Tag: stem

Stem cells and their role in lung transplant rejection

A lung transplant can mean the difference between life and death for people with diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and even severe COVID-19. Yet, recipients of donor lungs must take daily medications to stave off damage caused by their own immune system, which attacks the organs it recognizes as foreign—a

Stem cell treatments alleviate muscular dystrophy symptoms in compassionate-use study

Results of a compassionate-use study released in Stem Cells Translational Medicine show promising results for treating muscular dystrophies with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from Wharton’s jelly (WJ), a substance found in the umbilical cord. Led by doctors at Klara Medical Center (KMC), Czestochowa, Poland, these WJ-MSC treatments resulted in significant improvement in several body

Stem cells may hold a key to developing new vaccines against COVID-19

The SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19 may have the ability to reactivate dormant tuberculosis (TB). In a novel study, scientists report in The American Journal of Pathology that infection with a specific coronavirus strain reactivated dormant Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) in mice. This knowledge may help to develop new vaccines for COVID-19 and avoid a potential

Researchers describe how embryonic stem cells keep optimal conditions for use in regenerative medicine

Scientists at the Proteomics Core Unit of the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), headed by Javier Muñoz, have described the mechanisms, unknown to date, involved in maintaining embryonic stem cells in the best possible state for their use in regenerative medicine. Their results, published in Nature Communications, will help to find novel stem-cell therapies

Coupling antibiotics with stem cells to fight off bone infections

Bone infections caused by implants are difficult to treat and usually require a prolonged course of antibiotic treatment. In a new study, researchers from Kanazawa University discovered that implant-related bone infections can be effectively treated with a combinational treatment consisting of antibiotics and antibiotic-laden stem cells. Bone fractures often require implants for stabilization and effective

Hematopoietic stem cell marker: A key player in the ontogeny of hematopoiesis

A group of researchers at Osaka University revealed that endothelial cell-selective adhesion molecule (ESAM), a surface marker for hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and vascular endothelial cells (ECs), played an important role in the ontogeny of hematopoiesis in mice, particularly in the development of adult-type erythropoiesis. Their research results were published in Stem Cell Reports. In

Experts call for steps to stem increases in Legionnaires’

Top U.S. science experts are calling for stronger policies to combat the growing Legionnaires’ disease problem. In a report released Wednesday, the experts said annual cases of Legionnaires’ jumped more than fivefold from 2000 to 2017, and that as many as 70,000 Americans get the disease every year. Legionnaires’ is caused by bacteria that can

New stem cell combination could help to repair damaged hearts

A combination of heart cells derived from human stem cells could be the answer to developing a desperately-needed treatment for heart failure, according to new research part-funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and published in Nature Biotechnology. Researchers have found that, by transplanting an area of damaged tissue with a combination of both heart

Making cancer stem cells visible to the immune system

Leukemia stem cells protect themselves against the immune defense by suppressing a target molecule for killer cells. This protective mechanism can be tricked with drugs. In the journal Nature, scientists from Basel, Tübingen and Heidelberg describe the new therapeutic approaches that can possibly be derived from these results. Patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) often

A soft spot for stem cells helps cornea healing

New research led by scientists at Newcastle University, UK reveals a potential revolutionary way to treat eye injuries and prevent blindness—by softening the tissue hosting the stem cells which then helps repair wounds, inside the body. The team discovered that the simple application of a tissue-softening enzyme, collagenase, prevents the loss of corneal stem cells

Implanting stem cells into the brain could stop epileptic seizures

Hope for epileptics as scientists discover implanting stem cells into the brain could stop seizures The treatment, tested on rats, would modify the patient’s own skin cells Stem cell treatment led to 70% fewer seizures in the months following It inhibits excitement in the hippocampus, where epileptic seizures can start  Currently, surgery to remove the hippocampus

Cohesin down-regulation drives hematopoietic stem cell aging

Aging is characterized by increases in inflammation and decreases in stem cell function. The relationship between these processes remains incompletely understood. Researchers of the Leibniz Institute on Aging (FLI) in Jena, Germany, identified a new role of the protein cohesin in mediating inflammatory signaling in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Cohesin is required for gene regulation

Matcha green tea kills cancer stem cells in tests

Credit: CC0 Public Domain Matcha, the green tea packed with antioxidants, is often hailed as containing properties which prevent disease. Scientists in Salford, UK have shed a ray of light on the claim by testing it on cancer stem cells – with surprising results. In research published in the journal Aging, a team from the