Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are a type of immune cell that play an extremely important role in maintaining stability in the body and preventing the body's immune system from attacking its own cells and organs. This unique property makes Tregs extremely valuable to researchers as a potential treatment for immune related issues. One of these … Continue reading Improving a special kind of cell to help combat immune related problems
graft vs host disease
Cord blood transplants help children fighting deadly diseases
Dr. Paul Szabolcs: Photo courtesy of UPMC A simple blood stem cell transplant is showing tremendous promise in treating a wide range of metabolic, blood and immune disorders such as thalassemia and some leukodystrophies. These are considered rare diseases – meaning there are fewer than 200,000 people with them in the US – so there … Continue reading Cord blood transplants help children fighting deadly diseases
Donor blood stem cells and T cells could help patients wean off immunosuppressive drugs after organ transplant
Dr. Samuel Strober is refining a process that eliminates the need for the many immunosuppresant drugs normally required after a transplant.Image credit: Stanford Medicine News Center In 2019, there were over 23,000 kidney transplants in the United States, according to figures from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). These transplants can be lifesaving, but … Continue reading Donor blood stem cells and T cells could help patients wean off immunosuppressive drugs after organ transplant
New hope for stem cell therapy in patients with leukemia
Of the many different kinds of cancer that affect humans, leukemia is the most common in young people. As with many types cancer, doctors mostly turn to chemotherapy to treat patients. Chemotherapy, however, comes with its own share of issues, primarily severe side effects and the constant threat of disease recurrence. Stem cell therapy treatment … Continue reading New hope for stem cell therapy in patients with leukemia
Stories that caught our eye: How dying cells could help save lives; could modified blood stem cells reverse diabetes?; and FDA has good news for patients, bad news for rogue clinics
Growing up I loved watching old cowboy movies. Invariably the hero, even though mortally wounded, would manage to save the day and rescue the heroine and/or the town. Now it seems some stem cells perform the same function, dying in order to save the lives of others. Researchers at Kings College in London were trying … Continue reading Stories that caught our eye: How dying cells could help save lives; could modified blood stem cells reverse diabetes?; and FDA has good news for patients, bad news for rogue clinics
One man’s journey with leukemia has turned into a quest to make bone marrow stem cell transplants safer
I read a story yesterday in Science Magazine that really stuck with me. It’s about a man who was diagnosed with leukemia and received a life-saving stem cell transplant that is now threatening his health. The man is name Lukas Wartman and is a doctor at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He … Continue reading One man’s journey with leukemia has turned into a quest to make bone marrow stem cell transplants safer
The Stem Cellar 