Regenerative Medicine

Scientists have engineered a hybrid mouse with a gene that predates all animal life. The team replaced a single gene in the mouse stem cells with a version from an ancient, single-celled ancestor, and successfully grew healthy live mice from it.

The body has a remarkable ability to heal injuries, but it has its limits. Now scientists have developed a way to improve on the natural process, making implants created from a patient’s own blood to regenerate injuries, even repairing bone.

The company behind the once-a-day pill that restored lost nerve cell connections in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), has now set its sights on using the pill to provide a novel treatment for another debilitating disease: schizophrenia.

Injecting immune cells directly into damaged bone, muscle and skin significantly boosts healing, according to new research. The door is now open to developing a universal cell-based method of enhancing healing after an injury.

Two innovative new developments have demonstrated that degraded cartilage can be regrown, first with 'dancing molecules' that target the protein needed for tissue regeneration, secondly with a hybrid biomaterial that stimulates cartilage growth.

People living with diabetes might have a new hope. Scientists have tested a new drug therapy in diabetic mice, and found that it boosted insulin-producing cells by 700% over three months, effectively reversing their disease.

Adding rat stem cells to a mouse embryo resulted in a ‘hybrid brain’ in which the rat cells stepped in to restore function when the mouse’s sense of smell was removed. The new research represents a step forward in regenerative medicine.

California-based biopharmaceutical company Rubedo Life Sciences has announced that thanks to US$40 million in financial backing, it can commence human trials of its drug RLS-1469, designed to target the senescent cells that cause age-related disease.

A component of the aromatic spice cinnamon has encouraged hair follicles to sprout in the lab, and now researchers have set their sights on using it to develop a novel treatment that could reverse hair loss through the use of natural compounds.

A clinical trial will soon commence investigating whether nose cartilage can be used to regenerate knee joints that have been severely worn down by osteoarthritis. If successful, the procedure could be an alternative treatment for the condition.

Researchers at TU Wien have developed a new way to grow cartilage from stem cells and guide it into basically any shape required. The breakthrough could lead to better ways to patch up injuries.

Researchers have successfully regenerated functional bladder tissue in a baboon using the animal’s own bone marrow cells. The findings open the door to a novel treatment for severe bladder dysfunction for which treatment is currently limited.