Category Archives: Stem Cells

Bone marrow aspiration and trephine biopsy are usually performed on the back of the hipbone, or posterior iliac crest. An aspirate can also be obtained from the sternum (breastbone). For the sternal aspirate, the patient lies on their back, with a pillow under the shoulder to raise the chest. A trephine biopsy should never be performed on the sternum, due to the risk of injury to blood vessels, lungs or the heart.

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The need to selectively isolate and concentrate selective cells, such as mononuclear cells, allogeneic cancer cells, T cells and others, is driving the market. Over 30,000 bone marrow transplants occur every year. The explosive growth of stem cells therapies represents the largest growth opportunity for bone marrow processing systems.Europe and North America spearheaded the market as of 2016, by contributing over 74.0% to the overall revenue. Majority of stem cell transplants are conducted in Europe, and it is one of the major factors contributing to the lucrative share in the cell harvesting system market.

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In 2016, North America dominated the research landscape as more than 54.0% of stem cell clinical trials were conducted in this region. The region also accounts for the second largest number of stem cell transplantation, which is further driving the demand for harvesting in the region.Asia Pacific is anticipated to witness lucrative growth over the forecast period, owing to rising incidence of chronic diseases and increasing demand for stem cell transplantation along with stem cell-based therapy.

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Japan and China are the biggest markets for harvesting systems in Asia Pacific. Emerging countries such as Mexico, South Korea, and South Africa are also expected to report lucrative growth over the forecast period. Growing investment by government bodies on stem cell-based research and increase in aging population can be attributed to the increasing demand for these therapies in these countries.

Major players operating in the global bone marrow processing systems market are ThermoGenesis (Cesca Therapeutics inc.), RegenMed Systems Inc., MK Alliance Inc., Fresenius Kabi AG, Harvest Technologies (Terumo BCT), Arthrex, Inc. and others

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Bone Marrow Processing System Market to Grow at Robust CAGR in the COVID-19 Lockdown Scenario - 3rd Watch News

Associate Professor Rebecca Lim has been awarded more than $470,000 from the Australian Governments Medical Research Future Fund to pursue research into stem cell therapies for liver disease.

A/Prof Lim leads the Regenerative Medicine and Cellular Therapies group at Hudson Institute. Together with Monash University, Obstetrics and Gynaecology (Material Science and Engineering) and Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, she was awarded the $472,680 Department of Health funding to work on gastroenterology, regenerative medicine and cellular biology (including stem cells and tissue engineering).

The Stem Cell Therapies Mission is funded via the MRFF and will invest $150 million over nine years to develop innovative, safe and effective treatments accessible to all Australians who need them.

Congratulations also to our collaborators, the Australian and New Zealand Childrens Haematology Oncology Group (ANZCHOG), who were awarded three MRFF grants, totalling $1,965,011 for their studies on childhood brain cancer. The three trials were funded through the MRFF Clinical Trials Activity (Rare Cancers, Rare Diseases and Unmet Need) Childhood Brain Cancer Opportunity, which will enable ANZCHOG to continue to provide Australian children diagnosed with brain cancer access to innovative clinical trials.

CONNECT-1903 is an international study that will assess if treatment with lactrotrectinib is safe and can control the growth of tumours in children with high grade gliomas. The second international study is the MET-MED trial, examining if metformin can improve cognitive recovery in paediatric medulloblastoma patients. The final successful application, the TiNT Trial, is a phase II trial using trametinib (a promising MEK inhibitor) in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 associated progressive optic pathway gliomas. This trial was designed and developed by Australian and New Zealand researchers, essential for capacity building and leading innovative trial research in the paediatric oncology space.

Liver disease is responsible for one quarter of all organ transplants in Australia and represents a significant healthcare burden. The most common liver disease is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which itself is benign but in association with chronic inflammation (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis; NASH), can progress to cirrhosis and liver cancer.

By 2020, NASH will have replaced hepatitis C as the number one reason for liver transplantation. There is no cure for NAFLD/NASH. Alternatives are urgently needed for patients with end stage NAFLD/NASH who are not candidates for liver transplantation or for whom no donor is available.

The research team aim to develop a multivalent therapeutic for this complex disease based on extracellular vesicles (EV) released by amniotic epithelial cells (hAEC) that addresses fibrosis, apoptosis, oxidative stress and endogenous repair.

Preliminary research has shown that EVs released by hAECs are anti-fibrotic and support the differentiation of liver progenitor cells, promoting recovery of liver function in chronic liver disease.

The teams pilot data indicates that hAECs cultured on softer 3D microcarriers can significantly increase EV yield as well as biological potency compared to culture on traditional 2D tissue culture plastic.

They hypothesise that it is possible to tune the potency of hAEC-EVs by manipulating mechanotransduction through culture on softer microcarriers which are specifically functionalised to improve anti-fibrotic effects for NAFLD/NASH.

The aim is to

(i) Develop a novel method of hAEC-EV manufacturing for optimal EV yield and potency through the manipulation of microcarrier stiffness and functionalisation and;

(ii) Evaluate an oral formulation of hAEC-EVs against competitor treatments in preclinical mouse model of NASH.

The team brings combined expertise of hAEC and EV biology, materials science, NAFLD/NASH management and clinical translation to address this urgent unmet medical need.

The rest is here:
Stem cell therapies receive MRFF funding - Mirage News

An Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) zoologist, Dr Hifzur R. Siddique, has collaborated with Prof Keigo Machida of the University of Southern California, to discover the protein forming cancerous cells in the body, causing growth of tumour in the liver.

Their research could serve as a potential therapeutic target for the drug design and give a direction to the management strategy for this deadly disease.

The AMU scientist said that he had been working on these cells for a decade and has established a dedicated lab to initiate pioneer research on Cancer Stem Cells at AMU.

Dr Siddiqui elaborated through his paper that alcohol consumption and hepatitis infection lead to liver cancer formation through stem cell factor and generation of cancer stem cells. Cancer stem cells are rare cells found in the tumour which are responsible for cancer initiation recurrence, invasion and metastasis. Thus, these cells were considered as 'root cause' of almost all cancer.

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AMU scientist discovers proteins that form Cancer in liver - National Herald

AMU scientist discovers proteins that form Cancer in liver (IANS Special)

Aligarh (UP), June 22 (IANS) An Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) zoologist, Dr Hifzur R. Siddique, has collaborated with Prof Keigo Machida of the University of Southern California, to discover the protein forming cancerous cells in the body, causing growth of tumour in the liver.

Their research could serve as a potential therapeutic target for the drug design and give a direction to the management strategy for this deadly disease.

The AMU scientist said that he had been working on these cells for a decade and has established a dedicated lab to initiate pioneer research on Cancer Stem Cells at AMU.

Dr Siddiqui elaborated through his paper that alcohol consumption and hepatitis infection lead to liver cancer formation through stem cell factor and generation of cancer stem cells. Cancer stem cells are rare cells found in the tumour which are responsible for cancer initiation recurrence, invasion and metastasis. Thus, these cells were considered as ''root cause'' of almost all cancer.

At initial stage of therapy, the cancer cells are killed either by chemotherapeutic drugs or radiation. However, a few cells survive and they form tumour and cancer reappear after a gap some time interval.

He informed that annually, more than half million new cases of liver cancer patients are diagnosed and on 5-year survival rate is only 10-20 per cent till today against 91 per cent for breast cancer. Liver cancer is largely traced in developing or under developed countries where 80-83 per cent of patients are found.

The study was recently published in the prestigious journal, Nature Communications 11 (2020).

"Liver is considered as the powerhouse of the body. Due to the change in lifestyle, chronic alcohol consumption, Hepatitis virus infection, incidence of liver cancer is increasing by the day. However, exactly how these normal liver cells become cancerous is only partially understood," the scientist said.

Siddique and Machida discovered the molecular mechanisms of a cancer-causing protein, TBC1D15.

"This degrades P53, known as guardian of genome, and activates the cancer-causing notch path activation," he told IANS on Monday.

These cells were considered as root cause of almost all cancer. At initial stage of therapy, the cancer cells are killed either by chemotherapeutic drugs or radiation. However, a few cells survive and they form tumour and cancer reappears after a certain period.

In 2014, Siddique''s work on therapy-resistant cancer was selected as one of the three ''Featured Prostate Cancer Research'' work by the US department of Defence''s ''2014 Research Highlights'' section -- a rare achievement by any scientist.

--IANS

amita/rs/

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AMU scientist discovers proteins that form Cancer in liver (IANS Special) - Outlook India

Korean researchers have found a signal transduction system that modulates the treatment of mesenchymal stem cells and immune control functions, opening the way for treating graft-versus-host disease treatment.

Mesenchymal stem cells divide into various cells, have immunomodulatory functions, and are the primary cell sources for stem cell therapy.

Graft-versus-host disease is a fatal disease that leads to death after an allogeneic blood transfusion or bone marrow transplantation. Although there are many clinical trials underway worldwide to treat the symptom, there are no applicable treatments besides alleviating symptoms with high-dose steroids.

The team, led by Professor Shin Dong-myeong of the Department of Biomedical Sciences at Asan Medical Center, discovered that the CREB1 (CAMP responsive element binding protein 1) signaling system activates the treatment and immune control functions of mesenchymal stem cells.

The team administered a therapeutic agent made by upgrading mesenchymal stem cells to graft-versus-host disease mice, and found that it alleviated anorexia symptoms and reduced the weight loss rate by 30 percent while increasing the survival rate by 30 percent.

When developing a cell therapy product, researchers have to cultivate the stem cells in vitro. Thus it is very likely that it will impair stem cell functions due to free radicals generated in the cells. To prevent the deterioration of stem cell function, it is necessary to improve the stem cell function in vitro culture, prevent stem cell oxidation, and increase the antioxidant capacity of the cell itself.

Until now, there was a lack of specific evidence and understanding of how stem cells regulate glutathione, an indicator of antioxidant capacity. Therefore, it was difficult to prevent stem cell dysfunction and oxidation.

Professor Shin's team developed experimental techniques that can monitor and quantify glutathione in real-time and confirmed that the CREB1 signaling system regulated the amount and activity of glutathione.

By activating the CREB1 signaling system, the team found that the process also activated nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) protein, which maintains the antioxidant capacity of mesenchymal stem cells and the increase of both the expression levels of peroxiredoxin-1 (PRDX1) and glutamate-cysteine ligase modifier subunit (GCLM) protein, which synthesize glutathione and are antioxidant activity indicators.

As a result, the team confirmed that its method was effective in treating the graft-versus-host disease.

"Based on this study, we have secured a technological foundation to advance stem cell treatment by controlling the antioxidant capacity of stem cells," Professor Shin said.

If this technology makes a high-purity and high-quality stem cell treatment, the team expects that it will be a step toward developing a graft-versus-host disease treatment and overcoming various intractable diseases such as nervous system diseases and inflammatory diseases with high medical demand, Shin added.

The results of the study were published in the journal, Science Advances.

corea022@docdocdoc.co.kr

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AMC to use stem cell therapy in treating graft-versus-host disease - Korea Biomedical Review

On this Wednesday, May 6, episode of Sundial:

What would reopening look like in Miami-Dade County?

The results of Miami-Dade Countys reopening of parks, marinas and golf courses have been mixed.

WLRN is committed to providing South Florida with trusted news and information. In these uncertain times, our mission is more vital than ever. Your support makes it possible. Please donate today. Thank you.

Over the weekend, hundreds attempted to access boat ramps across South Dade and many were turned away. Also, thousands of people were cited at Miami Beachs South Pointe Park for not wearing protective gear. Officials later closed the park because so few people were adhering to the guidelines.

Listen to today's full show.

"We need to continue testing and retesting and that is going to be crucial to the next stage, opening the county," says Miami-Dade County Commissioner Esteban Bovo, who represents parts of Hialeah and Miami Lakes. "If we don't police ourselves we're going to continue in this cycle."

He joined Sundial to talk with host Luis Hernandez about the possibility of incentivizing residents to take more precautions during the global pandemic.

The Florida Keys have reopened.

Certain businesses like retail shops and restaurants in the Florida Keys were granted permission to reopen on Monday, but to locals only. Monroe County is still closed to visitors.

"It's a cautious start and a good start. I think people are excited to have options," says Rep. State Holly Raschein, R-Key Largo.

The county's checkpoint will remain in place until further notice. It only allows vehicles carrying Keys residents, property owners, workers and deliveries. Screenings will also continue at the Key West International and Florida Keys Marathon International airports.

Read more: Checking In On Keys Checkpoint: Monroe Emergency Management Chief Says 'It's Working'

Raschein, also the chairwoman of the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Appropriations Subcommittee, joined Sundial to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the Florida Keys economy.

Stem cell treatment for coronavirus using umbilical cords.

Doctors and researchers are working hard to develop antiviral medication amid the coronavirus pandemic. In South Florida, a new coronavirus treatment that uses stem cells from umbilical cords is being tested now.

Dr. Camillo Ricordi, the Director of the Diabetes Research Institute and the Cell Transplant Center at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, joined Luis Hernadez to talk about how this treatment may help those sick with coronavirus.

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Heard On Sundial: Reopening Miami-Dade And The Keys, And Stem Cell Treatment For Coronavirus - WLRN

MIAMI (CBSMiami) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave Baptist Health approval to test a stem cell treatment on COVID-19 patients and so far its come back with positive results.

The treatment has proven successful with three patients.

One of those patients, Ruth Ramirez says it saved her life.

Ramirez was discharged from the hospital on Friday afternoon.

They saved my life. They definitely saved my life, said Ramirez.

Ramirez recently received stem cells from an umbilical cord known as mesenchymal cells.

Mesenchymal stem cells have the ability to reduce cytokine levels, said doctor Guenther Koehne.

Baptist Hospital says patients like Ramirez showed a reduction of their oxygen requirement from 100% to less than 50% within days of the infusion, accompanied by a significant reduction in levels of various key circulating inflammatory markers.

I couldnt breathe. I had a fever a headache I was nauseous, said Ramirez.

Ruth, an employee of the Miami Cancer Institute, tested positive for COVID-19 back on April 7th. She was admitted to the ICU and ended up on a ventilator fighting for her life.

Knowing she may lose consciousness she gave her sister power of attorney. That is when doctors Koehne and Javier Perez Fernandez approached the family about this FDA approved experimental therapy.

Im a person who jumps. I jump with hope with the best outcome there is on the other side. I think she took that into consideration with my characteristic and said Ruth would probably do this.

According to friends, Ruth was in ICU for three weeks, on a ventilator, and unable to breathe on her own.

All that time, she was away from her two small kids. That was several days ago.

On Friday, she was discharged.

To be here in this room, alone, and not being able to hold them. It was hard you know its hard.

As soon as they told me that I was going home I was like what?? And that I tested negative again I was like wait!! That changed my mood completely

Still fuzzy on the timeline, Ruth says shes unsure where along the way she received the treatment but is thankful for the doctors and wants others to know there is hope.

You know I hear the bells here all the time the eye of the tiger thats the song that you walk out of when you come out with coronavirus. Its such a pleasure hearing it all the time now. More than I heard it yesterday.

Not only did the doctors step up, but so did her co-workers who set up this Ruthie-strong go fund me page to help with bills and expenses.

They also helped take care of her family.

They would send food to them. Groceries. My kids were taken care of my sister was taken care of. She didnt have to leave from the house.

Theyre just amazing.

The University of Miami is also working on a clinical trial using mesenchymal cells which we reported on in April.

Click here if you would like to donate to her GoFundMe page.

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Coronavirus Update: Baptist Hospital Patient Credits Stem Cell Treatment With Saving Her Life - CBS Miami

MIKE TYSON revealed how he has started training again having not thrown a punch for a staggering 15 years - and is being aided by stem-cell research therapy.

The Baddest Man on the Planet, who hung up his gloves in 2005 following defeat by Kevin McBride, wouldn't elaborate on why he was having the treatment but added that it was 'really wild what scientists can do'.

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Tyson was having an Instagram chat with basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal when he revealed that he had been training for the previous three days after 15 years away - and his new health regime.

Iron Mike said: "You know what I had done? I had stem-cell research therapy.

"I feel like a different person but I can't comprehend why I feel this way. It's really wild what scientists can do."

Stem-cell therapy is the use of stem cells to treat or prevent a disease or condition that usually takes the form of a bone marrow transplantation.

He did not reveal what the exact condition was that was being treated.

Despite letting the gloves gather dust in the corner, it didn't take long for Iron Mike to show off that lethal punching power.

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The 53-year-old delighted fans in lockdown by uploading a viral video of him laying into a punchbag with his trademark speed and power.

Tyson's weight ballooned after retiring following battles with drug addiction and depression.

But he has since partnered with a new trainer, MMA coach Rafael Cordeiro, to kick-start his training after sensationally revealing his 15-year break.

During their chat, basketball legend O'Neal revealed how he ached for three days after playing with his sons.

Tyson responded: "That's just because you haven't done it for a while.

WHAT IS STEM CELL TREATMENT USED FOR?

Stem cell transplants are carried out when bone marrow is damaged or isnt able to produce healthy blood cells.

It can also be used to replace damaged blood cells as the result of intensive cancer treatment.

Here are conditions that stem cell transplants can be used to treat:

"If you continue to do it consistently you'll be back to normal.

"It's just like me, I haven't boxed or hit the bag for 15 years - it has been three days so far and I feel incredible."

Tyson, who has a 50-6 record, is reportedly gearing up for a sensational return amid plans to compete in exhibition bouts for charity later this year.

He told rapper T.I. last month: "I've been hitting the mitts for the last week.

"That's been tough, my body is really jacked up and really sore from hitting the mitts.

I'LL TAKE HIM JOHNTyson Fury's dad John, 55, claims he's willing to DIE against Mike Tyson

CHEERS TO THATTyson Fury stuns landlord by knocking on pub to borrow a special pint glass

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MIKE DROPTyson shows off body transformation with 53-year-old preparing for boxing return

'CHAMP IS BACK'Holyfield, 57, announces ring return following footsteps of old rival Tyson

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ROLLS WITH PUNCHESTyson's car collection includes Rolls & same Ferrari as Sultan of Brunei

"I've been working out, I've been trying to get in the ring, I think I'm going to box some exhibitions and get in shape.

"I want to go to the gym and get in shape to be able to box three or four-round exhibitions for some charities and stuff.

"Some charity exhibitions, make some money, help some homeless and drug-affected motherf****er like me."

4

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Mike Tyson, 53, reveals he had stem cell research therapy and hadnt hit bags for 15 YEARS before returning t - The Sun

Article In Brief

A mouse study shows that select transcription factors to the striatum can effectively and safely convert astrocytes to neurons to treat Huntington's disease.

Delivering two transcription factors to the striatum in a mouse model of Huntington's disease can safely convert astrocytes into neurons with high efficiency, according to a new study in the February 27 issue of Nature Communications.

The neurons grow to and wire up with their targets in the globus pallidus and substantia nigra, and remaining astrocytes proliferate to replace those that have been converted. The treatment extends the lifespan and improves the motor behavior of the mice.

What is exciting about this study is that the authors have clearly made cells that do what they are supposed to do, namely replace dying neurons in existing circuits, said Roger Barker, PhD, professor of clinical neuroscience and honorary consultant in neurology at the University of Cambridge and at Addenbrooke's Hospital, who was not involved in the work. I think the challenge of scaling up this strategy to the human Huntington's disease brain is pretty substantial, but nonetheless, this is an important discovery.

The new study, led by Gong Chen, PhD, builds on discoveries beginning in the mid-2000s showing that a small number of exogenously applied transcription factors could transform skin fibroblasts into stem cells, which could then be further converted to become virtually any cell type. That discovery was quickly followed by advances in direct reprogramming, in which one cell type is directly converted into another, skipping the stem cell intermediate.

Most of that work has taken place in vitro, and most attempts to use the strategy therapeutically have depended on transplantation of stem cells or newly converted cells.

We tried stem cell transplants to the mouse brain 10 years ago, but we couldn't find a lot of functional neurons, said Dr. Chen, professor at Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Institute of CNS Regeneration of Jinan University in Guangzhou, China.

It was also clear that anything you do in vitro, you eventually have to transplant, and that didn't seem to be a very promising technology, so I said, Let's try this in vivo, and put transcriptions factors directly into the mouse brain.

Dr. Chen initially tried introducing the transcription factor neurogenin 2, but the efficiency of conversion of astrocytes to neurons was very low, so he turned to the transcription factor NeuroD1, which Dr. Chen's group had previously shown could convert astrocytes into excitatory glutamatergic neurons.

In the current study, in order to generate GABAergic neurons, the team combined NeuroD1 with another transcription factor, D1x2, based on previous work showing its importance for generating GABAergic neurons.

The team packed the genes for the transcription factors into a recombinant adeno-associated virus vector (rAAV 2/5) and used an astrocyte-specific promoter to drive the transgene expression so that it preferentially expresses in astrocytes. They first injected the vector into the normal mouse striatum.

Surprisingly, this strategy worked very well at high efficiency, Dr. Chen said. After seven days, all transfected cells expressed astrocyte markers, indicating a high level of specificity in the vector. Of those cells, 81 percent co-expressed the two transcription factors. By 30 days, 73 percent of the cells expressing the transcription factors now expressed neuronal, rather than astrocytic markers, and were primarily GABAergic in character.

Next, Dr. Chen asked whether the remaining astrocytes could repopulate to replace those lost to conversion. Using immunostaining for astrocytes and neurons, as well as other techniques, the team found that the neuron/astrocyte ratio was unchanged, and that some remaining astrocytes could be found at different stages of cell division, suggesting the process facilitated astrocyte proliferation.

Dr. Chen then turned to the R6/2 mouse, the most common mouse model of Huntington's disease. He treated mice at 2 months of age, just as they began to show motor symptoms

As in the wild-type mice, astrocytes were converted to GABAergic neurons at high efficiency without altering the neuron/astrocyte ratio. The researchers observed similar results in a less-severe HD mouse model as well. Treated mice had only about half the degree of striatal atrophy as untreated mice. The converted neurons still contained aggregated huntingtin protein, but less than in native neurons, and similar to the reduced amount found in astrocytes in the mouse brain.

The real test of any cell therapy in neurodegenerative disease is whether the new cells can link into the existing circuits and provide functional benefit, feats that have been hard to achieve with transplanted fetal cells or stem cells.

Examining striatal slices from the treated mice, Dr. Chen found that the converted neurons displayed electrical properties largely identical to those of normal neurons, including resting potential, action potential threshold, firing amplitude, and firing frequency. They integrated into local circuits and behaved similarly to the native neurons around them. By tracking a marker contained in the AAV gene construct, they showed that converted neurons projected axons to the two basal ganglia targets of medium spiny neurons in the striatum, the globus pallidus and the substantia nigra.

Finally, Dr. Chen found that stride length and travel distance were both significantly improved in treated mice, though still falling below those of wild-type mice, and lifespan was significantly extended.

There were no hints of tumors in the mice, Dr. Chen noted. He suggested that in situ conversion is likely intrinsically safer in this regard than using stem cell-derived neurons, since a proliferative astrocyte is being converted into a non-proliferative neuron, with no residual pool of unconverted and potentially tumorigenic stem cells. We are actually reducing the tumor risk, he said.

Why the converted neurons developed appropriate neuronal connections is an important unanswered question, Dr. Chen said. He suggested there were two important factorsfirst, the astrocytes from which they arose are likely developmentally related to neighboring neurons, and thus may express similar position markers that help guide them to the right targets, just like the native neurons. Second, those remaining neurons may also provide guide tracks for the newly growing axons.

This conversion technique is not limited to Huntington's disease, he stressed, noting that his team last year published a paper showing promise in ischemic stroke, and work is underway to test its potential in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injury, and ALS. He is also moving on to testing in non-human primates, setting the stage for eventual human trials.

I think eventually we will want to correct the Huntington's mutation as well, Dr. Chen said, for instance by using CRISPR, but he pointed out that while that strategy can repair diseased neurons, it cannot make new ones, like astrocyte-to-neuron conversion can.

This study is really elegantly done, commented Veronica Garcia, PhD, who has studied astrocytes derived from induced pluripotent stem cells from Huntington's disease patients as a postdoctoral scientist working with Clive Svendsen, PhD, in the Regenerative Medicine Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

The conversion efficiency is similar between wild-type and disease models, suggesting that the disease process is not interfering with the conversion, she said.

Astrocyte depletion does not seem to be a problem, at least in the short term, but Dr. Garcia noted there is a limit on the number of divisions astrocytes appear able to undergo, after which they lose the ability to proliferate. That may be a problem for chronic treatment, she suggested. Nonetheless, these results really look promising for therapeutic development.

The concept of trying to reprogram cells in situ to take on the phenotype of the cells that are lost is not new, commented Dr. Barker, but being able to do it with any degree of efficiency, to make enough cells to make a significant difference, has been problematic. For that reason, and because the cells grow to their target sites and make connections, these results are surprising.

A major hurdle for clinical trials, he noted, will be scaling up to the human striatum, which has approximately 100 times the volume of that in the mouse. Delivering the vector to such a large volume will be a significant challenge, he said, along with determining whether this approach will really work in a disease that affects many different brain structures such as in HD.

Dr. Chen is co-founder of NeuExcell Therapeutics Inc, which will develop clinical trials in the future. Drs. Barker and Garcia disclosed no conflicts.

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Researchers Convert Astrocytes to Neurons In Vivo to Treat... : Neurology Today - LWW Journals

Have you ever wondered why the world doesn't go black every time you blink? Or how incompetent people can seem so confident in their abilities? Or what all that plastic in the ocean means for our food?

These students have answers.

For our first-ever STEM Writing Contest, The Learning Network teamed up with Science News to challenge teenagers to choose a STEM-related question, concept or issue that interested them and, in 500 words or fewer, explain it to a general audience in a clear and engaging way.

We received 1,618 entries touching on topics in medicine and psychology, chemistry and biology, geometry and astronomy. Of those, our judges, including science reporters from The New York Times and science educators across the country, selected 44 finalists eight winners, 14 runners-up and 22 honorable mentions whom we are listing below.

Were never quite sure what to expect with a new contest like this one, but we hoped students would take to this task with a spirit of inquiry and discovery. And they did.

One of our winners told us she was inspired to study antlike microrobots after noticing the anthills dominating her backyard. Another wanted to know what caused the sleep apnea so many of her friends and family suffered from. A runner-up questioned what made spicy foods, a staple of her Mexican heritage, so appealing.

To find answers, they scoured news articles and scientific journals, interviewed experts and even performed their own experiments.

But what set our winners apart wasnt just what they wrote about or the evidence they drew on to support it it was the way they skillfully explained their topics so a general audience could understand them. This was a writing contest, after all. With engaging hooks, relatable analogies, clever metaphors and a strong sense of voice, these writers not only helped translate complex subjects; they also made them enjoyable to read.

But dont take our word for it. Were publishing the eight winning essays in full and you can read them for yourselves by clicking on the links to their work below. We hope, like us, youll learn something new and have fun doing it.

Thank you to all the students who participated and congratulations to all our finalists. If you have feedback on this contest, please write to us at LNFeedback@nytimes.com. And dont forget about our 10-week Summer Reading Contest, which begins June 12.

Telomeres Turning Back the Biological Clock by Hubert Chen

The Promise of Hot Garbage by Michael Dekhtyar

The Death of Classical Geometry by Elias Leventhal

Egg Stem Cells May Mean the Creation of New Eggs After Birth by Erin Li

How the Phishermen of Today Cast Their Lines by Amy Liu

Far-off Galaxy Collision Foretells the Tail of Our Future by Diya Naik

Gravitational Waves and General Relativity by Maximilian Niebur

A New Hope for Bees: Genetically Modified Gut Bacteria by Eva Panin

A Zombie Apocalypse? by Tisya Raina

Is it the End for the Silver Bullet? by Jia Cheng Anthony Shen

Sizzling Steaks and Crusty Bread: The Science of the Maillard Reaction by Victoria Tong

Black Holes: The Universes Biggest Subwoofers by Will

Can We Really Heal Ourselves? Demystifying Placebos by Phoebe Yu

Could Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles Be the Future of Transportation? by Quinn Alami

What Are the Effects of Delaying School Start Times on Teens? by Aylin Ardali

Should We Trust Our Memories? by Jessie Gaither

No, Amazon Does Not Produce 20% of the Worlds Oxygen. Our Breath Is a Gift From the Wanderers-on-the-Oceans by Devanshi Guglani

Using Rat Urine and Chewing Gum Science Could Thwart Climate Change by Kwangjun Jung

Must-Fix-It: Energy Poverty by Logan Kim

The Science Behind Tattoos by Julia Luyk

The Future of Cancer Imaging Lies in The Starry Night Under the Sea by Camilla Martinez

How Microbes Decide Whether We Live or Die by Gus Morrill

The Unexpected Legacy of Our Digital Founding Fathers by Ellee Nakamura

Forensics Fiction? The Reliability of Facts in Our Courtrooms by Mackenzie Pavlik

How Caffeine Can Help You Stick to Your New Years Resolutions for Longer by Joshua Pixley

Premature Glaucoma by Marina Lupercio Sanchez

The Rusty Patched Bumblebee: A Ticking Time Bomb by Erin Saunders

Marshmallow Experiment True or All Fluff? by Rose Sawilowsky

The Magic Behind Flu Vaccines Secret Weapons Against Influenza Virus in the Everlasting Arms Race by Yihan Shen

Making Toilets Sustainable by Ana-Maria Skaricic

Keeping You in the Loop About Your Poop by Kenna Sondhelm

Learning? Sleep On It. by Heather Szczesniak

The Effects of Noise Pollution on Marine Wildlife by Hadley Weathers

Why Gray Matter, Matters: Inside the Brain of a Psychopath by Paige Williams

Being Sustainable After Death by Tiffany Wu

From The Learning Network: Jeremy Engle, Michael Gonchar and Natalie Proulx

Other judges, including science educators from schools and education organizations around the country: Victoria Bampoh, Amanda Christy Brown, Terianne Hall, Annissa Hambouz, Meghan Hess, Shira Katz, Allison Lee, Simon Levien, Keith Meatto, Mariam Naraine, Dawn Parker, Melissa Slater and Vanessa Vieux

The rest is here:
Bacteria Bombs, Fat Tongues and Microrobots: The Winners of Our STEM Writing Contest - The New York Times