Researchers can now successfully track the early stages of polycystic kidney disease in lab-grown mini-kidneys, which mimic the full-grown human organs. This is the first time scientists are able to track the progress of this renal disease, which affects 12 million people, in a laboratory setting. The mini-kidneys were grown using human stem cells. Researchers have […]
Tag: stem cells
Scientists one step closer to creating blood stem cells in a lab 
Creation of stem cells in a lab could revolutionize stem cell therapies by addressing the need for human donors. Researchers describe successful creation of haematopoietic (blood) stem cells in a lab setting in a new paper. First, the scientists obtained human pluripotent stem cells from donors, and used chemical signals to turn these cells into […]
Biological pacemakers out of stem cells
The sinoatrial node (SAN) is the heart’s primary pacemaker. The failure of its functions causes multiple cardiac problems, such as a lower heart rate and decreased blood circulation. These issues are typically addressed with a mechanical pacemaker. But a new study describes how a biological pacemaker can be developed out of pluripotent stem cells. Such […]
Stuck in small spaces: Confinement helps stem cell organization
You know that unpleasant feeling of the rush-hour commute, when you barely have any breathing room? Turns out that for stem cells, such tight spaces are a catalyst for sophisticated organization. As a team of researchers in Ottawa found, being packed like sardines helps stem cells organize into structures crucial for early mammalian life. Authors […]
Mouse pups born out of lab-grown eggs for the first time
Japanese researchers have successfully produced functional mouse eggs entirely in cell culture. For the first time, Katsuhiko Hayashi and colleagues generated mature egg cells using pluripotent stem cells derived from both embryos and adults. The team subjected the new egg cells to in vitro fertilization to develop embryos, which were then transferred into surrogate mice. Some […]
Growing rare stem cells in a lab to treat blood diseases
Stem cells from umbilical cord blood can be used to help treat adult blood cancers, but few individual cord blood samples contain enough of the cells for a transplant. Now new research provides strategies for controlling and enhancing the growth of these stem cells, which means that more donated samples can be used for transplants, […]
Growing hearts in 3D
Growing realistic human tissue outside the body is now possible thanks to the recently developed “person-on-a-chip” according to researchers at University of Toronto. The new technology, called AngioChip, could one day be used to repair or even replace damaged organs. In the meantime the researchers believe their development offers a new tool for discovering and testing […]
Improving cataracts outcome using stem cells
A new study is showing that preserving the stem cells within the eye might be a more effective way to treat cataracts, at least in children. Researchers surgically removed the damaged lens using a new technique that allowed them to preserve the lens epithelial stem cells. The minimally invasive surgery facilitated functional lens regeneration in […]
Preparing stem cells with electricity is good for the heart
For the first time researchers have shown that stimulating cardiac muscle cells, derived from stem cells, with electrical impulses improves their development and function. Providing these cells with the improved function could potentially help treat cardiovascular disease, one of the world’s major illnesses, as it may provide a way to regenerate heart muscle. When stimulated […]
Repairing DNA in a matter of weeks
Reprogramming and genetically correcting stem cells can be achieved in as little as two weeks thanks to a new technique. This advance could offer potential therapies for individuals with a range of genetic disorders. Previous techniques to create stem cells from a patient’s tissue and reprogram the stem cell to remove a negative mutation took […]
A new kind of stem cell
Scientists have observed a new class of stem cell with the capacity to turn into nearly any cell type. Called F-class cells for the fuzzy appearance of its colonies, these cells could potentially be used in regenerative medicine and drug discovery. In a second related paper, researchers with the Project Grandiose Consortium announce a new […]
‘Stem cell factory’ could help treat blood disorders
Researchers have identified a molecule that causes the stem cells found in cord blood to multiply into more stem cells. Umbilical cord blood can be used to treat genetic and blood cell formation disorders, including leukemia, but the small number of blood stem cells in this kind of blood limits its widespread use. Researchers have […]
Towards stem cell therapy for infertile men
Researchers have created sperm cells from infertile men who could not produce healthy sperm them on their own. They did this by converting skin cells into stem cells, which then became fertile human sperm cells when transplanted into the testicles of mice. This opens up the possibility of clinical cell-based therapy that could make infertile […]
