Two recent advances have brought life extension closer to reality. First, on the cloning front, scientists have finally succeeded in generating viable human embryonic stem cells from cloned cells (nuclear transfer). There is a way to go yet as the technique relied on retaining the recipient egg’s own haploid nucleus […]

Scientists have developed the technology to analyse gene expression in hundreds of individual cells in parallel. Technical details: it uses microfluidic devices to integrate single-cell processing and RT-PCR (reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction). Dr. Hansen foresees the technology will have widespread applciations in fields ranging from stem cell research and cancer biology […]

Well, it’s just a tooth, but a tooth is actually a complex organ and it is an exciting first for scientists to have implanted a tooth made from stem cells into a mouse, where it integrated, survived and functioned pretty much as a normal tooth. As the authors say: “This […]

One of the many issues of growing old is the slow deterioration in cartilage. Cartilage provides a “non-stick” surface to lubricate your joints, and while it is a remarkable material (often lasts a lifetime of wear!), it has little if any regenerative power. Hence the osteoarthritis that plagues so many […]

A paper in Nature, summarised in The Scientist, reports success in making progenitor cells, that naturally exist in the outer layer of heart tissue, proliferate, migrate into heart muscle and transform into heart muscle cells (cardiomyocytes). The research in mice “suggests that the human heart could be encouraged to repair itself […]