Topic description and stories

Stem cells, the 'building blocks' for every type of cell in the body, have tremendous potential to improve human health.

New stem cell combination could help to repair damaged hearts

05 Aug 2019

A combination of heart cells derived from human stem cells could be the answer to developing a desperately-needed treatment for heart failure...

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Close-up of cigarettes

‘Fingerprint database’ could help scientists to identify new cancer culprits

16 Apr 2019

Scientists in Cambridge and London have developed a catalogue of DNA mutation ‘fingerprints’ that could help doctors pinpoint the environmental...

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HIV remission achieved in second patient

05 Mar 2019

A second person has experienced sustained remission from HIV-1 after ceasing treatment, according to a study published today in Nature.

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‘Mini-placentas’ could provide a model for early pregnancy

28 Nov 2018

Researchers say that new ‘mini-placentas’ – a cellular model of the early stages of the placenta – could provide a window into early pregnancy and...

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“With this vial, we could potentially feed the entire planet”

08 Nov 2018

Would you eat a burger that had been grown in a lab? It may not be long before this is a choice at your local supermarket. Given the environmental...

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Seven-day old gastruloid

Scientists develop mouse ‘embryo-like structures’ with organisation along body’s major axes

03 Oct 2018

A team of scientists at the University of Cambridge has developed an artificial mouse embryo-like structure capable of forming the three major axes...

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Synthetic embryo-like structure made of three stem cells types in yellow, pink and green

Scientists generate key life event in artificial mouse ‘embryo’ created from stem cells

23 Jul 2018

The creation of artificial embryos has moved a step forward after an international team of researchers used mouse stem cells to produce artificial...

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New innovation hub aims to take a 'moon shot' at cystic fibrosis

18 Apr 2018

Almost 30 years on from the discovery of the genetic defect that causes cystic fibrosis, treatment options are still limited and growing antibiotic...

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Confocal microscope image of gastruloid

The body in miniature

20 Mar 2018

The past few years has seen an explosion in the number of studies using organoids – so-called ‘mini organs’. While they can help scientists...

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Neuron with oligodendrocyte and myelin sheath (edited)

Study in mice suggests personalised stem cell treatment may offer relief for progressive MS

22 Feb 2018

Scientists have shown in mice that skin cells re-programmed into brain stem cells, transplanted into the central nervous system, help reduce...

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Plant meristems

Plants increase flower production within a day of soil nutrient application

23 Jan 2018

The molecular mechanisms enabling plants to quickly adapt their rate of flower production in response to changing nutrient levels in soil have been...

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‘Mini liver tumours’ created in a dish for the first time

16 Nov 2017

Scientists have created mini biological models of human primary liver cancers, known as organoids, in the lab for the first time. In a paper...

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