Susceptibility to Pathogenic T Cells in Chronic Lung Disease May Have Genetic Basis

UC San Francisco researchers have uncovered a surprising role for fibroblasts in the lungs in activating T cell inflammation that drives lung destruction in COPD exacerbation triggered by viral infection. They also identified a T cell subset that can be targeted to treat COPD exacerbations.

Stem Cell Transplants May Delay Disability Longer than Some MS Medications

In people with active secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS), hematopoietic stem cell transplants may delay disability longer than some other MS medications, according to a study published in the December 21, 2022, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. The study involved autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplants, which use healthy blood stem cells from a person’s own body to replace diseased cells.

CUVET Successfully Developed the First Stem Cell Transplantation Technology to Treat Pet Diabetes

For the first time in Thailand, a research team from Chula’s Faculty of Veterinary Science (CUVET) is the first to have successfully developed a method to culture dog pancreatic cells from stem cells and cell transplantation technology. They aim to test the method in the lab and sick animals suffering from diabetes.

UC San Diego Awarded $8M to Expand Stem Cell Therapy Clinical Trials

UC San Diego Alpha Stem Cell Clinic awarded $8M to expand clinical trials of novel stem cell therapies. The CIRM award will advance partnerships between academic and industry experts in San Diego to expedite clinical trials for patients with difficult-to-treat diseases.

Mount Sinai Study Uncovers Mechanisms of Reactive Oxygen Species in Stem Cell Function and Inflammation Prevention

Mount Sinai researchers have published one of the first studies to demonstrate the importance of reactive oxygen species in maintaining stem cell function and preventing inflammation during wound repair, which could provide greater insights into the prevention and treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), according to findings published in the journal Gut on October 3.

A Consistent Lack of Sleep Negatively Impacts Immune Stem Cells, Increasing Risk of Inflammatory Disorders and Heart Disease

Mount Sinai study also shows catching up on sleep doesn’t reverse possible negative effects on cellular level

Why We Fit A Mini Brain with a Mini Cap

It could be the world’s tiniest EEG electrode cap, created to measure activity in a brain model the size of a pen dot. Its designers expect the device to lead to better understanding of neural disorders and how potentially dangerous chemicals affect the brain.

This engineering feat, led by Johns Hopkins University researchers and detailed today in Science Advances, expands what researchers can accomplish with organoids, including mini brains—the lab-grown balls of human cells that mimic some of a brain’s structure and functionality.

The beginning of life: The early embryo is in the driver’s seat

One often thinks that the early embryo is fragile and needs support. However, at the earliest stages of development, it has the power to feed the future placenta and instructs the uterus so that it can nest. Using ‘blastoids’, in vitro embryo models formed with stem cells, the Lab of Nicolas Rivron at IMBA showed that the earliest molecular signals that induce placental development and prepare the uterus come from the embryo itself. The findings, now published in Cell Stem Cell, could contribute to a better understanding of human fertility.

Ancient Viral Elements Embedded in Human Genome Not From Fossil Retrovirus

Using a next generation sequencing analysis to examine human endogenous retrovirus (HERV) integration sites, researchers from Kumamoto University, the National Institute of Genetics (Japan), and the University of Michigan (USA) have discovered that these ancient retroviruses can undergo retrotransposition (DNA sequence insertion with RNA mediation) into iPS cells.

Businesses selling non-FDA-approved stem cell products grew four-fold in five years, UCI study says

More than four times as many businesses and clinics than were identified in 2016 are selling stem cell products not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and lack convincing evidence of safety and efficacy, according to a five-year study conducted by University of California, Irvine Program in Public Health professor of health, society and behavior Leigh Turner. The analysis appears online in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

First time in Thailand – Chula Successfully Uses Stem-cell Transplantation to Treat Systemic Sclerosis Patients with Pulmonary Fibrosis

April 8, 2021 – The Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine (CU Medi), Chulalongkorn University and King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, the Thai Red Cross Society (Chulalongkorn Hospital), in collaboration with the Departments of Hematology, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, and Infectious diseases, held a press conference on “Thailand’s first successful treatment of systemic sclerosis patients with pulmonary fibrosis by stem cell transplantation“.

National Eye Institute launches data portal for macular degeneration research

The National Eye Institute (NEI) Data Commons now enables researchers to access data from patients with macular degeneration who participated in the Age-related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS2). The database complements newly available stem cell lines created by the New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute (NYSCF) from blood cells of AREDS2 study participants.

Potential Target for Treating Many Cancers Found Within GLI1 Gene

Scientists from the Stanley Manne Children’s Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago found that a region within the DNA of the cancer-promoting GLI1 gene is directly responsible for regulating this gene’s expression. These findings, published in the journal Stem Cells, imply that this region within GLI1 could potentially be targeted as cancer treatment, since turning off GLI1 would interrupt excessive cell division characteristic of cancer.

Scientists Take Important Step Toward Using Retinal Cell Transplants to Treat Blindness

Retinal cells derived from a cadaver human eye survived when transplanted into the eyes of primate models, an important advance in the development of cell therapy to treat blindness, according to a study published on January 14 in Stem Cell Reports.

Girl gets her smile back – and a new jaw – thanks to innovative tissue engineering procedure

Nine-year-old Grace Moss of Laredo, Texas, was facing a daunting prospect. A tumor that had invaded her jaw had been removed, but now the plastic surgeon wanted to remove her fibula – the smaller of the two bones in her lower leg – to use as a graft.

Agricultural Toxicity, Hepatic Effects of Phenobarbital, and More Featured in October 2020 Toxicological Sciences

Toxicological Sciences features leading research biotransformation, toxicokinetics, and pharmacokinetics; computational toxicology and databases; mixtures toxicology; and more in the October 2020 issue.

Image Analysis Technique Provides Better Understanding of Heart Cell Defects

Many patients with heart disease face limited treatment options. Fortunately, stem cell biology has enabled researchers to produce large numbers of cardiomyocytes, which may be used in advanced drug screens and cell-based therapies. However, current image analysis techniques don’t allow researchers to analyze heterogeneous, multidirectional, striated myofibrils typical of immature cells. In the Journal of Applied Physics, researchers showcase an algorithm that combines gradient methods with fast Fourier transforms to quantify myofibril structures in heart cells with considerable accuracy.

Coriell Institute for Medical Research Awarded $8.6 Million Biobanking Contract from National Institute on Aging

The newly awarded $8.6 million funding keeps Coriell in place as the trusted steward of this collection and includes the addition of new innovative products to expand the collection. The NIA Aging Cell Repository was established at Coriell in 1974 and Coriell has continuously managed this unique resource ever since.