Monthly Archives: June 2014

Stem Cells Make a Dentin Tooth Decay.

Posted on by

Researchers have utilized low-intensity lasers to regenerate lost dentin in damaged teeth.

Researchers at the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research have developed a method of utilizing autologous [the patient’s own] dental stem cells to regenerate damaged or decayed teeth.  In an animal model, as well as human cells in vitro [in a lab], the scientists treated the damaged teeth with low-intensity lasers, which prompted the stem cells located in the dental pulp to differentiate and grow into new, healthy dentin tissue. Continue reading →

Eye Cells Developed with Autologous Stem Cells May Lead to Vision Restoration.

Posted on by

Scientists have utilized stem cells to create viable eye tissue in vitro.

Two studies presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology in Orlando, FL, have proposed methods to differentiate autologous non-embryonic stem cells into various eye cells that can be utilized to replace damaged tissue in patients with impaired vision. In one study the researchers converted stem cells in the front of the eye to nerve cells in the back of the eye. In the second, stem cells were introduced to specific growth factors that promoted their development into eye tissue. Continue reading →

Hip Replacement Procedure Utilizes Autologous Stem Cells.

Posted on by

Scientists have utilized stem cells to aid in artificial hip replacement.

Doctors and Scientist at the Southampton General Hospital have successfully completed a hip transplant by using a titanium socket and a bone scaffold loaded with skeletal stem cells. The team, led by orthopedic surgeon Douglas Dunlap, 3D printed the titanium implant, and then added the bone graft filled with stem cells to the pelvis to encourage bone regrowth behind and around the metal replacement. Continue reading →

Ataxia Study Utilizes Autologous Stem Cells

Posted on by

A University of California PhD student has utilized stem cells to create a disease-on-a-chip model to study Ataxia.

Jackie Ward, a PhD student at the University of California, San Diego, has devised a method for studying rare neurological diseases, such as spinocerebeller ataxia. Ward developed a disease-on-a-dish model by harvesting stem cells from ataxic patients, differentiating them into the type of cell that is degenerated by ataxia, and then studying the progression of the disease. Continue reading →

Barth Syndrome Studied Utilizing “Organ-On-A-Chip” Technology and Autologous Stem Cells.

Posted on by

Scientists have generated heart tissue on a chip to better study Barth Syndrome.

A team of scientists from the Wyss Institute, Boston Children’s Hospital, and Harvard’s Medical School, Stem Cell Institute, and School of Engineering has created a model to study and develop treatments for the genetic heart disorder Barth Syndrome by utilizing a patient’s own stem cells in conjunction with an organ-on-a-chip.  The chip was outfitted with proteins to mimic the cellular environment of the heart, causing the patient’s stem cells to differentiate into diseased heart tissue.  The tissue was then studied to not only determine the cause of the disease, but to treat the diseased tissue as well. Continue reading →

Stem Cells Utilized to Regulate Extreme Inflammation in Limb Injuries.

Posted on by

Stem cells are being used to reduce extreme inflammation to alleviate strain on the body’s healing process.

Immunologists at the Medical College of Georgia and College of Dental Medicine a Georgia Regents University have developed a method of utilizing autologous [the patient’s own] stem cells to treat Ischemia Reperfusion Injury, a condition in which excessive blood flow to an injury results in severe inflammation and hindered recovery. The stem cells function with a chemical called indoleomine 2,3 Dioxygenase, or IDO, which can regulate the immune response without completely disabling it, allowing the healing process to ensue normally. Continue reading →