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A pill for obesity?

Researchers at Harvard University have developed a system using human stem cells to screen for compounds that can turn white, or 'bad', fat cells into brown, or 'good' fat cells. They have identified two compounds that can accomplish this in human cells, taking the first step towards a potential pill for obesity treatment.

SourceHarvard University·JournalNature Cell Biology·DateDec 8, 2014

Growing a blood vessel in a week

Researchers at University of Gothenburg have successfully grown a functional blood vessel in just one week using autologous peripheral whole blood. The breakthrough procedure involves extracting stem cells from a patient's blood, which accelerates growth and enables the creation of a new vein. This technology has the potential to benef...

SourceUniversity of Gothenburg·JournalEBioMedicine·DateOct 24, 2014

Autophagy helps fast track stem cell activation

Researchers found that autophagy, a cellular recycling mechanism, helps activate muscle stem cells by inducing metabolic shifts and coping with increased biosynthesis demands. Inhibited autophagy delayed stem cell activation, highlighting SIRT1's regulatory role in this process.

SourceEMBO·JournalThe EMBO Journal·DateOct 14, 2014

A new way to extract bone-making cells from fat tissue

Researchers create a fluorescent tag that identifies bone-producing cells in human fat, yielding more than twice the yield of potential bone-makers compared to another method. The extracted cells produce significant amounts of bone matrix and show promise for regenerative therapies.

SourceBrown University·JournalStem Cell Research & Therapy·DateOct 6, 2014

Diabetes in a dish

Researchers at UC San Diego aim to bioengineer the irregularly shaped patches of the pancreas called Islets of Langerhans in a dish. This could lead to studying the events that trigger beta cell destruction and developing new drug therapies, as well as understanding the genetic component of the disease.

Stem cell type resists chemotherapy drug

A new study reveals that adipose-derived human stem cells can withstand high doses of the chemotherapy drug methotrexate, unlike other cell types. This finding has significant implications for developing an ASC-based therapy to promote bone growth and regeneration in cancer patients.

SourceBrown University·JournalExperimental Cell Research·DateJul 2, 2014

Cancer: The roots of evil go deep in time

Researchers at Kiel University discovered primordial cancer in a primitive animal, Hydra, which provides crucial information to understand complex problems like cancer. The study confirms that tumours exist in evolutionary old animals and affect only female Hydra polyps, resembling ovarian cancers in humans.

SourceKiel University·JournalNature Communications·DateJun 24, 2014

Regenerating our kidneys

Researchers at Tel Aviv University and Stanford University discovered the multi-layered nature of kidney growth using a rainbow mouse model. The WNT signal was found to be responsible for renal cellular growth, allowing for potential therapeutic applications in human kidney regeneration.

Experts unlock key to blood vessel repair

Scientists from the University of Leeds have found a way to restore the function of damaged blood vessel repair cells. A protein called Akt was identified as the reason for reduced effectiveness in South Asian men's cells, which were able to be restored through the addition of active Akt.

SourceUniversity of Leeds·JournalStem Cells·DateJun 10, 2014

Patient stem cells used to make 'heart disease-on-a-chip'

Researchers at Harvard University have developed a new model of heart tissue carrying an inherited cardiovascular disease, a major step forward for personalized medicine. The study used patient-derived cardiac cells and 'organs-on-chips' technology to create a functional human heart tissue that can be replicated in the laboratory.

SourceHarvard University·JournalNature Medicine·DateMay 11, 2014

Self-healing engineered muscle grown in the laboratory

Researchers at Duke University have successfully grown lab-grown muscle that demonstrates self-healing properties, integrating into mice quickly and contracting powerfully. The breakthrough, led by Nenad Bursac, uses well-developed contractile muscle fibers and satellite cells to create a microenvironment for regeneration.

SourceDuke University·JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences·DateMar 31, 2014

Cellular alchemy: Penn study shows how to make insulin-producing cells from gut cells

Scientists have made a breakthrough in treating type 1 and type 2 diabetes by successfully converting gut cells into functional insulin-producing cells. The new method involves introducing specific transcription factors into intestinal crypt cells, which can then produce insulin and improve hyperglycemia in diabetic mice.

Turning back the clock on aging muscles?

Researchers have discovered a method for restoring strength to damaged skeletal muscles in the elderly using stem cell therapy. The treatment involves treating cells outside the body with a drug that prevents protein modification and culturing them on soft biomaterials, allowing aged cells to grow and self-renew.

SourceUniversity of Toronto·JournalNature Medicine·DateFeb 20, 2014