Raleigh, NC, USA – A new study from North Carolina State University shows that lung stem cell secretions – specifically exosomes and secretomes – delivered via nebulizer, can help repair lung injuries due to multiple types of pulmonary fibrosis in mice and rats. The work could lead to more effective, less invasive treatment for human pulmonary fibrosis sufferers.
Solna, Sweden – Our skin protects us from physical injury, radiation and microbes, and at the same time produces hair and facilitates perspiration. Details of how skin cells manage such disparate tasks have so far remained elusive. Now, researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have systematically mapped skin cells and their genetic programs, creating a detailed molecular atlas of the skin in its complexity. The study is published today in the scientific journal Cell Stem Cell.
Leuven, Belgium – In the event of a bone fracture, fatty acids in our blood signal to stem cells that they have to develop into bone-forming cells. If there are no blood vessels nearby, the stem cells end up forming cartilage. The finding that specific nutrients directly influence the development of stem cells opens new avenues for stem cell research. Biomedical scientists from KU Leuven and Harvard University published these results in Nature.
London, UK – Scientists have discovered a combination of two commonly available drugs that could help the body heal spinal fractures.
Utrecht, The Netherlands – Whereas the CRISPR-Cas technology developed in 2012 cuts out a defect in a gene and replaces it with a new piece, the latest CRISPR technology works differently. The aim is to repair the error in the DNA without cutting it. This theoretically makes it a safer form of genetic editing. Scientists from Utrecht have shown for the first time that this technique can effectively and safely repair the DNA of stem cells derived from cystic fibrosis patients in the lab. The results of this study were published in the scientific journal Cell Stem Cell on the 20th of February.
Boston, MA, USA – Deep within the lining of the human intestine lies the source of the organ’s ability to renew itself and recover from damage: intestinal stem cells (ISCs), lodged in pockets of tissue called crypts, generate the cells that continuously repopulate the intestinal lining. Even the stem cells themselves have a safety net: when they’re damaged, healthy replacements appear in less than a week.
Utrecht, The Netherlands – Researchers from the group of Vlad Cojocaru together with colleagues the Max Planck Institute in Münster (Germany) have revealed how an essential protein helps to activate genomic DNA during the conversion of regular adult human cells into stem cells. Their findings are published in the Biophysical Journal.
Helsinki, Finland – New research has deciphered how rogue communications in blood stem cells can cause Leukaemia. The discovery could pave the way for new, targeted medical treatments that block this process. Blood cancers like leukaemia occur when mutations in stem cells cause them to produce too many blood cells. The study is published in the journal Science
Ann Arbor, MI, USA – Hip replacements, severe burns, spinal cord injuries, blast injuries, traumatic brain injuries—these seemingly disparate traumas can each lead to a painful complication during the healing process called heterotopic ossification. Heterotopic ossification is abnormal bone formation within muscle and soft tissues, an unfortunately common phenomenon that typically occurs weeks after an injury or surgery. Patients with heterotopic ossification experience decreased range of motion, swelling and pain.
College Station, TX, USA – Baby diapers, contact lenses and gelatin dessert. While seemingly unrelated, these items have one thing in common — they’re made of highly absorbent substances called hydrogels that have versatile applications. Recently, a type of biodegradable hydrogel, dubbed microporous annealed particle (MAP) hydrogel, has gained much attention for its potential to deliver stem cells for body tissue repair. But it is currently unclear how these jelly-like materials affect the growth of their precious cellular cargo, thereby limiting its use in regenerative medicine.
