Before human embryonic stem cells can be examined for therapeutic potential it must be determined whether or not transplanted cells can functionally integrate into target organs or tissues.
Human embryonic stem cells (hESC), and induced pluripotent stem cells(iPS Cells), can give rise to all of the 220 types of tissues in the human body, and have been directed in the lab to become many types of cells, including brain cells.
Glow-in-the-dark stickers are nothing new; they emit visible light after being exposed to sunlight. A paper just published in Nature Materials emits a long-lasting, near-infrared glow after a single minute of exposure to sunlight.
Why is that good? It has the potential to revolutionize medical diagnostics, give the military and law enforcement agencies a 'secret' source of illumination - because the near-infrared range can only be seen with the aid of night vision devices - and maybe even provide a foundation for solar cells that aren't complete rubbish.
Premature infants suffer a life-threatening destruction of intestinal tissue called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) have gotten a new data point for researchers to examine: Preemies with the AB blood type who develop NEC are nearly three times as likely to die from it as preemies with other blood types.
Energy harvested from insects may take the utility of miniature cyborgs to the next level.
Researchers say they can now harvest the insect's biological energy from either its body heat or movements, and the device converts the kinetic energy from wing movements of the insect into electricity, thus prolonging the battery life. The battery can be used to power small sensors implanted on the insect, such as a small camera, a microphone or a gas sensor in order to gather vital information from hazardous environments.
Researchers have discovered how Golden orb web spiders (Nephila antipodiana) add a chemical to their web silk to repel invading ants, which means spider silk is even more awesome than it was before; it was already strong, elastic and adhesive, and now it can improve pesticide design.
Researchers have pinpointed the cancer-fighting potential in the bat plant, or Tacca chantrieri.
Susan Mooberry, Ph.D., leader of the Experimental Development Therapeutics Program at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, has been working to isolate substances in the plant in hopes of finding a new plant-derived cancer drug with the potential of Taxol. Taxol, the first microtubule stabilizer derived from the Yew family, has been an effective chemotherapy drug, but patients eventually develop problems with resistance over time and toxicity at higher doses. Researchers have long been seeking alternatives.