Highlights hPSCs can be differentiated into endothelial cells in 3D thermoreversible hydrogels The differentiation efficiency is similar to this in 2D cultures The global gene expression and phenotypes are similar to ECs made in 2D cultures Summary Endothelial cells (ECs) are of great value for cell therapy, tissue engineering, and drug discovery. Obtaining high-quantity and...
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This tiny particle might change millions of lives
Nanoparticle targets kidney disease for drug delivery UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Remember the scene in the movie Mission: Impossible when Tom Cruise has to sneak into the vault? He had to do all sorts of moves to avoid detection. That’s what it’s like to sneak a targeted drug into a kidney and keep it from...
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Overlooked molecule might be key to how well cancer-fighting CAR-T cells work
Amostly overlooked component of CAR-T cells has a surprisingly strong effect on the cancer-fighting cells’ behavior, scientists reported on Tuesday, including in ways that might affect their safety and efficacy. The component is called the co-stimulatory domain, and the two CAR-T therapies approved last year to treat forms of leukemia and lymphoma — Yescarta and...
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Gut bug enzyme turns blood into type-O
Scientists believe they have found a reliable way to transform donor blood into the universal type needed for safe, emergency blood transfusions. The discovery is enzymes from gut bacteria that can efficiently turn type-A human blood into type-O. Type-O blood is special because it can be donated to anyone without the risk of a bad...
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A universal vaccine to protect people from most strains of flu may be a step closer to reality
A universal vaccine to protect people from most strains of flu may be a step closer to reality. Scientists say they have developed a vaccine which may only need to be given a few times over someone’s life, instead of a new one each year. Current vaccines, offered during flu seasons, can become outdated quickly...
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New method grows brain cells from stem cells quickly and efficiently
Researchers at Lund University in Sweden have developed a faster method to generate functional brain cells, called astrocytes, from embryonic stem cells. Astrocytes play a significant role in neurodegenerative diseases. The new method reduces the time required to produce the cells from months to two weeks, and the study has been published in Nature Methods. “This means...
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Neuroscientists restore significant bladder control to 5 men with spinal cord injuries
Magnetic stimulation of lower spine eliminates need of catheter for up to 4 weeks UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA – LOS ANGELES HEALTH SCIENCES More than 80 percent of the 250,000 Americans living with a spinal cord injury lose the ability to urinate voluntarily after their injury. According to a 2012 study, the desire to regain bladder...
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Researchers demonstrate safe, non-invasive way to open blood-brain barrier in Alzheimer’s patients
In the first peer-reviewed published report of its kind, University of Toronto researchers have demonstrated that focused ultrasound can be used to safely open the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. “We are pioneering exciting potential innovative treatment options for patients,” says Professor Sandra Black. Credit: University of Toronto The study, “Blood-brain barrier opening in...
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Researchers discover novel subtype of multiple sclerosis
Cleveland Clinic researchers have discovered a new subtype of multiple sclerosis (MS), providing a better understanding of the individualized nature of the disease. Bruce Trapp, PhD, Cleveland Clinic. Credit: Cleveland Clinic MS has long been characterized as a disease of the brain’s white matter, where immune cells destroy myelin—the fatty protective covering on nerve cells. The destruction...
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New antibiotic candidates were inside us all along
With bacteria rapidly evolving resistance to our best antibiotics, scientists are searching high and low for new ones. In recent years promising drug candidates have turned up in some unexpected places, like rattlesnake venom, platypus milk, and tobacco flowers – and now, already inside the human body. Researchers from MIT and the University of Naples Federico II have found that a potent peptide...