Month: October 2020

A new USC-led study suggests a change to the developmental — and evolutionary — story of the pituitary gland. The pea-sized gland, nestled at the base of the brain, produces hormones that drive growth, aggression, sexual development and reproduction. For decades, the front lobe of the pituitary — where the hormones are made — was…Continue Reading Pituitary puzzle gets a new piece, revising evolutionary history

The same stem cells that heal broken bones can also generate arthritic bone spurs called osteophytes, according to a new study in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases. “Although these stem and progenitor cells promote healthy bone repair in other contexts, they are inappropriately activated to cause a pathological bony protuberance in the context of arthritis,”…Continue Reading When it comes to arthritic bone spurs, stem cells hurt instead of heal