Creating tissues and organs from stem cells—often referred to as ‘tissue engineering’—is hard. But new research has discovered that the process may in fact be a little easier than we once thought, at least in some situations. Last week, scientists at The Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles announced that the esophagus—the tube … Continue reading CIRM-Funded Scientists Make New Progress Toward Engineering a Human Esophagus
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UCLA Study Suggests New Way to Mend a Broken Heart
When you suffer a heart attack, your heart-muscle cells become deprived of oxygen. Without oxygen, the cells soon whither and die—and are entombed within scar tissue. And once these cells die, they can’t be brought back to life. But maybe—just maybe—there is another way to build new heart muscle. And if there is, scientists like … Continue reading UCLA Study Suggests New Way to Mend a Broken Heart
Cranking it Up to Eleven: Heightened Growth of Neural Stem Cells Linked to Autism-like Behavior
Autism is not one single disease but a suite of many, which is why researchers have long struggled to understand its underlying causes. Often referred to as the Autism Spectrum Disorders, autism has been linked to multiple genetic and environmental factors—different combinations of which can all result in autism or autistic-like behavior. But as we … Continue reading Cranking it Up to Eleven: Heightened Growth of Neural Stem Cells Linked to Autism-like Behavior
Scientists Reach Yet Another Milestone towards Treating Type 1 Diabetes
There was a time when having type 1 diabetes was equivalent to a death sentence. Now, thanks to advances in science and medicine, the disease has shifted from deadly to chronic. But this shift, doctors argue, is not good enough. The disease still poses significant health risks, such as blindness and loss of limbs, as … Continue reading Scientists Reach Yet Another Milestone towards Treating Type 1 Diabetes
Meeting designed to bring together investors and researchers seemed to hit pay dirt this year
When I helped plan the first Partnering Forum at the Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa four years ago, I must admit it felt a bit early for the stated goal of the meeting, which was to bring together academic research teams and early stage biotech companies with big pharmaceutical companies and other investors who … Continue reading Meeting designed to bring together investors and researchers seemed to hit pay dirt this year
Policy Matters: Stem Cells and the Public Interest
Guest Author Geoff Lomax is CIRM’s Senior Officer for Medical and Ethical Standards. In the spirit of Stem Cell Awareness Day, Cell Stem Cell has compiled a “Public Interest” collection of articles covering ethical, legal, and social implications of stem cell research and made it freely available. The collection may be found here. The collection … Continue reading Policy Matters: Stem Cells and the Public Interest
These Are the Cells You’re Looking for: Scientists Devise New Way to Extract Bone-Making Stem Cells from Fat
Buried within our fat tissue are stashes of stem cells—a hidden reservoir of cells that, if given the right cues, can transform into cells that make up bone, cartilage or fat. These cells therefore represent a much-needed store for regenerative therapies that rebuild bone or cartilage lost to disease or injury. The only problem with … Continue reading These Are the Cells You’re Looking for: Scientists Devise New Way to Extract Bone-Making Stem Cells from Fat
Seventh annual Stem Cell Awareness Day, Oct. 8, will share some of the reasons behind the hope
When we organized the first Stem Cell Awareness Day in 2008 it was a small affair with events in Australia, Canada and a couple venues in California. It has quickly grown to become a sufficiently grass roots event worldwide that we can’t capture all the activities. But we feature 10 events in the US and … Continue reading Seventh annual Stem Cell Awareness Day, Oct. 8, will share some of the reasons behind the hope
See You Next Week: 2014 Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa
Next week marks the fourth annual Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa (SCMOM) Partnering Forum in La Jolla, California and CIRM , one of the main organizers, hopes to see you there. SCMOM is the first and only meeting organized specifically for the regenerative medicine and cell therapy sectors. The meeting’s unique Partnering Forum brings … Continue reading See You Next Week: 2014 Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa
Cells’ Knack for Hoarding Proteins Inadvertently Kickstarts the Aging Process
Even cells need to take out the trash in order to maintain a healthy clean environment. And scientists are now uncovering the harmful effects when cells instead begin to hoard their garbage. Aging, on the cellular level is—at its core—the increasing inability for cells to repair themselves over time. As cells begin to break down … Continue reading Cells’ Knack for Hoarding Proteins Inadvertently Kickstarts the Aging Process
The Stem Cellar 