Ever wonder how having a fever might affect RNA processing? While that may not be the first thing on your mind while you are lying sick in bed, it is still an intriguing question for molecular biologists. A team of scientists at the CSIC has shown that temperature can play a critical role in the [...]
Researchers have found a way to turn mouse embryonic stem cells into sperm. This finding, reported in the journal Cell in a special online release on August 4th, opens up new avenues for infertility research and treatment. A Kyoto University team has coaxed mouse embryonic stem cells into sperm precursors, called primordial germ cells (PGCs), [...]
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) are truly talented multi-taskers. They can reproduce almost all cell types and thus offer great hope in the fight against diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. However, it would appear that their use is not entirely without risk: during the reprogramming of body cells into iPS cells, disease-causing mutations can [...]
Cancer patients may view their tumors as parasites taking over their bodies, but this is more than a metaphor for German born Peter Duesberg, a molecular and cell biology professor at the University of California, Berkeley. Duesberg, who is also known for his controversial AIDs theory , (he claims that AIDS is caused by the [...]
By now, most of the world has heard about the recently published study showing that thymosin β4 may be the elusive “holy grail” for repairing heart muscle following acute myocardial infarction. For those of you who haven’t, here’s a short blurb from University College London (UCL), where the study was performed, and some recommended reading [...]
