Stem Cells

The most advanced mini-brains yet created have begun producing brain waves resembling those of preterm babies.

New research, led by a team from the University of Cambridge, has demonstrated a way to rejuvenate old brain stem cells, making them act young again. The technique points to potential new treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS), but also broader ways to reverse general age-related brain changes.

Organ development has traditionally been tricky to study, thanks largely to the difficulty in getting sensors in there without damaging the organs. Now, researchers from Harvard have developed a way to create “cyborg organoids” by integrating nanoelectronics into cell cultures.

It sure would be nice if teeth could just repair themselves. Thankfully that’s not as far-fetched as it sounds – researchers have found a new population of stem cells in mice that are in charge of repairing tooth tissue and could be recruited to help us patch up cavities.

​Considering how important an organ it is, it’s a shame that the heart is so bad at repairing itself. Stem cells are an emerging solution, and now researchers at the Universities of Cambridge and Washington have combined heart muscle cells and supportive cells to help mend broken hearts.

Our bodies aren't great at regeneration. Other creatures have mastered this skill though, and now scientists at the University of California Davis (UC Davis) and Harvard have sequenced the RNA transcripts for the immortal hydra and figured out how it manages to do just that.

A new study, led by scientists from King’s College London, has discovered a new type of cell in the liver. The research describes the cell as having “stem cell-like properties,” with the potential to regenerate damaged liver cells and treat disease in the organ without the need for a transplant.

A patient’s immune system can often react badly to bone marrow transplants. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) may help, but they too can be cleared out by immune cells. Now, a Harvard team has shown that coating MSCs in a thin hydrogel can protect them, making bone marrow transplants more successful.

A study has revealed killer immune cells have been found to collect in parts of the brain where new nerve cells are generated. This proliferation seems to naturally increase as a brain ages and the researchers hypothesize this may be a mechanism that underpins general age-related cognitive decline.

Although it may be hard to believe that there is already an "established" method of doing something such as 3D-printing biological tissue, there does indeed seem to be one. It utilizes microscale scaffolds – which a newly-developed technique does away with the need for.

In recent years scientists have been able to correct genetic diseases by removing stem cells, editing their genomes and implanting them back into patients, but that adds complications. Now new research led by Harvard scientists has successfully edited the genes of stem cells while still in the body.

Radiotherapy is effective for killing cancer, but it harms healthy cells at the same time. Now researchers have found that boosting levels of a certain protein can protect against radiation damage, which could help cancer patients, victims of nuclear disasters, and future space travellers.