News

Tissue-specific genes, thought to be dormant in embryonic stem cells, are indeed marked by transcription factors, according to a new NIGMS-supported study.

An NIGMS-funded study suggests that small mechanical forces on embryonic stem cells can coax them to develop in specific ways.

NIGMS-funded bioengineers have succeeded in building human tissue patches with supply lines for the oxygen and nutrients that living cells require.

An NIGMS-supported research team has discovered a novel way to turn on stem cell genes in human skin cells without the risks associated with inserting extra genes or using viruses.

NIGMS-funded researchers report that they have created induced human pluripotent stem cells free of viral vectors and exotic genes.

A team of scientists has advanced stem cell research by finding a way to endow human skin cells with embryonic stem cell-like properties without inserting potentially problematic new genes into their DNA.

NIGMS-funded researchers have shown that electrical signals are a powerful control mechanism for modulating embryonic stem cell behavior.

NIGMS-funded researchers have tracked how DNA copying gets reorganized as embryonic stem cells become specialized.

NIGMS-funded researchers have discovered genes in planaria flatworms that are also used in mammalian stem cell regulatory pathways.

NIGMS-funded researchers transformed human skin cells into pluripotent stem cells and then to cells that can make the hormone insulin.

NIGMS-funded researchers have used synthetic molecules to mark the DNA of planarians, a kind of regenerating worm that could serve as a model for stem cell biology.

Researchers funded in part by NIH have discovered a protein they named Ronin that keeps embryonic stem cells undifferentiated.

An NIGMS-funded study explored how two critical embryonic cell proteins help maintain stem cells in their flexible state.

A stem cell research breakthrough partially supported by NIGMS is tops on two lists of science advances made during 2007.

NIGMS-funded researchers report the genetic reprogramming of human skin cells to create cells indistinguishable from embryonic stem cells, an accomplishment that should speed up stem cell research and remove ethical and legal constraints to their use.

NIGMS-funded researchers have successfully used human embryonic stem cells to treat mice with a neurodegenerative disease related to Tay-Sachs, a lethal genetic disorder.

A research team supported by NIGMS has discovered specific DNA molecular imprints in mouse embryonic stem cells. The findings could shed light on the unique ability of these cells to develop into virtually any cell type in the body.

Embryonic stem cells may one day provide a means to treat disease, but according to new reports, they are already revealing remarkable insights into the mysteries of how humans develop.

Researchers supported by NIGMS have established the minimal nutritional requirements for growing and maintaining human embryonic stem cells, a recipe that is critical for clinical application and for developmental studies.

NIGMS-supported researchers have discovered a molecular mechanism that directs the fate and function of cells during animal development. The findings hold promise for the advancement of cancer and stem-cell research.

NIGMS-supported scientists have developed a precisely defined stem cell culture system free of animal cells. The new work helps move stem cells a small step closer to clinical applications by completely ridding the growth medium of animal products that could harbor viruses or other deleterious agents.

NIGMS-supported researchers have shed light on one of the most tantalizing characteristics of embryonic stem cells: their ability to become just about any cell type in the body.

NIGMS-supported researchers have identified a group of genes that are involved the development blood precursor cells, a discovery that brings researchers a step closer to harnessing the power of stem cells for disease treatments.

Why do stem cells continue to divide and renew themselves long after the point where other cells stop? NIGMS-funded researchers now suggest that tiny bits of genetic material called microRNAs shut off the signals that end cell division in most other cells.

Children with a fatal genetic disorder called Krabbe Disease can be saved and their brain development preserved if they receive stem cells from umbilical cord blood before symptoms develop, according to a new NIGMS-funded study.

Using the common fruit fly, NIGMS-supported researchers have discovered that an intricate set of signals released by stem cells' surroundings governs their maintenance.