Source: University of Oregon
Posted: December 28, 2006 - 12:00 PST
Summary:
An enzyme found at elevated levels in several human cancers has been linked to abnormal tumor growth in fruit flies, a discovery that provides a new model for understanding the link between stem cell biology and cancer, according to researchers at the University of Oregon.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
How Zebra Finches Learn Songs: Cellular Killer Also Important To Memory
Source: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Date: December 28, 2006
Summary:
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have discovered that a protein known mainly for its role in killing cells also aids in memory formation. Their studies on how zebra finches learn songs could have implications for treatment of neurodegenerative conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Date: December 28, 2006
Summary:
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have discovered that a protein known mainly for its role in killing cells also aids in memory formation. Their studies on how zebra finches learn songs could have implications for treatment of neurodegenerative conditions such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease.
Experimental Drug Shows Promise In Targeting Leukemic Stem Cells
Source: University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Date: December 28, 2006
Summary:
Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have found, in laboratory studies, that the experimental drug ABT-737 which has shown promise in some cancers, can destroy acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blast, progenitor and even stem cells that are often resistant to standard chemotherapy treatment.
Date: December 28, 2006
Summary:
Researchers at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have found, in laboratory studies, that the experimental drug ABT-737 which has shown promise in some cancers, can destroy acute myeloid leukemia (AML) blast, progenitor and even stem cells that are often resistant to standard chemotherapy treatment.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
MIT creates 3-D scaffold for growing stem cells
Source: Public Library of Science
Date: December 26, 2006
Summary:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Italian researchers grew, multiplied and differentiated stem cells into brain cells on a new three-dimensional scaffold of tiny protein fragments designed to be more like a living body than any other cell culture system.
Date: December 26, 2006
Summary:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Italian researchers grew, multiplied and differentiated stem cells into brain cells on a new three-dimensional scaffold of tiny protein fragments designed to be more like a living body than any other cell culture system.
First Demonstration That Physical Topography Influences Human Stem Cell Self-Renewal
Source: The American Society for Cell Biology
Article Date: 26 Dec 2006 - 11:00 PST
Summary:
Nothing in the cellular world is flat. Even the flattest of basement membranes has topography; bumps, if you like, beneath the cellular mattress.
Article Date: 26 Dec 2006 - 11:00 PST
Summary:
Nothing in the cellular world is flat. Even the flattest of basement membranes has topography; bumps, if you like, beneath the cellular mattress.
How does a zebrafish grow a new tail? The answer may help treat human injuries.
Source: University of Washington
Date: December 26, 2006
Summary:
If a zebrafish loses a chunk of its tail fin, it'll grow back within a week. Like lizards, newts, and frogs, a zebrafish can replace surprisingly complex body parts. A tail fin, for example, has many different types of cells and is a very intricate structure. It is the fish version of an arm or leg. University of Washington researchers have discovered some of the genes and cell-to-cell communication pathways that enable zebrafish to restore their tail fins.
Date: December 26, 2006
Summary:
If a zebrafish loses a chunk of its tail fin, it'll grow back within a week. Like lizards, newts, and frogs, a zebrafish can replace surprisingly complex body parts. A tail fin, for example, has many different types of cells and is a very intricate structure. It is the fish version of an arm or leg. University of Washington researchers have discovered some of the genes and cell-to-cell communication pathways that enable zebrafish to restore their tail fins.
Stem Cells And Metastatic Cancer: Fatal Attraction?
Source: Public Library of Science
Date: December 26, 2006
Summary:
It is widely hoped that neural stem cells will eventually be useful for replacing nerves damaged by degenerative diseases like Alzheimer disease and multiple sclerosis. But there may also be another use for such stem cells--delivering anti-cancer drugs to cancer cells.
Date: December 26, 2006
Summary:
It is widely hoped that neural stem cells will eventually be useful for replacing nerves damaged by degenerative diseases like Alzheimer disease and multiple sclerosis. But there may also be another use for such stem cells--delivering anti-cancer drugs to cancer cells.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Researchers Find Stem-cell Therapy Effective In Targeting Metastatic Cancer
Source: Public Library of Science
Date: December 24, 2006
Summary:
Researchers at City of Hope and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital may have found a way to treat cancers that have spread throughout the body more effectively. They used modified neural stem cells to activate and concentrate chemotherapeutic drugs predominately at tumor sites, so that normal tissue surrounding the tumor and throughout the body remain relatively unharmed.
Date: December 24, 2006
Summary:
Researchers at City of Hope and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital may have found a way to treat cancers that have spread throughout the body more effectively. They used modified neural stem cells to activate and concentrate chemotherapeutic drugs predominately at tumor sites, so that normal tissue surrounding the tumor and throughout the body remain relatively unharmed.
Saturday, December 23, 2006
New Insight Into How The Brain Regenerates After Stroke
Source: University of California - Los Angeles
Date: December 23, 2006
Summary:
When a stroke strikes, the supply of blood to the part of the brain affected is interrupted, starving it of oxygen. Brain cells can be seriously damaged or die, impairing local brain function. Within weeks of a stroke, new blood vessels begin to form, and newly born neurons migrate long distances to the damaged area to aid in the regeneration process of the brain. Using the mouse model, UCLA neurologists have identified the cellular cues that start this process, thus casually linking angiogenesis, the development of new blood vessels, and neurogenesis, the birth of new neurons.
Date: December 23, 2006
Summary:
When a stroke strikes, the supply of blood to the part of the brain affected is interrupted, starving it of oxygen. Brain cells can be seriously damaged or die, impairing local brain function. Within weeks of a stroke, new blood vessels begin to form, and newly born neurons migrate long distances to the damaged area to aid in the regeneration process of the brain. Using the mouse model, UCLA neurologists have identified the cellular cues that start this process, thus casually linking angiogenesis, the development of new blood vessels, and neurogenesis, the birth of new neurons.
Friday, December 22, 2006
Stem cells shown to pinpoint tumors: Study shows process targets chemotherapy
Source: Pasadena Star News
Posted: 12/22/2006 10:47:38 PM PST
Summary:
Neural stem cells could provide a powerful means to track and treat cancer that has spread throughout the body, new research from the City of Hope suggests.
Posted: 12/22/2006 10:47:38 PM PST
Summary:
Neural stem cells could provide a powerful means to track and treat cancer that has spread throughout the body, new research from the City of Hope suggests.
Stem Cell Loss in Aging Brain May Bring Poorer Memory
Source: HealthDay News
Date: December 22, 2006
Summary:
A new study in rats finds that stem cells in aging brains divide less frequently, leading to a dramatic drop in the number of new nerve cells being born in the hippocampus, the brain's learning and memory center. The finding, published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging, also suggests that it may be possible to stimulate the brain's ability to produce new brain nerve cells in order to treat neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, depression and dementia, said the study's senior investigator
Date: December 22, 2006
Summary:
A new study in rats finds that stem cells in aging brains divide less frequently, leading to a dramatic drop in the number of new nerve cells being born in the hippocampus, the brain's learning and memory center. The finding, published in the journal Neurobiology of Aging, also suggests that it may be possible to stimulate the brain's ability to produce new brain nerve cells in order to treat neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's, depression and dementia, said the study's senior investigator
Thursday, December 21, 2006
VistaGen Therapeutics Announces 3 Significant Publications Supporting the Use of Embryonic Stem Cells for Drug Discovery and Development
Source: VistaGen Therapeutics, Inc.
Date: December 21, 2006
Summary:
VistaGen Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the use of embryonic stem cells for the treatment of diabetes and neurological diseases, announced today three recent publications highlighting important advances in the understanding of how embryonic stem cells can be efficiently and reproducibly differentiated into heart and liver cells.
Date: December 21, 2006
Summary:
VistaGen Therapeutics Inc., a biopharmaceutical company pioneering the use of embryonic stem cells for the treatment of diabetes and neurological diseases, announced today three recent publications highlighting important advances in the understanding of how embryonic stem cells can be efficiently and reproducibly differentiated into heart and liver cells.
Anti-Cancer 'Smart Bomb' Homes in on Deadly Tumors
Source: ABC NEWS
Date: Dec. 21, 2006
Summary:
Scientists report significant progress in developing a "smart bomb" that can deliver powerful cancer-fighting drugs directly to tumors scattered throughout the body, thus minimizing damage to healthy tissue and easing the debilitating side effects of chemotherapy. They are hopeful that clinical trials involving humans with advanced cancer can begin reasonably soon, possibly in less than a couple of years.
Date: Dec. 21, 2006
Summary:
Scientists report significant progress in developing a "smart bomb" that can deliver powerful cancer-fighting drugs directly to tumors scattered throughout the body, thus minimizing damage to healthy tissue and easing the debilitating side effects of chemotherapy. They are hopeful that clinical trials involving humans with advanced cancer can begin reasonably soon, possibly in less than a couple of years.
Stem Cell Technique Could Help Kids Avoid Root Canal: It allows the tooth's regenerative cells to continue making strong teeth
Source: HealthDay News
Date: December 21, 2006
Summary:
The promise of stem cells may someday help kids say goodbye to the dreaded root canal, scientists report. A new, less-invasive treatment leaves the soft inner pulp intact, allowing the young tooth's stem cells to continue tooth formation.
Date: December 21, 2006
Summary:
The promise of stem cells may someday help kids say goodbye to the dreaded root canal, scientists report. A new, less-invasive treatment leaves the soft inner pulp intact, allowing the young tooth's stem cells to continue tooth formation.
Genetically modified cells attack tumors
Source: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Date: December 21, 2006
Summary:
St. Jude researchers show genetically modified stem cells in the nervous system actively seek out even tiny tumors. Mice with neuroblastoma tumors have been successfully treated with genetically modified cells that sought out the cancer cells and activated a chemotherapy drug directly at those sites, according to investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and their colleagues at City of Hope National Medical Center (Duarte, Calif.) and the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, Canada). Neuroblastoma is a solid tumor that arises in the part of the nervous system outside the brain.
Date: December 21, 2006
Summary:
St. Jude researchers show genetically modified stem cells in the nervous system actively seek out even tiny tumors. Mice with neuroblastoma tumors have been successfully treated with genetically modified cells that sought out the cancer cells and activated a chemotherapy drug directly at those sites, according to investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and their colleagues at City of Hope National Medical Center (Duarte, Calif.) and the University of British Columbia (Vancouver, Canada). Neuroblastoma is a solid tumor that arises in the part of the nervous system outside the brain.
Dental stem cells creating new choppers?
Source: United Press International
Date: December 20, 2006
Summary:
Dentists at the University of Southern California School of Dentistry have created root and ligament structures able to support crown restorations from the extracted wisdom teeth of 18- to 20-year-olds by harvesting stem cells from the root apical papilla of the extracted teeth, which is responsible for the development of a tooth's root and periodontal ligaments.
Date: December 20, 2006
Summary:
Dentists at the University of Southern California School of Dentistry have created root and ligament structures able to support crown restorations from the extracted wisdom teeth of 18- to 20-year-olds by harvesting stem cells from the root apical papilla of the extracted teeth, which is responsible for the development of a tooth's root and periodontal ligaments.
Researchers 'grow' heart arteries
Source: BBC News
Posted: 20 December 2006, 12:37 GMT
Summary:
British scientists are attempting to "grow" test tube arteries for use in heart bypass operations. The researchers hope to prove arteries can be grown outside the body from human skin cells.
Posted: 20 December 2006, 12:37 GMT
Summary:
British scientists are attempting to "grow" test tube arteries for use in heart bypass operations. The researchers hope to prove arteries can be grown outside the body from human skin cells.
Electrical Activity Alters Language Used By Nerve Cells
Source: University of California, San Diego
Date: December 19, 2006
Summary:
UC San Diego biologists have shown that the chemical language with which neurons communicate depends on the pattern of electrical activity in the developing nervous system. The findings suggest that modification of nerve activity could have potential as a treatment for a wide range of brain disorders.
Date: December 19, 2006
Summary:
UC San Diego biologists have shown that the chemical language with which neurons communicate depends on the pattern of electrical activity in the developing nervous system. The findings suggest that modification of nerve activity could have potential as a treatment for a wide range of brain disorders.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
STEM CELLS USED TO CREATE CRITICAL BRAIN BARRIER IN LAB
Source: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Date: December 20, 2006
Summary:
Using neural stem cells derived from the fetal brains of rats, a team of Wisconsin scientists has devised a rudimentary blood-brain barrier in the lab.
Date: December 20, 2006
Summary:
Using neural stem cells derived from the fetal brains of rats, a team of Wisconsin scientists has devised a rudimentary blood-brain barrier in the lab.
Researchers find stem-cell therapy effective in targeting metastatic cancer: Preclinical findings show tumors are attacked, not normal tissue
Source: Public Library of Science
Date: December 20, 2006
Summary:
Researchers at City of Hope and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital may have found a way to treat cancers that have spread throughout the body more effectively. They used modified neural stem cells to activate and concentrate chemotherapeutic drugs predominately at tumor sites, so that normal tissue surrounding the tumor and throughout the body remain relatively unharmed.
Date: December 20, 2006
Summary:
Researchers at City of Hope and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital may have found a way to treat cancers that have spread throughout the body more effectively. They used modified neural stem cells to activate and concentrate chemotherapeutic drugs predominately at tumor sites, so that normal tissue surrounding the tumor and throughout the body remain relatively unharmed.
USC-led researchers use stem cells to regenerate parts of teeth
Source: University of Southern California
Date: December 20, 2006
Summary:
A research team led by a researcher at the USC School of Dentistry has successfully regenerated tooth root and supporting periodontal ligaments to restore tooth function in an animal model. The resulting tooth restoration closely resembled the original tooth in function and strength. The breakthrough holds significant promise for clinical application in human patients. The study appears December 20 in the inaugural issue of PLoS ONE.
Date: December 20, 2006
Summary:
A research team led by a researcher at the USC School of Dentistry has successfully regenerated tooth root and supporting periodontal ligaments to restore tooth function in an animal model. The resulting tooth restoration closely resembled the original tooth in function and strength. The breakthrough holds significant promise for clinical application in human patients. The study appears December 20 in the inaugural issue of PLoS ONE.
US approves Aussie stem cell trial
Source: Australian Associated Press (AAP)
Date: December 20, 2006
Summary:
A WORLD-first Australian medical therapy that uses stem cells to treat degenerative spinal disease has been approved for testing on patients in the US. Researchers hope the treatment will replace painful bone grafts. It will be the first time that "off-the-shelf'' adult stem cells will be used to treat spinal disc disease in a genetically unrelated patient.
Date: December 20, 2006
Summary:
A WORLD-first Australian medical therapy that uses stem cells to treat degenerative spinal disease has been approved for testing on patients in the US. Researchers hope the treatment will replace painful bone grafts. It will be the first time that "off-the-shelf'' adult stem cells will be used to treat spinal disc disease in a genetically unrelated patient.
Stem Cells Found In Adult Hair Follicles May Provide Alternative To Embryonic Stem Cells
Source: Medical College of Wisconsin
Date: December 20, 2006
Summary:
Having recently identified the molecular signature of these epidermal neural crest stem cells in the mouse, their research resolves conflicting scientific opinions by showing that these cells are distinctly different from other types of skin-resident stem cells/progenitors. Their work provides a valuable resource for future mouse neural crest stem cell research.
Date: December 20, 2006
Summary:
Having recently identified the molecular signature of these epidermal neural crest stem cells in the mouse, their research resolves conflicting scientific opinions by showing that these cells are distinctly different from other types of skin-resident stem cells/progenitors. Their work provides a valuable resource for future mouse neural crest stem cell research.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
MESOBLAST RECEIVES FDA CLEARANCE FOR PHASE 2 STEM CELL CLINICAL TRIAL
Source: Mesoblast Limited
Date: 18 December 2006
Summary:
Melbourne, Australia--Australia’s adult stem cell company, Mesoblast Limited (ASX:MSB), today announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) has cleared its Investigational New Drug Submission (IND) to commence a Phase 2 clinical trial for spinal fusion in the US.
Date: 18 December 2006
Summary:
Melbourne, Australia--Australia’s adult stem cell company, Mesoblast Limited (ASX:MSB), today announced that the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) has cleared its Investigational New Drug Submission (IND) to commence a Phase 2 clinical trial for spinal fusion in the US.
Memory loss linked to old stem cells that forget to divide
Source: Newark Star-Ledger
Date: December 19, 2006
Summary:
Old stem cells never die, they just slow down. Researchers have found that memory loss and other cognitive problems associated with diseases like Alzheimer's are due to a decrease in stem cell replication, rather than a decline in the number of stem cells in the elderly brain.
Date: December 19, 2006
Summary:
Old stem cells never die, they just slow down. Researchers have found that memory loss and other cognitive problems associated with diseases like Alzheimer's are due to a decrease in stem cell replication, rather than a decline in the number of stem cells in the elderly brain.
Printing Muscle and Bone: Ink-jet printers allow tissue engineers to control cell development and could one day be used to construct complex cellular
Source: MIT Technology Review
Date: December 19, 2006
Summary:
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh have successfully directed adult stem cells from mice to develop into bone and muscle cells with the aid of a custom-designed ink-jet printer. They say it's a first step toward better understanding tissue regeneration, which may one day lead to therapies for repairing damaged tissues, as occurs in osteoarthritis.
Date: December 19, 2006
Summary:
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Pittsburgh have successfully directed adult stem cells from mice to develop into bone and muscle cells with the aid of a custom-designed ink-jet printer. They say it's a first step toward better understanding tissue regeneration, which may one day lead to therapies for repairing damaged tissues, as occurs in osteoarthritis.
Monday, December 18, 2006
Fewer Nerve Cells in Aging Brain's Memory Center Due to Slower Cell Division
Source: Senior Journal
Date: December 18, 2006
Summary:
A new discovery provides a new avenue to pursue in trying to combat the cognitive decline associated with conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and with aging in general, say neurobiologists. They have found why the aging brain produces progressively fewer nerve cells in its learning and short-term memory center – the hippocampus.
Date: December 18, 2006
Summary:
A new discovery provides a new avenue to pursue in trying to combat the cognitive decline associated with conditions such as Alzheimer's disease and with aging in general, say neurobiologists. They have found why the aging brain produces progressively fewer nerve cells in its learning and short-term memory center – the hippocampus.
Stem Cell Activity Deciphered In The Aging Brain
Source: Duke University Medical Center
Date: December 18, 2006
Summary:
Neurobiologists have discovered why the aging brain produces progressively fewer new nerve cells in its learning and memory center. The study's senior investigator said the finding, made in rodents, suggests the possibility of treating various neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, dementia and depression, by stimulating the brain's ability to produce new nerve cells.
Date: December 18, 2006
Summary:
Neurobiologists have discovered why the aging brain produces progressively fewer new nerve cells in its learning and memory center. The study's senior investigator said the finding, made in rodents, suggests the possibility of treating various neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, dementia and depression, by stimulating the brain's ability to produce new nerve cells.
The World's First Neural Stem Cell Transplant: In the coming decades this work could lead to treatments for neurodegenerative disorders that affect mi
Source: Scientific American
Date: December 18, 2006
Summary:
In a recent phase I clinical trial to treat children afflicted with Batten disease, a rare but fatal neurodegenerative disorder, neural stem cells were injected directly into the brain of a human subject. This work could lead to treatments for neurodegenerative disorders that affect millions, such as Huntington's, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
Date: December 18, 2006
Summary:
In a recent phase I clinical trial to treat children afflicted with Batten disease, a rare but fatal neurodegenerative disorder, neural stem cells were injected directly into the brain of a human subject. This work could lead to treatments for neurodegenerative disorders that affect millions, such as Huntington's, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Sensory Nerve Discovery In Diabetes Opens Door To New Treatment Strategies
Source: The Hospital For Sick Children
Date: December 17, 2006
Summary:
Researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), the University of Calgary and The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine report in the December 15 issue of the journal Cell they have discovered that diabetes is controlled by abnormalities in the nerve endings that sense pain called the sensory nociceptor (pain-related) in the pancreatic islet cells that produce insulin. This discovery, a breakthrough that has long been the elusive goal of diabetes research, has led to new treatment strategies for diabetes, achieving reversal of the disease without severe, toxic immunosuppression.
Date: December 17, 2006
Summary:
Researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids), the University of Calgary and The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine report in the December 15 issue of the journal Cell they have discovered that diabetes is controlled by abnormalities in the nerve endings that sense pain called the sensory nociceptor (pain-related) in the pancreatic islet cells that produce insulin. This discovery, a breakthrough that has long been the elusive goal of diabetes research, has led to new treatment strategies for diabetes, achieving reversal of the disease without severe, toxic immunosuppression.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Can stem cell transplantation stop a rare, fatal disease?
Source: San Diego Union-Tribune
Date: December 14, 2006
Summary:
A team of doctors at Doernbecher Children's Hospital at Oregon Health and Science University recently began testing an unprecedented, radical therapy for Batten disease, a fatal brain disorder. The phase-one clinical trial involves transplanting neural stem cells into the brains of six children afflicted by Batten's. The trial is believed to be the first time that a pure composition of neural stem cells has been used to treat a brain disorder. Doctors are conducting the trial to see if the brain-infused cells will make enough of the enzyme missing in Batten disease that cells throughout the brain will no longer become congested with unrecycled waste.
Date: December 14, 2006
Summary:
A team of doctors at Doernbecher Children's Hospital at Oregon Health and Science University recently began testing an unprecedented, radical therapy for Batten disease, a fatal brain disorder. The phase-one clinical trial involves transplanting neural stem cells into the brains of six children afflicted by Batten's. The trial is believed to be the first time that a pure composition of neural stem cells has been used to treat a brain disorder. Doctors are conducting the trial to see if the brain-infused cells will make enough of the enzyme missing in Batten disease that cells throughout the brain will no longer become congested with unrecycled waste.
Stem cell researchers see hope in 'virgin birth'
Source: Los Angeles Times
Date: December 16, 2006
Summary:
Harvard University researchers have found a way to use "virgin birth" in mice to produce stem cells that are not rejected as foreign tissue. The process is called parthenogenesis, in which unfertilized eggs are biochemically coaxed into embryonic development. The technique may foreshadow a relatively straightforward way of making patient-specific stem cells that bypasses the technical challenges of producing cloned human embryos.
Date: December 16, 2006
Summary:
Harvard University researchers have found a way to use "virgin birth" in mice to produce stem cells that are not rejected as foreign tissue. The process is called parthenogenesis, in which unfertilized eggs are biochemically coaxed into embryonic development. The technique may foreshadow a relatively straightforward way of making patient-specific stem cells that bypasses the technical challenges of producing cloned human embryos.
Aldagen To Launch Clinical Trial Using Stem Cells To Combat Disease In Arms, Legs
Source: Local Tech Wire, SC
Date: December 15, 2006
Summary:
Aldagen, a company focused on stem cell research, and the Texas Heart Institute are teaming up for a clinical trial in which humans will be tested for a potential treatment of limb ailments brought on by blood vessel problems. The treatment is based on the use of purified adult stem cells drawn from bone marrow.
Date: December 15, 2006
Summary:
Aldagen, a company focused on stem cell research, and the Texas Heart Institute are teaming up for a clinical trial in which humans will be tested for a potential treatment of limb ailments brought on by blood vessel problems. The treatment is based on the use of purified adult stem cells drawn from bone marrow.
Aldagen Announces Texas Heart Institute As First Site In Its Stem Cell Clinical Trial To Treat Critical Limb Ischemia
Source: Aldagen, Inc.
Date: December 15, 2006
Summary:
Aldagen, Inc. announced that the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston, Texas will be the first site for its clinical trial using Aldagen’s ALDESORT® product to isolate a unique stem cell population as therapy for critical limb ischemia (CLI) patients.
Date: December 15, 2006
Summary:
Aldagen, Inc. announced that the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital in Houston, Texas will be the first site for its clinical trial using Aldagen’s ALDESORT® product to isolate a unique stem cell population as therapy for critical limb ischemia (CLI) patients.
Friday, December 15, 2006
Breakthrough sheds light on cause of diabetes
Source: NewScientist.com news service
Posted: 15 December 2006 17:56 GMT
Summary:
Canadian researchers eliminated type 1 diabetes in diabetes-prone mice by knocking out a set of faulty sensory nerves in the pancreas. Researchers examined the nerves of the mice and compared them with normal mice, they found that the nerves of diabetes-prone mice do not producing enough substance P. This causes islet cells to overproduce insulin, leading to insulin-resistance and eventually islet-cell death. The researchers injected some directly into the pancreas. Symptoms of diabetes were eliminated and the mice remained diabetes-free for weeks, and even months in some cases. Researchers are hopeful that if the same process could work in humans, a single injection could allay symptoms of the disease for years. They also believe the finding could chart a new path in treatment of the disease in humans.
Posted: 15 December 2006 17:56 GMT
Summary:
Canadian researchers eliminated type 1 diabetes in diabetes-prone mice by knocking out a set of faulty sensory nerves in the pancreas. Researchers examined the nerves of the mice and compared them with normal mice, they found that the nerves of diabetes-prone mice do not producing enough substance P. This causes islet cells to overproduce insulin, leading to insulin-resistance and eventually islet-cell death. The researchers injected some directly into the pancreas. Symptoms of diabetes were eliminated and the mice remained diabetes-free for weeks, and even months in some cases. Researchers are hopeful that if the same process could work in humans, a single injection could allay symptoms of the disease for years. They also believe the finding could chart a new path in treatment of the disease in humans.
Adult Stem Cells Found in Hair Follicles: Researchers say finding means patients could be their own donors
Source: HealthDay News
Date: December 15, 2006
Summary:
Researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee report that adult stem cells found in the bulge of hair follicles may provide an alternative to embryonic stem cells, and may prove useful in treating a number of conditions, such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and stroke.
Date: December 15, 2006
Summary:
Researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee report that adult stem cells found in the bulge of hair follicles may provide an alternative to embryonic stem cells, and may prove useful in treating a number of conditions, such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and stroke.
New Hope for Stem-Cell Therapy: Stem cells derived via asexual reproduction could provide an efficient way to generate cells that are tissue-matched t
Source: MIT Technology Review
Date: December 15, 2006
Summary:
Scientists have created embryonic stem-cell lines that are a perfect tissue match to their mouse donors, allowing the cells to be transplanted without immune rejection. If similar methods succeed in humans, the technique could provide a way to generate patient-matched cells for transplant that doesn't require destruction of viable human embryos.
Date: December 15, 2006
Summary:
Scientists have created embryonic stem-cell lines that are a perfect tissue match to their mouse donors, allowing the cells to be transplanted without immune rejection. If similar methods succeed in humans, the technique could provide a way to generate patient-matched cells for transplant that doesn't require destruction of viable human embryos.
Neural stem cells repair brain tissue, study finds: Work at UCSF may help develop treatments for strokes and other trauma
Source: Inside Bay Area / Oakland Tribune
Date: December 15, 2006
Summary:
In some of the first research funded by California's stem cell agency, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, suggest that stem cells in the brain have a surprising capacity to repair damaged tissue. The findings could help in the quest for treatments of brain trauma such as stroke, researchers said.
For more information on the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) CKICK HERE.
Date: December 15, 2006
Summary:
In some of the first research funded by California's stem cell agency, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, suggest that stem cells in the brain have a surprising capacity to repair damaged tissue. The findings could help in the quest for treatments of brain trauma such as stroke, researchers said.
For more information on the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) CKICK HERE.
New stem cell technique -- no embryos used Only women could be treated with unfertilized egg method
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
Date: December 15, 2006
Summary:
Scientists have developed a way to make stem cells from unfertilized mouse eggs. The finding could provide an alternative to controversial and technically difficult embryo cloning. The ultimate goal of the experiment is to make stem cells that match a patient's genetic make-up in order to produce cells to treat diseases and injuries that are not rejected or destroyed by the patient's immune system.
Date: December 15, 2006
Summary:
Scientists have developed a way to make stem cells from unfertilized mouse eggs. The finding could provide an alternative to controversial and technically difficult embryo cloning. The ultimate goal of the experiment is to make stem cells that match a patient's genetic make-up in order to produce cells to treat diseases and injuries that are not rejected or destroyed by the patient's immune system.
Researchers Identify Genes That Allow Brain Cancer-causing Stem Cells To Resist Treatment
Source: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Date: December 15, 2006
Summary:
Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have discovered genes and mechanisms that make cancer stem cells highly resistant to chemotherapy and other treatments. Even if a tumor is almost completely obliterated, it will regenerate from the surviving cancer stem cells and be even more resistant to treatment than before. They also allude to ongoing research aimed at developing methods for readily distinguishing cancer stem cells from normal neural stem cells, which could lead to therapies targeting the cancer-causing cells without damaging healthy ones.
Date: December 15, 2006
Summary:
Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have discovered genes and mechanisms that make cancer stem cells highly resistant to chemotherapy and other treatments. Even if a tumor is almost completely obliterated, it will regenerate from the surviving cancer stem cells and be even more resistant to treatment than before. They also allude to ongoing research aimed at developing methods for readily distinguishing cancer stem cells from normal neural stem cells, which could lead to therapies targeting the cancer-causing cells without damaging healthy ones.
Stem cell work spurs hope: Research uses unfertilized eggs
Source: Boston Globe
Date: December 15, 2006
Summary:
Harvard University researchers reported that new stem cell experiments in mice may eventually enable women to harness their own eggs to help fight disease in themselves or their relatives. The scientists generated embryonic stem cells from an unfertilized mouse's egg and were able to select stem cells that were genetic matches for the mother's immune system, so that the cells could grow into new tissue in her body without being rejected and attacked by the immune system as foreign cells.
Date: December 15, 2006
Summary:
Harvard University researchers reported that new stem cell experiments in mice may eventually enable women to harness their own eggs to help fight disease in themselves or their relatives. The scientists generated embryonic stem cells from an unfertilized mouse's egg and were able to select stem cells that were genetic matches for the mother's immune system, so that the cells could grow into new tissue in her body without being rejected and attacked by the immune system as foreign cells.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Stem cell scientists create 'virgin birth' breakthrough in mice
Source: Daily Mail
Posted: 14 December 2006 22:00 PM GMT
Summary:
Scientists at Children's Hospital Boston have created customised stem cells that avoid rejection by the human immune system using a controversial technique called 'virgin birth,' in which eggs are tricked into starting to develop into embryos without being fertilised by sperm. Although their experiments were carried out in mice, they believe it offers real hope for humans.
Posted: 14 December 2006 22:00 PM GMT
Summary:
Scientists at Children's Hospital Boston have created customised stem cells that avoid rejection by the human immune system using a controversial technique called 'virgin birth,' in which eggs are tricked into starting to develop into embryos without being fertilised by sperm. Although their experiments were carried out in mice, they believe it offers real hope for humans.
Virgin Births Lead to Transplantable Stem Cells: Stem cells created from unfertilized mice eggs are successfully transplanted without immune rejection
Source: Scientific American
Date: December 14, 2006
Summary:
Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have developed a new procedure used on mice for making transplantable stem cells by extracting stem cells from embryolike clusters of cells grown from the unfertilized eggs of female mice and coaxing them into dividing. They then injected the stem cells back into related mice, where they grew without being rejected by immune cells. The new finding could lead to improved methods for creating human stem cells and potential treatments for spinal cord injuries and degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Date: December 14, 2006
Summary:
Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have developed a new procedure used on mice for making transplantable stem cells by extracting stem cells from embryolike clusters of cells grown from the unfertilized eggs of female mice and coaxing them into dividing. They then injected the stem cells back into related mice, where they grew without being rejected by immune cells. The new finding could lead to improved methods for creating human stem cells and potential treatments for spinal cord injuries and degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Stem Cells Patch Holes in Brain without Prompting: New research finds that stem cells repair and reinforce brain cells in mice
Source: Scientific American
Date: December 14, 2006
Summary:
Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco found that mice genetically engineered to have holes in a region of their brain recovered due to the work of stem cells in the area. The findings will be published in the December 15 issue of the journal Cell. The finding could hasten recovery from stroke or brain or head injury.
Date: December 14, 2006
Summary:
Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco found that mice genetically engineered to have holes in a region of their brain recovered due to the work of stem cells in the area. The findings will be published in the December 15 issue of the journal Cell. The finding could hasten recovery from stroke or brain or head injury.
Stem cell study reveals cells' capability in mouse brain tissue repair
Source: University of California - San Francisco
Date: December 14, 2006
Summary:
UCSF scientists have determined that adult stem cells in a specific region of the mouse brain have a built-in mechanism that allows the cells to participate in the repair and remodeling of damaged tissue in the region. As the cells are also present in the human brain, the same capacity or potential may exist in humans, the researchers say. If it does, it is possible that the cells’ behavior could be enhanced to treat tissues damaged throughout the brain by disorders such as stroke and traumatic injury.
Date: December 14, 2006
Summary:
UCSF scientists have determined that adult stem cells in a specific region of the mouse brain have a built-in mechanism that allows the cells to participate in the repair and remodeling of damaged tissue in the region. As the cells are also present in the human brain, the same capacity or potential may exist in humans, the researchers say. If it does, it is possible that the cells’ behavior could be enhanced to treat tissues damaged throughout the brain by disorders such as stroke and traumatic injury.
Making Stem Cells in a Lab: Scientists Coax Unfertilized Eggs From Mice Into Embryonic Stem Cells
Source: WebMD
Date: December 14, 2006
Summary:
Scientists may have found a way to make embryonic stem cells from unfertilized eggs -- at least in mice. "This technique, if proven effective in humans, offers an efficient way of generating customized stem cells lines from women," lead researcher George Daley, MD, PhD. says in a Children's Hospital Boston news release.
Date: December 14, 2006
Summary:
Scientists may have found a way to make embryonic stem cells from unfertilized eggs -- at least in mice. "This technique, if proven effective in humans, offers an efficient way of generating customized stem cells lines from women," lead researcher George Daley, MD, PhD. says in a Children's Hospital Boston news release.
Stem cells gotten from unfertilized eggs
Source: Associated Press
Posted: December 14, 2006 11:02 AM PST
Summary:
A procedure that encourages an egg to begin embryo development without being fertilized could suggest a new way to produce stem cells, at least for certain patients. Researchers were able to get stem cells using unfertilized mouse eggs, they report in Thursday's online issue of the journal Science. They are now turning their attention to eggs from people, but several problems remain to be worked out.
Posted: December 14, 2006 11:02 AM PST
Summary:
A procedure that encourages an egg to begin embryo development without being fertilized could suggest a new way to produce stem cells, at least for certain patients. Researchers were able to get stem cells using unfertilized mouse eggs, they report in Thursday's online issue of the journal Science. They are now turning their attention to eggs from people, but several problems remain to be worked out.
Stem cells get a grip
Source: American Society for Cell Biology
Date: December 14, 2006
Summary:
In real estate, it's location, location, location. In stem cells, it's niche, niche, niche. Stems cells are regulated by "intrinsic factors" but it's also becoming increasingly clear that their "stemness" depends on the unique microenvironment called the stem cell niche. No adult or somatic stem cells have a more complex niche life than hematopoietic stem cells, which give rise to all the different types of blood and immune cells. The bone marrow is their niche.
Date: December 14, 2006
Summary:
In real estate, it's location, location, location. In stem cells, it's niche, niche, niche. Stems cells are regulated by "intrinsic factors" but it's also becoming increasingly clear that their "stemness" depends on the unique microenvironment called the stem cell niche. No adult or somatic stem cells have a more complex niche life than hematopoietic stem cells, which give rise to all the different types of blood and immune cells. The bone marrow is their niche.
Researchers create genetically matched embryonic stem cells for transplantation
Source: Children's Hospital Boston
Date: December 14, 2006
Summary:
Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston report a new and efficient strategy, using eggs alone, for creating mouse embryonic stem cells that can be transplanted without the risk of rejection because the cells are compatible with the recipient's immune system. The findings will be published online in the journal Science on December 14. Though done in mice, the work establishes the principle of using unfertilized eggs as a source of customized embryonic stem cells that are genetically matched to the egg donor at the genes that control recognition of cells by the immune system, making them potentially useful for transplantation therapies.
Date: December 14, 2006
Summary:
Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston report a new and efficient strategy, using eggs alone, for creating mouse embryonic stem cells that can be transplanted without the risk of rejection because the cells are compatible with the recipient's immune system. The findings will be published online in the journal Science on December 14. Though done in mice, the work establishes the principle of using unfertilized eggs as a source of customized embryonic stem cells that are genetically matched to the egg donor at the genes that control recognition of cells by the immune system, making them potentially useful for transplantation therapies.
Study: Stem cells can repair mouse brains
Source: United Press International
Date: December 14, 2006
Summary:
A U.S.-led study finds adult stem cells in a specific area of the mouse brain can participate in the repair and remodeling of damaged tissue.
Date: December 14, 2006
Summary:
A U.S.-led study finds adult stem cells in a specific area of the mouse brain can participate in the repair and remodeling of damaged tissue.
‘Virgin birth’ process can produce stem cells: Technique used to create mouse embryo may point to new source of cells
Source: Reuters
Posted: December 14, 2006 6:08pm ET
Summary:
Mouse embryos created through a “virgin birth” process called parthenogenesis show that egg cells can be a source of valued embryonic stem cells, researchers reported. The cells can be closely matched to the immune system of the recipient, making them a potential source for transplants, the researchers report in the December 15 issue of the journal Science.
Posted: December 14, 2006 6:08pm ET
Summary:
Mouse embryos created through a “virgin birth” process called parthenogenesis show that egg cells can be a source of valued embryonic stem cells, researchers reported. The cells can be closely matched to the immune system of the recipient, making them a potential source for transplants, the researchers report in the December 15 issue of the journal Science.
Neural Stem Cells Lend The Brain A Surprising Capacity For Self-repair
Source: Cell Press
Date: December 14, 2006
Summary:
The brain contains stem cells with a surprising capacity for repair, researchers report in the December 15 issue of the journal Cell, published by Cell Press. The novel insight into the brain's natural ability to heal might ultimately have clinical implications for the treatment of brain damage, according to the researchers.
Date: December 14, 2006
Summary:
The brain contains stem cells with a surprising capacity for repair, researchers report in the December 15 issue of the journal Cell, published by Cell Press. The novel insight into the brain's natural ability to heal might ultimately have clinical implications for the treatment of brain damage, according to the researchers.
Boy's Health Improves, Thanks To Stem Cell Procedure
Source: WKRN-TV - Nashville,TN
Posted: December 14, 2006
Here is a video news report on the recent stem cell trial to treat Batten Disease.
Posted: December 14, 2006
Here is a video news report on the recent stem cell trial to treat Batten Disease.
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
New treatment gives hope to patients with scleroderma: Stem cells play part in battle
Source: Houston Chronicle
Posted: December 13, 2006, 10:05PM
Summary:
The University of Texas Medical School at Houston is one of several institutions nationally enrolling patients in a study comparing the effectiveness of a standardized course of chemotherapy against high-dose chemotherapy, plus stem cell transplantation to treat scleroderma.
Posted: December 13, 2006, 10:05PM
Summary:
The University of Texas Medical School at Houston is one of several institutions nationally enrolling patients in a study comparing the effectiveness of a standardized course of chemotherapy against high-dose chemotherapy, plus stem cell transplantation to treat scleroderma.
Scientists Discover Early Key To Regeneration
Source: Forsyth Institute
Date: December 13, 2006
Summary:
Science may be one step closer to understanding how a limb can be grown or a spinal cord can be repaired. Scientists at The Forsyth Institute have discovered that some cells have to die for regeneration to occur. This research may provide insight into mechanisms necessary for therapeutic regeneration in humans, potentially addressing tissues that are lost, damaged or non- functional as a result of genetic syndromes, birth defects, cancer, degenerative diseases, accidents, aging and organ failure. Through studies of the frog (Xenopus) tadpole, the Forsyth team examined the cellular underpinnings of regeneration.
Date: December 13, 2006
Summary:
Science may be one step closer to understanding how a limb can be grown or a spinal cord can be repaired. Scientists at The Forsyth Institute have discovered that some cells have to die for regeneration to occur. This research may provide insight into mechanisms necessary for therapeutic regeneration in humans, potentially addressing tissues that are lost, damaged or non- functional as a result of genetic syndromes, birth defects, cancer, degenerative diseases, accidents, aging and organ failure. Through studies of the frog (Xenopus) tadpole, the Forsyth team examined the cellular underpinnings of regeneration.
Stem Cells have Help to Renew Themselves
Source: Max-Planck-Institute of Molecular Biomedicine
Date: December 13, 2006
Summary:
A small molecule makes stem cells able to reproduce and change. This simply structured moecule called SC1, which researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine in Münster and their colleagues from California have discovered, encourages stem cells in the laboratory to renew themselves. As a result, the stem cells retain the ability to develop into many different types of cells. Up to now, keeping the cells pluripotent has only been possible with a great deal of effort.
Date: December 13, 2006
Summary:
A small molecule makes stem cells able to reproduce and change. This simply structured moecule called SC1, which researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine in Münster and their colleagues from California have discovered, encourages stem cells in the laboratory to renew themselves. As a result, the stem cells retain the ability to develop into many different types of cells. Up to now, keeping the cells pluripotent has only been possible with a great deal of effort.
Stem-cell patient may return home: BOY IS FIRST TO TRY OUT PALO ALTO FIRM'S WORK
Source: San Jose Mercury News
Date: December 12, 2006
Summary:
The first child to undergo experimental brain surgery with a Silicon Valley company's proposed stem-cell treatment has recovered enough from the operation last month to return home, according to an official at the Oregon hospital where the procedure was done.
Date: December 12, 2006
Summary:
The first child to undergo experimental brain surgery with a Silicon Valley company's proposed stem-cell treatment has recovered enough from the operation last month to return home, according to an official at the Oregon hospital where the procedure was done.
Experimental stem cell operation puts OHSU in spotlight
Source: KATU-TV - Portland, Oregon
Posted: December 12, 2006 at 8:59 PM PST
This feature examines the recent clinical trial developed by Stem Cells Inc. conducted at Oregon Health & Sciences University to treat Batten Disease using stem cells from aborted fetuses.
Posted: December 12, 2006 at 8:59 PM PST
This feature examines the recent clinical trial developed by Stem Cells Inc. conducted at Oregon Health & Sciences University to treat Batten Disease using stem cells from aborted fetuses.
Forsyth scientists discover early key to regeneration
Source: Forsyth Institute
Date: December 13, 2006
Summary:
Science may be one step closer to understanding how a limb can be grown or a spinal cord can be repaired. Scientists at The Forsyth Institute have discovered that some cells have to die for regeneration to occur. This research may provide insight into mechanisms necessary for therapeutic regeneration in humans, potentially addressing tissues that are lost, damaged or non- functional as a result of genetic syndromes, birth defects, cancer, degenerative diseases, accidents, aging and organ failure. Through studies of the frog (Xenopus) tadpole, the Forsyth team examined the cellular underpinnings of regeneration.
Date: December 13, 2006
Summary:
Science may be one step closer to understanding how a limb can be grown or a spinal cord can be repaired. Scientists at The Forsyth Institute have discovered that some cells have to die for regeneration to occur. This research may provide insight into mechanisms necessary for therapeutic regeneration in humans, potentially addressing tissues that are lost, damaged or non- functional as a result of genetic syndromes, birth defects, cancer, degenerative diseases, accidents, aging and organ failure. Through studies of the frog (Xenopus) tadpole, the Forsyth team examined the cellular underpinnings of regeneration.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Newts which Regrow their Hearts: Max Planck scientists reveal the molecular details of regeneration in newts
Source: Max-Planck-Institute for Heart and Lung Research
Date: December 5, 2006
Summary:
When a newt loses a limb, the limb regrows. What is more, a newt can also completely repair damage to its heart. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research in Bad Nauheim have now started to decode the cellular mechanisms in this impressive ability to regenerate and have discovered the remarkable plasticity of newt heart cells. As mammals, and therefore also humans, do not have this ability, the findings could contribute to new cell therapies for patients with damaged organs.
Date: December 5, 2006
Summary:
When a newt loses a limb, the limb regrows. What is more, a newt can also completely repair damage to its heart. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research in Bad Nauheim have now started to decode the cellular mechanisms in this impressive ability to regenerate and have discovered the remarkable plasticity of newt heart cells. As mammals, and therefore also humans, do not have this ability, the findings could contribute to new cell therapies for patients with damaged organs.
Pittsburgh-based team engineers muscle, bone cell differentiation with aid of ink-jet printer
Source: Carnegie Mellon University
Date: December 10, 2006
Summary:
A Pittsburgh-based research team has created and used an innovative ink-jet system to print "bio-ink" patterns that direct muscle-derived stem cells from adult mice to differentiate into both muscle cells and bone cells. The results could revolutionize the design of replacement body tissues. The report is the first describing a system that can pattern the formation of multiple cell types within the same vessel from a single population of adult stem cells. The new preclinical advance in the field of regenerative medicine could one day benefit millions of people whose tissues are damaged from a variety of conditions, including fatal genetic diseases like Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), wear and tear associated with aging joints, accidental trauma, and joint deterioration due to autoimmune disorders.
Date: December 10, 2006
Summary:
A Pittsburgh-based research team has created and used an innovative ink-jet system to print "bio-ink" patterns that direct muscle-derived stem cells from adult mice to differentiate into both muscle cells and bone cells. The results could revolutionize the design of replacement body tissues. The report is the first describing a system that can pattern the formation of multiple cell types within the same vessel from a single population of adult stem cells. The new preclinical advance in the field of regenerative medicine could one day benefit millions of people whose tissues are damaged from a variety of conditions, including fatal genetic diseases like Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), wear and tear associated with aging joints, accidental trauma, and joint deterioration due to autoimmune disorders.
Aggressive Stem Cells Might Improve Transplant Outcome
Source: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Date: December 8, 2006
Summary:
Investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have demonstrated in mice a way that might reduce the time it takes for a bone marrow transplant to rebuild a child's immune system, and so reduce the risk of potentially fatal virus infections that can occur during this time. The finding is important because children whose own bone marrow stem cells have been destroyed by chemotherapy or radiation treatments for cancer routinely undergo bone marrow transplantation. Therefore, reducing the time it takes for the immune system to regenerate T lymphocytes would be an important step in reducing infection risk in these children and improving their long-term outcomes.
Date: December 8, 2006
Summary:
Investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have demonstrated in mice a way that might reduce the time it takes for a bone marrow transplant to rebuild a child's immune system, and so reduce the risk of potentially fatal virus infections that can occur during this time. The finding is important because children whose own bone marrow stem cells have been destroyed by chemotherapy or radiation treatments for cancer routinely undergo bone marrow transplantation. Therefore, reducing the time it takes for the immune system to regenerate T lymphocytes would be an important step in reducing infection risk in these children and improving their long-term outcomes.
Stem Cell Advances Offer Hope to Back Up the Hype
Source: National Geographic
Date: December 4, 2006
Summary:
Human stem cell treatments for diseases may in some cases be at least a decade away. But each new discovery has added to the notion that stem cell research is showing increasing signs of living up to the hype surrounding it.
Date: December 4, 2006
Summary:
Human stem cell treatments for diseases may in some cases be at least a decade away. But each new discovery has added to the notion that stem cell research is showing increasing signs of living up to the hype surrounding it.
Monday, December 11, 2006
Another Boost For Stem Cell Research
Source: University of New South Wales
Date: December 11, 2006
Summary:
University of New South Wales (UNSW) academics have proven that tumours can be prevented from forming when embryonic stem cells are transplanted. The team has shown that placing the embryonic cells inside microcapsules made from a product of seaweed, called alginate, prevents the formation of tumours when the encapsulated cells are transplanted into laboratory animals. The team has also shown that the encapsulation process does not stop the embryonic cells from differentiating. The finding could provide new evidence to increase support for embryonic stem cell research.
Date: December 11, 2006
Summary:
University of New South Wales (UNSW) academics have proven that tumours can be prevented from forming when embryonic stem cells are transplanted. The team has shown that placing the embryonic cells inside microcapsules made from a product of seaweed, called alginate, prevents the formation of tumours when the encapsulated cells are transplanted into laboratory animals. The team has also shown that the encapsulation process does not stop the embryonic cells from differentiating. The finding could provide new evidence to increase support for embryonic stem cell research.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Detailed 3-D Image Catches A Key Regulator Of Neural Stem Cell Differentiation In Action
Source: Salk Institute
Date: December 10, 2006
Summary:
Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in collaboration with scientists at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) took a high resolution "action shot" of a protein switch that plays a crucial role in the development of the nervous system. A finely tuned network of molecular "on" and "off" switches regulates the differentiation of embryonic stem cells into different tissue types. Being able to manipulate individual switches would allow scientists to nudge embryonic stem cells into becoming specific cell types, a plus for both basic research and potential therapies.
Date: December 10, 2006
Summary:
Researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in collaboration with scientists at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) took a high resolution "action shot" of a protein switch that plays a crucial role in the development of the nervous system. A finely tuned network of molecular "on" and "off" switches regulates the differentiation of embryonic stem cells into different tissue types. Being able to manipulate individual switches would allow scientists to nudge embryonic stem cells into becoming specific cell types, a plus for both basic research and potential therapies.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Diabetes cure first target for stem cell research
Source: NEWS.com.au - Australia
Posted: December 08, 2006 12:00 am
Summary:
The first big target for embryonic stem cell research in NSW will be a cure for Type 1, or juvenile diabetes, with a top researcher predicting major progress within four years. Scientists believe that once cells are studied in laboratories, they will be able to find out regulates the disease, how to can understand the disease process and how to go through drug discovery.
Posted: December 08, 2006 12:00 am
Summary:
The first big target for embryonic stem cell research in NSW will be a cure for Type 1, or juvenile diabetes, with a top researcher predicting major progress within four years. Scientists believe that once cells are studied in laboratories, they will be able to find out regulates the disease, how to can understand the disease process and how to go through drug discovery.
Brainstorming: Stem Cells Hold Hope for Cerebral Palsy Treatment
Source: Medical College of Georgia
Date: December 8, 2006
Summary:
The Medical College of Georgia reports on research using adult stem cells to treat animals with cerebral palsy:
"Adult stem cell therapy improves recovery of motor function in an animal model for the ischemic brain injury that strikes about 10 percent of babies with cerebral palsy, researchers report. Within two weeks, treated animals were about 20 percent less likely to favor the unaffected side of their bodies and experienced about a 25 percent improvement in balance, compared to untreated controls, Medical College of Georgia researchers said."
Date: December 8, 2006
Summary:
The Medical College of Georgia reports on research using adult stem cells to treat animals with cerebral palsy:
"Adult stem cell therapy improves recovery of motor function in an animal model for the ischemic brain injury that strikes about 10 percent of babies with cerebral palsy, researchers report. Within two weeks, treated animals were about 20 percent less likely to favor the unaffected side of their bodies and experienced about a 25 percent improvement in balance, compared to untreated controls, Medical College of Georgia researchers said."
A new approach to growing heart muscle: U-M team reports success of rapid 3-D cell-growth technique that produces pulsing, organized tissue
Source: University of Michigan Health System
Date: December 8, 2006
Summary:
It looks, contracts and responds almost like natural heart muscle – even though it was grown in the lab. And it brings scientists another step closer to the goal of creating replacement parts for damaged human hearts, or eventually growing an entirely new heart from just a spoonful of loose heart cells.
Date: December 8, 2006
Summary:
It looks, contracts and responds almost like natural heart muscle – even though it was grown in the lab. And it brings scientists another step closer to the goal of creating replacement parts for damaged human hearts, or eventually growing an entirely new heart from just a spoonful of loose heart cells.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Stem cells may provide cure for diabetes: expert
Source: Agence France-Presse (AFP)
Posted: December 5, 2006 5:52 AM ET
Summary:
Research is under way to try and covert embryonic and adult stem cells into insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. The aim is to create a glucose-sensitive, insulin-producing cell which responds to changes in physiological glucose levels as though in a normal body.
Posted: December 5, 2006 5:52 AM ET
Summary:
Research is under way to try and covert embryonic and adult stem cells into insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. The aim is to create a glucose-sensitive, insulin-producing cell which responds to changes in physiological glucose levels as though in a normal body.
Stem cells found in adult hair follicles may provide alternative to embryonic stem cells
Source: Medical College of Wisconsin
Date: December 5, 2006
Summary:
Having recently identified the molecular signature of these epidermal neural crest stem cells in the mouse, their research resolves conflicting scientific opinions by showing that these cells are distinctly different from other types of skin-resident stem cells/progenitors. Their work provides a valuable resource for future mouse neural crest stem cell research.
Date: December 5, 2006
Summary:
Having recently identified the molecular signature of these epidermal neural crest stem cells in the mouse, their research resolves conflicting scientific opinions by showing that these cells are distinctly different from other types of skin-resident stem cells/progenitors. Their work provides a valuable resource for future mouse neural crest stem cell research.
Foetal cells 'to treat strokes'
Source: BBC News
Posted: 5 December 2006, 17:01 GMT
Summary:
ReNeuron, a UK company, is applying for permission to transplant stem cells made from human foetal tissue into the brains of stroke patients. The company claims it has convincing lab evidence that the cells could potentially regenerate brain cells damaged from a stroke.
Posted: 5 December 2006, 17:01 GMT
Summary:
ReNeuron, a UK company, is applying for permission to transplant stem cells made from human foetal tissue into the brains of stroke patients. The company claims it has convincing lab evidence that the cells could potentially regenerate brain cells damaged from a stroke.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Transplanted brain cells hold promise for Parkinson’s disease
Source: Medical College of Georgia
Date: December 4, 2006
Summary:
Transplanted neural stem cells hold promise for reducing the destruction of dopaminergic cells that occurs in Parkinson's disease and for replacing cells lost to the disease, scientists say. Research published in the current issue of The Journal of Neuroscience shows a human neural stem cell transplant essentially enables an animal with symptoms of Parkinson’s to continue functioning normally rather than displaying the progressive loss of movement control that characterizes the disease.
Date: December 4, 2006
Summary:
Transplanted neural stem cells hold promise for reducing the destruction of dopaminergic cells that occurs in Parkinson's disease and for replacing cells lost to the disease, scientists say. Research published in the current issue of The Journal of Neuroscience shows a human neural stem cell transplant essentially enables an animal with symptoms of Parkinson’s to continue functioning normally rather than displaying the progressive loss of movement control that characterizes the disease.
Transplanted brain cells hold promise for Parkinson's Disease
Source: Medical College of Georgia
Date: December 4, 2006
Summary:
Transplanted neural stem cells hold promise for reducing the destruction of dopaminergic cells that occurs in Parkinson's disease and for replacing cells lost to the disease, scientists say. Research published in the current issue of The Journal of Neuroscience shows a human neural stem cell transplant essentially enables an animal model for Parkinson’s to continue functioning normally rather than displaying the progressive loss of movement control that characterizes the disease.
Date: December 4, 2006
Summary:
Transplanted neural stem cells hold promise for reducing the destruction of dopaminergic cells that occurs in Parkinson's disease and for replacing cells lost to the disease, scientists say. Research published in the current issue of The Journal of Neuroscience shows a human neural stem cell transplant essentially enables an animal model for Parkinson’s to continue functioning normally rather than displaying the progressive loss of movement control that characterizes the disease.
Molecular 'marker' on stem cells aids research, perhaps therapies
Source: UT Southwestern Medical Center
Date: December 4, 2006
Summary:
A sugar molecule present on embryonic stem cells also has been found on the surface of a type of adult stem cell, a discovery that may help researchers isolate and purify adult stem cells for use in therapies aimed at bone healing, tendon repair and cartilage regeneration, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center report.
Date: December 4, 2006
Summary:
A sugar molecule present on embryonic stem cells also has been found on the surface of a type of adult stem cell, a discovery that may help researchers isolate and purify adult stem cells for use in therapies aimed at bone healing, tendon repair and cartilage regeneration, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center report.
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Stem cell cure for back pain 'in three years'
Source: Daily Telegraph
Date: December 1, 2006
Summary:
A researcher at the Manchester University School of Medicine has developed a new treatment chronic back pain using a patient's own stem cells, that rebuilds the soft, shock-absorbing discs that separate spinal vertebrae. The treatment has to be given only once and would not involve a hospital stay.
Date: December 1, 2006
Summary:
A researcher at the Manchester University School of Medicine has developed a new treatment chronic back pain using a patient's own stem cells, that rebuilds the soft, shock-absorbing discs that separate spinal vertebrae. The treatment has to be given only once and would not involve a hospital stay.
Friday, December 01, 2006
'Cancer Prognosis Gene' Found To Control The Fate Of Breast Cells
Source: University of California - San Francisco
Date: December 1, 2006
Summary:
Scientists have discovered an unsuspected role for a gene known to be one of the best predictors of human breast cancer outcome. The scientists hope that further investigation of the precise role of the gene in breast cancer can identify new ways of understanding, diagnosing and treating the disease.
Date: December 1, 2006
Summary:
Scientists have discovered an unsuspected role for a gene known to be one of the best predictors of human breast cancer outcome. The scientists hope that further investigation of the precise role of the gene in breast cancer can identify new ways of understanding, diagnosing and treating the disease.
Parkinson’s Approach With Stem Cells A Promising First Step
Source: University of Rochester Medical Center
Date: December 1, 2006
Summary:
Brain cells derived from human embryonic stem cells improved the condition of rats with Parkinson’s-like symptoms dramatically by transformed into neurons that produce dopamine, a crucial brain chemical lacking in patients with Parkinson’s. However, the treatment caused a significant problem – the appearance of brain tumors – that scientists are now working to solve. The study is featured on the cover of the November issue of Nature Medicine.
Date: December 1, 2006
Summary:
Brain cells derived from human embryonic stem cells improved the condition of rats with Parkinson’s-like symptoms dramatically by transformed into neurons that produce dopamine, a crucial brain chemical lacking in patients with Parkinson’s. However, the treatment caused a significant problem – the appearance of brain tumors – that scientists are now working to solve. The study is featured on the cover of the November issue of Nature Medicine.
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