Epidermolysis bullosais is rare, but the charity DEBRA, which campaigns for EB patients, estimates half a million people are affected around the world. There are different forms of epidermolysis bullosa, including simplex, dystrophic and, as in this case, junctional. Each is caused by different genetic faults leading to different building blocks of skin being missing. …
There is a solution to the dual challenges of growing and preserving neural stem cells in a state where they are still able to mature into many different cell types. The first challenge is that growing stem cells in quantity requires space. Like traditional farming, it is a two-dimensional affair. If you want more wheat, …
USC researchers have grown hair follicles from skin cells reproduced in vitro in the lab. Researchers outline a step-by-step sequence of events in the production of hair follicles from skin. Specifically, they were able to generate hair by uncovering the major molecular events necessary for the growth of skin and fostering it in adult shaved …
A newly discovered DNA-targeting molecule could inspire the first tissue regeneration therapies. The synthetic molecule can cause stem cells to transform into heart muscle cells. The scientists responsible for the new molecule believe their breakthrough could be used to turn stem cells into a variety of cell types — paving the way for tissue regeneration. …
Parkinson’s disease causes the progressive loss of nerve cells that release dopamine, a chemical that helps control body movement. The researchers triggered a similar loss of cells in macaque monkeys, then used human stem cells to replace them. They hope to have human clinical trials in 2018. The animals showed significant improvement in their symptoms …
UCLA researchers have discovered a new way to activate the stem cells in the hair follicle to make hair grow (in mice). The research, led by scientists Heather Christofk and William Lowry, may lead to new drugs that could promote hair growth for people with baldness or alopecia, which is hair loss associated with such …
Tissue Nanotransfection (TNT), that can generate any cell type of interest for treatment within the patient’s own body. This technology may be used to repair injured tissue or restore function of aging tissue, including organs, blood vessels and nerve cells. “By using our novel nanochip technology, injured or compromised organs can be replaced. We have …
Viacyte, privately-held, leading regenerative medicine company, announced today that the first patients have been implanted with the PEC-Direct™ product candidate, a novel islet cell replacement therapy in development as a functional cure for patients with type 1 diabetes who are at high risk for acute life-threatening complications. The first implant procedures of the clinical trial …
PolarityTE™, Inc. (NASDAQ: COOL) today announced pre-clinical results demonstrating that the Company’s lead product, SkinTE™, regenerated full-thickness, organized skin and hair follicles in third degree burn wounds. The findings represent the first known successful regeneration of skin and hair in full-thickness swine wound models, the standard animal model for human skin. The Company expects to …
A possible venue for big announcements is for the “One Belt, One Road” summit of more than 20 leaders in May. It will be hosted in Beijing by President Xi to showcase his most important foreign policy innovation to date. The “Belt” is supposed to consist of three land-based silk roads. The “One Road,” actually, …
China has made drones with flamethrowers to clear garbage from power lines. Entrepreneur reports that an electric company in Xiangyang, China is the one that came up with the fiery idea. Brian WangBrian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked …