A new study, published today in the journal Applied Materials & Interfaces, has found a new method for growing human embryonic stem cells, that doesn't rely on supporting human or animal cells. Traditionally, these stem cells are cultivated with the help of proteins from animals, which rules out use in the treatment of humans. Growing stem cells on other human cells risks contamination with pathogens that could transmit diseases to patients. The team of scientists led by the University of Surrey and in collaboration with Professor Peter Donovan at the University of California have developed a scaffold of carbon nanotubes upon which human stem cells can be grown into a variety of tissues. These new building blocks mimic the surface of the body's natural support cells and act as scaffolding for stem cells to grow on. Cells that have previously relied on external living cells can now be grown safely in the laboratory, paving the way for revolutionary steps in replacing tissue after injury or disease. Dr Alan Dalton, senior lecturer from the Department of Physics at the University of Surrey said: "While carbon nanotubes have been used in the field of biomedicine for some time, their use in human … Continue reading →

A recent breakthrough in stem cell research has been made with the discovery of a new, simple method to create stem cells. The current method used to create stem cells, called induced pluripotent stem cells, was developed in Japan in 2006. The new method, called stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency (STAP), was also developed in Japan. STAP cells were created by Haruko Obokata, a stem-cell biologist working at the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe, Japan. Obokata noticed that when cells were squeezed through a capillary tube, they would shrink to a size similar to the size of a stem cell. This led her to wonder if cells could revert to a pluripotent state when subjected to external stress. Obokata subjected cells to a multitude of stressors, but three in particular had the most effect: a bacterial toxin, an acidic pH, and physical squeezing of the cells. The next step was testing each method to see if it was, in fact, reverting the cells to a pluripotent state. Obokata injected stressed cells that were tagged with fluorescence into mouse embryos. Since pluripotent cells can differentiate to become any kind of cell, the mouse embryo was expected to be completely fluorescent. … Continue reading →

Piscataway, NJ (PRWEB) February 06, 2014 Mahendra Rao, MD, PhD, the Director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine (CRM) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has agreed to be a keynote speaker at the 12th edition of the New Jersey Symposium Biomaterials Science. Dr. Rao is internationally renowned for his research involving human embryonic stem cells and other somatic stem cells. He has worked in the stem cell field for more than 20 years with stints in academia, government and regulatory affairs, and industry. Dr. Rao will address the role of biomaterials for stem cell therapies in a session devoted to scientific breakthroughs leading to clinical applications. Along with Dr. Rao, the 12th edition of the New Jersey Symposium on Biomaterials Science will feature a roster of presentations by 30 leading scientists, many with global reputations for their work in academia and industry in the areas of biomaterials, bioengineering and clinical practice. Detailed information about the symposium and registration links will be found at http://www.njbiomaterials.org/biomaterials-symposia.htm. The New Jersey Center for Biomaterials (NJCBM) was founded in 1997. Based at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, the center spans academia, industry and government. Staffed by biomaterial scientists, the Center works … Continue reading →