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Developmental Cell
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- 1Stem Cell Biologist Marta Shahbazi Dies in Train Collision▼Stem Cell Biologist Marta Shahbazi Dies in Spanish Train Collision
Stem cell biologist Marta Shahbazi has died in a train collision in Spain, according to a report by The Scientist. Shahbazi was known for her research into early embryo development and pluripotency. Colleagues in the developmental biology field are mourning her death, though further details about the accident and her career have not yet been widely reported.
- 2EU Parliament to hold hearing on advanced therapy medicines▼Development and access to advanced therapy medicinal products in the EU | Hearings | Events | SANT | Committees
The European Parliament's Subcommittee on Public Health (SANT) is holding a hearing on the development of and patient access to advanced therapy medicinal products across the European Union. Advanced therapies, including gene and cell-based treatments, remain costly and unevenly available to patients in different member states, and the session is expected to examine how to speed up their development and widen access across the bloc.
- 3Study Links Translation Regulation to Cancer and Drug Resistance▼Study identifies translation regulation mechanisms involved in cancer development and treatment resistance
Researchers have published a study identifying mechanisms of translation regulation — the process by which cells control protein production — that are involved in cancer development and in resistance to treatment. The findings suggest that targeting these regulatory pathways could offer new approaches to overcoming therapy resistance in cancer patients, adding to a growing body of research into how protein synthesis control shapes tumour growth and treatment outcomes.
- 4Study finds STX11 palmitoylation drives muscle regeneration●Online now: Dynamic palmitoylation of STX11 controls injury-induced fatty acid uptake to promote muscle regeneration htt
A new study published in Developmental Cell reports that dynamic palmitoylation of the protein STX11 regulates fatty acid uptake after muscle injury, a process that promotes tissue regeneration. The findings suggest STX11's lipid modification helps injured muscle take up fatty acids needed for repair, pointing to a potential target for therapies treating muscle damage and degenerative conditions.
- 5Study links ASPM mutations to disrupted brain stem cell development●Online now: Microcephaly-causative ASPM mutations disrupt mitotic spindle orientation and timely specification of human
A new study published in Developmental Cell reports that ASPM mutations known to cause microcephaly disrupt mitotic spindle orientation and delay the specification of human outer radial glia cells. The finding offers mechanistic insight into how these genetic defects impair expansion of the neural progenitor population during cortical development, a key step in normal brain growth.
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Scientists and biotech commentators are asking whether immunopeptidomics — the large-scale study of peptides presented on cell surfaces by HLA molecules — could reshape how cancer immunotherapies are developed. The technique is discussed as a way to identify tumor-specific antigens and guide the design of more precise vaccines and cell therapies, though its real-world impact remains an open question in the field.
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Two decades have passed since induced pluripotent stem cells were first created, a breakthrough that lets mature cells be reprogrammed into stem-like cells capable of becoming almost any tissue type. The anniversary is prompting reflections on how the technique transformed developmental biology, disease modelling and regenerative medicine research.