Liver disease is on the rise in Canada and one-in-four people might be affected by a liver disease in their lifetime. However, a research team from the University of Edinburgh has created a new stem cell liver treatment to replace damaged liver tissue using lab-grown tissue implants. Using a combination of embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells loaded onto 3D tissue scaffolds which encourage stem cells to grow in certain ways, the team implanted the cultured scaffolds into mice with liver disease with highly promising results. "Liver disease is a serious and increasing problemit's currently the fifth biggest killer in the UKand many people with liver disease will die waiting for a transplant or develop complications from the immunosuppressive drugs after a transplant, so we urgently need to find alternatives," lead researcher, [...]

In 2006, scientists discovered that it was possible to isolate stem cells found within urine and use them to differentiate into different types of autologous cells. When you put aside your natural revulsion, you can see that these types of stem cells have a variety of benefits, since harvesting them is as easy as filling a cup We are now seeing the fruits of this stem cell research into urine derived stem cells. In the past year, there have been a new frontier of stem cell studies into urine derived stem cells with a variety of interesting applications. BUILDING ADRENAL GLANDS At the beginning of the year, researchers from Queen Mary University were able to generate artificial adrenal glands using urine derived stem cells. Adrenal glands produce a variety of important hormones including adrenaline, [...]

Every day, scientists are working to make the future better by testing the reaches of the almost limitless potential of stem cells. It seems like every there's constantly news about the latest advances in stem cell research, but here are the three upcoming stem cells studies we think you should keep your eyes out for. SAVING THE NORTHERN WHITE RHINO WITH STEM CELL RESEARCH The staff at the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research are gearing up for a stem cell studystraight out of Jurassic Park. They plan to bring the Northern White Rhino back from the edge of extinction by using induced pluripotent stem cells to facilitate the in-vitro fertilization of the last two surviving female Northern White Rhinos with hybrid embryos cultivated from Southern White Rhino eggs fertilized with Northern White Rhino [...]

The human genome might be mapped, but there are still many spots that say "Here be Dragons," especially when you try to determine if variants found in genetic sequencing will lead to diseases. However, a novel study from the Stanford Cardiovascular Institute has found a way to narrow down genetic "variants of uncertain significance" to find out just what kind of health problems they can cause, by using induced pluripotent stem cells. WHAT ARE PLURIPOTENT STEM CELLS AND IPSCS? Pluripotent stem cells are the most dynamic types of stem cells, capable of differentiating into cells of any the body's three layers (ectoderm, ectoderm, and mesoderm). However, the cost to this flexibility is that they are also the least numerous form of stem cells, primarily found in embryos. However, the solution scientists have come up [...]

In Greek mythology, the chimera was a monster with the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and a serpent for a tail. However, in real life, chimeras are any organism that possess two different sets of DNA. For instance, a twin that absorbs their sibling in utero or the recipient of a bone marrow transplant often become chimeras naturally because of the changes to their body's cells. Human animal chimeras have been a big part of scientific research for decades, with lab mice often genetically engineered with human cells to replicate our immune systems to better test drug efficacy. These chimeras are created by injecting human stem cells into animal embryos to create whatever tissue is needed for research. THE LATEST ADVANCES IN CHIMERA RESEARCH Human animal chimera research has hit [...]

Fasting diets are all the rage right now, with a variety of studies proclaiming all the magnificent health benefits that can be gained from abstaining from food for over 24 hours at a time. However, one particularly novel study from MIT claims that in addition to swift weight loss and lower blood pressure, a 24-hour fast can "turn back the clock" on your intestinal stem cells' functions. As you grow older, your body's stem cells slowly lose their ability to regenerate tissue and their replenishment also begins to decrease. Intestinal stem cells are key to repairing damage from injury or infection in your stomach, but they too get weaker with age. But MIT discovered degeneration can be reversed through a strain of proteins called PPARs that trigger a metabolic shift after a period of [...]

Enhanced robotic capabilities are driving innovation in all sectors of healthcare research, but the University of Washington has developed an automated system to increase the speed and accuracy of their stem cell research using robots to grow mini-organs. As you know, stem cells are the building blocks of all organs and can be used to grow them in labs, but can also be used to make mini-organs or organoids made specifically to analyze diseases and test new procedures and medications on. Traditionally, using stem cells to grow organoids was a full day's job that required a scientist's full attention. UW's robotic approach takes 20 minutes and is fully automated. HOW CAN ROBOTS MAKE ORGANOIDS? Essentially, growing organoids is accomplished by distributing stem cells in liquid across a number of plates manually, with a researcher taking [...]