NEWS and OPINIONS

Accelerating cardiac regenerative therapy with HiPSC spheroids
By Drug Target Review - Injections of cardiac spheroids into primate ventricles improved left ventricular ejection after four weeks. Researchers from Shinshu University and Keio University School of Medicine have tested a novel strategy for regenerative heart therapy....

Uncovering the secret of long-lived stem cells
By Baylor College of Medicine - The levels of cyclophilin A, shown here in red, decline as hematopoietic stem cells age. Image courtesy of the authors/Nature Cell Biology, 2024. Nothing lives forever, but compared to other cells in the body, hematopoietic stem cells...

Opinion: Stem cell biologists are concerned a Utah law will lead to a boom in snake oil sales
By Sean J. Morrison and Gerald J. Spangrude - The Salt Lake Tribune - The people of Utah are at risk of being harmed by a law that undermines federal regulation and promotes the sale of unproven therapies. On May 1, Utah’s law SB 199, Placental Tissue Amendments, goes...

Common HIV treatments may aid Alzheimer’s disease patients
By Sanford Burnham Prebys - Scientists at Sanford Burnham Prebys uncover beneficial links between certain HIV drugs and Alzheimer’s disease Alzheimer’s disease (AD) currently afflicts nearly seven million people in the U.S. With this number expected to grow to nearly...

Participants of pioneering CRISPR gene editing trial see vision improve
By Franny White – OHSU News – About 79% of clinical trial participants experienced measurable improvement after receiving experimental, CRISPR-based gene editing that is designed to fix a rare form of blindness, according to a paper published today in the New England...

New UF cancer vaccine triggers fierce immune response in first human trials
by Michelle Jaffee - Main St. Daily News - In a first-ever human clinical trial of four adult patients, an mRNA cancer vaccine developed at the University of Florida quickly reprogrammed the immune system to attack glioblastoma, the most aggressive and lethal brain...
How Brain Stem Cells Avoid Identity Conflicts
by Elena Garrido - Neuroscience News - Researchers uncovered a crucial mechanism in brain stem cells that prevents identity conflicts during gene expression, enabling these cells to maintain stemness while being primed for neuronal differentiation. The team found that...

ChatGPT for CRISPR creates new gene-editing tools
By Ewen Callaway - Nature - Some of the AI-designed gene editors could be more versatile than those found in nature. In the never-ending quest to discover previously unknown CRISPR gene-editing systems, researchers have scoured microbes in everything from hot springs...

Moffitt Study Suggests Cells Possess Hidden Communication System
by Moffit Cancer Center - TAMPA, Fla. — Cells constantly navigate a dynamic environment, facing ever-changing conditions and challenges. But how do cells swiftly adapt to these environmental fluctuations? A new Moffitt Cancer Center study, published in iScience, is...

Space-Made Fibers and Novel Biotech Among Research Returning to Earth After Successful Space Station Mission
By Patrick O’Neill - ISS National Laboratory - KENNEDY SPACE CENTER (FL), April 30, 2024 – Research on a novel vision loss therapy and space-manufactured optical fibers were among the nearly 565 pounds of science and technology payloads sponsored by the International...

UNC-Chapel Hill researchers create artificial cells that act like living cells
By Carleigh Gabryel - UNC Research News - In a new study published in Nature Chemistry, Carolina researcher Ronit Freeman and her colleagues describe the steps they took to manipulate DNA and proteins — essential building blocks of life — to create cells that look and...

Providers Walgreens expands specialty pharmacy business to gene and cell therapy services
by Heather Landi - Fierce Healthcare - Walgreens is expanding its specialty pharmacy services to offer gene and cell therapy services, supported by a dedicated 18,000-square-foot center in Pittsburgh, the company announced Thursday. The service is part of the retail...