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. Great review of brains in a dish. The veteran Associated Press science journalist Malcolm Ritter produced the most thorough overview I have seen of the … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: mini-brains in a dish, blood stem cells and state funded stem cell research
Glimpse the future at a fun-filled Festival of Science
Imagine a giant circus but instead of performing animals you have a Robot Zoo; instead of scary clowns you have colorful chemicals in glass beakers. That’s what AT&T Park will look like this Saturday when the 5th Annual Discovery Day opens its doors. It’s a hands-on, eye-opening, brain-engaging celebration of science for everyone. It’s a … Continue reading Glimpse the future at a fun-filled Festival of Science
Cell survival strategy gives mesenchymal stem cells their “paramedic” properties
A cell for all therapies Type “mesenchymal stem cells” into the federal online database of registered clinical trials, and you’ll get a sprawling list of 527 trials testing treatments for diabetes, multiple sclerosis as well as diseases of the kidney, lung, and heart, to name just a few. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have the capacity … Continue reading Cell survival strategy gives mesenchymal stem cells their “paramedic” properties
Could We Reverse Alzheimer’s Disease with Stem Cells?
What if you could give people whose memories have been stolen the ability to remember again? I’m talking about curing a population of more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) – not a small task. Unfortunately, this number is predicted to more than triple by 2050, and with it so will healthcare … Continue reading Could We Reverse Alzheimer’s Disease with Stem Cells?
The key to unlocking stem cell’s potential and blocking a deadly threat
Our bodies are amazingly complex systems. By some estimates there are more than 37 trillion cells in our bodies. That’s trillion with a “t”. Each of those cells engages in some form of communication and signaling with other cells which makes our bodies one heck of a busy place to be. Yet all this activity … Continue reading The key to unlocking stem cell’s potential and blocking a deadly threat
Stem cell stories that caught our eye: cancer fighting virus, lab-grown guts work in dogs, stem cell trial to cure HIV
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. Cancer fighting virus approved for melanoma (Disclaimer: While this isn’t a story about stem cells, it’s pretty cool so I had to include it.) The … Continue reading Stem cell stories that caught our eye: cancer fighting virus, lab-grown guts work in dogs, stem cell trial to cure HIV
Bipolar Disorder-in-a-Dish: Game On for Finding New Drugs
The tragic path of biopolar disorder Ernest Hemingway, Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse and Virginia Woolf – the world lost their creativity too soon. Each took their own life or succumbed to substance abuse, most likely due to their struggles with bipolar disorder. Also called manic depression, bipolar disorder is one of the most severe types of … Continue reading Bipolar Disorder-in-a-Dish: Game On for Finding New Drugs
UCLA Scientists Find 3000 New Genes in “Junk DNA” of Immune Stem Cells
Genes and Junk Do you remember learning about Junk DNA when you took Biology in high school? The term was used to described 98% of the human genome that doesn’t make up its approximately 22,000 genes. We used to think that Junk DNA didn’t serve a purpose, but that was before we discovered special elements … Continue reading UCLA Scientists Find 3000 New Genes in “Junk DNA” of Immune Stem Cells
Embryonic and man-made stem cells are almost identical
For years it has been the stem cell equivalent of the feud between the Hatfields and McCoys. The dispute centered on the question of which is better for advancing scientific research and developing new therapies, embryonic stem (ES) cells or induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells? The somewhat surprising answer may be that they are both … Continue reading Embryonic and man-made stem cells are almost identical
Have Scientists Found a Stem Cell-lution to Thyroid Disorders?
Have you thanked your thyroid today? If not, you should because your thyroid is essential for many of life’s daily activities and processes that you probably take for granted. You can thank your thyroid for things like regulating your body temperature and appetite, and keeping you energetic, slim, and focused. That’s because these small glands … Continue reading Have Scientists Found a Stem Cell-lution to Thyroid Disorders?
The Stem Cellar 