Personal Updates and Community Engagement in Stem Cell Research

Guest: Dr. Megan Munsie and Dr. Mario D'Cruz discuss the launch of ISSCR's new website "A Closer Look At Stem Cells" that aims to educate and empower people about stem cell biology and stem cell treatments. Resources and Links The Number One Cause of Depression — Everywhere – A group of researchers from around the world discovered that people who have suffered from abuse during their childhood are more likely to be diagnosed with clinical depression — and even more so if they are genetically predisposed to the condition. Major Advance in Artificial Photosynthesis Poses Win/Win for the Environment – Artificial photosynthesis has been achieved with the development of a system that can capture carbon dioxide emissions before they are vented into the atmosphere and then, powered by solar energy, convert that carbon dioxide into valuable chemical products, including biodegradable plastics, pharmaceutical drugs and even liquid fuels. Resistance to Antibiotics Found in Isolated Amazonian Tribe – Scientists discovered that Yanomami hunter-gatherers’ gut bacteria have already evolved a diverse array of antibiotic-resistance genes, even though these mountain people had never ingested antibiotics or animals raised with drugs. Sarcasm Center Found in Brain's White Matter, Explaining Stroke Victims' Language Gap – Stroke victims often struggle to maintain language function, and regions governing sarcasm may get hit particularly hard. Danish Researchers Develop New Blood Test Able to Predict Future Breast Cancer – Scientists at the University of Copenhagen developed a blood test method that can predict future breast cancer, which led to better prevention and early treatment of the disease. Chimps Use Spears to Hunt – This article describes the capability of a troop of chimpanzees in southeastern Senegal to forge weapons to hunt, making them the only known group to use tools to injure or kill prey, and it turns out that females actually engage in this behavior more than males. Wild Chimps in Uganda Have Learned to Look Both Ways When Crossing the Roads – Wild chimpanzees are beginning to realize the importance of crossing roads safely, as scientists have observed them implementing similar safety precautions to us, such as looking both ways for oncoming traffic. Cow Milk Without the Cow Is Coming to Change Food Forever – A group of bio-hackers are trying to trick yeast cells into producing a substance that’s molecularly identical to milk using mail-order DNA. Drug-Based Modulation of Endogenous Stem Cells Promotes Functional Remyelination In Vivo – Scientists look into seven drugs function at nanomolar doses selectively to enhance the generation of mature oligodendrocytes from progenitor cells in vitro. Sale of Madison Company Could Be a Big Step for Stem Cell Research – The pending sale of Madison's Cellular Dynamics International Inc. should end the company's nagging financial struggles and could prove to be the moment that stem cell technology came of age, emerging from a blurry vision to a period of concrete medical advances — including the laboratory production of working human organs. UM Stem Cell Research Could Grow Bone, Potentially Treat Obesity – A new stem cell study conducted at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine has isolated a trigger in stem cells which could be the key to growing bone and combating conditions like osteoporosis and obesity. Newly Found Stem Cell State Closer to Transitional Precipice – A study conducted by scientists at the University of Missouri shows that embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells may enter a state of heightened potency, one that can lead to all the main developmental cell lineages, including the placental trophoblast. Athersys Announces Results From Phase II Study of MultiStem(R) Cell Therapy for Treatment of Ischemic Stroke – This article describes the interim results from Athersys’ exploratory Phase 2 clinical study of the intravenous administration of MultiSt...