Research published in JAMA demonstrates that in patients with MS, Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT),when compared with disease-modifying therapy (DMT), resulted in a longer time to diseases … read more
Reactions to research published in European Journal of Neuroscience that describes a possible new treatment for Parkinson’s disease. Dr Alena Pance, Senior Staff Scientist, Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, said: … read more
A new study, published in Nature, reports the development of embryo-like structures -“blastoids” – derived from mouse stem cells. read more
A new study, published in PLOS Pathogens, investigates the genome editing of bone-morrow stem cells in pigtail macaques as a potential treatment for simian/human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV).
Scientists publishing in Cell Stem Cell, investigate stem cell treatments -in mice – for diseases such as multiple sclerosis. read more
Researchers publishing in Cell report that injecting mice with inactivated induced pluripotent stem cells launched an immune response against breast, lung, and skin cancers. read more
Scientists publishing in Stem Cell Reports attempt to create functioning human kidney tissue within a living organism which is able to produce urine.
Publishing in Nature, researchers have reported that a metabolite of alcohol, acetaldehyde, causes damage to the DNA of blood-forming stem cells, in a mouse model.
In a new study published in Science, researchers report on a technique designed to remove one of the extra sex chromosomes in mice with a specific (trisomy) genetic cause of infertility. These mice were then able to produce offspring.
Researchers publishing in Science have created a structure resembling a mouse embryo in culture, using two types of stem cells and a 3d scaffold on which they can grow. read more
Scientists publishing in Cell attempted to make interspecies chimeras – both rat/mouse chimera embryos, and human/pig chimera embryos, and reported both the successes and difficulties they faced. These techniques are of interest because they may advance understanding of the developing embryo, and may in future offer the possibility of growing human tissues in animals for transplants, although this is not yet possible.
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Publishing in Stem Cell Reports, a group of researchers have reported that retinal tissue derived from mouse induced pluriopotent stem cells (iPSCs) established connections with neighbouring cells and responded to light stimulation, restoring visual fuction in half of mice with end-stage retinal degeneration. read more
Researchers publishing in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle launch The Compassionate Treatment Programme which will treat heart disease patients with their own stem cells. read more
Transplants often fail because of immune reactions of the patient against the donated organ or tissue. A paper published in the journal Nature has described attempts to use modified transplanted stem cells to regenerate the damaged hearts of five monkeys. read more
Tuesday 5 July 2016 marks the 20th anniversary of the birth of Dolly the sheep at the Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh. Dolly was the first mammal cloned from an adult somatic cell and became the world’s most famous sheep. On the day before the anniversary, one of Dolly’s creators (often referred to as the father of Dolly), Prof. Sir Ian Wilmut, came to answer journalists’ questions about Dolly, her creation, his work and the legacy of that work. read more
A paper published in the Lancet journal has looked at treatment of multiple sclerosis and reports the efficacy of chemotherapy to ablate the immune system followed by a stem cell transplant. read more
Publishing in the journal PNAS a group of scientists have reported their use of specific compounds to convert normal cells in the body to stem cells which can be used to create multiple types of specialised cells. read more
Two papers have been published in Nature examining the use of stem cells in eye research. The first reported stimulating the body’s own stem cells in the eye, in rabbits and separately in human infants, to promote regeneration of a surgically removed lens during treatment for cataracts. The second study used induced pluripotent stem cells and reported the ability to grow several types of eye tissue in a dish in a lab. read more
It was reported last year that a scientist at the Francis Crick Institute had become the first UK-based researcher to apply for a license to use new genome editing techniques on human embryos. Kathy Niakan’s research seeks to understand aspects of the basic biology of early human embryo development and the role of specific genes, which has significant clinical implications for infertility, miscarriages, developmental disorders and therapeutic application of stem cells. As Kathy explained to the Guardian and Independent last October she applied to the HFEA to extend her existing license when she realised that exciting new genome editing techniques including Crispr/Cas 9 could help in her work. In advance of any decisions on the success of her application the SMC invited Kathy to talk to journalists about her research, explain how genome editing in human embryos could advance that research, and answer questions about the future direction of her work. She was accompanied by her close colleague Robin Lovell-Badge who has taken a lead in the UK and global debates on human genome editing, and was on the organising committees of both the recent Hinxton and Washington global meetings on the science and ethics of this exciting new frontier in science. read more
A study published in Cell Stem Cell reported that it had demonstrated evidence that human pluripotent stem cells can develop normally once transplanted into a mouse embryo, which has important implications for regenerative medicine. read more
