Researchers isolated very small embryonic-like stem cells from human adult tissues and demonstrated their ability to differentiate into multiple cell types, including bone, neurons, and connective tissue. The study provides evidence that these multipotent stem cells could be used for regenerative therapies.
Researchers at UC Davis successfully coax laboratory cultures of human stem cells into the specialized, unique cells needed to repair a patient's defective or diseased bladder. The breakthrough provides a pathway to regenerate replacement bladder tissue for patients whose bladders are too small or do not function properly.
Researchers have developed a new technique to generate large concentrations of skeletal muscle cells and muscle progenitors directly from human pluripotent stem cells. This method, described in Stem Cells Translational Medicine, uses growth factors to guide the stem cells towards a muscle fate, avoiding genetic modification.
Scientists at the University of Washington have successfully created a line of human embryonic stem cells that can develop into various tissues. The new 'naive' cells retain their natural ability to differentiate into all types of human cells without artificial genes, opening up possibilities for regenerative medicine and transplantation.
Researchers found that several chemotherapy drugs cause hyper proliferation in stem cells, leading to tumor recurrence. The study used fruit flies as a model, discovering compounds that inhibit tumors without causing this side effect.
Researchers developed a set of 64 parameters to evaluate stem cell-derived cardiac myocytes, providing a standardized method to test cell function. This approach addresses critical quality control issues in the industry, enabling more reliable and reproducible tests for cell function.
Cancer researchers have discovered a pre-leukemic stem cell that may initiate disease and trigger relapse in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This finding offers a potential tool for earlier diagnosis and targeted therapy, as the pre-leukemic stem cell can survive chemotherapy and be found in the bone marrow at remission.
A protein called Lis1 regulates asymmetric division of hematopoietic stem cells, ensuring proper blood cell generation. Deleting Lis1 from mouse stem cells accelerates differentiation, leading to a bloodless mouse. The finding has implications for cancer treatment, as cancer stem cells also rely on Lis1.
A new method allows for large-scale generation of high-quality human embryonic stem cells from excess IVF embryos, increasing the supply for potential therapies. This breakthrough method enables production of stem cells without destroying embryos, making it a significant step forward for stem cell research.
Researchers have identified a protein that enables the transfer of mitochondria from stem cells to damaged epithelial cells, rejuvenating their health. This discovery could lead to more effective therapies for lung disease in humans by engineering mesenchymal stem cells to produce healthy mitochondria.
Researchers have discovered two types of breast cancer stem cells, each playing a crucial role in metastasis. The findings highlight the need for targeted therapies that can tackle both forms of stem cells, offering new hope for patients with metastatic breast cancer.
Researchers have created an artificial bone marrow that can reproduce hematopoietic stem cells, which could facilitate the treatment of leukemia. The new technology uses synthetic polymers and protein building blocks to mimic the natural environment of bone marrow, allowing for more efficient stem cell reproduction.
Researchers at Cedars-Sinai identified immune system targets on cancer stem cells and created an experimental vaccine to attack them. The vaccine, which uses dendritic cells, was tested in lab mice and showed promise without causing side effects.
Researchers at UCLA discovered a mechanism by which certain adult stem cells suppress their ability to initiate skin cancer during dormancy. The study found that PTEN gene plays a crucial role in tumor suppression via quiescence in hair follicle stem cells.
A new technology grows cord blood stem cells in a lab before transplant, increasing survival rates by 9.6% compared to traditional methods. Patients who received the StemEx transplants engrafted faster and were less vulnerable to infections and bleeding.
The World Stem Cell Report 2013 presents innovative solutions for accelerating stem cell treatments and eventual cures, addressing regulatory, legal, and ethical roadblocks. The report is a benchmark guide for moving the field forward, supporting the 2013 World Stem Cell Summit.
Researchers have found that prostate cancer stem cells change from basal to luminal cells as the disease progresses, rendering existing treatments less effective. This discovery could lead to more targeted therapies by targeting the evolving cancer stem cells.
A new project at the University of Houston aims to incorporate art into STEM education to increase the quality of STEM graduates. Jay Young's research focuses on how creativity can be used to solve problems in math and science, with findings suggesting that artistic endeavors are essential for better problem-solving skills.
Researchers at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre have identified a promising new therapeutic path for colorectal cancer by disarming the BMI-1 gene, which drives self-renewal in stem cells. Inhibiting this gene resulted in long-term and irreversible impairment of tumour growth, providing strong evidence for its clinical relevance.
Researchers at University of Copenhagen and University of Edinburgh identified 53 genes that regulate cell adhesion in embryonic stem cells. This new insight will enable scientists to maintain stem cells more effectively and efficiently manipulate adult cells to revert to a stem cell-like stage.
Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science have successfully created induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) that can be kept in a pristine state, paving the way for growing transplant organs to order. The breakthrough enables the production of 'humanized' mouse models containing human-derived tissues.
Researchers discovered that doxycycline-induced neural stem cells exhibit increased proliferative activity and inhibitory differentiation similar to tumor stem cells. This suggests a possible link between neural stem cells and the origin of brain tumor stem cells.
The World Stem Cell Report 2013 outlines critical challenges and key action items to overcome them, including regulatory compliance and education for physicians and patients. Key opinion leaders like Paul Knoepfler bring a fresh perspective to the stem cell universe, highlighting areas of progress and need for advancement.
University of Toronto researchers have developed a method to rapidly screen human stem cells, allowing for better control over their fate. The technology uses robotics and automation to test compounds or drugs at once, with controllable environments to study cell characteristics as they differentiate.
Researchers have identified a source of gut stem cells that can repair damaged gut tissue in mice with inflammatory bowel disease. These stem cells were found to be actively dividing and could form mature intestinal tissue under the right conditions.
Researchers at St. Michael's Hospital have found that enriched bone marrow stem cells secrete hormones that replicate the positive impact of stem cells on treating animals with chronic kidney disease and heart failure. The discovery opens up a potential new treatment approach by eliminating the need to inject stem cells.
Researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago identified a protein expressed by human bone marrow stem cells that guides blood vessel formation. The study found that mesenchymal stem cells support functional blood vessel growth, and their genetic signature may be used to individualize stem cell treatments for heart patients.
Research reveals that stomach chief cells can revert to stem cells even without noticeable injury, suggesting a potential new approach for repairing stomach damage. The findings also hint at the possibility of using this process to prevent stomach cancers.
Researchers found that transplanted stem cells guide neural stem cells to the injured brain site via a neurovascular matrix, promoting functional recovery. The study presents evidence for a new concept of stem-cell mediated brain repair, offering a potential treatment for traumatic brain injury.
Researchers discovered the critical role of retinoic acid signaling pathway in forming blood-forming stem cells. The study used mouse models to demonstrate that disrupting this pathway eliminates blood-forming stem cells, while activating it increases their numbers.
Researchers find removing MBD3 protein increases efficiency of stem cell reprogramming from 1% to 100%, allowing for faster production of cells for medical use. This breakthrough provides a deeper understanding of embryonic development and could advance treatment of various diseases.
Wayne State joins other universities in improving STEM teaching methods to support high-talented students and increase graduation rates. The project aims to enhance faculty skills and track student progress to address attrition from STEM majors.
Researchers found that cortical bone-derived stem cells (CBSCs) triggered the growth of new blood vessels and matured into heart muscle cells, improving survival and heart function in mice. The study challenges the general assumption that cardiac stem cells are the most capable of repairing damaged heart tissue.
Researchers engineered 'helper cells' to provide growth factors to transplanted stem cells, increasing their endurance and survival rate. The study aims to overcome a major barrier to successful stem cell therapy.
Researchers have identified a crucial role for the gene GATA3 in regulating blood stem cell self-renewal. This discovery has significant implications for expanding blood stem cells in the lab for clinical use in bone marrow transplantation.
The skin uses a unique method to renew itself, with differentiated levels of stem cells and their micro-environment determining cell types. This challenges current stem cell models and provides new knowledge on skin cancer and wound healing.
A new study by the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC found that stem cells in gum tissue can relieve inflammatory diseases, including colitis. The cells, called gingival mesenchymal stem cells (GMSC), have the ability to become other cell types and affect the immune system.
Researchers discover human blood stem cells residing in the end of bones have highest regenerative ability, potentially improving bone marrow transplants. The discovery aims to lower donated bone marrow needs while increasing regeneration and reducing rejection rates.
Stem cells found in urine have been shown to differentiate into various cell types, including bladder, bone, cartilage, and endothelial cells. These cells offer a promising alternative for autologous therapy, potentially treating urology-related conditions and other fields.
Researchers have generated functional human liver cells from stem cells and transplanted them into mice with acute liver injury. The stem-cell derived human liver cells were able to function normally and increase the survival of treated animals. This breakthrough demonstrates a scalable method for producing these cells, which could lea...
Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center are developing a new stem cell therapy approach to treat limbal epithelial stem cell deficiency, a common cause of corneal blindness. The goal is to create a corneal cell source for transplantation using induced pluripotent stem cells from patients' own eyes.
A study by researchers at the University of Oregon reveals a novel stem cell mechanism in fruit flies that may help explain how neurons form in humans. The research shows how a select group of stem cells can create progenitors that generate numerous subtypes of cells, increasing neural diversity.
Researchers at the University of Copenhagen's Danish Stem Cell Center have made a groundbreaking discovery in regressing embryonic stem cells to an early stage of development. This breakthrough could provide new insights into conditions such as miscarriages and placenta-related disorders.
A study published in PLOS Biology reveals that a single mutation in the JAK2 gene reduces the ability of blood stem cells to self-renew without affecting their progeny daughter cells. This finding has implications for understanding how single stem cells contribute to tumor growth in cancers suspected to have a stem cell origin.
A breakthrough study led by Shoukhrat Mitalipov converts human skin cells into embryonic stem cells using a variation of somatic cell nuclear transfer. The reprogrammed cells can transform into various cell types, including nerve cells, liver cells, and heart cells, without the risk of transplant rejection.
A team of scientists has successfully used Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) to produce human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), opening up new possibilities for personalized therapies. The study's findings offer a promising approach for generating patient-specific stem cells to model diseases and replace damaged tissues.
Researchers found that amniotic fluid stem cells can communicate with mature heart cells through channels in the membrane, forming functional gap junction connections. However, these cells do not differentiate into cardiac tissue under these conditions.
Scientists at the University of Edinburgh made a fundamental discovery about how embryonic stem cells renew and increase in number. Reducing the levels of protein Oct 4 enables pluripotent stem cells to self-renew more efficiently.
Research published in BioMed Central's Stem Cell Research & Therapy found that injecting human stem cells into mice with tumors slowed down tumor growth. The study suggests that stem cells may restrict oxygen and nutrient delivery to the tumor, limiting cell division.
A first-in-humans study demonstrates that cardiopoietic stem cell therapy can improve heart pumping function and fitness in heart failure patients. Patients in the treatment group experienced a significant improvement in ejection fraction, compared to those in the control group.
Autophagy, a type of internal 'spring cleaning', helps maintain neural stem cells' readiness to become new brain and nerve cells. Without this process, these crucial stem cells suffer damage from waste products and their ability to differentiate diminishes.
Scientists have developed a web-like scaffold coated with long-sugar molecules that enhances stem-cell cultures and encourages the formation of neuronal cell types. The results, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, are promising for treating diseases such as Alzheimer's and diabetes.
Scientists found that distinct niches exist in bone marrow to nurture different types of blood stem cells, which could improve the success of stem cell transplants and chemotherapy. The discovery suggests that targeting specific support cells may be therapeutic for treating certain cancers.
Researchers used a 'homing' signal to activate stem cells in heart failure patients, improving symptoms and heart function. The study found that 50% of patients showed positive effects one year after treatment, indicating potential for this therapy to widely treat heart failure patients.
Scientists have identified a natural trigger that enables stem cells to develop into different cell types in the body, including liver and brain cells. The discovery of protein Tcf15 could help improve techniques for turning stem cells into other cell types in the laboratory.
Researchers found that stem cell therapy stimulates the heart's natural repair mechanism, boosting production of adult heart cells and recruitment of existing stem cells. The treatment enhances heart structure and function, with new muscle formed being functional and durable.
A study published in BioMed Central's Stem Cell Research & Therapy journal found that stem cells from bone marrow or fat improved brain and nerve repair after stroke in rats. The treated animals showed significant functional recovery, even without the stem cells migrating to the damaged area.
A study by UMass Chan Medical School scientists has discovered that the retrovirus HERV-H is extremely active in human embryonic stem cells, making up to 2% of total RNA. This finding may aid in the development of induced pluripotent stem cell technology and transform current stem cell therapies.
Researchers at North Carolina State University found that the lack of Sp2 protein disrupts neural stem cell division and leads to a decline in neurons in the developing and postnatal brain. This discovery could have implications for understanding neurodevelopmental diseases and regenerative medicine.
Researchers found that stem cell transplantation significantly extended the lifespan of mice with ALS by 20 days and improved their neuromuscular function by 15 percent. This breakthrough study suggests that stem cells may represent a promising avenue for effective cell-based treatment for ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases.