The Regeneration Center

31/12/2025

May your year be blessed with health and surrounded by friends and family. Happy New Year 2026 from your healthcare team at The Regeneration Center

31/12/2025

Human trunk-like structures form morphologically organized somites and a neural tube through self-organized, endogenous signaling. Transcriptomic comparison with human embryo datasets indicates trunk-like cells approximate Carnegie stage 13–14 (28–35 days after fertilization). The absence of a notochord yields a dorsal identity, while exogenous Sonic Hedgehog signaling ventralizes both somites and the neural tube in a dose-dependent manner. Reciprocal signaling emerges as neural tube–derived cues induce medial ALDH1A2 in somites; somites then generate retinoic acid signals that drive spontaneous neural-tube patterning. Modularity in embryo models enables targeted exploration of human trunk co-development.

Makwana, Tilley et al. generate human stem cell-based trunk-like structures approximating Carnegie stage 13–14 of development. They use them to model and study the development of the thoracic and lumbar trunk.

22/12/2025

The American Heart Association revives the view that light to moderate drinking may benefit heart health. The review states that light drinking—one to two drinks per day—poses no risk for coronary disease, stroke, sudden death and may reduce the risk of these conditions and possibly heart failure. Controversy surrounds the review, which was published in Circulation in July and aimed at practicing cardiologists. Public health groups and many doctors warn that alcohol can be harmful even at small amounts, citing studies that link modest drinking to increased cardiovascular disease risk. The European Heart Network and the World Heart Federation emphasize that even modest drinking raises cardiovascular risk. In anticipation of new dietary guidelines, the Trump administration withdrew a report highlighting links between alcohol and at least seven cancers, noting that risk for oral and esophageal tumors rises at one drink a day. Heavy drinking remains conclusively harmful. The debate highlights tension between evolving interpretations of alcohol’s cardiovascular effects and broader cancer risk considerations.

The American Heart Association report runs contrary to recent studies — and the group’s own guidelines — that found any amount of alcohol to be harmful.

20/12/2025

Twenty-five candidate targets significantly altered at least one phenotype, with stronger effects in Psen2 knockdown cells. Integrated proteomic analyses identified perturbations that reversed Alzheimer's disease-associated molecular patterns. Five targets—Ap2a2, Pdhb, Pdha1, Dlat, and Psmc3—impacted both phenotypes and related proteomic responses. A scalable platform for target functional validation bridges unbiased systems-level AD risk assessments with experimental evidence. The Emory-Sage-Structural Genomics Consortium-Jax Center Target Enablement to Accelerate Therapy Development for Alzheimer's Disease will prioritize further resource development for these validated targets.

18/12/2025

Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas. Trypsin activation triggers pancreatitis. Alcohol use and gallstones are the major etiologies. Chronic pancreatitis links to alcohol; acute pancreatitis links to gallstones. Medications including clozapine, olanzapine, risperidone and vildagliptin are associated with pancreatitis. Islet transplantation and UC-MSC+ stem cell approaches are discussed as regenerative strategies. Islet regeneration aims to restore endogenous insulin-producing capacity. The world’s first artificial pancreas reflects early regenerative medicine milestones. Warning signs include severe abdominal pain, drastic weight loss, vomiting, and nausea. Untreated pancreatitis can lead to Crohn’s disease, diabetes, diabetic neuropathy, Lupus, or pancreatic cancer. Heavy drinking and sedentary lifestyle raise risks for end-stage liver failure, liver cirrhosis, kidney disease, chronic bile duct disease, erectile dysfunction, heart disease, and chronic pancreatic disease. Pancreatitis affects hundreds of thousands globally each year.

Since the early 1970s, Researchers have been working on further developing basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitors, which later became the model for the rapid development of protein NMR, stem cell therapies, molecular dynamics, and regenerative medicine…

17/12/2025

Cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells ameliorate non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in male mice by activating TFEB-mediated autophagy. Cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells enhance autophagic flux and reduce hepatic lipid accumulation through TFEB signaling. Cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells were evaluated in male C57BL/6J mice fed a choline-deficient high-fat diet and in HepG2 cells exposed to palmitic, revealing TFEB-dependent autophagy as the mechanism. Cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells thus represent a potential cell-based therapy for NAFLD by targeting autophagy pathways.

This study suggests that hUC-MSCs represent a potential therapeutic approach to treating NAFLD through activating TFEB-mediated autophagy.

15/12/2025

RelatOB correlates with the total number of intact combined chemoreceptor genes (CombChemo), driven primarily by olfactory receptor (OR) genes. AbsOB shows no clear correlation with the genomic proxies tested. OR numbers were estimated for three mammalian orders lacking genomic data and for five extinct mammals, enabling CombChemo inference from relatOB. RelatOB-based inferences of olfactory capabilities inform paleoecology and behavior in extinct mammals. Olfactory receptor integrity underpins sensitivity and discrimination, supporting inferences from relatOB-derived CombChemo estimates.

Olfaction is a critical sense for tetrapods, playing a key role in survival and reproduction by aiding in food detection, predator avoidance, and s...

12/12/2025

Meditation reduces migraine episode frequency and makes episodes less severe. MBSR reduces headache days in episodic migraine, with more than half of participants achieving a 50% reduction. MBSR produced greater decreases in headache-related disability than stress management. A 2023 study found a 10-day meditation retreat reduced migraine frequency and acute medication use in episodic or chronic migraine. A 2019 trial analysis indicates consistent meditation for about 20 days may be needed to reduce migraine pain and adverse mood effects. Evidence for acute relief during an ongoing migraine episode is limited, but a 2023 review suggests meditation may reduce acute pain perception. Meditation may improve cognitive efficiency over time, contributing to pain control. Mindfulness-based techniques dominate research; other methods such as progressive muscle relaxation may help, and trying different types with consistency is recommended.

Some evidence suggests that meditation may be able to reduce the frequency or severity of migraine episodes. Learn more about how it works.

11/12/2025

Reticular pseudodrusen (RPD) confer greater risk of progression in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD comprises multiple pathways that generate distinct phenotypes. DNA from AMD+RPD and AMD-RPD groups shows higher frequencies of AMD-related variants than controls. Chromosome 1 variants, including CFH, do not distinguish the AMD groups. Chromosome 10 variants are more frequent in AMD+RPD than in AMD-RPD, correlating with increasing RPD burden. ARMS2 and HTRA1 occupy the implicated region, with HTRA1-AS1 variants linking to a long non-coding RNA. Chromosome 10–linked pathways drive RPD deposits rather than chromosome 1 risk loci. Complement-targeting drugs slowed geographic atrophy modestly, indicating multiple interacting pathways underlie AMD. Non-complement genetic contributions drive AMD phenotypes. Targeted treatment approaches address these genetic contributions.

International collaboration provides clues about important subtype of age-related macular degeneration.

10/12/2025

Neural stem cell therapy represents an emerging frontier in treating burst fractures and spinal cord compression injuries, offering a potential alternative to conventional surgical interventions. The Regeneration Center applies various stem cell lineages and delivery methods to bypass the blood-brain barrier. Our treatments include neural cell growth factors with regenerative and proliferative capacity needed for neurological recovery. Initial therapy outcomes indicate positive results. Significant challenges remain regarding optimization protocols, delivery mechanisms, and long-term safety. The complex interplay between cellular therapy and spinal trauma recovery warrants ongoing efforts. Patients are encouraged to obtain multiple opinions from qualified doctors experienced in spinal cord stem cell therapy.

Neural stem cell therapy represents an emerging frontier in treating burst fractures, offering patients with burst fractures and Spinal cord compression injuries a potential alternative to conventional surgical interventions and back fracture surgery. The Regeneration…

09/12/2025

Stem cell-based and growth factor-based therapies address impaired angiogenesis, chronic inflammation, and defective extracellular matrix remodeling that underlie diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs). Mesenchymal stem cells, mononuclear cells, and pluripotent stem cells form the cellular basis for regenerative approaches, while growth factors such as EGF, PDGF, VEGF, and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) provide key signaling to restore tissue repair. Randomized trials and network meta-analyses show significant improvements in ulcer healing, perfusion indices, and reduction in amputation risk with selected modalities. Yet clinical translation remains limited by small sample sizes, methodological heterogeneity, variable delivery methods, and short-term follow-up. Emerging directions include exosome-based therapies, bioengineered matrices, and combined biologic platforms that may augment regenerative efficacy. Standardized protocols and robust multicenter trials are needed to integrate these therapies into standard DFU management and to determine optimal cell types, dosing, and delivery routes.

08/12/2025

Rowan Tong-Law was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia in September 2024 as an 18-year-old university student. Rowan's case catalyzed the Register for Rowan campaign, launched by his parents Bronwyn Tong and Bob Law. Three thousand young Australians aged 18 to 35 joined the Australian Stem Cell Donor Registry after hearing his story. Eight of these new registrants have been identified as potential donors for patients worldwide. Rowan's siblings Matthew and Annaka are 50 percent matches and could be used in future. Rowan's best chance of a full match is an unrelated donor, with Eurasian heritage making a Eurasian donor most likely. Just over one percent of Australians aged 18 to 35 are registered as stem cell donors, about 75,000 people, compared with roughly 22.5 percent of Germans in the same age group. Two people per day in Australia require a stem cell transplant from a relative or an unrelated donor. Rowan studied physiotherapy at the University of Queensland and underwent chemotherapy with several infections stemming from immunosuppression.

Rowan Tong-Law, 18, was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia last year and has been searching for a full stem cell donor match.