Researchers found that mutated mouse embryos showing an abnormal epidermal differentiation and injected with mouse pluripotent stem cells grew large patches of mature epidermis derived from the donor cells that survived transplantation to adult mice and grew natural-looking fur. Injecting the embryos with human keratinoctyes produced sheets of semi-humanized skin, suggesting that this system could be developed further to grow autologous skin grafts for treating severe skin wounds.
Read more: Grow the skin you're in: In vivo generation of chimeric skin grafts
Research provides new evidence that most colorectal cancers begin with the loss of intestinal stem cells, even before cancer-causing genetic alterations appear. The results overturn the prevailing theory for colorectal tumor initiation and suggest new ways to diagnose the disease before it has a chance to become established.
Read more: Identifying the initial steps in colorectal cancer formation
Over the past few decades, there has been a significant increase in the prevalence of depression in adolescents and young adults -- and a simultaneous uptick in the inclusion of technology and social media in everyday life. In a new study, researchers investigated the association among social media use, depression and other health-related behaviors of young adults over time.
Read more: More than just social media use may be causing depression in young adults, study shows