Illustration courtesy of TED website There has been a lot of conversation surrounding CRISPR-Cas9 in these recent months as well as many sensational news stories. Some of these stories highlight the promise this technology holds, while others emphasize a word of caution. But what exactly does this technology do and how does it work? Here … Continue reading CRISPR-Cas9 101: an overview and the role it plays in developing therapies
Genomics
Stem cell roundup: summer scientists, fat-blocking cells & recent human evolution
Stem cell photo of the week: high schooler becoming a stem cell pro this summer This summer’s CIRM SPARK Programs, stem cell research internships for high school students, are in full swing. Along with research assignments in top-notch stem cell labs, we’ve asked the students to chronicle their internship experiences through Instagram. And today’s stem … Continue reading Stem cell roundup: summer scientists, fat-blocking cells & recent human evolution
Stem Cell Tools: Helping Scientists Understand Complex Diseases
Yesterday, we discussed a useful stem cell tool called the CIRM iPSC Repository, which will contain over 3000 human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines - from patients and healthy individuals - that contain a wealth of information about human diseases. Now that scientists have access to these lines, they need the proper tools to … Continue reading Stem Cell Tools: Helping Scientists Understand Complex Diseases
How mice and zebrafish are unlocking clues to repairing damaged hearts
This may be the first time that the Australian pop group the Bee Gees have ever been featured in a blog about stem cell research, but in this case I think it’s appropriate. One of the Bee Gees biggest hits was “How can you mend a broken heart” and while it was a fine song, … Continue reading How mice and zebrafish are unlocking clues to repairing damaged hearts
Stories that caught our eye: color me stem cells, delivering cell therapy with nanomagnets, and stem cell decisions
Nanomagnets: the future of targeted stem cell therapies? Your blood vessels are made up of tightly-packed endothelial cells. This barrier poses some big challenges for the delivery of drugs via the blood. While small molecules are able make their way through the small gaps in the blood vessel walls, larger drug molecules, including proteins and cells, … Continue reading Stories that caught our eye: color me stem cells, delivering cell therapy with nanomagnets, and stem cell decisions
“Apples to Apples” analysis: induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) method doesn’t increase mutations
It’s full steam ahead for the development of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived clinical trials. That’s according to a group at the National Human Genome Research Institute in Bethesda, Maryland who report this week in PNAS that the process of reprogramming a skin cell into the embryonic stem cell-like state of an iPSC does not … Continue reading “Apples to Apples” analysis: induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) method doesn’t increase mutations
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: turning on T cells; fixing our brains; progress and trends in stem cells; and one young man’s journey to recover from a devastating injury
A healthy T cell 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. Directing the creation of T cells. To paraphrase the GOP Presidential nominee, any sane person LOVES, LOVES LOVES their T cells, … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: turning on T cells; fixing our brains; progress and trends in stem cells; and one young man’s journey to recover from a devastating injury
Adding new stem cell tools to the Parkinson’s disease toolbox
Understanding a complicated neurodegenerative disorder like Parkinson’s disease (PD) is no easy task. While there are known genetic risk factors that cause PD, only about 10 percent of cases are linked to a genetic cause. The majority of patients suffer from the sporadic form of PD, where the causes are unknown but thought to be … Continue reading Adding new stem cell tools to the Parkinson’s disease toolbox
You Call It Corn Stem Cells, We Call It An A-Maize-Ing Hope to Feed the World
Here at the Stem Cellar, we’re laser-beam focused on the exciting progress being made to bring stem cell-based treatments to patients with unmet medical needs. But what good will those life-saving treatments be if the patients end up starving from hunger? It’s a serious question to ask considering the world’s diminishing farmlands and yet another … Continue reading You Call It Corn Stem Cells, We Call It An A-Maize-Ing Hope to Feed the World
Brave new world or dark threatening future: a clear-eyed look at genome editing and what it means for humanity
Is this the face of the future? “Have you ever wished that there were something different about yourself? Maybe you imagined yourself taller, thinner or stronger? Smarter? More attractive? Healthier?” That’s the question posed by UC Davis stem cell researcher (and CIRM grantee) Paul Knoepfler at the start of his intriguing new book ‘GMO … Continue reading Brave new world or dark threatening future: a clear-eyed look at genome editing and what it means for humanity
The Stem Cellar 