disease found a genetic factor that helps in the earliest stages of heart development as the primitive tube loops around on itself and forms the separate chambers. This factor -- a short relative of DNA called microRNA -- has an identical counterpart in humans, leading the researchers to … Continue reading Genetic Factor Enables Immature Cells to Form Normal Heart Tissue
Embryonic stem cells repair heart damage in mice
Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine found that cells derived from human embryonic stem cells could repair damage in a mouse model of heart attack. The researchers first looked at which genes were active at every stage between the human embryonic stem cells and early heart muscle cells. The cells they implanted mirrored … Continue reading Embryonic stem cells repair heart damage in mice
Genetic Factor Influences Heart Muscle Formation from Embryonic Stem Cells
Researchers at the Gladstone Institute for Cardiovascular Disease discovered how two specific tiny genetic factors called microRNAs influence the differentiation of embryonic stem cells into heart muscle. They found that the factors not only drive the versatile cells to become heart, but also actively prevent them from becoming other tissue such as bone adding to … Continue reading Genetic Factor Influences Heart Muscle Formation from Embryonic Stem Cells
Mutation Revealed to Convert Blood Stem Cells to Cancer Stem Cells
Researchers at UC, Los Angeles discovered a series of mutations that can convert normal blood stem cells into cancer stem cells. It is believed that many types of cancer result from cancer stem cells created by such mutations. In this case the first mutation converted normal stem cells and then caused over expression of an … Continue reading Mutation Revealed to Convert Blood Stem Cells to Cancer Stem Cells
First clinical Trial Begins for a Therapy Enabled By CIRM Funding
Researchers at UC, San Diego verified a suspect gene mutation in blood-forming stem cells was by itself necessary and sufficient to cause a class of severe blood diseases called myeloproliferative disorders. They then worked with a team of researchers from other academic institutions and from the San Diego pharmaceutical company TargeGen to conduct animal tests … Continue reading First clinical Trial Begins for a Therapy Enabled By CIRM Funding
The Stem Cellar 