A common problem that can occur during stem cell transplant procedures is that the recipient’s immune system may attack and thus reject the new cells by recognizing them as ‘foreign’. A solution may be on the horizon as scientists at the University of California San Francisco have recently managed to use the CRISPR gene editing tools to create stem cells that are effectively invisible to the body’s immune system. Because transplanted stem cells are viewed by the human body as foreign organisms and thus a potential threat, the immune system often kicks into high gear when the cells are detected. While there are some drugs that help suppress the immune system’s response, it also leaves the patient vulnerable to other diseases that can complicate matters. The modified stem cells created by the UCSF scientists present a potential solution to this problem by not setting off the immune system’s alarms in the first place. The breakthrough could eventually open up new possibilities for procedures that save, extend, and improve people’s lives.
Scientists are using gene-editing to make stem cell transplants safer
More of Today's Solutions
More US states and cities are boosting minimum wages in 2026. What does it me...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM As the federal minimum wage remains frozen at $7.25 an hour, unchanged since 2009, cities and states across ...
Read More3 organization hacks for Type B brains that actually work
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Scroll through any productivity blog or time-management book, and you’ll find a familiar formula: rigid routines, detailed planners, ...
Read MoreAn easy hack to counteract the harmful health effects of sitting all day
Humans are not designed to spend the entire day seated. Nonetheless, billions of us do it at least five days per week, as Western ...
Read MoreEnsuring no pet goes hungry: The rise of pet food banks in the UK
Pete Dolan, a cat owner, recalls the tremendous help he received from Animal Food Bank Support UK, a Facebook organization that coordinates volunteer community ...
Read More
