The ability to transform an adult cell back into a stem cell has been heralded as one of the greatest achievements of the 21st century. Scientists have lauded this discovery, made by Nobel Prize-winning scientist Shinya Yamanaka, as a game changer for the future of medicine. Despite this extraordinary advance, the method remains inefficient. And … Continue reading CIRM-funded scientists track the steps that take an adult cell back in time
Research News
Stem Cell Stories that Caught Your Eye: The Most Popular Stem Cellar Stories of 2014
2014 marked an extraordinary year for regenerative medicine and for CIRM. We welcomed a new president, several of our research programs have moved into clinical trials—and our goal of accelerating treatments for patients in need is within our grasp. As we look back we’d like to revisit The Stem Cellar’s ten most popular stories of … Continue reading Stem Cell Stories that Caught Your Eye: The Most Popular Stem Cellar Stories of 2014
Key stem cell gene controlled from afar, Canadian scientists discover
Embryonic stem cells can, by definition, mature into any cell type in the body. They are able to maintain this state of so-called pluripotency with the help of a gene called Sox2. And now, researchers at the University of Toronto (U of T) have discovered the unseen force that controls it. These findings, reported in … Continue reading Key stem cell gene controlled from afar, Canadian scientists discover
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
Finding the Sweet Spot: shifting metabolism keeps stem cells in suspended animation
The future is bright for a stem cell: it has the potential to become almost anything. This potential is one of its two defining characteristics. The second is that it can create copies of itself over and over again. This second characteristic, known as the ability to self-renew, is of particular importance to researchers. After … Continue reading Finding the Sweet Spot: shifting metabolism keeps stem cells in suspended animation
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 improvements in the precision with which we can edit our genes grabs spotlight
Just a day and a half into this year’s World Stem Cell Summit in San Antonio and there have been numerous highlights. But a pair of sessions on gene editing grabbed the attention of many of the scientists at the meeting. One of the renown leaders in the field, Harvard’s George Church wowed the scientists, … Continue reading At World Stem Cell Summit improvements in the precision with which we can edit our genes grabs spotlight
Truth or Consequences: how to spot a liar and what to do once you catch them
Nothing undermines the credibility of science and scientists more than the retraction a high profile paper. Earlier this year there was a prime example of that when researchers at one of Japan’s most prestigious research institutions, the Riken Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe, had to retract a study that had gathered worldwide attention. The … Continue reading Truth or Consequences: how to spot a liar and what to do once you catch them
Taking Promising Therapies out of the Lab and into People: Tips from Experts at the World Stem Cell Summit on How to Succeed
Having a great idea for a stem cell therapy is the easy part. Getting it to work in the lab is tougher. But sometimes the toughest part of all is getting it out of the lab and into clinical trials in patients. That’s natural and sensible, after all we need to make sure that something … Continue reading Taking Promising Therapies out of the Lab and into People: Tips from Experts at the World Stem Cell Summit on How to Succeed
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