The History of Research on Adult Stem Cells: We’ve Come a Long Way
An adult stem cell is an undifferentiated cell, found among differentiated cells in tissue or an organ. The adult stem cell can renew itself and can differentiate to yield some or all of the major specialized cell types of the tissue or organ. The primary role of adult stem cells in a living organism is to maintain and repair
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How Clinical Trials on Stem Cell Therapies Work, and Where to Find Them
The most important resource on stem cell clinical trials is registry ClinicalTrials.gov. This registry provides the public with easy access to information on publicly and privately supported clinical studies. The ClinicalTrials.gov web site is maintained by the National Library of Medicine at the National Institutes of Health. Information (NIH) and is provided and updated by the
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What are the potential uses of human stem cells? What obstacles must still be overcome before these potential uses will be realized?
There are many ways in which human stem cells can be used in research and in the clinic. Studies of stem cells continue to yield information about their complex capabilities. A primary goal of this research is to identify how undifferentiated stem cells become the differentiated cells that form the tissues and organs. Scientists know that turning genes on
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Mending a Broken Heart and Addressing Diabetes with Adult Stem Cells
Researchers are learning about mending a broken heart–that is, how to generate healthy heart muscle stem cells in the laboratory and then transplant those cells into patients with chronic heart disease. Preliminary research in mice and other animals indicates that bone marrow stromal cells, transplanted into a damaged heart, can have beneficial effects. Whether these cells can
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Stem Cell Research and Stem Cell Therapy: When can stem cells be used to treat patients?
The difference between stem cell research and therapy is in the scientific evidence that supports therapeutic intervention to be beneficial for the patient. Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different types of cells in the body during early life and growth. In addition, in many tissues, stem cells serve as a sort
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Stem Cell Myths, Busted
The term stem cell research gleans different reactions from people, both in the medical community and the wider public. Still an emerging science, stem cell research is shrouded by many myths and misconceptions. Here, we take on some of the most predominant myths to discuss the misconceptions and clarify the facts regarding this fast-growing branch
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Gordie Howe’s Stem Cell Treatments Support a Growing Appeal for These Therapies Among Athletes and Baby Boomers
In October, 2014, legendary hockey player Gordie Howe, then 86, was on death’s door after suffering a debilitating acute hemorrhagic, left thalamus stroke. Upon returning home from the hospital, Howe needed someone to lift him from his bed to a wheelchair and back. He couldn’t remember the names of his four children, Marty, Mark, Cathy,
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Stem Cell Researchers Discover Stem Cells That Might Repair Skull, Face Bones
Scientists may be one step closer to a breakthrough that uses stem cells to replace damaged skull and facial bones in patients who experience a head trauma or undergo cancer surgery requiring repair and reconstructive surgery. Researchers have discovered and isolated stem cells capable of repairing these bones in mice. The research, led by Takamitsu
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Stem Cell Treatments Normally Used for Cancer Patients are Helping Multiple Sclerosis Patients
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) recently reported that stem cell transplant treatments normally used for cancer patients are helping Multiple Sclerosis (MS) patients in the UK. According to the January 18, 2016 report, 20 patients received bone marrow stem cell transplants using their own stem cells, and that at least some of the patients who
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Our Friend MSCs (Mesenchymal Stem Cells)—Bringing New Life to Old Bones
Researchers from the University of Toronto and The Ottawa Hospital were looking to see if mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) might treat osteoporosis. MSCs are multipotent stromal cells that can differentiate into a variety of cell types, including: bone cells (osteoblasts), cartilage cells (chondrocytes), muscle cells (myocytes) and fat cells (adipocytes). Faulty MSCs are the culprits
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How Stem Cell Therapies Can Help Heal Sports Injuries
Continuing our recent discussion of stem cell therapies for sports injuries, the use of mesanchysmal stem cells (MSCs) in orthopedic medicine can help in the repair of damaged tissue by harnessing the healing power of undifferentiated cells that form all other cells in our bodies. The process involves isolating these stem cells from a sample
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Stem cells and Platelet Rich Plasma Therapies Look Promising for Treating a Variety of sports-related injuries
Stem cell therapies for the treatment of various injuries and diseases that afflict athletes and sportspeople have been the focus of researchers for at least a few years, and recent findings are optimistic. Stem cell scientists worldwide have been actively pursuing stem cell therapies to harness the process by which stem cells repair and replace
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