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A bill may soon grant Texans greater access to unapproved but promising stem cell therapies, Stat News reports. Its passage would make Texas the first state to back the technology, which has not been approved by federal regulators and many experts consider risky.  

Regulatory T cells (Tregs; pronounced 'tee-regs'), a type of immune cell generally associated with controlling inflammation, directly trigger stem cells in the skin to promote healthy hair growth, researchers have discovered. Without these immune cells as partners, the researchers found, the stem cells cannot regenerate hair follicles, leading to baldness.

Scientists have found that some types of cancers have more of a sweet tooth than others.

A team from the Aikenhead Centre for Medical Discovery at St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne, Australia has successfully tested its innovative “Biopen.” The 3D bioprinting pen, which can be filled with stem cell hydrogel ink cartridges, was used to repair a sheep’s knee.

Sleep loss in mice sends the brain’s immune cells into overdrive. This might be helpful in the short term, but could increase the risk of dementia in the long run

With the new FISH-Flow protocol, researchers are able to evaluate multitudes of cells at once for telltale mRNA species and proteins. The blended procedure provides a chance to see how multiple kinds of immune cells are responding to a foreign substance, making it possible to detect the presence of disease faster and earlier.

Researchers identify transcription factors and environmental conditions necessary to reprogram human and mouse cells into cells that function like hematopoietic stem cells.

While studying the underpinnings of multiple sclerosis, investigators came across important clues for how to treat a very different disease: cancer. Researchers describe an antibody that can precisely target regulatory T cells which in turn unleashes the immune system to kill cancer cells. The team reports that the antibody decreased tumor growth in models of melanoma, glioblastoma and colorectal carcinoma, making it an attractive candidate for cancer immunotherapy.

The stem cells that produce our blood have been created in the lab for the first time. These could one day be used to treat people who have blood diseases and leukaemia with their own cells, rather than bone marrow transplants from a donor. They could also be used to create blood for transfusions.

Researchers hope to one day use stem cells to heal burns, patch damaged heart tissue, even grow kidneys and other transplantable organs from scratch.