Stem cells have great therapeutic potential, as they can develop into different tissue types depending on their environment. One difficulty in developing stem cell therapy procedures is how to deliver the cells to the needed location in the body. A new advance in this field has created a system involving attaching tiny magnetic nanoparticles to… [Continue Reading]
Transplanting Neural Stem Cells into Pancreas Could Treat Diabetes
October 11, 2011 By 1 Comment
Transplanting a patient’s own stem cells into the pancreas could create new insulin-producing cells, and potentially be a new treatment for diabetes. Researchers have tested the procedure in rats, and see a significant improvement in insulin production and blood sugar regulation after stem cells from the brain are transplanted into the pancreas. Researchers in Japan… [Continue Reading]
Stem Cells From Uterus Effective in Treating Mouse Models of Diabetes
September 15, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Researchers have succeeded in treating diabetic mice with a novel technique: converting stem cells isolated from the uterus into pancreatic cells that secrete insulin. The process of converting the cells is complex, but after transplantation, mice showed reduced symptoms of diabetes compared to controls. Controlling diabetes may someday involve mining stem cells from the lining… [Continue Reading]
Advance in Culturing Colon Stem Cells Could Lead to Digestive Tract Regeneration
September 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A breakthrough in keeping stem cells isolated from the colon alive in the laboratory is exciting researchers in the field of regenerative medicine. A new study published this week has determined the proper conditions for keeping these cells growing and multiplying in the lab, a key step in the long process to discover how to… [Continue Reading]
Human Amniotic Fluid Efficient Source of Stem Cells
August 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Amniotic fluid contains significant quantities of stem cells, new research shows, which may be useful for therapies for a number of diseases. Although molecularly distinct from embryonic stem cells, amniotic stem cells can also be converted into a number of different adult cell types, which may be useful for future transplant studies. Two papers published… [Continue Reading]
Stem Cells Effective in Reducing Angina Symptoms
July 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Transplanting a person’s own stem cells into the heart helps relieve symptoms of angina, according to a new clinical study. The work tested whether a certain class of stem cell could help the disease in a double-bind study. Recipients of stem cell transplants showed improvements on a number of measures, including the ability to exercise…. [Continue Reading]
Brain Stem Cells Can Amplify as Well As Give Rise to New Neurons
July 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment
A new discovery published in one of the top journals in biology has important implications for regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy. Stem cells are usually defined as cells that can give rise to a specialized cell type and another stem cell like itself when it splits into two. Researchers have discovered that a stem… [Continue Reading]
New Technology Developed to Conserve Stem Cells from Cord Blood
June 20, 2011 By Leave a Comment
New technology developed to isolate stem cells from cord blood may allow more efficient collection of the cells and permit more widespread treatments with them, researchers say. The new system is more effective at collecting higher numbers of cells, and makes stem cell donation and transplants more feasible. Johns Hopkins graduate students have invented a… [Continue Reading]
Stem Cell Therapy Can Help Heal Broken Bones in Animal Models
June 17, 2011 By 1 Comment
Many people are affected by broken bones that fail to heal properly, especially the elderly, who are prone to osteoporosis, which increases the risk of fractures. New research, using mouse as a model system, has found that transplanting stem cells into a fracture resulted in a stronger, faster healing bone. Researchers at the University of… [Continue Reading]
Stem Cell Therapies: How Far From Reality?
June 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Stem cells have been highly promoted as potential cures to many different diseases and conditions, but how close is the current research to creating real therapies? A new scientific review highlights the main challenges in the field, and suggest that increased funding for research, together with teams of scientists and doctors can help address these… [Continue Reading]