Move over Gucci; researchers create designer stem cells
September 1, 2017 | Categories: Research |UW Medicine researchers recently lead a successful effort to create “designer” stem cells that might lead to advances in cancer and aging, they say. In a paper published in the journal PNAS, the scientists showed for the first time that a computer-generated protein can be inserted into stem cells to change their epigenetic memory, whose role is to ensure that a cell’s DNA sequence remains intact as it divides. Read More
UW Medicine researchers seek a way to regenerate digits
August 12, 2016 | Categories: Research |UW Medicine researchers seek a way to regenerate digits A 7-year-old girl sticks her finger through the spinning spokes of her brother’s bike. The tip gets torn off. She soon arrives in the emergency room, where Dr. Christopher Allan and his fellow UW Medicine surgeons face a decision. Should they attempt microsurgical reattachment? Suture the […] Read More
Disease-in-a-dish model to improve treatments
August 4, 2016 | Categories: Research |Scientists’ ability to guide cell growth drives one vision of healthcare’s future Say you’re sick. You head to your doctor and discuss personal details about your body. The doc thoughtfully checks your symptoms, maybe administers a test or two, and then delivers a diagnosis. When it’s time to recommend treatment, though, “personal” probably will yield […] Read More
With CRISPR, Modeling Disease in Mini Organs
May 6, 2016 | Categories: Research |Traditionally, gene therapy efforts have attempted to treat genetic diseases by modifying DNA inside a patient’s body, but it has been a challenge to deliver the genetic material to all the target tissue, let alone to do so safely. But in recent years, advances in gene editing and stem cell research have enabled scientists to […] Read More
Stem cell research gets undergrads out of classroom
March 23, 2016 | Categories: Research |Students help conduct intensive, real-world research at UW Medicine lab UW undergraduate Randy Lu grasps a pair of tweezers in each hand. His fingers make imperceptible movements as he dissects the tiny abdomen of a fruit fly. The tweezers and Lu’s hands look garishly large next to the insect, which is a mere speck in […] Read More
Mini-kidney organoids re-create disease in lab dishes
October 23, 2015 | Categories: Research |Stem-cell biology and gene editing advances offer hope for kidney regeneration, drug discovery Mini-kidney organoids that re-create human kidney disease have now been grown in laboratory petri dishes. The achievement, believed to be the first of its kind, resulted from combining stem cell biology with leading-edge gene-editing techniques. The journal Nature Communications reports the findings […] Read More
Dying cells can protect their stem cells from destruction
May 11, 2015 | Categories: Research |An SOS signal from dying daughter cells allows their mother stem cells to protect themselves from radiation and chemotherapy damage Cells dying as the result of radiation exposure or chemotherapy can send a warning to nearby stem cells. The chemical signal allows the stem cells to escape the same fate, University of Washington researchers report […] Read More
Injection of marrow stem cells into the heart is proven ineffective
April 21, 2015 | Categories: Research |Marrow stem cells were injected into failing hearts of 6 patients awaiting transplantation A small study by University of Washington researchers has found no sign that bone-marrow stem-cell injections stimulated repair in the damaged hearts of patients awaiting transplantation. The results were published in the Journal of the American Academy of Cardiology. Dr. April Stempien-Otero, UW associate professor of […] Read More