A detour on the road to regenerative medicine for people with muscular disorders is figuring out how to coax muscle stem cells to fuse together and form functioning skeletal muscle tissues. A study published June 1 in Nature Communications reports scientists identify a new gene essential to this process, shedding new light on possible new therapeutic strategies.

If the fibrocartilage tissue in the spine degenerates over time, an intervertebral disc – the “shock absorber” between the vertebrae of the spine – can “slip,” pinching the medulla or nerves. The consequences include intense pain or even paralysis.

Not just people, but dogs, too, are susceptible to this disease. Since intervertebral discs cannot regenerate, the affected disc material is removed in an operation that can be performed on both people and animals. The pressure on the nerves and medulla disappears, but the degeneration of the disc remains.

Human lungs, like all organs, begin their existence as clumps of undifferentiated stem cells. But in a matter of months, the cells get organized. They gather together, branch and bud, some forming airways and others alveoli, the delicate sacs where our bodies exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide. The ideal end result: two healthy, breathing lungs.

A team of researchers at the University of Gothenburg’s Sahlgrenska Academy has managed to generate cartilage tissue by printing stem cells using a 3D bioprinter. The fact that the stem cells survived being printed in this manner is a success in itself. In addition, the research team was able to influence the cells to multiply and differentiate to form chondrocytes (cartilage cells) in the printed structure.

The findings have been published in Scientific Reports. The research is being conducted in collaboration with a team at the Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, who are experts in the 3D printing of biological materials. Orthopedic researchers from Kungsbacka are also involved in the collaboration.

Researchers have found a promising way to preserve sperm stem cells so boys can undergo cancer treatment without risking their fertility.

Adult men can have their sperm frozen before undergoing radiation or chemotherapy, both of which can render sperm infertile. But boys who haven’t been through puberty can only have sperm stem cells removed and frozen in anticipation of technology that could culture the cells and place them back in the testes, where they produce sperm after puberty.

A team of biomedical engineering researchers has created a revolutionary 3D-bioprinted patch that can help heal scarred heart tissue after a heart attack. The discovery is a major step forward in treating patients with tissue damage after a heart attack.

The research study was published recently in Circulation Research, a journal published by the American Heart Association (AHA). Researchers have filed a patent on the discovery.

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.