Ep. 45: “Differentiation” Featuring Alex Hannay

Guest: Alex Hannay, product manager at Thermo Fisher talks about the process of differentiation from pluripotent stem cells and new products that could help. Resources and Links This Genetically Modified Yeast Can Now Brew Morphine – 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 – 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 – 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 – 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 – 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 – 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 – 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 – 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. Stem-Cell Clinics Spread Rapidly – More than 170 clinics across the country are selling experimental stem-cell procedures for dozens of diseases and conditions – a mushrooming industry that has flourished despite little evidence of its safety or effectiveness. Doubts Cast on 'Rejuvenating' Protein – The Novartis group say the Harvard group’s explanation is wrong, although the group does not question that young blood renews old mice, they casts doubt on the assays used in the earlier research and suggests that GDF11 actually inhibits muscle regeneration. Human Stem-Cell Images as Fashion? – Human stem cells have taken on new roles at the University of Michigan — brilliant blue fashion accessories specifically silk scarves and ties bearing images of microscopic stem cells, their nuclei a fluorescent turquoise on a cobalt backdrop. Stem Cells Could Provide a Treatment for a 'Broken Heart' – This article describes the research done by scientists studying the adult stem cells in mice that can develop into heart cells paving the way to improved heart condition. Bone Healing in Diabetics Could Be Enhanced through Human Stem Cells –...