Cells

Scientists have demonstrated a new system that can restore crucial molecular and cellular functions in pigs one hour after death. The experiments could help widen the organ transplantation pool and may even lead to new treatments for heart attacks.

Researchers have created some of the most advanced synthetic mouse embryos out of stem cells, removing the need for sperm, eggs and even a womb. The technology could help us understand development and eventually be used to grow organs for transplant.

Researchers at UC Riverside have identified a single protein that seems to control when hair follicles die. Armed with this new information, it might eventually be possible to reverse the process and stimulate hair regrowth.

Forget invisible ink – future spies could be sending secret messages encoded directly into the DNA of living cells. Researchers have demonstrated a DNA Typewriter by encoding full sentences into DNA, which may also function as a cellular “black box.”

Japanese scientists have successfully cloned mice from freeze-dried adult cells, which can be stored easily for long periods of time. The cloned mice were later able to have their own offspring, potentially aiding conservation of endangered species.

As important as CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing is, it has a relatively high error rate, which can introduce potentially harmful mutations. German researchers have now developed a more refined tool that reduces errors by nicking DNA instead of cutting it.

Researchers have developed a new drug cocktail that can convert cells into totipotent stem cells, the very seeds of life. These cells can differentiate into any cell in the body, potentially bypassing the need for sperm and eggs to grow an organism.

Diabetes can result from a loss of cells that produce insulin. Swedish researchers have now identified a molecule that helps stimulate the growth of new insulin-producing cells, and uncovered how it works, opening up new potential diabetes treatments.

The liver can regenerate itself after taking damage, but whether that ability fades with age is unknown. A new study has found that age doesn’t slow down the liver’s regeneration, and whether you’re 20 or 80, your liver is on average just three years old.

How exactly kidney cells transport blood through the organ's tubes has remained a mystery. Now researchers at Johns Hopkins University have investigated the mechanical forces at work and found a previously unobserved pumping action by kidney cells.

Research from MIT has shown how natural cellular cleaning systems are ramped up during cell division, with the newly discovered mechanism potentially offering scientists a "toggle" for treating different kinds of diseases.

Some cells can turn cancerous when they divide, due to chromosomes getting “lost” in the process. Researchers have now uncovered what happens to these lost chromosomes and how to recover them, potentially leading to ways to prevent certain cancers.