Tag Archives: stem cells
Building blocks of the blood-brain barrier
Posted on 29. Aug, 2012 by perspective.
For the first time ever, researchers have coaxed both embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells to form the endothelial cells of the blood-brain barrier—an advance that may unlock some of the most closely guarded secrets of this virtually impenetrable wall. The blood-brain barrier, which separates circulating blood from the fluid that bathes the brain, depends [...]
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The language of stem cells, decoded
Posted on 29. Aug, 2012 by perspective.
Stem cells are biological building blocks, the starting point of human life. But without proper direction, they’re not very useful when it comes to treating disease. “If we just take stem cells and inject them into you, they will simply become a cancerous tumor,” says Biomedical Engineering Assistant Professor Randy Ashton. Working in the Wisconsin [...]
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Materials engineer applies education to stem cell challenges
Posted on 06. Oct, 2011 by perspective.
The more Engineering Physics and Biomedical Engineering Professor Wendy Crone (pictured with Professor of Medicine Tim Kamp) worked with biologists, chemical engineers, medical professionals and others, the more she realized she wanted to go back to school. Now Crone is studying polymeric hydrogels, a class of polymeric materials that incorporate 10 to 100 times more [...]
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Environmental engineering, for stem cells
Posted on 01. Sep, 2010 by perspective.
Most stem cell researchers handle their samples very delicately. Chemical and Biological Engineering Associate Professor Sean Palecek prefers to pull them, add chemicals or pulse them with current. Palecek is using embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells to study how cells differentiate and how to guide that differentiation. Induced pluripotent stem cells are adult human [...]
