Stem cell transplants hold hope for treating blindness

A clinical trial testing the safety of using human embryonic stem cell (hESC) in the treatment of progressive eye conditions has been carried out by researchers in the USA...[Read More]

Crystal ball gazing: human embryonic stem cells in 2012

In the last few months of 2011, a couple of stories on human embryonic stem cells hit the headlines. Both were bad news for stem cell researchers...[Read More]

Cancer drugs may boost breast cancer stem cell growth

Two breast cancer drugs, Avastin and Sutent, may inadvertently aid cancer growth, a study in mice suggests. The drugs, designed to reduce the blood supply to tumours, were found to encourage cancer stem cell growth, potentially fuelling the spread of the cancer...[Read More]

Stem cells could offer a future free from insulin injections

'Re-training' immune cells in people with type 1 diabetes reduces the amount of insulin they need to inject, according to a results from a small clinical trial...[Read More]

Mice live up to three times longer after progenitor cell injections

Stem cell injections have been found to slow down the effects of aging in mice. Researchers have developed a stem cell treatment that significantly slows down aging and increases life span in mice with progeria, a rare genetic disease causing advanced aging...[Read More]

Arrests in US after fake stem cell therapies sold to terminally ill

A professor of pathology and a midwife have been arrested in the US, charged with illegally supplying stem cells for unauthorised use. They are suspected of belonging to a team of at least four people who sold untested stem cell 'cures' to cancer patients and people with neurodegenerative diseases...[Read More]

US embryonic stem cell researchers face logistical and funding difficulties

A survey of over 200 human embryonic stem cell (hESC) researchers in the US has found almost four in ten respondents had experienced delays in obtaining cell lines and over one-quarter said they were unable to obtain a required cell line at all....[Read More]

First clinical grade, 'gold standard' stem cells created

The world's first 'clinical grade' human embryonic stem cells have been donated to the UK Stem Cell Bank (UKSCB). The high quality cell lines are expected to become the gold standard for developing new cell-based therapies for serious medical conditions, including spinal cord injuries...[Read More]

US Court of Appeals rules stem cell donors can be paid

A ruling from a US federal appeals court means that blood stem cell donors may now receive a form of payment for their donation. A federal law that prohibits payment for organs does not apply to stem cells taken from bone marrow using a new method which avoids the extraction of bone marrow itself, the court said....[Read More]

TV Review: Brave New World - Biology

Breakthroughs in biology that 'will transform the resilience and strength of the human body' are the subject of the last episode of Stephen Hawking's brilliant series 'Brave New World'. In just under an hour 'Biology' takes the viewer on a whirlwind tour of some of the newest and most awe-inspiring technologies. We're talking cures for cancer, organ regeneration and experiments in longevity and heritability...[Read More]

Heart stem cells discovered that can make bone and muscle

Research in mice has shown the heart contains its own renewable source of stem cells which can differentiate into a variety of cell types. The research team in Australia hopes that one day the stem cells could be activated so a broken heart can be made to mend itself....[Read More]

Step forward in pioneering stem cell trial for motor neurone disease

On 18 November, Richard Grosjean became the first patient to receive a pioneering stem cell treatment in the upper part of the spinal cord. His procedure is part of an ongoing US-based clinical trial aimed at assessing the safety of injecting neural stem cells taken from eight-week-old fetuses into the spinal cords of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)...[Read More]

Trial for stem cell knee bandage kicking off

The world's first stem cell therapy to repair torn cartilage in the knee has been brought one step closer. Professor Anthony Hollander, co-founder of University of Bristol spin-out Azellon Cell Therapeutics, has just received funding of £65,000 to carry out clinical trials on the use of a patient's own stem cells for knee repair...[Read More]

The far-stretching reach of Mississippi's personhood amendment

On 8 November the Mississippi electorate voted against an amendment to the Bill of Rights in their state Constitution which would have redefined life as beginning at the moment of fertilisation – the so-called 'personhood amendment' (Proposition 26)...[Read More]

Pioneering clinical trial using cardiac stem cells shows early promise

The world's first clinical trial using patients' own cardiac stem cells to repair heart damage has produced surprising results. The preliminary trial was designed simply to test the safety of the procedure, but doctors observed an unexpected improvement in heart function in patients receiving the treatment...[Read More]

Stem cells for lung repair identified and tested in mice

Stem cells that are able to regenerate damaged lung tissue have been discovered by scientists. The brochioalveolar stem cells (BASCs), naturally present in the lungs of rodents and humans, are capable of rebuilding alveoli - the small air sacs in lungs...[Read More]

Film Review: In Vitro

'You can run but you can't hide; not forever'. The opening sequence of 'In Vitro' speaks to anyone who has ever made a mistake or a bad decision. But what if your decision was responsible for changing the world we live in forever? Despite being an educational film, the stunning cinematography and thought-provoking content makes this a must-see for anyone...[Read More]

Synthetic blood to be trialled within two years

Artificial blood, manufactured from human stem cells, could be used in patient trials within two years. The blood will be based on the universal donor group (O rhesus negative), a blood type suitable for up to 98 percent of the population...[Read More]

Event Review: Searching for the Secret of Life - DNA Then, Now and Tomorrow

The inaugural London Science Festival, which ran from 19-26 October, promised numerous exciting and entertaining events, many of which have received excellent reviews. So I'm particularly disappointed that I chose to spend my Friday night at 'Searching for the secret of life: DNA, then, now and tomorrow'....[Read More]

Aspirin cuts hereditary bowel cancer risk by 60 percent

Taking a daily aspirin has been recommended for people with a high risk of an inherited form of bowel cancer. Results published in The Lancet suggested the risk for those with Lynch syndrome could be cut by 63 percent...[Read More]