Adult Stem Cell Doc Blog

"There are still a number of major hurdles in the path of stem cell research today that are preventing the routine application of the technology in regenerative medicine." So say UK scientists writing in a forthcoming issue of the International Journal of Biotechnology.

New evidence may explain why it is that we lose not only our youthful looks, but also our youthful pattern of gene activity with age. A report in the November 26th issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication, reveals that a protein perhaps best known for its role in the life-extending benefits of a low-calorie diet also maintains the stability of the mammalian genome - the complete set of genetic instructions "written" in DNA.

President-elect Barack Obama's campaign pledge to reverse President Bush's 2001 restrictions on federal funding for research on new embryonic stem cell lines "is certain to provide a psychological boost" to scientists, and it "may also inspire a round of collaborations between government scientists and those in the private sector," the Wall Street Journal reports.