Earlier this week, the Boston Globe re-examined the promises of stem cell science. With input from three HSCI researchers, the article described how stem cells have made a radical impact on our understanding of cell biology, even if its treatment potential is still developing.

Said Richard Lee: "It's actually a really sort of spooky time, because there's this excitement and worry at the same time - excitement over the things we can do, but worry about how to do them and how to control them so that we can really make good on the promises."

Harvard stem cell scientists have a new theory for how stem cells decide whether to become liver or pancreatic cells during development. A cell's fate, the researchers found, is determined by the nearby presence of prostaglandin E2, a messenger molecule best known for its role in inflammation and pain. The discovery, published in the journal Developmental Cell, could potentially make liver and pancreas cells easier to generate both in the lab and for future cell therapies. Continue reading.