Researchers have found that a chemically synthesized compound, blebbistatin, can help prevent cell death in human pluripotent stem cells. These cells are of interest to stem cell scientists working on finding therapies for spinal cord injuries, Parkinson's disease, burns, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and other ailments. Another advantage of using blebbistatin, say the researchers, is that no human- or animal-derived materials is needed for coating the culture surfaces.

Read more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/09/100907113139.htm

Great excitement greeted the discovery a few years ago that certain cells from mice and humans could be reprogrammed to become inducible pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) as they hold promise for cell replacement therapy and modeling human disease. Two independent research groups have now shown that both possibilities are true for iPS cell-derived liver cells known as hepatocytes.

Read more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100825131542.htm

When human umbilical cord blood cells were used to treat cultured rat brain cells deprived of oxygen, the cells appeared to protect astrocytes from cell death after stroke-like damage. Researchers found that cord blood cells stabilized the brain cell environment and aided astrocyte survival.

Read more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100824103529.htm

Researchers have demonstrated that human neural stem cells can restore mobility in cases of chronic spinal cord injury, suggesting the prospect of treating a much broader population of patients.

Read more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100819144440.htm

Researchers have successfully used human induced pluripotent stem cells to treat rodents afflicted with Parkinson's disease. The research validates a scalable protocol that can be used to manufacture the type of neurons needed to treat the disease and paves the way for the use of iPSC's in various biomedical applications.

Read more: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/08/100816142127.htm