The usual way of cultivating cells is to use a flat laboratory dish of glass. However, inside a human body, the cells do not grow on a flat surface, but rather in three dimensions. This has lead researchers to develop a porous “spaghetti” of tissue-friendly polymers with cavities in which the cells can develop in a more natural way.

An international research team has created the first cellular model of anorexia nervosa (AN), reprogramming induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from adolescent females with the eating disorder.

Intestines experience a lot of wear and tear. Without the stalwart stem cells that live in our gut’s lining, our ability to absorb food would dwindle and bacteria from the digestive tract would be able to breach the bloodstream. Unfortunately, the regenerative abilities of intestinal stem cells decline with age. However, it may be possible to partially reverse aging in gut stem cells, at least in a petri dish.

Targeting cancer stem cells may be a more effective way to overcome cancer resistance and prevent the spread of squamous cell carcinoma — the most common head and neck cancer and the second-most common skin cancer, according to a new study. Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is a highly invasive form of cancer and frequently spreads to the cervical lymph nodes.

Scientific research builds its own momentum as one discovery triggers another, building an ongoing wave of unexpected possibilities. In the world of glaucoma, such a surge began when advances in stem cell research opened doors experts had never imagined.

Adult stem cells collected directly from human fat are more stable than other cells — such as fibroblasts from the skin — and have the potential for use in anti-aging treatments, according to researchers.

A single blood test and basic information about a patient’s medical status can indicate which patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) are likely to benefit from a stem cell transplant, according to new research.

Researchers have discovered a new efficient way to generate thyroid cells, known as thyrocytes, using genetically modified embryonic stem cells. The findings are the first step to developing a similar protocol using human stem cells that will allow the modeling of thyroid disease to better understand its causes and the development of therapies.

Stem cell secretions, called exosomes, appear to protect cells in the retina, the light-sensitive tissue in the back of the eye, a new study in rats shows. The findings point to potential therapies for glaucoma, a leading cause of blindness in the United States.

Mouse pancreases grown in rats generate functional, insulin-producing cells that can reverse diabetes when transplanted into mice with the disease, according to researchers.