Welcome everybody to Episode 45, be sure to visit stemcellpodcast.com for current and past episodes and to sign up for our newsletter. We begin as always with our Science Roundup sponsored by Thermo Fisher. In this episode, we discuss topics ranging from stem cell controversy still with Gordie Howe, does GDF11 really make you young, making morphine in yeast, restoring brain plasticity in mice, positive results from a RPE clinical trial for AMD, spreading of stem cell tourism and now FDA steps in, and more. Then we bring on Alex Hannay, product manager at Thermo Fisher to talk about the process of differentiation from pluripotent stem cells and new products that could help. Check out www.lifetechnologies.com/differentiation for more info. We then finish off the show with a rant on convenience fees. Enjoy!
Below are all of the papers mentioned on the show. We are working on a way to categorize all of the research papers we mention and possibly even provide audio summaries. Enter in your name and e-mail address below, and we will notify you of when this feature is available.
Resources, Links and Research Papers Mentioned In This Session Include:
This Genetically Modified Yeast Can Now Brew Morphine – According to this article, biologists in California and Canada have created strains of yeast that can feast on sugar and make opiates – the key ingredients in pain relievers like morphine.
Juvenile Plasticity Returned To Adult Mice Brains – In this article, UC Irvine scientists have managed to make an old brain young again by transplanting a type of embryonic neuron into the brains of adult mice.
Why Do Men Still Exist? Scientists Finally Find The Answer – This article suggests that sexual competition for mates keeps populations healthy, free of disease and genetically diverse.
Discovery Of Rare Quadruple Quasar System Baffles Astronomers – In this article, astronomers have discovered four of the rare, super-luminous celestial objects known as quasars arrayed in close proximity to one another.
New Test Detects Drug Use From A Single Fingerprint – This article describes a new, non-invasive test presented by researchers that can detect cocaine use through a simple fingerprint.
Ocata Therapeutics Announces Positive Results in Treating Macular Degeneration Using Fully Differentiated Stem Cell-Derived Retinal Pigment Epithelium (RPE) Cells in Asian Patients – In this article, Ocata Therapeutics, Inc. announces a study that has been published that includes top-line, positive results in Asian patients who were treated with Ocata’s proprietary RPE cells, manufactured using its DeltaCell™ Technology.
First Database Of Brain-Cell Types Released By Allen Institute – In this article, Seattle’s Allen Institute for Brain Science has released the first database of brain cell types, along with new analysis to improve treatment of deadly brain cancer.
'Brain Wiring' May Influence Ability To Quit Smoking Successfully – According to this article, researchers from Duke Medicine in Durham, NC found that even with the help of nicotine replacement therapy and other smoking cessation aids, some smokers are just unable to quit the habit because their brains are not hard-wired to.
Drug-Resistant Strain Of ‘Superbug’ Typhoid Spreads Worldwide – This article reveals that an antibiotic-resistant “superbug” strain of typhoid fever has spread globally, driven by a single family of the bacteria, called H58.
Male Sperm Cells Grown For First Time: French Laboratory – According to this article, scientists from Kallistem, a company in Lyon, France had successfully transformed scraps of genetic material into fully functioning sperm.
Gordie Howe Still At Center Of Stem Cell Controversy – This article discusses the controversy and debate between the families of John Brodie and Gordie Howe who received stem cell treatments after suffering from massive strokes and other skeptics.
