Mogrify. Sounds like one of Harry Potter’s spells, doesn’t it? In reality, it’s something cooler than that. As reported on Tuesday in Nature Genetics, Mogrify is a new research tool that uses the magic of mathematics and computer programming to help stem cell scientists determine the necessary ingredients to convert one human cell type into … Continue reading Computer “Magic” Helps Scientists Morph One Cell’s Identity Into Another
Training the Next Generation of Stem Cell Scientists
Nobel prize winners don’t come out of thin air, they were all young, impressionable kids at one point in time. If you ask any award-winning scientists how they got into science research, many of them would likely tell you about an inspiring teacher, an encouraging parent, or a hands-on research opportunity that inspired or helped … Continue reading Training the Next Generation of Stem Cell Scientists
Patients beware: warnings about shady clinics and suspect treatments
Every day we get a call from someone seeking help. Some are battling a life-threatening or life-changing disease. Others call on behalf of a friend or loved one. All are looking for the same thing; a treatment, better still a cure, to ease their suffering. Almost every day we have to tell them the same … Continue reading Patients beware: warnings about shady clinics and suspect treatments
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Both parents’ diets impact health of offspring, also lab grown fallopian tubes and testicles
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. A special post on stem cells and reproductive health Mom needs to balance her Omegas. To produce a healthy baby with a robust brain you … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: Both parents’ diets impact health of offspring, also lab grown fallopian tubes and testicles
Regenerating damaged muscle after a heart attack
Images of clusters of heart muscle cells (in red and green) derived from human embryonic stem cells 40 days after transplantation. Courtesy UCLA Every year more than 735,000 Americans have a heart attack. Many of those who survive often have lasting damage to their heart muscle and are at increased risk for future attacks and … Continue reading Regenerating damaged muscle after a heart attack
New Stem Cell Treatment for ALS May Slow Disease Progression
Exciting news was published this week that will give patients suffering from ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, something to cheer about. The journal JAMA Neurology reported that a new stem cell treatment was successful in slowing disease progression in a small group of ALS patients in a Phase 2 clinical trial. This is … Continue reading New Stem Cell Treatment for ALS May Slow Disease Progression
What Went Down at ARM’s Regenerative Medicine State of the Industry
Every January, downtown San Francisco is taken over by a flock of investors, bankers, biotech companies, and scientists attending the annual JP Morgan Healthcare Conference. This meeting looks at the healthcare advancements over the past year and predicts the disease areas and technologies that will see the most progress and success in 2016. According to … Continue reading What Went Down at ARM’s Regenerative Medicine State of the Industry
Timing Matters: Slowly Dividing Stem Cells Lead to Small Brains
One hundred billion nerve cells working together empowering us to see, walk, think, speak, remember: the human brain is a stunning machine. Even more stunning is its formation in the growing fetus. It starts with a set of neural, or brain, stem cells in the early embryo. Then with each cell division, more and more cells … Continue reading Timing Matters: Slowly Dividing Stem Cells Lead to Small Brains
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: reality check on chimeras, iPS cells for drug discovery and cell family history
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. iPS cells becoming foot soldiers of drug discovery. Here at The Stem Cellar we write often about the power of iPS-type stem cells to model … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: reality check on chimeras, iPS cells for drug discovery and cell family history
National honor for helping “the blind see”
Those of us fortunate to have good health take so many things for granted, not the least of which is our ability to see. But, according to the World Health Organization, there are 39 million people worldwide who are blind, and another 246 million who are visually impaired. Any therapy, any device, that can help … Continue reading National honor for helping “the blind see”
The Stem Cellar 