Lab-grown retinal eye cells make successful connections, open door for clinical trials to treat blindness

Retinal cells grown from stem cells can reach out and connect with neighbors, according to a new study, completing a “handshake” that may show the cells are ready for trials in humans with degenerative eye disorders.

Cells with a superhero alter ego: Schwann cells transform into repair cells after nerve injury with help of transcription factor JUN and Sonic Hedgehog gene

When nerves are injured, Schwann cells—a key cell in peripheral nerve function and nerve insulation—assume a new role and identity as repair cells.

Pioneering research brings potential Parkinson’s disease treatment one step closer

Over two decades of fundamental research in Parkinson’s disease led by Su-Chun Zhang, MD, PhD, professor of neuroscience and neurology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Waisman investigator, has culminated in the development of a promising stem cell-based treatment for the disease.

Studying the connection between Alzheimer’s and Down syndrome for Down syndrome awareness month

By Emily Leclerc, Waisman Science Writer The month of October is Down Syndrome Awareness Month and is dedicated to not only raising awareness about Down syndrome but also to celebrating the abilities and accomplishments of …

Stem cell project to create new model to study brain development and Down syndrome

Waisman Center researchers are creating a new approach to study how changes to brain development in the womb result in intellectual disability in people with Down syndrome.

The identities of enzymes: study further defines the function of a potential target for Alzheimer’s therapy

A new study from the lab of UW-Madison professor of medicine Luigi Puglielli, MD, PhD, opens a door to potential treatments for diseases of age, such as Alzheimer’s disease, by defining the roles of two enzymes that are imperative to protein production.