Engineered stem cells carry promising ALS therapy

“The novelty is that this is a combined cell and gene therapy approach,” Suzuki explains, noting that the bone marrow stem cells on their own had a modest effect, possibly by releasing their own protective factors. “But only when we engineered the cells to release GDNF did we see a significant improvement. The cells turned out to be quite an important component. It’s this combination of cells and drug delivery that seems to be so effective.”

Wisconsin participates in national autism education program

State Superintendent Elizabeth Burmaster announced that the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), the Wisconsin Department of Health and Family Services (DHFS), the Waisman Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, three Wisconsin school districts, and one early childhood program in the state are among the first partners in an innovative national effort to improve autism education.