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Tread lightly in the valley of death…

Last week, a major kerfuffle erupted in the UK stem cell community as leading scientists and pro stem cell organizations argued that Britain’s range of economic austerity measures would jeopardize their ability to be a major player in translational research. Articles...

Even in pharmaceuticals, it’s an RNA world

In the RNA world hypothesis, RNA based biological life can exist without the need for DNA and proteins to store information, make decisions, and in general, control cells. In 1998, the discovery that small RNAs can play important roles in controlling cells...

In the blood – part two

In my last post, I introduced the use of clinical stem cell therapy in treating multiple myelomas and lymphomas. The treatment focuses blood stem cells, known as hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs). By transplanting healthy HPCs into patients, nearly normal white...

Biosynthetic corneas restore vision

Right now, you’re seeing this blog post thanks to your cornea. In concert with your eye’s lens, the cornea refracts light and allows you to distinguish the letters on this page from the background. But your cornea is vulnerable to disease — clouding...

Vascularization: A tissue engineering roadblock

There are currently over 100,000 people in the United States on the waiting list for an organ transplant. Between January and March of 2010, fewer than 7,000 patients received transplants. Imagine, as an alternative to donated live tissue, a tissue-engineered...

New summary on liver failure and stem cells

The liver is the largest solid organ in the human body, and performs a critical function in keeping us alive: it removes waste from our bodies, detoxifies our blood, and helps in various other capacities to protect us from harm. Liver disease can severely compromise...