Today we're featuring a guest blog by Lisa Willemse about the Till and McCulloch Stem Cell Meeting in Canada. Enjoy! Stem cell treatments should be incredibly easy. Or rather, that’s what some clinics or products would have you believe. Because, on the surface, a one-stop-shop for injectable cells to cure just about any condition or topical … Continue reading Three stories give us a glimpse of the real possibilities for stem cell therapies
Stem cell research
Deleting a single gene can boost blood stem cell regeneration
A serious side effect that cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy experience is myelosuppression. That’s a big word for a process that involves the decreased production of the body’s immune cells from hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) or blood stem cells in the bone marrow. Without these important cells that make up the immune system, patients are at … Continue reading Deleting a single gene can boost blood stem cell regeneration
A patient perspective on how stem cells could give a second vision to the blind
October is Blindness Awareness month. In honor of the patients who suffer from diseases of blindness and of the scientists and doctors who work tirelessly to develop treatments and cures for these diseases, we are featuring an interview with Kristin Macdonald, a woman who is challenged by Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP). RP is a genetically inherited … Continue reading A patient perspective on how stem cells could give a second vision to the blind
How research on a rare disease turned into a faster way to make stem cells
If Forest Gump were a scientist, I’d like to think he would have said his iconic line a little differently. Dr. Gump would have said, “scientific research is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you’re gonna get.” A new CIRM-funded study coming out of the Gladstone Institutes certainly proves this point. … Continue reading How research on a rare disease turned into a faster way to make stem cells
Ingenious CIRM-funded stem cell approach to treating ALS gets go-ahead to start clinical trial
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, was first identified way back in 1869 but today, more than 150 years later, there are still no effective treatments for it. Now a project, funded by CIRM, has been given approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to start a clinical trial that … Continue reading Ingenious CIRM-funded stem cell approach to treating ALS gets go-ahead to start clinical trial
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Blood stem cells on a diet, Bladder control after spinal cord injuries, new ALS insights
Putting blood stem cells on a diet. (Karen Ring) Scientists from Stanford and the University of Tokyo have figured out a new way to potentially make bone marrow transplants more safe. Published yesterday in the journal Science, the teams discovered that removing an essential amino acid, called valine, from the diets of mice depleted their … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Blood stem cells on a diet, Bladder control after spinal cord injuries, new ALS insights
Eggciting News: Scientists developed fertilized eggs from mouse stem cells
A really eggciting science story came out early this week that’s received a lot of attention. Scientists in Japan reported in the journal Nature that they’ve generated egg cells from mouse stem cells, and these eggs could be fertilized and developed into living, breathing mice. This is the first time that scientists have reported the … Continue reading Eggciting News: Scientists developed fertilized eggs from mouse stem cells
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: relief for jaw pain, vitamins for iPSCs and Alzheimer’s insights
Jaw bone stem cells may offer relief for suffers of painful joint disorder An estimated 10 million people in the US – mostly women - suffer from problems with their temporomandibular joint (TMJ) which sits between the jaw bone and skull. TMJ disorders can lead to a number of symptoms such as intense pain in … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: relief for jaw pain, vitamins for iPSCs and Alzheimer’s insights
Using skin cells to repair damaged hearts
When someone has a heart attack, getting treatment quickly can mean the difference between life and death. Every minute delay in getting help means more heart cells die, and that can have profound consequences. One study found that heart attack patients who underwent surgery to re-open blocked arteries within 60 minutes of arriving in the … Continue reading Using skin cells to repair damaged hearts
Bioengineered veins give hope to kidney disease patients on dialysis
As blood travels around your body, it helps your body get around. Blood is essential for delivering oxygen and nutrients to all the cells in your body and for removing waste products made by these cells. Your body contains approximately 1.5 gallons of blood, which translates to around 7% of your body weight. In order … Continue reading Bioengineered veins give hope to kidney disease patients on dialysis
The Stem Cellar 