stem cells

Researchers from the Universities of Granada and León have shown that mononuclear blood cells from human umbilical cord can be an effective alternative to bone marrow.

This work, to be published in the journal Cell Transplantation, could potentially mean a great advance in regenerative hepatic medicine.

Inspired by a chance discovery during another experiment, researchers have created a small molecule that stimulates nerve stem cells to begin maturing into nerve cells in culture.

Genetic changes during the initiation and progression of prostate cancer have eluded scientists to date. Now for the first time researchers have identified a specific gene expression profile of prostate cancer stem cells, with important implications for future treatments.

Physician-scientists believe that stem cells might play a harmful role in the body's reaction to trauma following common vascular surgery, like angioplasty.

They are currently studying how stem cells implant themselves in the wall of arteries and grow out of control.

Transplantation of muscle-derived stem cells may provide a safe and effective treatment for patients suffering from urinary incontinence following a surgical procedure.

Patients with incontinence resulting from iatrogenic sphincter damage may benefit from this therapy.

A new study finds that restricted nutrient availability prevents muscle stem cells from growing into mature muscle cells.

The research provides exciting new information about how developing muscle cells sense and respond to nutrient levels.

A new study provides evidence that methods using human bone marrow-derived stem cells to deliver gene therapy to cure diseases of the blood, bone marrow and certain types of cancer do not cause the development of tumors or leukemia.

Biologists have found that eliminating germline stem cells, the cells that make eggs and sperm, lengthens the life of fruit flies and alters insulin production.

These findings suggest a provocative general principle at work: Molecular signals from the reproductive system affect aging and metabolism in animals -- and possibly in humans.

The work also proposes a new mechanism of how this control may occur.

Researchers suggest that stromal cells derived from menstrual blood may represent a potentially unlimited, ethically unencumbered, easily collectable and inexpensive source of stem cells for use in regenerative medicine.

The study found that MenSCs are easily expandable to clinical relevance and express multipotent markers at both the molecular and cellular level.

Recent discoveries about the role of stem cells in cancer have altered the landscape of cancer research. As scientists learn more their cancer-initiating properties, stem cells are emerging as potential therapeutic targets for many types of cancers.

Studies presented at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, April 12-16, report stem cell discoveries related to pancreatic, bladder, ovarian, and breast cancer and glioma.