Stem Cell Research
Stem cells recovered from cloned human embryos
May 15, 2013 12:53 pm | by MALCOLM RITTER - AP Science Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsScientists have finally recovered stem cells from cloned human embryos, a longstanding goal that could lead to new treatments for such illnesses as Parkinson's disease and diabetes. A prominent expert called the work a landmark, but noted that a different, simpler technique now under development may prove more useful.
Divide and define: Clues to understanding how stem cells produce different cells
May 6, 2013 3:46 pm | News | CommentsThe human body contains trillions of cells, all derived from a single cell. That single cell contains all the genetic information needed to develop into a human, and passes identical copies of that information to each new cell as it divides into the many diverse types of cells. If each cell is genetically identical, however, how does it grow to be a skin, blood, nerve, bone, or other type of cell?
Heart cells change stem cell behavior
May 3, 2013 9:57 am | News | CommentsStem cells drawn from amniotic fluid show promise for tissue engineering, but it’s important to know what they can and cannot do. A new study by researchers at Rice University and Texas Children’s Hospital has shown that these stem cells can communicate with mature heart cells and form electrical couplings with each other similar to those found in heart tissue.
Researchers turn skin cells directly into the cells that insulate neurons
April 15, 2013 1:00 pm | News | CommentsStanford University School of Medicine scientists have succeeded in transforming skin cells directly into oligodendrocyte precursor cells, the cells that wrap nerve cells in the insulating myelin sheaths that help nerve signals propagate. The research was done in mice and rats, but if the approach also works with human cells, it could eventually lead to cell therapies for a variety of diseases of the nervous system.
Material screening method allows more precise control over stem cells
April 11, 2013 5:43 pm | News | CommentsWhen it comes to delivering genes to living human tissue, the odds of success come down the molecule. The entire therapy— including the tools used to bring new genetic material into a cell—must have predictable effects. Now, a new screening process will simplify non-viral transfection, providing a method researchers and clinicians use to find an optimal set of biomaterials to deliver genes to cells.
Sweet news for stem cell's "Holy Grail"
February 26, 2013 10:43 am | News | CommentsStem cells have the unique ability to turn into any type of human cell, opening up all sorts of therapeutic possibilities for some of the world's incurable diseases and conditions. The problem facing scientists is how to encourage stem cells to turn into the particular type of cell required to treat a specific disease. But researchers at the University of Manchester have developed a web-like scaffold, coated with long-sugar molecules, that enhances stem cell cultures to do just this.
Lack of protein Sp2 disrupts neuron creation in brain
January 15, 2013 7:26 am | News | CommentsA protein known as Sp2 is key to the proper creation of neurons from stem cells, according to researchers at North Carolina State University. Understanding how this protein works could enable scientists to "program" stem cells for regeneration, which has implications for neural therapies.
New biomaterial gets 'sticky' with stem cells
December 10, 2012 8:00 am | News | CommentsJust like the bones that hold up your body, your cells have their own scaffolding that holds them up. This scaffolding, known as the extracellular matrix, or ECM, not only props up cells but also provides attachment sites, or "sticky spots," to which cells can bind, just as bones hold muscles in place. A new study by researchers in the U.S. and the U.K. found these sticky sports are distributed randomly throughout the ECM in the body, an important discovery with implications for researchers trying to figure out how to grow stems cells in the laboratory in ways that most closely mimic biology.
Report: Calif. stem cell agency needs overhaul
December 7, 2012 7:46 am | by ALICIA CHANG - AP Science Writer - Associated Press | News | CommentsCalifornia has transformed into a major player in stem cell research, but the taxpayer-funded institute responsible has "significant deficiencies" in how research dollars are distributed, experts said Thursday. A report by the Institute of Medicine found too many members on the board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine represented schools that won funding and recommended a restructuring to avoid the appearance of conflict of interest.
Scientists develop faster, safer method for producing stem cells
December 4, 2012 12:03 pm | News | CommentsA new method for generating stem cells from mature cells promises to boost stem cell production in the laboratory, helping to remove a barrier to regenerative medicine therapies that would replace damaged or unhealthy body tissues.
Skin cell reveal DNA's genetic mosaic
November 19, 2012 1:25 pm | News | CommentsThe prevailing wisdom has been that every cell in the body contains identical DNA. However, a new study of stem cells derived from the skin has found that genetic variations are widespread in the body's tissues, a finding with profound implications for genetic screening, according to Yale University School of Medicine researchers.
Stem cells and nanofibers produce promising nerve research
November 7, 2012 2:45 pm | News | CommentsNerves often die or shrink as a result of disease or injury. Researchers in Michigan and California have recently reported success in developing polymer nanofiber technologies for understanding how nerves form, why they don’t reconnect after injury, and what can be done to prevent or slow damage. The breakthrough involves growing and myelinating nerve cells along thin polymer nanofibers.
Nobel prize to Briton, Japanese for stem cell work
October 8, 2012 9:13 am | News | CommentsBritish researcher John Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka of Japan won this year's Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine on Monday for discovering that mature, specialized cells of the body can be reprogrammed into stem cells—a discovery that scientists hope to turn into new treatments. More than 40 years passed between Gurdon’s initial discovery and Yamanaka’s 2006 recipe for creating stem cells.
EMD Millipore, iPS Academia Japan sign licensing agreement
September 17, 2012 10:06 am | News | CommentsEMD Millipore and iPS Academia Japan Inc. (AJ) announced a global licensing agreement for AJ's induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell patent portfolio. The non-exclusive agreement provides EMD Millipore the opportunity to continue to develop and ultimately commercialize iPS cells for research applications.
Human stem cells restore hearing in gerbil study
September 13, 2012 4:21 am | by Malcolm Ritter, Associated Press | News | CommentsFor the first time, scientists have improved hearing in deaf animals by using human embryonic stem cells. The experiment involved an uncommon form of deafness, and the treatment wouldn't necessarily apply to all cases of that disorder. But scientists hope the approach can be expanded to help with more common forms of deafness.
Beacons light up stem cell transformation
September 11, 2012 9:55 am | News | CommentsIn a new study, Brown University researchers demonstrate a new tool for visually tracking in real-time the transformation of a living population of stem cells into cells of a specific tissue. The “molecular beacons,” which could advance tissue engineering research, light up when certain genes are expressed and don’t interfere with the development or operation of the stem cells.
Surprising methods heal wounded troops
September 10, 2012 8:21 am | by Marilynn Marchione, AP Chief Medical Writer | News | CommentsFour years ago, the federal government created a new institute encompassing top universities and institutes and gave it $300 million to spur new treatments using cell science and advanced plastic surgery. The results, which are now helping to heal war veterans, include the implantation of rebuilt tissues—such as ears and bones—and even more unusual solutions like sprayed-on skin cells.
