In a new study by Arizona State University, researchers have discovered a potential treatment for Parkinson’s disease wherein they are able to carry out a process for converting non-neuronal cells into functioning neurons in the brain which can then dispense dopamine and restore dopaminergic cells destroyed by the Parkinson’s disease.

The Cornell University in the USA has revealed new research in which cnidocytes or stinging cells in sea anemones, hydrae, corals and jellyfish can prove to be an ideal example for understanding the emergence of new cell types.

How does a cell “decide” what type of cell to become? The question of cell fate has been explored for decades now, especially in the context of stem cell biology, but there are still gaps in our understanding. Scientists at EPFL now found that lipids play a major role in this process.

Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania in the USA have revealed that a new type of cell found within human lungs can assist in the research of treatments for human lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

To prevent the extinction of the northern white rhino, the international consortium Bio Rescue is attempting to create artificial egg cells from stem cells. A team led by MDC’s Sebastian Diecke and Micha Drukker of Leiden University has now revealed in Scientific Reports that they are one step closer to achieving this goal.

A group of Japanese and American researchers found that the Ptychodera flava, a worm-like marine organism capable of regenerating its entire head or body, draws on reprogramming-based mechanisms that help somatic cells in higher-order animals branch out into complete body parts.

Bioscientists at the Kaust University have revealed that changes in batch cultures could lead to a significant impact on cell processes and research reproducibility as the cells grow. In this background, there is a need for enhanced procedures and more monitoring.

With the aid of artificial stem cells, it will soon be possible to establish new treatments for previously incurable diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. At the Fraunhofer Project Center for Stem Cell Process Engineering SPT, a process for the mass production of these so called induced pluripotent stem cells is being developed.

The promotion and marketing of unproven stem cell therapies is a global problem that needs a global solution, say experts in a perspective published in the journal Stem Cell Reports. The authors of the paper call for the World Health Organization (WHO) to establish an advisory committee on regenerative medicine to tackle this issue and provide guidance for countries around the world.

A new study has focused on developing stem cell-derived midbrain dopamine progenitors for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease. It cites how Amsbio's Stem-Cellbanker animal-free cryopreservation media has played a role in the development. The therapy will soon be going into clinical trials.