Tag Archives: cells

Heart cells’ environment a potentially major factor in heart disease

By William Weir When it comes to heart disease, the health of the scaffold where cardiac cells grow may be a much bigger factor than previously believed. Stuart Campbell, associate professor of biomedical engineering & cellular and molecular physiology, led a team of researchers examined the effects of a diseased extracellular matrix (ECM) — the… Read More »

Retinal prion disease study redefines role for brain cells

National Institutes of Health scientists studying the progression of inherited and infectious eye diseases that can cause blindness have found that microglia, a type of nervous system cell suspected to cause retinal damage, surprisingly had no damaging role during prion disease in mice. In contrast, the study findings indicated that microglia might delay disease progression.… Read More »

Patients’ own cells could be the key to treating Crohn’s disease

Rachel Sawyer, a communications manager who is 50 and lives in Anerley in south east London, was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2000 and treated at Guy’s and St Thomas’. Although her condition is now under control, she supports other people who have Crohn’s and runs the Twitter account @Bottomline_IBD. She said: “One of the worst… Read More »

Artificial Embryos Made from Stem Cells Raise Ethical Issues

Stem cells (so-called “master cells”) are unique and important in the body because they can do almost anything, and scientists have only begun to discover their potential. That’s why researchers’ use of them has created controversy, attracting the attention of scientists, policymakers, and bioethicists across the globe. Stem cells can transform into any of the… Read More »