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cell & molecular biology, stem cells

Week in Review, July 22–26
Jef Akst | Jul 26, 2013 | 4 min read
Faux stem cells; X chromosome involved in sperm production; rewarding peer review; clues to flatworm regeneration; an ethereal glow signals death
A Wild Stem Cell Chase
Signe Cane | Jul 24, 2013 | 3 min read
A rigorous new study provides strong evidence that very small embryonic-like stem cells hypothesized to be found in mice and humans do not exist.
Gene Therapy Coming of Age?
Dan Cossins | Jul 11, 2013 | 4 min read
Using lentiviral vectors to replace mutated genes in blood stem cells, scientists successfully treat two rare diseases apparently without causing harmful side effects.
Set It and Forget It
Carina Storrs | Mar 1, 2013 | 7 min read
A tour of three systems for automating cell culture
Deaf Mice Hear Again
Dan Cossins | Jan 10, 2013 | 2 min read
A drug applied to the ears of deaf mice has prompted the regrowth of noise-damaged hair cells and resulted in slight improvements in the animals’ hearing.
Debate Over Stem Cell Effectiveness
Ed Yong | Jan 9, 2013 | 3 min read
Reprogrammed stem cells are not attacked by the immune system, or are they?
Bones Get in Her Eyes
Dan Cossins | Dec 20, 2012 | 1 min read
After undergoing untested cosmetic surgery that uses stem cells to rejuvenate skin, a woman grew bone fragments in the flesh around one of her eyes.
hESC Opponents File with Supreme Court
Jef Akst | Oct 11, 2012 | 2 min read
Scientists fighting the federal funding of human embryonic stem cell research bring their case before the country’s highest court.
Growing New Neurons
Ed Yong | Oct 4, 2012 | 3 min read
Brain cells called pericytes can be reprogrammed into neurons with just two proteins, pointing to a novel way to treat neurodegenerative disorders.
(Re)Programming Director
Karen Hopkin | Oct 1, 2012 | 9 min read
Unwilling to accept the finality of terminal differentiation, Helen Blau has honed techniques that showcase the flexibility of cells to adopt different identities.
Opinion: Younger Is Better
David T. Harris | Aug 31, 2012 | 3 min read
Stem cells collected from younger donors are more effective for transplantation and regenerative medicine than those from older individuals.
The Little Cell That Could
Megan Scudellari | Jul 1, 2012 | 7 min read
Critics point out that cell therapy has yet to top existing treatments. Biotech companies are setting out to change that—and prove that the technology can revolutionize medicine.
Stem Cells from Corpses
Bob Grant | Jun 15, 2012 | 1 min read
Researchers pull viable cells from bodies that had been dead for more than 2 weeks.
Could Stem Cells Cure MS?
Megan Scudellari | May 23, 2012 | 3 min read
A growth factor isolated from human stem cells shows promising results in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis.
Telomere Basics
Rodrigo Calado and Neal Young | May 1, 2012 | 1 min read
Telomeres are repetitive, noncoding sequences that cap the ends of linear chromosomes. They consist of hexameric nucleotide sequences (TTAGGG in humans) repeated hundreds to thousands of times. 
Telomeres in Disease
Rodrigo Calado and Neal Young | May 1, 2012 | 10+ min read
Telomeres have been linked to numerous diseases over the years, but how exactly short telomeres cause diseases and how medicine can prevent telomere erosion are still up for debate.
Stem Cell Researcher Fabricates Data
Edyta Zielinska | Apr 16, 2012 | 1 min read
A scientist who claimed to have injected monkey embryonic stem cells into the eyes of rats to improve their vision accepts the penalty for research misconduct.
Ovarian Stem Cells in Humans?
Sabrina Richards | Feb 27, 2012 | 4 min read
Adult human ovaries contain a population of stem cells capable of generating immature egg cells.
Hard-to-Get Stem Cells
Jef Akst | Dec 14, 2011 | 2 min read
More than one quarter of US researchers studying human embryonic stem cells say they’ve had trouble acquiring cell lines of interest.
The Complex Tissue Shop
Cristina Luiggi | Dec 7, 2011 | 1 min read
Over the past decade, researchers at RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in Japan have generated complex tissues, including mouse retinas and Purkinje cells (a type of neuron) that integrated appropriately into the mouse fetal brain.
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