Science Funding in Hard Economic Times
January 29, 2009
Many aspects of scientific research are inaccessible to the general public; nothing more so than how basic science is funded. For this reason, government funding to basic scientific granting agencies is often an unattractive target for spending in hard economic times.
Obama: “We will restore science to its rightful place”
January 29, 2009
Obama’s early indications and actions and indeed his inaugural speech, from which the title of this blog was taken, has scientists and environmentalists in a positive frame of mind.
Another stem cell first: Clinical trial using human embryonic stem cells is approved
January 27, 2009
A biotechnology company from the United States has recently announced that they have received approval to initiate the world’s first clinical trial involving human embryonic stem cells (hES). Geron announced on January 23rd that their application for the company’s Investigational New Drug (IND) application for the clinical trial of GRNOPC1 in patients with acute spinal cord injury had been accepted.
Breakthrough of 2008 - Reprogramming
January 26, 2009
In December 2008, the scientific journal Science, named the incredible process of stem cell reprogramming breakthrough of the year 2008. Reprogramming is the reversal of the state of a somatic cell (i.e. a differentiated cell or a cell that has become a skin cell or kidney cell) back to a state reminiscent to that of a pluripotent state (i.e. an embryonic stem cell).
Rett Syndrome and induced Pluripotent Stem cells goes “Green”
June 17, 2009 by Aaron Cheung
Stem cell researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children have now devised a method, reported in the scientific journal Nature Methods, that will facilitate the generation of induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells. I have previously blogged about the promise of iPS cells (see related articles). iPS cells are cells which have been reprogrammed from a differentiated somatic cell (such as your skin cells) to a pluripotent stem cell (like an embryonic stem cell, only that you don’t need to use embryos!). The generation of iPS cells is inherently very rare which occurs at a frequency of about 0.01% meaning you can generate about one iPS cell line out of hundred thousand cells. Out of which, many lines fail to satisfy the different rigorous tests necessary to be given the prestigious name of “iPS cell”.
Continue reading Rett Syndrome and induced Pluripotent Stem cells goes “Green”
Some of our experts
Stem Cell Origins
Cancer stem cells
Stem Cells and the Nervous System
