Researchers in California have created human-pig chimeric embryos as part of a project to grow human organs for transplantation; while it may make many people uncomfortable, we have been trying to use pigs for parts for nearly 200 years.

A handful of healthy mice made from sperm cells created in the lab have been hailed as a milestone in research that could ultimately provide new treatments for male infertility.

The underlying cause of male infertility is unknown for 30 percent of cases. In a pair of new studies, researchers have determined that the reproductive homeobox (RHOX) family of transcription factors -- regulatory proteins that activate some genes and inactivate others -- drive the development of stem cells in the testes in mice. The investigators also linked RHOX gene mutations to male infertility in humans.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)?modified T cells are engineered to recognize specific tumor antigens. They have shown promising results in clinical trials, primarily in leukemia so far, but it has been difficult to predict therapeutic efficacy and toxicity for individual patients. To address this issue, Turtle et al. treated non-Hodgkin?s lymphoma patients with CAR-T cells prepared from strictly defined subsets. By carefully controlling the ratio of CD4 to CD8 T cells, the authors were able to identify some of the treatment characteristics that correlate with therapeutic response and toxicity, including the role of the drug regimen used for lymphodepletion before CAR-T cell treatment.

In a study focusing on the role of self-donated (autologous) bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in placental vascular development, researchers in Japan have discovered that when transplanted into pregnant mice, EPCs can contribute to better blood vessel growth that helps in forming "normalized" placental vascularization. This in turns leads to reduced recurrent miscarriages by providing a healthier fetal environment during gestation.

In a first-of-its-kind look at human kidney development, researchers have isolated human nephron progenitor (NP) cells. Their results will help scientists understand how these progenitor cells become renal cells in the developing fetus, and possibly offer a future way to foster renal regeneration after chronic kidney failure or acute injury.

Obesity is responsible for the deaths of over three million people a year worldwide due to its associated diseases such as diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. However, a subset of obese individuals seems to be protected from such diseases. Understanding the underlying protective mechanisms in the lower risk individuals could help design novel therapeutic strategies targeting those at higher risk of disease, say researchers.

One company, Asterias Biotherapeutics, has revived one of the first research studies born from the origins of stem cell therapy in the late 1990s. And according to reports, it is showing a lot of promise

Researchers have found a better way to purify liver cells made from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). This new methodology could facilitate progress toward an important clinical goal: the treatment of patients with disease-causing mutations in their livers by transplant of unmutated liver cells derived from their own stem cells.

Stem cell medical tourism and unproven stem cell interventions are growing and concerning issues for patients afflicted with lung disease. According to Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) researchers, there are an increasing number of clinics worldwide offering expensive stem cell-based therapies that are ineffective or have no proven benefit.