Stem cells that are helpful in the treatment of various diseases may now be obtained from hair follicles, as per a recently conducted research. A hair follicle is a part of skin that is responsible for the growth of hair. Studies suggest that a small gland called a sebaceous gland is attached to the follicle and this gland is in bountiful supply in the human body.

In a breakthrough discovery recently made by scientists at the Northwestern University, it has been found that the increase of the malignant melanoma can be inhibited by protein (hESCs) that controls growth of human embryonic stem cells. Furthermore, it was also established that a protein secreted just by hESCs, known as Lefty, prevents the metastasis of the malignant cells of breast cancer. This team of researchers is being headed by Mary J C Hendrix, MD.

Aplastic anemia is a process in which a patient’s blood thins, as the bone marrow slows the production of blood cells. This leads to several diseases including heart disease, infection, wounds where the blood won’t clot and a variety of other diseases, depending on exactly which type of cells are affected.

A marine biotechnology company, GylcoMar Ltd, that makes products obtained from marine invertebrates, has a grant of £70,000 for research and development of products needed for the growth of human stem cells. The process to do that includes using blood drawn from worms and starfish and other forms of marine invertebrates.   

The UK has recently scored another first in embryo research and stem cell development. Its scientists have created an embryo which is partly human and partly animal. The embryo, which survived for almost three days, was created by blending of genetic material from humans and cows. The team claims that it is not an attempt at creating a living organism.