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Stem cells

Stem cells
Stem cells are biological cells found in all multi-cellular organisms, that can divide into diverse specialised cell types and can self-renew to produce more stem cells. Human adult stem cells are routinely used in medical therapies, for example in bone marrow transplants. Stem cells can also be artificially grown and transformed into specialised cell types with characteristics consistent with cells of various tissues such as muscles or nerves.
The findings of Chinese scientists may offer possibilities for future biological pacemaker strategies, according to their paper. Image: Shutterstock
Science

Chinese scientists grow heart’s ‘master conductor’ that could replace pacemaker

Shanghai researchers engineer biological pacemaker that could offer a new way to control abnormal heart rhythms.

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Trending in China

China couple diagnosed with rare autoimmune disorder together lost newborn baby

Trending in China

China parents have baby to collect umbilical cord blood to save sick daughter

Trending in China

China eatery owner closes shop to donate stem cells to toddler; customers show support

Good Samaritan street food stall boss saves life of 3-year-old stranger; actions inspire others to sign for donation programme.

A Chinese barbecue restaurant owner closed his business for a week to donate stem cells to a toddler. When he reopened during the May Day holiday, large groups of customers turned up to support him. Photo: Sohu
Science

China’s thalassaemia jab raises hope for common inherited blood disorder

Original therapy integrating stem cell tech and gene editing could treat a blood disorder with 350 million carriers worldwide.

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Japan

Japan approves world’s first regenerative medicines using iPS cells

Drugs made with iPS, or induced pluripotent stem cells, will be used to treat patients with severe heart failure and Parkinson’s disease.

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Science

Chinese scientists develop promising stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s

New biotech allows ‘seeds’ planted in the brain to differentiate into new nerve cells, reshaping its neural network.

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Chinese medical experts have created an ultra-efficient stem cell treatment for Parkinson’s disease that has achieved remarkable results in clinical trials. Picture: Shutterstock Images
Science

Can China’s new tech crack Einstein’s brain? Scientists hope to give it a try

Mapping technique allows analysis of old biological samples often poorly preserved.

Biomedicine: Industry Trends

Israeli pioneer in lab-grown kidneys seeks China biotech funding

The team has ‘a huge interest in Chinese and Hong Kong biotech companies’, says project lead Benjamin Dekel.

Science

How does space affect the mind? China sends ‘mini-brain’ to Tiangong to find out

Experiment appears to be the first in space involving a highly integrated chip containing human brain cells and blood vessels.

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The experiment was launched on the Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft, which blasted off from a site in southern China on Tuesday. Photo: Xinhua
Science

Human heart structure beats 21 days in pig embryo in Chinese chimera study

The research could have implications for organ transplants, which are limited by the small number of donors.

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A Chinese research team from the Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health says a pig embryo with human heart cells has survived for 21 days. Photo: Daniel Sambraus/Science
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

University of Hong Kong scientists explore growing organs with 3D printing tech

Professor Michael Chan says his team is looking to produce personalised 3D-printed airways for burn victims using patients’ cells.

Science

Mammals could regenerate tissue by turning on ‘genetic switch’: Chinese team

Scientists studying ability of mice to regenerate ear damage say therapies based on retinoic acid might work across various tissue types.

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Beauty

Remember Kim Kardashian’s ‘vampire facial’? A look at regenerative skincare

Forget surface treatments: a new wave of skincare is harnessing the body’s own biological materials – from blood and fat to stem cells – to encourage natural regeneration and rejuvenation from within.

Why the science behind Kim Kardashian’s “vampire facial” remains popular – from platelet-rich plasma therapy to extracting stem cells after liposuction to be used in regenerative treatments. Photo: Getty Images
Wellness

For those struggling with severe or chronic pain, stem cell therapy may offer relief

When Tim Noonan’s shoulder tore in 2014, stem cell therapy eased his extreme pain – 10 years later, he returns for more of the novel therapy.

When Tim Noonan’s shoulder tore in 2014, stem cell therapy eased his extreme pain – 10 years later, he returns for more of the novel therapy. Illustration: Isidore Vic Carloman
Japan

Japanese stem cell research helps treat spinal injuries

Paralysis caused by serious spinal cord injuries affects more than 150,000 patients in Japan alone, with 5,000 new cases each year.

Education in Hong Kong

Outgoing CUHK head to focus on medical research, remain involved in academia

Rocky Tuan also cites navigating the Covid-19 pandemic as one of the most unforgettable experiences during his tenure.

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Wellness

Snake gut secrets unlocked by new study may help treat human diseases

Research on how pythons regenerate their guts may open door to treatment for Crohn’s and coeliac diseases, colorectal cancer, even diabetes.

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The mechanisms pythons use to regrow their intestines may provide insight on treatments for human gastrointestinal diseases, a new study shows. Photo: Dreamstime/TNS
Science

Type 1 diabetes reversed in Chinese woman using reprogrammed stem cells

25-year-old with chronic condition for over a decade has no need for external insulin some 2½ months from minimally invasive surgery.

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Science

Chinese scientists hope panda stem cell breakthrough can help species survive

Researchers have created a type of self-renewing cell that could help future research and preserve vital genetic resources.

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Beauty

Review | Why you should book this stem cell-based facial at W Hong Kong’s Bliss Spa

Bliss Spa at the W Hong Kong uses exclusive products from Swiss skincare brand Cell Premium that features stem cell technology – so what’s the facial treatment like?

Bliss Spa at the W Hong Kong features products from Cell Premium, a Swiss skincare brand that uses stem cell technology derived from the rare apple variety Uttwiler Spӓtlauber. Photos: Bliss Spa
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Explainer | Why storing cord blood is becoming popular in Hong Kong and is it necessary?

Doctors at Hong Kong Children’s Hospital are treating a five-year-old girl using cord blood transferred from Guangdong province.

After a baby is born, the blood that remains in the placenta and umbilical cord is known as cord blood. Photo: Shutterstock
Hong Kong healthcare and hospitals

Hong Kong receives second cross-border cord blood transfer to treat girl, 5

Doctors at Hong Kong Children’s Hospital, where the girl is being treated, expect stem cell transplant to be ready as soon as October.

Trending in China

Special university graduation for China student who was donating stem cells

A brave, caring student in China who could not attend graduation day with his peers because he was saving a life, was given a special individual ceremony.

Science

Chinese team reports patient’s diabetes cured with cell therapy in world first

A breakthrough cell therapy in Shanghai is reported to have cured a man’s diabetes, giving hope to other sufferers.

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Regardless of the type of diabetes, failure to maintain normal blood glucose levels over time can lead to serious side effects, including heart disease, vision loss and kidney disease. Photo: Shutterstock
Singapore

Asian parents on edge after Singapore stem cell bank ruins thousands of samples

The scandal now engulfing Cordlife Group Ltd. has implications across the region, given its operations in Hong Kong, Macau, Indonesia, the Philippines and India.

Workers check storage tanks at a CordLife facility in Hong Kong in 2010. CordLife, one of Asia-Pacific’s largest network of cord-blood banks, says it has reviewed its operations in markets other than Singapore and found no concerns. Photo: K. Y. Cheng
Science

Chinese team tests lung treatment that may be first to reverse COPD damage

Paper follows statement by Zuo Wei that ‘stem cell and progenitor cell-based regenerative medicine may be the biggest, if not the only, hope to cure COPD’.

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Science

Scientists create human embryo models without sperm or egg

The advancement offers hope for research on miscarriage and birth defects but also raises fresh ethical concerns.

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