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. Designer bags from human skin? I had to share a bizarre story I read this week about a UK fashion designer who is making a … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Designer bags from human skin, large-scale stem cell production, new look at fat stem cells
Stem cell research
Ready, Set, Go: CIRM funded clinical trial for heart disease finishes patient enrollment
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States with over 600,000 deaths occurring per year. Patients with heart disease or heart failure are given treatments that attempt to prevent their condition from getting worse or improve some of their symptoms. However, no treatment exists that can completely restore their heart function … Continue reading Ready, Set, Go: CIRM funded clinical trial for heart disease finishes patient enrollment
Buildup of random mutations in adult stem cells doesn’t explain varying frequency of cancers
To divide or not to divide? It’s a question every cell in your body must constantly ask itself. Cells in your small intestine, for instance, replace themselves about every three days so the cells in that tissue must divide frequently to replenish the tissue. Liver cell are less active and turn over about once a … Continue reading Buildup of random mutations in adult stem cells doesn’t explain varying frequency of cancers
From Pig Parts to Stem Cells: Scientist Douglas Melton Wins Ogawa-Yamanaka Prize for Work on Diabetes
Since the 1920s, insulin injections have remained the best solution for managing type 1 diabetes. Patients with this disease do not make enough insulin – a hormone that regulates the sugar levels in your blood – because the insulin-producing cells, or beta cells, in their pancreas are destroyed. Back then, it took two tons of … Continue reading From Pig Parts to Stem Cells: Scientist Douglas Melton Wins Ogawa-Yamanaka Prize for Work on Diabetes
Gene required for sperm stem cells linked to male infertility, UCSD study suggests
Even in this day and age, when a couple is having trouble conceiving a child, it’s often the woman who is initially suspected of having infertility problems and is likely the first to seek out the advice of doctor. But according to Miles Wilkinson, professor of reproductive medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine, … Continue reading Gene required for sperm stem cells linked to male infertility, UCSD study suggests
Stem Cell Experts Discuss the Ethical Implications of Translating iPSCs to the Clinic
Part of The Stem Cellar blog series on 10 years of iPSCs. This year, scientists are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Shinya Yamanaka’s Nobel Prize winning discovery of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). These are cells that are very similar biologically to embryonic stem cells and can develop into any cell in the body. iPSCs … Continue reading Stem Cell Experts Discuss the Ethical Implications of Translating iPSCs to the Clinic
Full Steam Ahead: First Patient is Dosed in Expanded CIRM Spinal Cord Injury Trial
Today we bring you more good news about a CIRM-funded clinical trial for spinal cord injury that’s received a lot of attention lately in the news. Asterias Biotherapeutics has treated its first patient in an expanded patient population of spinal cord injury patients who suffer from cervical, or neck, injuries. In late August, Asterias reported … Continue reading Full Steam Ahead: First Patient is Dosed in Expanded CIRM Spinal Cord Injury Trial
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: two studies of the heart and cool stem cell art
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. Understanding Heart Defects. Healthy heart tissue is made up of smooth, solid muscle, which is essential for normal heart function. Patients with a heart defect … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: two studies of the heart and cool stem cell art
Making a deposit in the Bank: using stem cells from children with rare diseases to find new treatments
Part of The Stem Cellar series on ten years of iPS cells For Chris Waters, the motivation behind her move from big pharmaceutical companies and biotech to starting a non-profit organization focused on rare diseases in children is simple: “What’s most important is empowering patient families and helping them accelerate research to the clinical solutions … Continue reading Making a deposit in the Bank: using stem cells from children with rare diseases to find new treatments
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: functioning liver tissue, making new bone, stem cells and mental health
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. Functioning liver tissue. Scientists are looking to stem cells as a potential alternative treatment to liver transplantation for patients with end-stage liver disease. Efforts are … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: functioning liver tissue, making new bone, stem cells and mental health
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