Technique for Bioengineering Cell Sheets Used to Repair Damaged Heart Muscle Is Described in Tissue Engineering

Source: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc via Business Wire / Yahoo! News
Posted: Friday March 31, 2006 12:02 pm ET

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 31, 2006--Cardiac cells grown in the laboratory as cell sheets can be layered to form myocardial tissue grafts which, when transplanted into animals, will beat like normal cardiac muscle and can survive and function for at least a year, according to a report in the March 2006 issue (Volume 12, Number 3) issue of Tissue Engineering, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The paper is available free online at www.liebertpub.com/ten.

McClatchy Newspapers, 3/31/06: "Stem-cell issue headed for Senate floor"

Stem Cell Treatment Succeeds In Spinal Cord-injured Rats

Source: Society for Neuroscience
Date: March 30, 2006

Summary:

Stem cells can repair damaged spinal tissue and help restore function in rats with spinal cord injuries, according to a new study. The findings may eventually lead to insights that result in new treatments for humans with spinal cord injuries. Researchers at the Krembil Neuroscience Center at Toronto Western Research Institute and the University of Toronto also identified a critical window during which stem cell transplants may be effective, says the study, which appears in the March 29 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.

Jell-O Fix for Spinal Cords

Source: Wired
Posted: 02:00 AM Mar, 29, 2006

By Elizabeth Svoboda

Stem cells embedded in futuristic materials may heal decades-old spinal cord injuries and rescue patients from paralysis, if recent experiments in rodents can be replicated in humans.

Stem cells have cured many rats of spinal cord injuries, but the treatment has yet to benefit humans. When it does, most scientists say the first treatments will benefit only the newly injured.

Spinal Cord Injury Reduced With Cells Transplanted From Adult Mice Brain Cells

Source: Journal of Neuroscience
Date: March 29, 2006

Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today

Scientists at Toronto University and the Toronto Western Research Institute of Canada managed to reduce some of the paralysis of rats with spinal cord injury with cells transplanted from adult mice brain cells. This could eventually lead to treatment for humans with paralysis as a result of spinal cord injury.

Study offers potential for regenerative bone therapy

Source: Pharmaceuitical Business Review
Date: March 29, 2006

Researchers from the UK and Belgium have identified special properties in a type of stem cell that give it the potential to regenerate cartilage, muscle, and bone in patients with inflammatory and degenerative rheumatic diseases.

Stem Cells For Tissue Regeneration And Joint Repair

Source: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Posted: March 29, 2006

Researchers are studying the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as a strategy for tissue regeneration And joint repair. MSCs are capable of extensive self-renewal and adaptable to forming all kinds of connective tissues. Their study is the first to identify periosteal cells as MSCs, with multipotent properties at the single cell level and the potential to regenerate cartilage, muscle, and bone in patients with inflammatory and degenerative rheumatic diseases. It is a groundbreaking study that calls attention to the need for more research into MSCs--in the periosteum and other tissues--and their practical therapeutic benefits for late-stage arthritis sufferers.

Washington Post, 3/29/06: "Md. to Fund Stem-Cell Research"

Canadian researchers use stem cells to help spinal-cord injured rats walk

Source: Canadian Press
Posted: March 28, 2006 5:40 PM ET

By SHERYL UBELACKER

TORONTO (CP) - Canadian researchers have used stem cells to repair spinal cord damage in laboratory rats, restoring significant mobility in the animals and bringing the search for a human therapy another step closer.

Stem Cell Innovations Produces Human Pluripotent Stem Cells; Cells Eligible for Use in Government Funded Laboratories

Source: BUSINESS WIRE via COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE
Posted: March 29, 2006

Hopes Raised For Effectiveness Of Multiple Sclerosis Drug

Source: University of Cincinnati
Posted: March 29, 2006

Discovery of the mechanism of a drug being tested for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) has revealed that it's not only more effective than first thought, but might also help in the management of other autoimmune diseases, organ transplant rejection and even cancer. A research team led by the University of Cincinnati's Bibiana Bielekova, MD, report new insights into the role of the MS drug daclizumab (Zenapax).

Scientists discover stem cells can repair spine tissue

Source: The Scotsman
Date: March 29, 2006

Summary:

STEM cells can be used to repair damaged spinal tissue in rats and help them move again, researchers said yesterday. The latest research, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, could offer new hope to paralysed patients. The team said the technique appeared to work best in the two weeks after the spinal cord was injured.

Stem cell cocktail could treat spinal injury

Source: New Scientist
Date: March 28, 2006

NewScientist.com news service
Roxanne Khamsi

Stem cells can help restore some function in injured rats with spinal cord damage, suggests a new study. The team, led by Michael Fehlings at the Toronto Western Research Institute, Canada, used stem cells taken from mice brains. They injected a finely tuned cocktail of growth hormones, anti-inflammatory drugs and the cells into rats with crushed spines.

Brain-cell transplants restore movement in paralyzed rats

Source: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Posted: March 28, 2006 17:17:49 EST

Canadian researchers have restored some movement in rats paralyzed from spinal cord injuries by using transplanted brain cells taken from adult mice.

Stem cells from brains help rats walk, study says

Source: Reuters
Posted: Tue March 28, 2006 5:19 PM ET

By Lisa Richwine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Stem cells harvested from the brains of mice can restore some walking ability in laboratory rats with spinal-cord damage, Canadian scientists reported on Tuesday.

Transplanted mice cells ease rat paralysis

Source: Associated Press
Date: March 28, 2006

MALCOLM RITTER
Associated Press

NEW YORK - Scientists eased the paralysis of rats with spinal cord injury by transplanting cells taken from the brains of adult mice, an encouraging sign for developing a human treatment, researchers reported.

Protein Sorting In Pigment Cells Sheds Light On Melanoma, Alzheimer's Disease

Source: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Posted: March 28, 2006


Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered how a protein called Pmel17 is sorted by pigment cells in the skin and eye to make a fiber matrix that eventually sequesters melanin, the dark pigment found in skin, hair, and eyes. Understanding the molecular steps prior to fiber formation – and when this process goes awry – may lead to a better understanding of melanoma and Alzheimer’s disease.

Pressure for success often lures researchers to fudge truth

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Date: March 19, 2006

Here is a feature about how the enticement, and pressure, for success can lead researchers to bend the truth.

Minimal Cocktail For Growing Human Embryonic Stem Cells Established

Source: Yale University
Posted: March 28, 2006

Researchers have established the minimal nutritional requirements for growing and maintaining human embryonic stem cells, a recipe that is critical for clinical application and for developmental studies. They documented a simple mix they call hESC cocktail, or HESCO, that contains only purified recombinant, chemically-synthesized, or purified human factors to support the cell growth.

Diabetes patients gain hope from vaccine tests

Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Date: March 28, 2006

By Jennifer Bails
TRIBUNE-REVIEW

Based on successful experiments with mice, the federal government yesterday approved the launch of an early-stage clinical trial to test the safety of a vaccine that could reverse the course of type 1 diabetes or even prevent onset of the disease. The vaccine is designed to work by using a patient's genetically modified immune cells to prevent the body from further destroying its insulin-producing cells.

Rice Bioengineers Pioneer Techniques For Knee Repair

Source: Rice University
Posted: March 28, 2006

A breakthrough self-assembly technique for growing replacement cartilage offers the first hope of replacing the entire articular surface of knees damaged by arthritis. The technique, developed at Rice University's Musculoskeletal Bioengineering Laboratory, is described in this month's issue of the journal Tissue Engineering.

Researchers Reverse Juvenile Diabetes In Animal Model; Clinical Trial FDA Approved

Source: Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
Posted: March 27, 2006

Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center researchers observed significant improvement of mice with diabetesl by a novel treatment strategy involving specific modification of the animal's own dendritic cells, thereby reversing diabetes in animal studies. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the start of a clinical trial to evaluate the safety and feasibility of the treatment (Phase 1 trial).

Powerful New Tool for Studying Brain Development

Source: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital via PR Newswire
Date: March 27, 2006

The mouse Brain Gene Expression Map at St. Jude shows where and when genes influence development of the brain and helps researchers study links between gene mutations and cancers

MEMPHIS, Tenn., March 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have given investigators around the world free access to a powerful tool for studying brain development. The Internet-based tool, called the mouse Brain Gene Expression Map (BGEM), is one of the largest gene expression maps of an organ ever developed, according to the St. Jude researchers. They say the map will likely help scientists discover the genetic origins of brain cancers, which could speed development of novel drugs to treat them.

Efforts To Replicate Controversial Diabetes Therapy Bring Partial Success

Source: University of Chicago Medical Center
Posted: March 26, 2006

An effort by researchers at the University of Chicago to confirm the results of a high-profile study that brought extraordinary hope to diabetes researchers and patients worldwide has met with considerable, but not complete, success. The researchers were able to reverse type-1 diabetes in one-third of mice but were unable to find any evidence of insulin-producing beta cells derived from donated spleen cells, initially thought to be a crucial component of the therapy.

PrimeGen Biotech Successfully Derives Human Heart, Brain, Bone and Cartilage Cells from Stem Cells Found in Adult Male Testes

Source: PrimeGen Biotech LLC
Date: March 27, 2006

In a breakthrough for stem cell research and cellular replacement therapies, PrimeGen Biotech LLC (www.primegenbiotech.com) today announced that its researchers have successfully developed the first human adult therapeutic germ stem cell. Derived from adult stem cells but with the advantageous genetic characteristics of embryonic stem cells, PrimeCells have successfully been transformed into human heart, brain, bone and cartilage cells -- cardio, neuro, osteo and chondrocytes.

Neuroscientists Discover New Cell Type That May Help Brain Maintain Memories Of Smells

Source: Case Western Reserve University
Posted: March 19, 2006

Neuroscientists have discovered a new cell type in the part of the brain that processes our sense of smell. This new cell type, the Blanes cell, is a member of a group of previously unstudied brain cells described by the Spanish neuroanatomist Blanes (pronounced blon - es) in the late 1800s. Blanes cells have unusual properties which may help the brain maintain memories of smells and also opens a new approach to understanding the basis of memory impairments in Alzheimer's disease. Their paper appears in the March 16 issue of the journal Neuron.

Potent Stem Cells From Sperm

Source: Science Magazine
Date: March 24, 2006

A team of German scientists reported that it has succeeded in turning stem cells that become sperm in mice into cells with many of the characteristics of embryonic stem (ES) cells. If the same feat can be done with human sperm stem cells, scientists say the technique could offer a much-sought alternative to destroying human embryos for acquiring ES-like cells.

Democrats place hopes on stem cells

Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Posted: March 27, 2006

Nanotechnology could fix nerve, brain damage

Source: Boston Globe / San Francisco Chronicle
Date: March 26, 2006

Summary:

The Boston Globe reports on an advance in nanotechnology that could heal brain damage:

"In work that might hold promise for victims of spinal cord and brain injuries, researchers report that they have managed to restore sight to blinded hamsters using a process they call nanoknitting. The work represents the first time that nanotechnology -- engineering on an ultra-tiny scale -- has been used to fix brain damage, said Rutledge Ellis-Behnke, a neuroscientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the lead researcher on the paper."

Democrats counting on stem-cell stance in November

Source: Chicago Tribune
Posted: March 26, 2006

Democrats around the country are counting on the stem cell issue to give them a boost in November's congressional elections. They plan to push the issue especially hard in districts that are home to large medical or biotechnology industries, as well as politically moderate areas where a Republican officeholder has played a large role in opposing stem cell research.

Infused Spleen Cells Found Not To Impact Islet Recovery And Reversal Of Type 1 Diabetes In Mice

Source: Joslin Diabetes Center
Date: March 26, 2006

Researchers from Joslin Diabetes Center have published in the March, 2006, issue of the journal Science a significant study about islet cell recovery and reversal of type 1 diabetes in mice.

Spinal-cord injury research shows promise

Source: Knight Ridder News Service
Date: March 26, 2006

Here is an article about spinal cord injury research.

It's in the bag, say stem cell scientists

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald
Date: March 27, 2006

By Deborah Smith Science Editor

HUMAN testes could be a source of embryonic-like stem cells, providing a way to grow tissue to repair the body without having to destroy or create embryos. Researchers have discovered that cells from the testes of adult mice that normally turn into sperm can be transformed into different types of tissue, including liver, heart, muscle, skin, pancreas and nerve cells.

Scientists cultivate new stem cell source

Source: Tribune News Services
Date: March 26, 2006

GERMANY -- Scientists retrieved easily obtained cells from the testes of male mice and transformed them into what appear to be embryonic stem cells, the versatile and medically promising biological building blocks that can morph into all kinds of living tissues. If similar cells exist in the testes of men, then it may not be difficult to grow them into new tissues and transplant those tissues into the ailing organs of men who donated the cells.

VCU scientists to study stem cells: U.S.-approved lines to be used in research on how cancer forms

Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch
Date: March 18, 2006

Scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University are planning to study federally-approved human embryonic stem cells in their laboratories to learn more about their genetic stability -- how much they might change from their original form -- and how proliferating cells become cancerous.

Researchers find stem-cell hope in testes of mice

Source: Associated Press
Date: March 25, 2006

German scientists say cells from the testes of mice can behave like embryonic stem cells. If the same holds true in humans, it could provide a controversy-free source of versatile cells for use in treating disease. Lab tests found that the mouse cells closely mimicked the behavior of embryonic stem cells.

Stem cell variation harvested from mice

Source: Bloomberg News
Date: March 25, 2006

Cells from the testicles of adult mice may have the same potential as embryonic stem cells to cure conditions such as diabetes and Parkinson's disease, possibly sidestepping ethical questions on the research, a study says. German researchers said the cells from the mice testicles have the same ability to grow into many different cell types found in the body.

Germans announce stem cell advance: Technique avoids use of embryos

Source: Boston Globe
Date: March 25, 2006

By Gareth Cook, Globe Staff | March 25, 2006

Scientists have created cells similar to embryonic stem cells without using embryos, suggesting a way that stem cell research might advance without the controversy that has surrounded it. The team of scientists removed sperm-producing stem cells from mice and transformed them into cells that appear to be identical to embryonic stem cells, which can become any type of cell in the body and which lead to new treatments for a variety of diseases.

Stem cells found in adult mouse testes: Procedure could yield an ethically sound source of stem cells.

Source: Nature
Date: March 24, 2006


Researchers in Germany have identified a potential source of reprogrammable cells in adults that could be used for regenerative therapy. The cells would be taken directly from the testis and cultured. No cloning or destruction of embryos would be necessary. The discovery opens up the possibility, at least for men, of having an endless source of fresh stem cells tailored to one's genetic makeup, which could be turned into any kind of body tissue and used for treatment.

Testicle cells may aid research

Source: BBC News
Date: March 25, 2006

Scientists believe the human testicle may provide a less controversial source of cells for stem cell research. A German team describe how they isolated cells from mice testes that seem equally useful. The researchers believe similar cells could also be extracted from humans.

Embryonic Stem Cell Success: In Mouse Experiment, Cells From Testes Are Transformed

Souce: Washington Post
Date: March 25, 2006

By Rick Weiss
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, March 25, 2006; Page A11

Scientists in Germany said yesterday that they had retrieved easily obtained cells from the testes of male mice and transformed them into what appear to be embryonic stem cells, the versatile and medically promising biological building blocks that can morph into all kinds of living tissues.

Testicles could be stem-cell source

Source: United Press International
Date: March 24, 2006

GOETTINGEN, Germany, March 24 (UPI) -- German researchers said they have isolated cells from adult mouse testicles that have properties of embryonic stem cells. If the finding holds true in humans, the cells could provide an alternative source of embryonic stem cells, which would avoid the ethical controversy over the destruction of embryos that is now required to obtain stem cells.

Testicles may provide a better kind of stem cell

Source: The Times
Date: March 25, 2006

Scientists have successfully isolated a new kind of stem cell from the testes of adult mice that can grow into a full range of tissue types, offering a possible alternative to embryonic stem (ES) cells for medical therapies. If the findings are repeated in people, it could become possible to harvest the cells from testicles and grow them into specialised tissues for treating conditions such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and paralysis.

Mice testicles yield 'ethical' stem cells

Source: New Scientist
Posted: 24 March 2006 16:22

Summary:

New Scientist reports on a discovery by German scientist of stem cells in mice testicles that might possess properties of embryonic stem cells:

"Men’s testicles may provide an “ethical” source of embryonic stem cells (ESCs), suggest new experiments in mice. A team in Germany has successfully grown mouse ESC-like cells from spermatagonial stem cells which normally turn into sperm. The ESC-like cells can be grown into all tissues of the mouse body, suggesting that if the same could be done in men, it would provide patients with a source of tissue-matched cells for repairing any damaged organs or tissue."

Testicles could be stem-cell source

Source: United Press International
Date: March 24, 2006

Summary:

German researchers said they have isolated cells from adult mouse testicles that have properties of embryonic stem cells.
If the finding holds true in humans, the cells could provide an alternative source of embryonic stem cells, which would avoid the ethical controversy over the destruction of embryos that is now required to obtain stem cells.

Adult cells in mice shown to mimic embryonic stem cells

Source: Reuters
Posted: March 24, 2006

LONDON (Reuters) - German scientists said on Friday they had isolated sperm-producing stem cells that have similar properties to embryonic stem cells from adult mice. If it is possible to isolate the cells in humans and show that they work it would give scientists another source of stem cells for research and remove the ethical dilemma associated with stem cells derived from human embryos.

Mouse study advances transplant-free approach to Type 1 diabetes

By Eric Hand
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Thursday, Mar. 23 2006

Washington University researchers have reaffirmed a simple approach to curing Type 1 diabetes in mice: stop the immune system before it kills off all the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. The study advances a transplant-free approach to curing Type 1 diabetes with a simple, short and cheap regimen of drugs. But the researchers, who also added adult stem cells from the spleen into the mouse pancreas, did not find spleen cells morphing into a new source of new pancreatic cells, as was claimed by Harvard University researchers three years ago.

Protein That Regulates Quiescent Blood Stem Cells May Enhance Recovery From Radiation And Chemo

Source: Cancer Cell
Posted: March 18, 2006

Scientists have uncovered new information about what orchestrates the complex balance between blood stem cells and mature blood cells, a relationship that is often disrupted in leukemia. The results will lead to a better understanding of the behavior of leukemic cells and may have vital clinical applications for patients recovering from chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or bone marrow transplantation.

New Promise on the Horizon for Treating Orthopaedic Conditions. Experts Discuss Advanced Stem Cell, Gene Therapy and Allograft Applications

Source: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Date: March 22, 2006

CHICAGO, March 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Recent advances in gene therapy, stem cells and other promising applications are offering new hope for patients and helping orthopaedic surgeons provide state-of-the-art treatment for various frame-related conditions.

Cell Therapy Slows Progression Of An Inherited Neurological Disease; Improves Motor Skills In Mice

Source: Society for Neuroscience
Posted: March 22, 2006

Scientists have demonstrated that the progression of a type of genetic brain disease is slowed and symptoms are improved in mice that received cell transplants. The new study may have implications for developing new therapies for metachromatic leukodystrophy, or MLD.

Moraga Biotechnology Corp. Discovers a Primitive Embryonic-like Stem Cell in Adult Tissues

Source: Moraga Biotechnology Corporation
Posted: March 21, 2006

Biotech Company Discovers Primitive Stem Cells

LOS ANGELES, March 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Moraga Biotechnology Corporation, an adult stem cell company based in Los Angeles, California, announces thediscovery in adult tissues of a very primitive stem cell with properties thatare similar to embryonic cells.

A New Focus For The Mechanism Of Nerve Growth

Source: Yale University
Posted: March 20, 2006

New Haven, Conn. -- Researchers at Yale shed new light on the mechanism of nerve cell growth by identifying novel functions for a molecular "motor" protein, myosin-II. This study implicates the molecular motor, myosin II, as a key part of the process of recycling the actin networks and ultimately sensing and directing nerve growth. The team is now investigating the implications of these findings for control of nerve growth, with particular interest in repair of spinal cord nerves after injury.

Samaritan's Adult Stem Cell Drug Displays Money-Making Signs

Source: Business Wire
Date: March 21, 2006

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 20, 2006--Samaritan Pharmaceuticals Inc. (AMEX:LIV), a developer of innovative drugs, announced today its Alzheimer's adult stem cell drug SP-sc04, which induces dormant brain neuronal stem cells to differentiate rapidly into adult neuron cells, is progressing through preclinical studies with promising results.

New 'Stars' In Formation Of Nerve Cell Insulation

Source: Cell Press
Posted: March 21, 2006

The insulating myelin sheath enwrapping the cable-like axons of nerve cells is the major target of attack of the immune system in multiple sclerosis. Such attack causes neural short-circuits that give rise to the muscle weakness, loss of coordination, and speech and visual loss in the disease.

Researchers at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development have reported that supporting cells called astrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS) promote myelination by releasing an immune system molecule that triggers myelin-forming cells to action. The finding, they say, "may offer new approaches to treating demyelinating diseases."

Moraga discovers flexible stem cell in adult tissue

Source: Pharmaceutical Business Review
Date: 20th March 2006

By Staff Writer
Moraga Biotechnology has discovered a very primitive stem cell in adult tissue with properties that the company says are similar to embryonic cells. The finding could help to negotiate ethical concerns about the use of embryonic stem cells in developing new treatments.

Growth-factor Therapy Improves Endothelial Cell Production And Mobility In Arterial Disease

Source: Emory University Health Sciences Center
Posted: March 13, 2006

Using a growth factor to stimulate production of circulating endothelial progenitor cells increases the numbers of these vascular regenerative cells, improves mobility, and potentially could improve blood vessel function in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD).

Potential Heart Benefit Found In Stem Cells

Source: American College of Cardiology
Date: March 18, 2006

Research on the efficacy of stem cell therapy for heart repair has shown benefit from mesenchymal stem cells (often found in bone marrow), but mostly because assist in the growth of new blood vessels. In two studies presented from Japanese researchers, new sources from menstrual blood-derived endometrial cells and umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal cells show significant promise in this function.

Old Man, Look at Your Life

Source: Reuters / Wired
Date: March 15, 2006

Modern medicine is redefining old age and may soon allow people to live regularly beyond the current upper limit of 120 years. It used to be thought there was some built-in limit on lifespan, but a group of scientists consigned that idea to the dustbin.

Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp. Reports Positive Results of Phase I Clinical Trial

Source: Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp. via CNW Group
March 16, 2006

CALGARY, March 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp. has reported positive results from its Phase I clinical trial in support of its lead therapeutic program for stroke, NTx(TM)-265. The trial demonstrated that, for the two drugs administered to healthy volunteers, no drug related adverse events were encountered and both drugs were detected in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) following intramuscular administration.

Diabetes Research Yielding Breakthrough Success: Bioengineering Team Successfully Growing Insulin-producing Cells In Lab

Source: University of Calgary
Posted: March 17, 2006

Freedom from insulin injections and the myriad of health problems related to type 1 diabetes is closer to becoming reality. University of Calgary researchers are developing the first bioreactor procedures to grow pancreatic cells in their laboratory. This opens the door to the possibility of providing a steady supply of insulin-producing cells that can be transplanted into patients affected by this serious disease.

Study To Test Drug's Potential To Preserve Insulin Production In Newly Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetics

Source: Indiana University
Posted: March 16, 2006

A drug used to treat lymphoma, rheumatoid arthritis and other immune disorders may enable newly-diagnosed type 1 diabetics to save some of their pancreas function and thereby reduce their susceptibility to long-term complications.

Montgomery Advertiser, 1/7/06: "Editorial: Stem-cell policy has long reach"

Here's a recent editorial about the current federal stem cell research restrictions in the United States being partially responsible for the recent cloning fraud in South Korea:

Uncovering How Bone Marrow Stomal Cells Can Potentially Regenerate Brain Tissue

Source: Society of Nuclear Medicine
Posted: March 16, 2006

Japanese researchers have found a piece of the “missing link” about how adult bone marrow stromal cells restore lost neurologic function when transplanted into animals exhibiting central nervous system disorders. The cells may provide a safe, ethical source for replacing brain cells lost to neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Studies have shown that cells taken from adult human bone marrow may possibly be converted into neural cells that could then be transplanted into the brain.

Stem cell heart treatment: Baxter machine for separating cells is key to an attempt to counter disease in clinical trial

Source: Chicago Tribune
By Bruce Japsen
Tribune staff reporter
Published March 7, 2006

A treatment that uses adult stem cells to rebuild failing hearts--once believed to be impossible--will undergo a pivotal test starting this week in a 150-patient clinical trial under the watch of Baxter International Inc.

Adult Stem Cells Improve Cardiac Function and Blood Flow in Patients With Heart Disease, New Study Finds

Source: Cordis Corporation via PR Newswire
March 15, 2006

ATLANTA, March 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Bone marrow-derived adult stem cells administered within the heart (intramyocardial) and coronary artery (intracoronary) tissues of heart disease patients improved patients' heart function and blood flow, according to a pilot study presented at the 2006 American College of Cardiology Scientific Session. The study also found that patients who received more stem cells experienced a higher degree of cardiac improvement. The results of this study may lead to treatments for for patients who suffer from serious coronary heart disease. Additional clinical investigation is necessary to confirm the findings.

Alzheimer's Study First To Explain Death Of Brain Cells

Source: Children's Hospital & Research Center at Oakland
Posted: March 14, 2006

Researchers at Children's Hospital & Research Center at Oakland (CHRCO) have published a new study that is the first to explain how brain cells die in patients with Alzheimer's Disease. This discovery is an important first step to helping researchers devise ways to slow, prevent and eventually cure the disease.

Menstrual blood yields stem cells

Source: Reuters
Posted: March 14, 2006

Summary:

Reuters reports Japanese researchers have obtained stem cells from menstrual blood:

"Japanese researchers have harvested stem cells from human menstrual blood, a medical conference has heard. The researchers say these stem cells could be coaxed into forming specialised heart cells, which might one-day be used to treat failing or damaged hearts. They were able to obtain about 30 times more stem cells from menstrual blood than from bone marrow. The stem cells were then cultured in a way to induce them to become heart cells."

First Lung Stem Cells Discovered: May lead to the early detection of lung cancer

Source: Technology Review
March/April 2006

Scientists at MIT's Center for Cancer Research have discovered stem cells -- cells that do not yet have a specific function -- in the lung. Not only is this the first time anyone has found stem cells in the lung, but the team claims that these cells could be the precursor for lung cancer, the cancer that causes the greatest number of deaths in the U.S. each year. In the future, locating the cells could be a new approach to identifying the disease at its earliest stage.

Brain-Healing Nanotechnology: A ground-breaking treatment could restore lost abilities to stroke victims and others.

Source: Technology Review
Date: March 14, 2006

Summary:

Although victims of stroke and traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries sometimes recover through rehabilitation, they often have permanent disabilities, in part, because scar tissue and regulatory chemicals in the brain slow nerve growth, preventing nerve tissue from repairing itself. Now a treatment that has restored lost vision in lab animals appears to overcome these obstacles, allowing a mass of nerve cells to regrow after being cut.

Eye cell implants may ease Parkinson’s

Source: MSNBC / Reuters

CHICAGO - People with Parkinson’s disease showed marked improvement after surgeons implanted in their brains chemical-producing cells taken from the eye of a dead donor.

Progenitor Cells Stem Damage After Heart Attack: Study found infusions doubled the improvement in heart pumping function

Source: HealthDay News

By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Nov. 14 (HealthDay News) -- A type of stem cell therapy may offer hope to heart attack survivors who face the prospect of continued heart damage, new research shows. When infused with progenitor bone marrow cells, these patients showed almost double the improvement in the heart's ability to pump blood as did patients who were given a placebo.

Stem Cell Research Holds Promise for Victims of Spinal Cord Ischemia

Source: University of California - San Diego
Date: March 13, 2006

Summary:

Dr. Martin Marsala, an associate professor in the department of anesthesiology, hopes his research with stem cells will one day soon allow people who are suffering from spinal ischemic injury to improve their motor function. His research focuses on is developing cell-replacement therapies aimed at re-populating pools of inhibitory neurons lost when blood supply to the spinal cord is blocked during surgery. While Marsala's research to date has been with rats and mini-pigs, his work is moving towards human trials within the next one to two years, with the goal of promoting motor recovery after spinal cord ischemia.

Living Taste Cells Produced Outside The Body

Source: Monell Chemical Senses Center
Posted: February 24, 2006

Researchers have succeeded in growing mature taste receptor cells outside the body and for the first time have been able to successfully keep the cells alive for a prolonged period of time. The establishment of a viable long-term model opens a range of new opportunities to increase scientists' understanding of the sense of taste and how it functions in nutrition, health and disease. "We have an important new tool to help discover molecules that can enhance or block different kinds of tastes," explains principle investigator Nancy Rawson, PhD, a cellular biologist. "In addition, the success of this technique may provide hope for people who have lost their sense of taste due to radiation therapy or tissue damage, who typically lose weight and become malnourished. This system gives us a way to test for drugs that can promote recovery."

Liquid crystal mixture might aid stem-cell research

Source: Wisconsin State Journal
DAVID WAHLBERG
March 6, 2006

Liquid crystals, which help display information on cell phones and laptops, could also prove handy in growing stem cells, UW-Madison researchers say. The crystals could offer a new way to monitor differentiation - the process by which blank-slate stem cells evolve into other cell types, such as skin, muscle, kidney or brain.

Stem cells studied as heart-attack treatment

Source: Chicago Sun-Times
Date: March 1, 2006

BY JIM RITTER Health Reporter

In a new approach to treating heart disease, researchers are trying to reverse the damage by growing new heart muscle with stem cells.

Study makes adult stem cells more usable

Source: United Press International
Date: January 30, 2006
By ASTARA MARCH

WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- The discovery of several new growth hormones has allowed American scientists to expand colonies of adult mouse stem cells, which usually don't grow in the laboratory, to volumes large enough for use in medical treatments. If the technology also works in human stem cells, researchers say, the technique would pave the way for a host of new therapies and research.

Geron's protocol enhances stem-cell yield

Source: United Press International
Date: January 27, 2006

Summary:

Geron said Friday it had developed a protocol to generate islet cells from human embryonic stem cells that could enable the scalable production of treatments for diabetes.

GERON ANNOUNCES IMPROVED PRODUCTION METHOD FOR HUMAN EMBRYONIC STEM CELL-DERIVED ISLET CELLS

Source: Geron Corporation

Menlo Park, CA — January 27, 2006 -- Geron Corporation announced the presentation of a new production protocol to differentiate islet cells from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) for the treatment of diabetes.

Human Embryonic Stem Cell Line Produced Without Use Of Animal Products

Source: University of New South Wales
Posted: Janauary 6, 2006

A UNSW researcher based at the Diabetes Transplant Unit at the Prince of Wales Hospital has produced a human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line without the use of any animal products. The breakthrough eliminates the risk of animal-to-human contamination in potential stem cell therapy treatments.

Scientists advancing stem cell therapies

Source: Australian Associated Press / Sydney Morning Herald
Date: 23 January 2006

Australian scientists believe they have moved a step closer to developing human embryonic stem cells capable of treating disease. The researchers at Sydney's Prince of Wales Hospital have produced a continuously growing population of human embryonic stem cells in a culture devoid of animal products, eliminating the risk of animal-to-human contamination in potential therapies. Eliminating the need for animal products is seen by scientists as overcoming a major hurdle in developing safe and effective treatments for human diseases using embryonic stem cells.

Immune Cells May Help Maintain Cognition And Brain Cell Renewal

Source: American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science
Posted: January 16, 2006

A team of scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science, led by Prof. Michal Schwartz of the Neurobiology Department, has come up with new findings that may have implications in delaying and slowing down cognitive deterioration in old age. The basis for these developments is Schwartz's team's observations that immune cells contribute to maintaining the brain's ability to maintain cognitive ability and cell renewal throughout life.

Study Finds Cloned Stem Cells Safe: Results reassure those who worried lines created without fertilized embryo might go awry

Source: HealthDay News
Date: January 16, 2006

By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Jan. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Stem cells taken from cloned embryos are likely to be safe when used for therapeutic purposes, a new study finds. Although the work, which appears online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was done in mice, there is hope the findings will translate to humans.

Administering Stem Cells To Patients With Myocardial Infarction Leads To A Reduction Of The Infarct

Source: VIB, Flanders Interuniversity Institute of Biotechnology
Posted: January 16, 2006

Doctors at the Catholic University of Leuven, connected with the University Hospital - Gasthuisberg, the Stem Cell Institute Leuven (SCIL), and the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), recently publishing a major breakthrough in the treatment of patients with acute myocardial infarction. Their research shows that the administration of a patient's own stem cells has a significant positive effect on the heart's recovery: in the patients studied, the size of the infarct was clearly reduced. This study is a world-first − its exciting results are being published in the prominent medical journal The Lancet.

Deer Antlers Hold Clues To Stem Cell Research

Source: Medical News Today
Date: 15 Jan 2006

New research carried out by veterinary scientists at the Royal Veterinary College reveals that deer antler regeneration may use stem cells and involves similar mechanisms to those used in limb development. The research could take us towards a ‘holy grail' in human medicine: the ability to restore organs damaged through trauma, disease, cancer or excision.

Hope of clone cure for sickle cell anaemia: Researchers manage to treat mice for condition that affects five million people

Source: The Times
Date: January 10, 2006

Scientists have successfully treated sickle cell anaemia in mice by transplanting embryonic stem (ES) cells that have been genetically altered to correct the mutation that causes the blood condition.

Human Hair Follicle Stem Cells

Source: Medical News Today
Date: 06 Jan 2006

In a study appearing in the January 4, 2006 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Jonathan Vogel and colleagues from the National Cancer Institute successfully isolated and characterized genes expressed by human hair follicle stem cells. The isolation, cultivation, and propagation of these stem cells are important for tissue-engineering approaches to treating disorders of the hair and skin.

Stem cell therapy sparks hope in ailing hearts: Experimental procedure uses patient's own cells to regenerate tissue

Source: Reuters / MSNBC
Date: January 8, 2006

A Bangkok hospital is trying a novel therapy that involves injecting stem cells culled from the patient’s own blood into the heart to try to regenerate ailing heart muscle. The two-hour procedure, which involves a patient’s own adult stem cells, skirts the risk of rejection by the body and thorny ethical issues surrounding the use of embryonic stem cells posed by some who equate using embryos with destroying human life.

New stem-cell medium seems safer -- study

Source: United Press International
Date: January 3, 2006

By ASTARA MARCH

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- A new culture medium for growing human stem cells -- that contains no animal products -- is offering researchers a cleaner and therefore safer environment for performing the cutting-edge technology. The discovery means that stem cells developed for therapeutic use can be transferred directly to human subjects, said researchers.

Scientists grow stem-cell lines in new medium

Source: Boston Globe / Reuters

By Joanne Morrison, Reuters | January 2, 2006

WASHINGTON -- Scientists at a laboratory affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a stem cell culture medium free of animal cells and used it to derive two new human embryonic stem cell lines.

The new work, reported in the journal Nature Biotechnology, is a crucial step in stem cell research because it will allow growth of these cells without using animal products that can harbor viruses and other potential sources of problems.

Wisconsin Scientists Grow Two New Stem Cell Lines In Animal Cell-free Culture

Source: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Posted: January 1, 2006

Scientists working at the WiCell Research Institute, a private laboratory affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, have developed a precisely defined stem cell culture system free of animal cells and used it to derived two new human embryonic stem cell lines.

UW scientists reveal stem-cell advance

Source: Wisconsin State Journal
Date: January 1, 2006

UW-Madison scientists have created two new embryonic stem-cell lines, the first grown without animal products, officials say, removing a major obstacle to their potential use as cell therapies in people.

Japanese scientists discover fast-growing stem cell

Source: The Yomiuri Shimbun

A team of researchers has succeeded in engineering stem cells taken from tooth germ to quickly develop into liver or bone tissue, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology's Research Institute (AIST) for Cell Engineering said.

(Mar. 11, 2006)

Embryonic stem cells made to produce cancer-fighting cells

Source: University of Minnesota

By Sara Buss

From M, winter 2006

Stem cell researchers at the University of Minnesota have coaxed human embryonic stem cells to create cancer-killing cells in the laboratory, paving the way for future treatments for various types of cancers (or tumors).

Researchers to Begin Brain Stem Cell Trial

Source: Associated Press

By WILLIAM McCALL
The Associated Press
Thursday, March 9, 2006; 8:22 PM

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Oregon researchers are set to begin the first clinical trial in the nation using fetal stem cells to treat infants and children suffering from a rare and fatal brain disease.

Researchers set to begin brain stem cell trial: Experiment aimed at halting progression of fatal genetic disease in kids

Source: The Associated Press
Updated: 8:56 p.m. ET March 9, 2006

Summary:

PORTLAND, Ore. - Oregon researchers are set to begin the first clinical trial in the nation using fetal stem cells to treat infants and children suffering from a rare and fatal brain disease. The stem cells will be injected into the brain in an effort to halt the progress of the genetic disorder called Batten disease that leaves its victims blind, speechless and paralyzed before they die. Researchers note the cells are taken from fetal tissue -- not from developing embryos.

Researchers To Study Effectiveness Of Stem Cell Transplant In Human Brain

Source: Oregon Health & Science University
Date: March 9, 2006

Summary:

Researchers will begin a Phase I clinical trial using stem cells in infants and children with a rare neurodegenerative disorder that affects infants and children. The groundbreaking trial will test whether a proprietary human central nervous stem cell product developed by StemCells, Inc. is safe, and whether it can slow the progression of two forms of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL), a devastating disease that is always fatal. NCL is part of a group of disorders often referred to as Batten disease.

Stem cell transplants offer hope against lupus

Source: New Scientist
21:00 31 January 2006

NewScientist.com news service
Roxanne Khamsi
Scientists claim that they have achieved landmark success with an experimental approach, using a patient’s own stem cells, to fight the life-threatening autoimmune disease lupus.

Stem Cell Transplant Fights Lupus: It's a last resort for patients who aren't helped by other treatments

Source: HealthDay News
Posted: January 31, 2006

By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Jan. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors say they have helped people with lupus, a disease in which the immune system attacks the body's own tissue and organs, by using stem cell transplants to give them a new, less harmful, immune system.

Stem cell treatment shows promise for lupus. Study: Procedure can reverse effects of inflammatory disease

MSNBC.com
Source: Reuters

Reuters
Updated: 4:14 p.m. ET Jan. 31, 2006

CHICAGO - Stem cells from the bone marrow of patients with severe cases of lupus can help reverse the course of the chronic inflammatory disease when transplanted back into the same patients.

Researchers Identify Major Source Of Muscle Repair Cells; Implications For Treating Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy

Source: University of Utah Health Sciences Center
Posted: January 31, 2006

In a surprising discovery with implications for treating muscular dystrophy, researchers at the University of Utah School of Medicine and other institutions have identified a major source of origin for two groups of adult cells that regulate muscle repair.

Scientists Spot Mad Cow Protein's 'Good Side': It's essential to the creation of new blood cells, research shows

Source: HealthDay News
Date: Janauary 30, 2006

MONDAY, Jan. 30 (HealthDay News) -- The same protein that causes mad cow disease and its human equivalent also plays an important role in helping certain kinds of adult stem cells maintain themselves, a new study finds.

Stem Cells From Muscles Can Repair Cartilage

Source: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Posted: January 30, 2006

Tissue engineering involving the delivery of therapeutic proteins to the injured site is a promising new approach to repairing articular cartilage. Studies have suggested that muscles contain stem cells that can develop in various ways, including into cells that lead to the formation of bone. In a study published in the February 2006 issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism (http://www.interscience.wiley.com/journal/arthritis), researchers designed a study using muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs) genetically engineered with a therapeutic protein in an effort to repair articular cartilage defects in rats.

Muscle Stem Cells Transformed Into Cartilage: Could be potential treatment for joint damage caused by arthritis, study suggests

Source: HealthDay News
Date: January 30, 2006

By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Jan. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers say they have turned adult muscle stem cells into cartilage, and used them in animals to heal the kind of damage caused by arthritis.

Bones From Blood: Scientists Aim To Break New Ground On Fractures

Source: University of York
Posted: January 30, 2006

Scientists at the University of York have launched a new research project which aims to develop ways of making bones from blood. Researchers from the University’s Department of Biology are heading the EC-backed project to create bone structures from cord blood stem cells for use in the repair of bone defects and fractures.

Discoveries May Advance Stem Cell Therapy For Parkinson's, Cancer Patients

Source: Cell Press
Posted: January 27, 2006

Studies in the Jan. 27, 2006 Cell have yielded evidence that could aid stem cell therapies aimed at patients with Parkinson's disease and those with compromised immune systems due to intensive cancer therapy or autoimmune disease, according to researchers.

Advances move stem cells closer to clinic

Source: United Press International
Date: Janauary 26, 2006

HEALTH BUSINESS

By STEVE MITCHELL
UPI Senior Medical Correspondent

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Two new studies make significant advances in stem-cell research and could help progress efforts to turn both adult and embryonic stem cells into cures and therapies, particularly for patients with Parkinson's disease or immune-system disorders.

'Cocktail' Helps Adult Stem Cells Thrive in Lab: Discovery could aid bone marrow transplants, gene therapy, researchers say

Source: Health Day News
Date: January 23, 2006

By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, Jan. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists have discovered a "cocktail" of growth factors that expands the number of stem cells they can grow in the laboratory at least 10 times beyond what anyone has been able to do before.

Powerful Technique For Multiplying Adult Stem Cells May Aid Therapies

Source: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
Posted: January 23, 2006

Researchers in the lab of Whitehead Institute Member and MIT professor of biology Harvey Lodish have discovered a way to multiply an adult stem cell 30-fold, an expansion that offers tremendous promise for treatments such as bone marrow transplants and perhaps even gene therapy.

Biologists cite way to multiply blood stem cells: Cambridge research may aid bone marrow transplants

Source: Boston Globe
By Gareth Cook, Globe Staff | January 23, 2006

Biologists announced yesterday a way to dramatically expand populations of blood stem cells, a discovery that could improve bone marrow transplants and make them available to more patients. The new technique, discovered in mouse experiments by biologists at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, uses a cocktail of growth factors to multiply the stem cells up to thirtyfold.

Cloned Stem Cells Prove Identical To Fertilized Stem Cells

Source: Whitehead Institute For Biomedical Research
Posted: January 17, 2006

After analyzing the complete gene-expression profiles of both cloned and fertilization-derived stem cells in mice, scientists at Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research now have concluded that the two are, in fact, indistinguishable.

Turning Stem Cells into Tissues: Scientists are learning how to control the two unique properties of stem cells.

Source: Technology Review
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
By Emily Singer

The most eagerly anticipated therapeutic use for stem cells is regenerative medicine. Biologists dream of the day they can take a stem cell and create any of the body's cell types, producing pancreas or liver tissue that doctors could use to aid a failing organ.

Insight into mystery of antlers

Source: BBC News
Published: 2006/01/12 20:00:39 GMT

Stem cells play a key role in the deer's remarkable ability to grow new antlers, according to research.
The deer is unique among mammals in being able to regenerate a complete body part - in this case a set of bone antlers covered in velvety skin. Experts at the Royal Veterinary College hope the work could one day lead to new ways to repair damaged human tissues.

Animal eggs 'to grow stem cells'

Published: 2006/01/12 15:14:25 GMT
Source: BBC News

Stem cell researchers in the UK are looking to use animal eggs as "hosts" to grow human cells. A Chinese team has already claimed to have created human embryonic stem cells using rabbit eggs which had had their genetic material removed.

Boosting Stem Cells to Treat Diabetes: A NYSTAR grant is helping Emmanuel Tzanakakis discover ways to boost the number of stem cells produced in the l

Source: University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
Date: January 9, 2006

Summary:

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- For diabetes patients, human stem cell-based transplants that produce insulin would be a major breakthrough. Emmanuel (Manolis) Tzanakakis, Ph.D., is striving to boost the numbers of stem cells produced in the laboratory, expanding the pool of cells that eventually can be differentiated into insulin-producing cells.

Sickle cell mutation corrected in mice: Research may have implications for humans suffering from the disease

Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Posted: Jan. 9, 2006
From the Jan. 10, 2006 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

By KAWANZA NEWSON
knewson@journalsentinel.com

Scientists have used embryonic stem cells to correct the mutation that causes sickle cell disease in mice, a preliminary finding that may lead to treatment options for people with the painful and debilitating disease. Although it is unknown if the technique will ultimately work in humans, the research suggests the technique could allow people born with this genetic defect to live with few or no complications from their illness.

Researchers Use Embryonic Model To Reprogram Malignant Melanoma

Source: Northwestern University
Posted: February 28, 2006

Scientists at Northwestern University and the Stowers Institute for Medical Research have reprogrammed malignant melanoma cells to become normal melanocytes, or pigment cells, a development that may hold promise in treating of one of the deadliest forms of cancer.

Study Ties 'New' Cell-death Mechanism To Developmental And Degenerative Brain Disorders

Source: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Posted: February 28, 2006

An international research team has provided the first conclusive evidence that neurodevelopmental disorders such as mental retardation and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and ataxias can be caused, at least in part, by specific gene defects that interfere with the electrical impulses of rapid-firing brain nerve cells called bursting neurons.

Find weeds out cancerous stem cells

Source: The Australian
Dan Box
February 27, 2006
AUSTRALIAN scientists have overcome a hurdle in the evolution of embryonic stem cell technology by devising a means of weeding out cells that are potentially cancerous. The research, published in the March edition of Nature magazine, represents a breakthrough for the technology. The discovery would allow scientists to identify which stem cells were beginning to develop the abnormalities that preceded the cell becoming cancerous.

Porcine Islets Offer Promise For Human Diabetic Patients

Source: Emory University Health Sciences Center
Posted: February 27, 2006

Islet cell xenotransplantation presents a promising near-term solution to the critically low islet cell supply for humans suffering from type 1 diabetes, according to researchers from the Emory Transplant Center, the Yerkes National Primate Research Center of Emory University and the University of Alberta, Canada. The Emory/Yerkes researchers successfully transplanted and engrafted insulin-producing neonatal porcine islet cells harvested by the University of Alberta researchers into diabetic rhesus macaque monkeys, restoring the monkeys' glucose control and resulting in sustained insulin independence.

Cells from baby pigs to treat diabetes

Source: The Times
February 27, 2006
By Mark Henderson, Science Correspondent

TRANSPLANTS of piglet cells could be used to treat diabetes patients within three years after successful experiments in monkeys, scientists said. Two new studies have shown that insulin-producing islet cells from the pancreases of newborn pigs can reverse type 1 diabetes in primates. The findings, from teams in Canada and the US, pave the way for human clinical trials.
If the trials are successful, millions of people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes could eventually benefit from treatment with piglet cells.

Stem Cells May Be Key to Cancer

Source: The New York Times
Date: February 21, 2006

By NICHOLAS WADE
Correction Appended

Stem cells are the source of at least some, and perhaps all, cancers. At the heart of every tumor, some researchers believe, lie a handful of aberrant stem cells that maintain the malignant tissue. The idea, if right, could explain why tumors often regenerate even after being almost destroyed by anticancer drugs.

U research holds hope for diabetics: A new study raises the potential for an endless supply of insulin-producing cells to cure the disease that affect

Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune
Last update: February 19, 2006 – 11:03 PM

Maura Lerner, Star Tribune

Researchers at the University of Minnesota announced Sunday that they were able to reverse diabetes in monkeys by transplanting insulin-producing cells from pigs. Some are calling it a milestone that could eventually transform the lives of millions of people. If the research pans out, it could provide an endless supply of healthy cells to replace the ones that don't work in diabetics. In the study, diabetic monkeys were injected with pig islet cells, which make insulin, and survived without insulin shots for up to six months. The results were published online by the journal Nature Medicine.

Research Offers Hope To Increase Islet Supply To Cure Type 1 Diabetes

Source: University of Minnesota
Posted: February 21, 2006

Researchers have successfully reversed diabetes in monkeys using transplanted islet cells from pigs. They have already had success reversing type 1 diabetes in humans through islet transplantation, however, the demand for islet cells grossly outweighs the supply. In order to make islet transplantation a viable solution for the tens of thousands of people with difficult-to-manage diabetes, a safe and reliable source of islet cells must be found.

Researchers Unlock How Cells Determine Their Functions

Source: University of California - Riverside
Posted: February 27, 2006

Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have discovered a molecular mechanism that directs the fate and function of cells during animal development. The findings could hold promise for the advancement of cancer and stem-cell research.

Adult pancreas stem cells can make insulin

Source: United Press International
Date: February 20, 2006

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Researchers said this week that adult stem cells in the pancreas can be transformed into insulin-producing cells. This newfound ability of endocrine progenitor stem cells in the adult human pancreas provides a major key to developing new treatments for diabetes, researchers said.

Engineering Nerve Jumper Cables For Spinal Cord Repair In Animal Model

Source: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Posted: February 19, 2006

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have created -- in a rodent model -- a completely new way to engineer nerve structures, or constructs, in culture. This proof-of-principle research has implications for eventually becoming a new method to repair spinal cord injury in humans. The work appears in the latest issue of Tissue Engineering.

Stem cell scaffolds repair rodent spinal cord damage

Source: NewScientist.com news service
Date: 11:32 18 February 2006
Roxanne Khamsi, St Louis

Synthetic structures seeded with neuron-producing human stem cells can help rodents with severe spinal cord damage to regain mobility, early results from animal tests suggest. Researchers hope that the approach might one day help to heal nervous system injury in humans.

Researchers Discover Key Factor For Survival Of Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Source: University of California - Irvine
Posted: February 17, 2006

Scientists at UC Irvine have discovered a way to keep large quantities of these cells alive, a finding that could potentially lead to mass production of hES cells for therapeutic use at lower cost.

Researchers found that molecules known as neurotrophins have a significant effect on whether hES cells survive in the laboratory. Although stem cells have the ability to self-renew and to differentiate into any cell in the body, it has been a challenge to keep them alive as single cells in an undifferentiated state.

Commentary: Hopefully this finding will enable research to progress at a more rapid pace, as scientists can now create mass quantities of stem cells in order to conduct a greater number of studies, experiments and clinical trials.

New Cord Blood Stem Cell Identified: Discovery Suggests Potential Treatment For Regenerating Nerve Tissue After Stroke

Source: University of Minnesota
Posted: February 16, 2006

Researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School have discovered a new population of cells in human umbilical cord blood that have properties of primitive stem cells. The new findings identify a small population of cord blood cells with the characteristics of more primitive stem cells that have the potential to produce a greater variety of cell types.
This research was published in the latest issue of the journal Stem Cells and Development.
Transplantation of these human cord blood stem cells into laboratory rodents with experimental strokes resulted in significant reductions in the size of brain lesion, and improved these animals' use of their limbs. Some of the transplanted stem cells developed into "neuron-like" cells that are typically found in the brain.

Stroke is a neurological disorder that affects nearly 750,000 people in the United States each year. It can occur because of clots that form in blood vessels in the brain, or because of blood vessel rupture.

Commentary: Hopefully these findings willl lead to improved treatments for strokes and neurological disorders.

The Real Stem Cell Hope: Cloned stem cells could offer a clearer window on diseases.

Source: Technology Review
Date: Thursday, February 09, 2006
By Emily Singer

This is a story about the potential of cloned cells matched patients to treat diseases. See the link for the full story.

Edinburgh Scientists Identify A Key Player In Making Specialised Cells From Embryonic Stem Cells

Source: Nature Cell Biology
Posted: 08 February 2006

Scientists from the University of Edinburgh have shown that the protein Mbd3 plays a crucial role in the process by which embryonic stem cells become specialised cells, such as brain or skin cells. These findings make significant advances in understanding how embryonic stem cells can be made to become all the different types of cell in the body, ultimately to be used in replacement therapies for specific diseases and injuries. This research is published online this week in the leading scientific journal Nature Cell Biology.

Stem Cell Procedure May Help Ease Lupus

Source: Los Angeles Times
By Jia-Rui Chong
Times Staff Writer

Transplants of stem cells harvested from bone marrow have provided the first successful treatment for lupus patients who have not responded to other therapies, Chicago researchers reported Tuesday.

The study, which enrolled 50 people with the incurable autoimmune disease, found that half had no signs of the disease after five years. Those patients no longer required drugs to keep their immune systems from attacking their tissues, according to the study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Assn.

Stem cells studied as heart-attack treatment

Source: Chicago Sun-Times
Date: March 1, 2006

BY JIM RITTER Health Reporter

The heart is seldom the same after a heart attack.

After a blood clot shuts off blood flow in a coronary artery, heart muscle dies. Many survivors wind up with irregular heartbeats, congestive heart failure or repeat heart attacks.

In a new approach to treating heart disease, researchers are trying to reverse the damage by growing new heart muscle with stem cells.

Liquid Crystals Show Promise In Controlling Embryonic Stem Cells

Source: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Date: March 8, 2006

Summary:

Liquid crystals, the same phase-shifting materials used to display information on cell phones, monitors and other electronic equipment, can also be used to report in real time on the differentiation of embryonic stem cells. University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers at the NSF-funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) have shown that by straining mechanically the cells as they grow, it is possible to reduce significantly and almost eliminate the uncontrolled differentiation of stem cells.

Stem-cell research at U of L 'major step': Nerve-repair work offers hope for treating array of disorders

Source: The Courier-Journal
Date: March 8, 2006

Summary:

A laboratory rat unable to use its right front paw because of a spinal cord injury struggles to walk across a rope, loses its footing and falls. Then a rat that had the same injury scurries across the rope without a problem, just weeks after an injection containing adult stem cells from a human nose that were transformed into nerve cells. The rats are part of a line of groundbreaking research at the University of Louisville that could lead to treatments for spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and other nerve disorders.

Multiple Sclerosis Research Into Reparative Cells Offers New Avenue For Fighting Disease

Source: UT Southwestern Medical Center
Posted: March 7, 2006

Summary:

Plaques that form around the nerve cells of people with multiple sclerosis are apparently what disable people with the disease. But partly developed reparative cells within the plaques provide hope for a treatment, a UT Southwestern physician reports in the New England Journal of Medicine. Even though the oligodendrocytes are damaged, there exists a reservoir of oligodendrocyte precursor cell, or OPCs, left over from development that could be activated to repair the damage, he said. The problem is how to trigger them to grow.

Newly Discovered Killer Cell Fights Cancer

Source: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Posted: March 3, 2006

Summary:

A mouse immune cell that plays dual roles as both assassin and messenger, normally the job of two separate cells, has been discovered by an international team of researchers from the United States and France. The discovery has triggered a race among scientists to find a human equivalent of the multitasking cell, which could one day be a target for therapies that seek out and destroy cancer.

Bone Marrow Cells Can Become Functional Gut Lining Cells

Source: Yale University
Date: March 2, 2006

Summary:

Researchers report the discovery that cells used in bone marrow transplantation can develop into new cells lining the gut, according to a study by Yale School of Medicine in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study showed that bone marrow derived cells can differentiate into functional gastrointestinal epithelial cells after bone marrow transplantation.

Transplanted cells regenerate muscles

Source: Havard University Gazette / Harvard News Office
Date: March 2, 2006

Summary:

A new approach for transplanting cells shows promise for regenerating injured and diseased tissues and whole organs. Such biological engineering, which once excited the medical community, has been fraught with the difficulties of keeping transplanted cells alive and getting them to integrate with a host's body. Researchers at Harvard University's Department of Engineering and Applied Science may have solved these problems. The strategy successfully heals lacerated muscles in mice, but the potential exists for applying it to a wide variety of situations in humans, including treatment of muscular dystrophy, heart disease, and some brain disorders, and to regenerate bone.

Stem cells might mend heart

Source: Courier-Post
Date: March 2, 2006

Summary:

A $300,000 New Jersey state grant to the Coriell Institute is going to bring to Camden stem-cell research that could help doctors improve the recovery of a heart. The results could eventually give doctors options that would allow them to repair human hearts, rather than replace them. The research will focus on determining how stem cells drawn from blood in umbilical cords aid the recovery of damaged heart muscle cells, and could potentially be used to treat cardiovascular disease.

Marrow-derived Stem Cells Deliver New Cytokine To Kill Brain Tumor Cells, Offer Protection

Source: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Posted: March 1, 2006

Summary:

Attaching a recently discovered cytokine to neural stem cells derived from bone marrow, researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute have developed a tool to track and kill malignant brain tumor cells and provide long-term protection against their return. Results of an animal study are published in the March 1, 2006 issue of Cancer Research, and the researchers are now applying to regulatory agencies to translate their work into human clinical trials. This study provides the first documentation that the marrow-derived stem cells possess the same tumor-tracking capability of other neural stem cells. It also includes the first report on the use of the cytokine interleukin-23 (IL-23) as a potential gene-delivered therapy against glioma.