A group of “gifted word learner” dogs can learn new words that label objects by overhearing their owners talking with each other, according to a new study by Shany Dror and colleagues. These dogs can map a new word to a new object even when the word and object are not presented simultaneously. Together, these abilities put these special dogs at the same word-learning level as 18 to 23-month-old children, Dror et al. conclude. Their findings suggest that humans are not the only animals that can learn new labels by overhearing third-party interactions. The researchers tested this effect in dogs dubbed “gifted word learners” that had previously shown unusually good ability to acquire new word labels under natural conditions, without intentional training. The gifted dogs were able to learn new words/labels passively, by listening in on conversations.

“Honey, will you take Luna to the P-A-R-K?” both parents and dog owners know that some words should not be spoken, but only spelled, to prevent small ears from eavesdropping on the conversation. At the age of 1.5 years toddlers can already learn new words by overhearing other people. Now, a groundbreaking study published in Science reveals that a special group of dogs are also able to learn names for objects by overhearing their owners’ interactions. Similarly to 1.5 -year-old toddlers, that are equally good in learning from overheard speech and from direct interactions, these gifted dogs also excel in learning from both situations

The human brain is not a fast-healing organ. Normally it doesn’t need to be as adult brain cells are stable and last for a lifetime. When trauma or disease such as a stroke occurs, the brain struggles to bounce back because it has a limited ability to regenerate lost cells.

Stem cell therapy is a promising method for boosting regeneration in the brain, but transplanted cells have struggled to replace damaged tissue and reestablish broken circuits. In a new study of a therapy derived from human stem cells and transplanted into mice, the cells matured, integrated into existing circuits and restored function. By tracing the cells and sequencing their gene expression patterns, the researchers also revealed how transplanted cells find where they need to go and form connections with the nervous system.

For the first time, researchers at UBC have demonstrated how to reliably produce an important type of human immune cell—known as helper T cells—from stem cells in a laboratory setting. The findings, published Jan. 8 in Cell Stem Cell, overcome a major hurdle that has limited the development, affordability and large-scale manufacturing of cell therapies. The discovery could pave the way for more accessible and effective off-the-shelf treatments for a wide range of conditions like cancer, infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders and more.

The 4D Nucleome Consortium has extensively mapped and analyzed the 3-D folding of the human genome in human embryonic stem cells and immortalized fibroblasts over time.

Researchers at The University of Osaka used a range of cellular techniques to show that the histone protein CENP-A can be deposited into centromeres by two independent pathways. By identifying that CENP-C can substitute for Mis18C in binding to the chaperone HJURP to prompt CENP-A deposition, they showed that there is redundancy in the process of specifying the location of the centromere on chromosomes, which is essential for mitosis and meiosis.