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The Healer

Shinya Yamanaka, a scientist at Kyoto University, loved stem-cell research. But he didn’t want to destroy embryos. So he figured out a way around the problem... Yamanaka and six colleagues showed how “induced pluripotent stem cells” could be derived from adult cells and potentially substituted, in research and therapy, for embryonic stem cells.

… that discovery earned him a Nobel Prize, shared with British scientist John Gurdon. But the prize announcement and much of the media coverage missed half the story. Yamanaka’s venture wasn’t just an experiment. It was a moral project.

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Featured

 Decades of research show common stem cells could fuel advances in regenerative medicine

Could naturally occurring stem cells throughout the body hold the key to unlocking the next generation of advances in regenerative medicine? Absolutely, according to Tulane University Professor of Medicine Dr. Eckhard Alt, who recently published a perspective in the journal Cells that outlines how a type of adult stem cell holds tremendous promise to fuel advances in treating everything from knee joint restoration to helping paraplegics regain mobility after severe spinal cord injuries.

Articles of Interest

Adipose tissue stem cells in regenerative medicine

Stem cells and, in particular, adipose tissue-derived cells, play a key role in reconstructive or tissue engineering medicine as they have already proven effective in developing new treatments.

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Created from Fat Cells

An unlikely team of cardiologists and plastic surgeons have found a way to make adult induced pluripotent stem cells quickly and easily from a readily available resource--fat.

One Man's Reluctant Tour For Adult Stem Cells

After my last post, highlighting some research on the potential adverse consequences of adult stem cell treatments, some readers, including Phelan, protested that such studies represented but a small fraction of the thousands of successful treatments people were getting offshore, and that I was overlooking the patient's perspective.

Scientists create first embryonic stem cells from adult cells

The race to turn ordinary skin cells into embryonic stem cells – which can be used to make any tissue in the body - has ended in a dead heat, with two groups of scientists simultaneously announcing they have achieved the feat.

Scientists develop potential ‘smart’ stem cells made from human fat

Using a new compound mixture, researchers have created adaptive and regenerative stem cells from human fat cells.

The Difference Between Embryonic, Adult Stem Cells

With adult stem cell research and embryonic stem cell research at odds with each other, we figured it's time for a primer on stem cells and the two different approaches.

Resources

Adult Stem Cell Foundation

The Adult Stem Cell Foundation''s Mission is to provide information on products and services related to the role that Adult Stem Cells play in helping manage and prevent degenerative diseases.