Stem Cells
> Researchers use stem cells from a donor to create red blood cells that can then be injected back into the donor, allowing for the possibility of individualized blood supplies. It's the first study showing that stem-cell-created red blood cells can survive in the human body. Article
> Researchers at Japan's RIKEN Omics Science Center find the protein CCL2 helps maintain stem cell pluripotency. This discovery is paving the way for improved methods of culturing human pluripotent stem cells. Story
> Endometrial stem cells have been converted into cells that produce insulin to treat diabetic mice. More here
Cancer Research
> Cancer cells are slippery little guys, changing their appearance as they evade chemotherapy and radiotherapy. But researchers now think they know why these changes occur and tumors evolve. Release
> Research suggests eating walnuts could help women defend against breast cancer. Item
> The cannabis drug Sativex is being used in a trial to ease pain among advanced cancer patients. Article
Genetics
> A mutation in the gene LEPREL1 has been shown to cause nearsightedness, according to Israeli researcher Ohad Birk of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Ben Gurion release
> University of Calgary scientists are finding the genetics of the tiny zebrafish has much to teach us about how neurons in the hypothalamic region of the brain develop and organize. More here
> Menkes disease, a copper-deficiency disorder that is often fatal in infants, might be treated with a normal copy of the ATP7A gene along with copper injections. Item