Stem cells are, in may ways, our lifeblood, and understanding them could utterly transform human biology. While stem cells have already worked wonders in medicinal research, showing signs of curing everything from spinal cord injuries to blindness, they’ve always had their shortcomings—mostly tied to our own lacking understanding.
However, each year brings us closer to truly understanding these cells, how they function, and how they can be manipulated for a variety of health purposes. For example, we know that stem cells are tied to aging, and we know that understanding exactly how they are tied to aging is critical to combating age-associated degeneration. As work published in the National Center for Biotechnology Information outlines:
“Aging tissues experience a progressive decline in homeostatic and regenerative capacities, which has been attributed to degenerative changes in tissue-specific stem cells, stem cell niches and systemic cues that regulate stem cell activity.”
And one study is promising a “game-changing” technique for stem cells.
Taking their cue from salamander regeneration, research led by the University of New South Wales says that a stem cell therapy capable of regenerating any human tissue damaged by injury, disease, or aging could be available within a few years, thanks to an innovative technique.
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