Stem Cells: Hope or Hype?

In free public lecture on May 30 at UC Riverside stem-cell expert Nicole zur Nieden will discuss the enthusiasm and caveats surrounding stem cell therapy

By Iqbal Pittalwala on May 14, 2013

Nicole zur Nieden is an assistant professor of cell biology and neuroscience at UC Riverside. Photo credit: Zur Nieden Lab, UC Riverside.

RIVERSIDE, Calif. Stem cells are mother cells that can become specialized cells with a more specific function, such as brain cells, blood cells, heart muscle or bone. Because they can be used to regenerate and repair diseased or damaged tissues in people, they have, at times, been portrayed as a miracle cure for a variety of conditions and disabilities.

But are they the miracle cure? Or is that an exaggeration? How do we separate fact from fiction and hope from hype when it comes to stem cell therapy?

Nicole zur Nieden, an assistant professor of cell biology and neuroscience at the University of California, Riverside, will give a free public lecture at UC Riverside on May 30 in which she will discuss whether the claims for stem cells can be justified.

Her hour-long talk is titled The promise of stem cells: Hope or hype? It will begin at 5:30 p.m. in Rooms C, D and E, University Extension Center (UNEX). Seating is open. Parking at UNEX is free for lecture attendees.

The lecture is the fourth and final talk in the annual Science Lecture Series hosted by the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (CNAS). This year the theme is The Science of Disease. The series aims to boost the publics awareness and understanding of science and of how scientists work.

Zur Nieden, a biologist by training with expertise in stem cell biology, toxicology and bioengineering, joined UCR in 2008. She is a member of UCRs Stem Cell Center. Her research group has established that functioning skeletal cell types are generated from embryonic stem cells, and has developed a comprehensive analysis of the expression of bone marker genes and enzymatic activity specific to bones.

Currently, her group is working to understand how embryonic stem cells develop into bone tissue. Her lab also is attempting to understand molecular regulators of normal bone development, and to deduce new therapeutic targets, which could be pinpointed during disease intervention in the clinic.

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Stem Cells: Hope or Hype?