Ever since human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) were first cultivated by Dr. James Thompson at the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1998, they have been at the centre of one of the most promising, and at times controversial, areas of modern medicine. Recently hESCs have begun to live up to their early promise, as I … Continue reading Human embryonic stem cells restore hearing in deaf gerbils
Author: Editor
Public Outreach – A Toolkit for Investigators
That public outreach is an increasingly important part of the scientific life in the 21st century should be news to no-one, and this is as true of biomedical research as of any other field of scientific endeavor. Allyson Bennett has written extensively for us on this subject, highlighting both the benefits of public outreach, and … Continue reading Public Outreach – A Toolkit for Investigators
Safeguarding medical progress means supporting animal transport
The following guest post is from Eric Raemdonck, who has a background in the aviation transport industry. Eric recently launched the Advancing Animal Research blog, whose purpose is to " establish bridges between the aviation world, the life sciences, health care, pharmaceutical, animal research industries, educational institutions and their affiliate or representative associations as well as Governmental organisations". Facing a … Continue reading Safeguarding medical progress means supporting animal transport
Interfacing with the nervous system: Studies in mice and rats show the way.
As fundamental scientific knowledge about how the nervous system works has increased over the past few decades, the possibility has emerged that we may one day be able to use electrical stimulation (or inhibition) to treat – even to functionally cure – conditions where it has been damaged by disease or injury. Scientists are now … Continue reading Interfacing with the nervous system: Studies in mice and rats show the way.
Part 6. Many voices speaking of animal research – Time well invested at the University of Guelph
We recently wrote about the many existing venues, activities, and materials designed to encourage public dialogue and informed discussion about animal research. Many individuals, institutions, and organizations contribute to public outreach and education efforts, and also take active roles in dialogue about continuing changes in practice and policy concerning animal welfare and the conduct of … Continue reading Part 6. Many voices speaking of animal research – Time well invested at the University of Guelph
Animal rights activists protest Curiosity driven research
The last couple of days was nothing but jubilation at NASA/JPL after the landing of the rover Curiosity on Mars. President Obama congratulated scientists on the occasion by stating: The successful landing of Curiosity -- the most sophisticated roving laboratory ever to land on another planet -- marks an unprecedented feat of technology that will … Continue reading Animal rights activists protest Curiosity driven research
Understanding Cyborg Jellyfish
While I was on vacation I missed a fascinating story about how scientists at Harvard University and Caltech have created an artificial jellyfish - termed a medusoid - using rat heart cells on a silicone matrix in order to demonstrate that it is possible to reverse-engineer a muscular pump, as described in this informative report on CBC News. This … Continue reading Understanding Cyborg Jellyfish
Cancer Stem Cells: Mouse studies lead to paradigm shift in cancer research
For the past 15 years one of the most intriguing ideas in cancer research has been that the growth and spread of most – if not all – cancers is driven by cancer stem cells. The hypothesis is that only a tiny proportion of cancer cells, cancer stem cells, have the stem cell-like ability to … Continue reading Cancer Stem Cells: Mouse studies lead to paradigm shift in cancer research
Speaking of Research 