Feature Channels: Stem Cells

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With newly awarded funding from the National Science Foundation, researchers at the University of California, Irvine and the Keck School of Medicine of USC will seek to revolutionize the treatment of neurological diseases through intelligent biocomputing. The four-year, $2 million grant is part of NSF’s Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation program, which funds cutting-edge science pushing the boundaries of human knowledge.

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Blocking oxidative stress enzyme prevents, even reverses, heart condition in lab models

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The sea anemone Nematostella vectensis is potentially immortal. Using molecular genetic methods, developmental biologists led by Ulrich Technau from the University of Vienna have now identified possible candidates for multipotent stem cells in the sea anemone for the first time. These stem cells are regulated by evolutionary highly conserved genes, which in humans are usually only active in the formation of egg and sperm cells, but give ancient animal phyla such as cnidarians a high degree of regenerative capacity to even escape ageing. The results are currently being published in Science Advances and could also provide insights into the human ageing process in the future.

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Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis describe the dramatic changes within nerve cells that make regeneration possible. Such findings could inspire the development of new therapies for spinal cord injuries in people.

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Natural killer (NK) cells engineered to express interleukin-21 (IL-21) demonstrated sustained antitumor activity against glioblastoma stem cell-like cells (GSCs) both in vitro and in vivo, according to new research from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.

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A discovery by a three-member Albert Einstein College of Medicine research team may boost the effectiveness of stem-cell transplants, commonly used for patients with cancer, blood disorders, or autoimmune diseases caused by defective stem cells, which produce all the body’s different blood cells.

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Cedars-Sinai is planning its first-ever attempt to produce stem cells in space and its fourth launch of stem cell experiments to the International Space Station. The NASA-funded launch is scheduled for Aug. 3 at 11 a.m. EDT/8 a.m. PDT.

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New research from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) showed giving chemotherapy shortly after a stem cell or bone marrow transplant from a less than perfectly matched donor greatly reduces the chances that the patient will develop graft-versus-host disease (GVHD); and sheds new light on cell state changes in prostate cancer.

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A new paper surveying advances in diabetes pathogenesis and treatment explores the complex factors contributing to the onset and progression of the disease, suggesting that an understanding of these dynamics is key to developing targeted interventions to reduce the risk of developing diabetes and managing its complications.