Dr. Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz: Photo courtesy Caltech Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) have many remarkable properties, not the least of which is their ability to turn into every other kind of cell in our body. But there are limits to what researchers can do with embryonic stem cells. One issue is that there aren’t always hESCs … Continue reading Building embryo-like cells in the lab
embryonic development
How stem cells know the right way to make a heart . And what goes wrong when they don’t
Gladstone scientists Deepak Srivastava (left), Yvanka De Soysa (center), and Casey Gifford (right) publish a complete catalog of the cells involved in heart development. The invention of GPS navigation systems has made finding your way around so much easier, providing simple instructions on how to get from point A to point B. Now, a new … Continue reading How stem cells know the right way to make a heart . And what goes wrong when they don’t
Genetic defect leads to slower production of brain cells linked to one form of autism
Child with Fragile X syndrome Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a genetic disorder that is the most common form of inherited intellectual disability in children, and has also been linked to a form of autism. Uncovering the cause of FXS could help lead to a deeper understanding of autism, what causes it and ultimately, it’s … Continue reading Genetic defect leads to slower production of brain cells linked to one form of autism
Stem cell study shows how smoking attacks the developing liver in unborn babies
It’s no secret that smoking kills. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) smoking is responsible for around 480,000 deaths a year in the US, including more than 41,000 due to second hand smoke. Now a new study says that damage can begin in utero long before the child is born. Previous … Continue reading Stem cell study shows how smoking attacks the developing liver in unborn babies
Discovering stem cells and science at Discovery Day
Someone stole my thigh bone. One minute it was there. The next, gone. I have narrowed down the list of suspects to the more than 25,000 people attending Discovery Day at San Francisco’s AT&T Park. To be honest, the bone was just a laminated image of a bone, stuck to the image of a person … Continue reading Discovering stem cells and science at Discovery Day
Embryos with abnormal chromosomes can repair themselves
Like an increasing number of women, Magdalena Zernicka-Goetz waited later in life to have kids and was pregnant at 44 with her second child. Because older moms have an increased risk of giving birth to children with genetic disorders, Zernicka-Goetz opted to have an early genetic screening test about 12 weeks into her pregnancy. The … Continue reading Embryos with abnormal chromosomes can repair themselves
CIRM Scientists Discover Key to Blood Cells’ Building Blocks
Our bodies generate new blood cells—both red and white blood cells—each and every day. But reproducing that feat in a petri dish has proven far more difficult. But now, scientists have identified the missing ingredient to producing hematopoietic stem cells, or HSC’s—the type of stem cell that gives rise to all blood and immune cells … Continue reading CIRM Scientists Discover Key to Blood Cells’ Building Blocks
The Stem Cellar 