Broken brain cells repaired in dementia mouse model

Dysfunctional neurons in the hippocampus of adult female mice modeling dementia can be repaired and reconnected to distant parts of the brain, reports a new study published in JNeurosci. The similarity between the mouse model and the human condition underscores the therapeutic potential of targeting these cells in dementia patients. The hippocampus generates new brain cells throughout life and is […]

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Cancer cells are quick-change artists adapting to their environment

Until now, researchers have assumed that the growth of solid tumors originates from cancer stem cells characterized by specific surface markers, which develop in a fixed, hierarchical order. Accordingly, such cancer stem cells are responsible for tumor progression and produce specific types of more differentiated cancer cells whose fates are predetermined. In a joint interdisciplinary project led by the Luxembourg […]

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Engineering B cells to express pathogen-specific antibodies to protect against infection

Antibodies are currently in use to treat diseases that range from cancer to autoimmunity and are usually administered to patients in multiple doses, much like medical drugs. However, the production and storage of antibodies are comparatively more expensive, with considerable interest on finding alternative strategies to deliver them. In a recent study, Howell F. Moffett and an interdisciplinary research team […]

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Engineered immune cells target broad range of pediatric solid tumors in mice

Immune cells engineered to attack childhood cancers were able to eradicate different types of pediatric tumors in mice, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine. The study, which will be published online Jan. 17 in Clinical Cancer Research, provides evidence that these engineered cells can target many types of pediatric solid tumors, including brain tumors. […]

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Engineers create delicate sensor to monitor heart cells with minimal disruption

For the first time, engineers have demonstrated an electronic device to monitor beating heart cells without affecting their behavior. A collaboration between the University of Tokyo, Tokyo Women’s Medical University and RIKEN in Japan produced a functional sample of heart cells with a soft nanomesh sensor in direct contact with the tissue. This device could aid study of other cells, […]

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Growing a brain: Two-step control mechanism identified in mouse stem cells

Scientists have identified two distinct control mechanisms in the developmental transition of undifferentiated stem cells into healthy brain cells. This fundamental research using mice may inform regenerative medicine treatments for neurodegenerative diseases and spinal cord injuries, in the future. When an embryo develops, stem cells differentiate into all the types of cells that the adult will need. Neural stem cells […]

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New light-based technology reveals how cells communicate in human disease

Scientists at the University of York have developed a new technique that uses light to understand how cells communicate in human disease. All cells in the human body communicate with each other by releasing signalling molecules; this helps to ensure that tissues function normally, that the immune system is able to respond to infection, and that cell division and survival […]

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Healthy blood stem cells have as many DNA mutations as leukemic cells

Researchers from the Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology have shown that the number of mutations in healthy and leukemic blood stem cells does not differ. Rather, the location of DNA mutations is relevant. Using the mutation patterns in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), the team was able to trace the developmental lineage tree of the cells. Van Boxtel, […]

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