Tag

Stem Cells

All articles tagged with #stem cells

space2 hours ago•13 min saved

Orbital Blastoids Probe Early Human Development in Microgravity

China sent stem-cell–derived embryo models (blastoids) to the Tiangong space station to study how the earliest stages of human development behave in microgravity. The experiment includes peri-implantation and peri-gastrulation models cultured for five days and then frozen for Earth-based analysis, with a ground-control batch for comparison. While it cannot prove humans can reproduce in space—blastoids are not real embryos and five days is a small window—it will provide concrete data on whether early development can tolerate off-Earth conditions and guide future research and engineering needs.

via Space Daily|

#biology #embryology #microgravity

space2 days ago•59 min saved

China Sends Lab-Grown Embryos to Space to Study Early Development in Orbit

China’s Tianzhou‑10 cargo mission delivered roughly 7 tons of supplies to the Tiangong space station and carried two types of living stem‑cell–based “artificial embryos” to study early human development in microgravity. Representing 14–21 days after fertilization, the peri‑implantation and peri‑gastrulation embryos will be grown for about five days in orbit, then frozen and returned to Earth for analysis to assess how space radiation and zero gravity affect embryo development—an important step for potential off‑Earth reproduction—though the researchers emphasize these are embryo‑like and not viable human embryos.

via Live Science|

#biology #china #embryology

space-exploration23 days ago•73 min saved

Space-grown mini-hearts beat Earth labs in production speed, study finds

Researchers report that mini-hearts derived from human stem cells can be grown aboard the International Space Station at a far higher rate than on Earth, thanks to microgravity letting cells float freely without the need for aggressive stirring. This space-based production could yield thicker, more robust heart tissue and organoids for drug testing and potential future therapies, even as astronauts’ hearts undergo microgravity-induced changes. While space-grown tissues show promise and may eventually aid heart-disease research and transplants, human clinical use remains years away and further experiments—like on the SpaceX CRS-35 mission—are planned to scale and validate the approach.

via Space|

#heart-disease #international-space-station #nasa

science25 days ago•7 min saved

Two Stem-Cell Pathways Could Enable Real Tooth and Jawbone Regrowth

Researchers identified two distinct mesenchymal stem cell lineages that drive tooth root and surrounding bone formation in developing teeth. One lineage from the apical papilla uses CXCL12 and Wnt signaling to become odontoblasts, cementoblasts, or osteoblasts; the other lineage in the dental follicle (PTHrP-expressing) forms alveolar bone via a Hedgehog–Foxf–signaling interaction that must be suppressed to activate bone fate. Mapping these pathways provides a mechanistic framework for tooth-root development and could inform stem-cell–based therapies to regenerate teeth and periodontal bone.

via SciTechDaily|

#alveolar-bone #hedgehog-foxf-axis #science

science26 days ago•6 min saved

Endometrium organoids shed and regenerate, revealing how tissue heals without scarring

Researchers created endometrium organoids that cycle with hormones, shed tissue during progesterone withdrawal, and then regenerate, showing luminal epithelial cells drive repair and providing a simple lab model to study uterine regeneration and related diseases.

via Nature|

#endometrium #menstruation #organoids

science1 month ago•4 min saved

Soft Tissue Cues Unlock Fingertip Regrowth in Humans

New research shows humans can regrow fingertip tissue—bone, nerves, and skin—when injuries occur near the nail, driven by a soft, hyaluronic acid–rich extracellular matrix; experiments in mice demonstrate hyaluronic acid and ECM components are key to regenerative healing rather than scarring.

via Indian Defence Review|

#extracellular-matrix #fingertip-regeneration #hyaluronic-acid

science1 month ago•6 min saved

Lab-Grown Insulin Cells Restore Blood Sugar in Diabetic Mice

Researchers refined a stem cell protocol to produce mature, glucose-responsive insulin-secreting cells from human pluripotent stem cells. When transplanted into the anterior chamber of the eye in diabetic mice, these cells gradually restored blood-sugar control, addressing earlier issues with maturity and purity and signaling potential for patient-specific regenerative therapies.

via SciTechDaily|

#clinical-translation #diabetes #insulin

health1 month ago•70 min saved

Living knee implants could become your last knee replacement

Columbia University and the University of Missouri are developing NOVAKnee, a living knee implant made from a biodegradable scaffold seeded with stem‑cell–generated bone and cartilage. The scaffold is designed to degrade as new tissue forms, potentially offering longer‑lasting restoration with fewer revision surgeries than traditional metal/plastic implants. Backed by the NITRO program, the approach explores autologous and allogeneic cell options and will progress from small animals to large‑animal studies before first‑in‑human trials targeted for around 2028; if successful, it could become a platform technology for other joints.

via Live Science|

#health #knee-replacement #novaknee

science1 month ago•7 min saved

Bird Brain Tunnels Point to New Brain-Repair Strategies

Researchers studying adult zebra finches used electron microscopy to track newborn neurons migrating by tunneling through mature brain tissue, bulldozing along their path rather than weaving around existing cells. This behavior may help birds learn and repair but could contribute to memory disruption, potentially explaining why humans restrict neurogenesis after birth to protect memories. The findings suggest future stem-cell therapies that activate neurogenesis without relying on glial highways, offering a path toward brain repair with fewer memory costs. The study, led by BU's Benjamin Scott and published in Current Biology, highlights a trade-off between neural plasticity and memory stability and could inform human brain repair approaches.

via Neuroscience News|

#brain #memory #neurogenesis

science2 months ago•8 min saved

Organs Without Brains: A Startup’s Bold Plan to Replace Animal Testing

A Bay Area biotech startup, R3 Bio, backed by Immortal Dragons and billionaire Tim Draper, is pursuing nonsentient “organ sacks”—genetically engineered, brainless whole-organ systems—to replace animal testing and someday provide human tissues and organs. Initially targeting monkey organ sacks for toxicology testing, the company envisions using stem cells and gene editing to grow complex organ structures, addressing both ethical concerns with animal use and rising demand for organs amid shortages. Experts note the concept is theoretical and raise ethical questions about how such entities would be created, stored, or whether they could have awareness, but proponents argue the approach could offer a scalable alternative to current models. The effort aligns with a broader shift away from primate testing in the US and seeks to expand beyond testing to potential future replacement parts for humans.

via WIRED|

#animal-testing #biotech #ethics

biotechnology2 months ago•5 min saved

Lab-grown esophagus in pigs restores swallowing, signaling pediatric repair prospects

Scientists grew lab-made oesophagi from pig stem cells on scaffolds and implanted them into eight recipient pigs. Over two months the grafts developed into functional tissue with nerves, muscle, and blood vessels, and five pigs survived six months, regaining the ability to swallow. While some initial scar tissue affected swallowing, it diminished over time, suggesting a path toward treating conditions like long-gap oesophageal atresia in children or muscular damage in adults, though human trials are still future work.

via Nature|

#biotechnology #oesophagus #pig-model

science2 months ago•4 min saved

Lab-Grown Hair Follicles Reach Growth Milestone in Mice

Researchers created fully functional hair follicles in the lab using a three-cell recipe (epithelial stem cells, dermal papilla cells, and accessory mesenchymal cells), enabling growth cycles and tissue attachment in mice; this marks progress toward lab-grown hair restoration and organ regeneration, though human trials are not yet underway and scaling/transplantation remain challenges. OrganTech partly funded the work, and the findings were published in Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications.

via ScienceAlert|

#hair #hair-follicle #organ-regeneration

science2 months ago•43 min saved

Stanford Study Reverses Type 1 Diabetes in Mice with Dual-Transplant, No Immunosuppression

Stanford researchers cured type-1 diabetes in mice for six months using a dual transplant of pancreatic islet cells and donor hematopoietic stem cells to create a hybrid immune system, eliminating the need for insulin or immune-suppressing drugs. In the study, 19 of 19 treated mice remained diabetes-free and 9 of 9 long-standing diabetics were cured, though translating the approach to humans will require overcoming donor cell sourcing and scaling challenges.

via Good News Network|

#diabetes #immunology #islet-cells

science-and-health2 months ago•14 min saved

Japan-led team uncovers third cell essential for hair follicle regeneration

A Japan-led team identified a previously unknown “third cell” required to fully regenerate hair follicles and demonstrated a complete hair-growth cycle in mice by adding this cell to two existing follicle components, signaling potential new therapies for hair loss.

via The Japan Times|

#hair-follicle-regeneration #hair-loss #japan-research

health-and-medicine3 months ago•5 min saved

Lab-grown dopamine cells aim to reboot movement in Parkinson’s patients

Researchers are testing implanted induced pluripotent stem cells engineered to become dopamine-producing neurons in the brains of Parkinson’s patients in a Phase 1 trial. Delivered via MRI-guided surgery into the basal ganglia, the goal is to restore dopamine production, improve motor function, and slow disease progression. The 12-person study (RNDP-001) is monitored for 12–15 months with long-term follow-up planned for up to five years to assess safety (e.g., dyskinesia, infection) and efficacy, and it has FDA fast-track designation.

via ScienceDaily|

#clinical-trial #dopamine #health-and-medicine