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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.
Dr Thein Swee Lay works in her lab at the US National Institutes of Health in Washington. Photo: Julie Erb-Alvarez
Malaysia

Exclusive | From Kuantan to ‘Oscars of science’: top Malaysian scientist is always adapting

Breakthrough Prize winner Thein Swee Lay’s research has helped turn sickle cell disease and beta-thalassaemia into treatable conditions.

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Science

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

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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

Girl from poor family with debilitating illness weighs about half that of a healthy teenager; family thank kind strangers for cash donations.

A 15-year-old girl with severe thalassemia who weighs just 25kg needed a stem cell transplant. Her parents had a child to preserve umbilical cord blood to save her. Photo SCMP composite/Shutterstock/QQ.com
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.

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.

A heart muscle sheet derived from human stem cells at the University of Osaka. Photo: Kyodo
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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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.

An Israeli hospital says it has achieved a breakthrough in cultivating kidneys in laboratories. Photo: AFP
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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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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Chinese scientists studying regeneration say a mouse’s failure to regenerate stems from an inability to produce sufficient retinoic acid, a derivative of vitamin A. Photo: Shutterstock
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.

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.

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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.

Professor Rocky Tuan delivers a speech during the 94th congregation ceremony at the university in November of last year. Photo: Elson Li
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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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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There are thought to be just 2,000 giant pandas left in the wild. Photo: Xinhua
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.

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.

A life-saving university student in China has been given a special lone graduation ceremony because he missed the official event due to the fact that he was donating stem cells. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin/jcu.edu.cn
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.

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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