Source: University of Delaware
Date: July 31, 2007
Summary:
Engineering pliable, new vocal cord tissue to replace scarred, rigid tissue in these petite, yet powerful organs is the goal of a new University of Delaware research project. It is funded by a five-year, $1.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Xinqiao Jia, UD assistant professor of materials science and engineering, is leading the project. Jia's research focuses on developing intelligent biomaterials that closely mimic the molecular composition, mechanical responsiveness and nanoscale organization of natural extracellular matrices--the structural materials that serve as scaffolding for cells. These novel biomaterials, combined with defined biophysical cues and biological factors, are being used for functional tissue regeneration.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Stem cell therapy rescues motor neurons in ALS model
Source: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Date: July 31, 2007
Summary:
MADISON -- In a study that demonstrates the promise of cell-based therapies for diseases that have proved intractable to modern medicine, a team of scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison has shown it is possible to rescue the dying neurons characteristic of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neuromuscular disorder also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The new work, conducted in a rat model and reported July 31 in the online, open-access journal from the Public Library of Science, PLoS ONE, shows that stem cells engineered to secrete a key growth factor can protect the motor neurons that waste away as a result of ALS. An important caveat, however, is that while the motor neurons within the spinal cord are protected by the growth factor, their ability to maintain connections with the muscles they control was not observed.
Date: July 31, 2007
Summary:
MADISON -- In a study that demonstrates the promise of cell-based therapies for diseases that have proved intractable to modern medicine, a team of scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison has shown it is possible to rescue the dying neurons characteristic of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neuromuscular disorder also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The new work, conducted in a rat model and reported July 31 in the online, open-access journal from the Public Library of Science, PLoS ONE, shows that stem cells engineered to secrete a key growth factor can protect the motor neurons that waste away as a result of ALS. An important caveat, however, is that while the motor neurons within the spinal cord are protected by the growth factor, their ability to maintain connections with the muscles they control was not observed.
Fish Eyes Could Hold Clue To Repairing Damaged Retinas In Humans
Source: Wellcome Trust
Date: July 31, 2007
Summary:
A special type of cell found in the eye has been found to be very important in regenerating the retina in zebrafish and restoring vision even after extensive damage. Now, a UK team of scientists believe they may be able to use these cells -- known as Müller glial cells -- to regenerate damaged retina in humans, according to a study published this month in the journal Stem Cells.
Date: July 31, 2007
Summary:
A special type of cell found in the eye has been found to be very important in regenerating the retina in zebrafish and restoring vision even after extensive damage. Now, a UK team of scientists believe they may be able to use these cells -- known as Müller glial cells -- to regenerate damaged retina in humans, according to a study published this month in the journal Stem Cells.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Toward An Alternative To Stem Cells For Treating Chronic Brain Diseases
Source: American Chemical Society
Date: July 30, 2007
Summary:
With ethical issues concerning use of discarded embryos and technical problems hindering development of stem cell therapies, scientists in Korea are reporting the first successful use of a drug-like molecule to transform human muscle cells into nerve cells. This advance could lead to new treatments for stroke, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and other neurological disorders.
Date: July 30, 2007
Summary:
With ethical issues concerning use of discarded embryos and technical problems hindering development of stem cell therapies, scientists in Korea are reporting the first successful use of a drug-like molecule to transform human muscle cells into nerve cells. This advance could lead to new treatments for stroke, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and other neurological disorders.
A Step Forward In Understanding Tissue Damage After Spinal Cord Injury
Source: Journal of Clinical Investigation
Date: July 30, 2007
Summary:
New research shows that calcium-activated cation channels in capillaries surrounding spinal cord tissue are critical to the process that causes spinal cord tissue loss after acute cord injury, and as such are a potential target in the therapy of spinal cord injuries.
Date: July 30, 2007
Summary:
New research shows that calcium-activated cation channels in capillaries surrounding spinal cord tissue are critical to the process that causes spinal cord tissue loss after acute cord injury, and as such are a potential target in the therapy of spinal cord injuries.
Using stem cells to help heart attack victims
Source: University of Nottingham
Date: July 30, 2007
Summary:
New research at The University of Nottingham is paving the way for techniques that use stem cells to repair the damage caused by heart attacks. The research, funded with a grant of £95,000 the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), is looking at the process that turns a stem cell into a cardiomyocyte — the beating cell that makes up the heart. The Nottingham researchers are developing a new system to monitor cardiomyocytes in real time as they differentiate from stem cells into beating heart cells.
Date: July 30, 2007
Summary:
New research at The University of Nottingham is paving the way for techniques that use stem cells to repair the damage caused by heart attacks. The research, funded with a grant of £95,000 the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), is looking at the process that turns a stem cell into a cardiomyocyte — the beating cell that makes up the heart. The Nottingham researchers are developing a new system to monitor cardiomyocytes in real time as they differentiate from stem cells into beating heart cells.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Can Nose Cells Help Spinal Cord Injuries?
Source: WRTV - Indianapolis, IN
Posted: July 26, 2007 4:49 pm EDT
Summary;
A doctor in Portugal is recruiting people through an Indiana hospital for a study on whether cells in nasal tissue can help repair damaged spinal cords. Dr. Carlos Lima, a neuropathologist, says harvesting olfactory mucosa -- naval-cavity tissue with mucus-secreting glands -- and from a patient and putting it into his or her damaged spinal cord may be able to help regenerate spinal cells.
Posted: July 26, 2007 4:49 pm EDT
Summary;
A doctor in Portugal is recruiting people through an Indiana hospital for a study on whether cells in nasal tissue can help repair damaged spinal cords. Dr. Carlos Lima, a neuropathologist, says harvesting olfactory mucosa -- naval-cavity tissue with mucus-secreting glands -- and from a patient and putting it into his or her damaged spinal cord may be able to help regenerate spinal cells.
Scientists find stem cell switch
Source: Norwich BioScience Institutes
Date: July 26, 2007
Summary:
Scientists have discovered how plant stem cells in roots detect soil structure and whether it is favourable for growth. The research team determined that the hormone ethylene regulates cell division in root stem cells. Ethylene is known to play a role in perceiving and communicating environmental cues. As in humans, plant stem cells are the source of all growth. The defining characteristics of stem cells are that they are able to either regenerate themselves or produce other types of cells. The ultimate source of cells in the root is the 'quiescent center', a group of four stem cells that divides infrequently and can produce any type of cell in the root. This study proved that ethylene is the cue needed to promote cell division.
Date: July 26, 2007
Summary:
Scientists have discovered how plant stem cells in roots detect soil structure and whether it is favourable for growth. The research team determined that the hormone ethylene regulates cell division in root stem cells. Ethylene is known to play a role in perceiving and communicating environmental cues. As in humans, plant stem cells are the source of all growth. The defining characteristics of stem cells are that they are able to either regenerate themselves or produce other types of cells. The ultimate source of cells in the root is the 'quiescent center', a group of four stem cells that divides infrequently and can produce any type of cell in the root. This study proved that ethylene is the cue needed to promote cell division.
Protein Distinguishes Fetal and Adult Stem Cells
Source: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Date: July 26, 2007
Summary:
In a discovery that fills a critical gap in the understanding of stem cells, researchers have discovered a protein that fetal, but not adult, blood-forming stem cells need to replenish themselves. Finding regulatory pathways specific to fetal blood-forming cells could help scientists understand childhood leukemias and generate blood-forming cells for bone marrow transplants, said the researchers.
Date: July 26, 2007
Summary:
In a discovery that fills a critical gap in the understanding of stem cells, researchers have discovered a protein that fetal, but not adult, blood-forming stem cells need to replenish themselves. Finding regulatory pathways specific to fetal blood-forming cells could help scientists understand childhood leukemias and generate blood-forming cells for bone marrow transplants, said the researchers.
U-M team identifies gene that regulates blood-forming fetal stem cells
Source: University of Michigan
Date: July 26, 2007
Summary:
In the rancorous public debate over federal research funding, stem cells are generally assigned to one of two categories: embryonic or adult. But that's a false dichotomy and an oversimplification. A new University of Michigan study adds to mounting evidence that stem cells in the developing fetus are distinct from both embryonic and adult stem cells.
Date: July 26, 2007
Summary:
In the rancorous public debate over federal research funding, stem cells are generally assigned to one of two categories: embryonic or adult. But that's a false dichotomy and an oversimplification. A new University of Michigan study adds to mounting evidence that stem cells in the developing fetus are distinct from both embryonic and adult stem cells.
Gene Holds Key to Blood Stem Cells
Source: HealthDay News
Posted: July 26, 2007; 12:00 AM
Summary:
A gene named Sox17 appears to regulate the development of blood-forming stem cells in fetal mice, new research shows.
Posted: July 26, 2007; 12:00 AM
Summary:
A gene named Sox17 appears to regulate the development of blood-forming stem cells in fetal mice, new research shows.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Back fractures common after stem cell transplant
Source: Reuters
Posted: July 24, 2007 6:41pm ET
Summary:
More than one third of children and adolescents who undergo allogenic stem cell transplantation have thinning of their bones, and one in five had crushed vertebrae in their backs, Finnish researchers report.
Posted: July 24, 2007 6:41pm ET
Summary:
More than one third of children and adolescents who undergo allogenic stem cell transplantation have thinning of their bones, and one in five had crushed vertebrae in their backs, Finnish researchers report.
MicroRNA works with Ago2 protein to regulate blood cell development
Source: Rockefeller University
Posted: July 24, 2007
Summary:
MicroRNAs became the stars of the RNA universe when, in 2001, scientists found that these short RNAs can control whether or not genes are expressed. This month, scientists at Rockefeller University and the Wellcome Trust cast new light on the genesis of these key biological regulators and how they carry out their function. These provocative new findings were reported online July 12 in the journal Genes & Development.
Posted: July 24, 2007
Summary:
MicroRNAs became the stars of the RNA universe when, in 2001, scientists found that these short RNAs can control whether or not genes are expressed. This month, scientists at Rockefeller University and the Wellcome Trust cast new light on the genesis of these key biological regulators and how they carry out their function. These provocative new findings were reported online July 12 in the journal Genes & Development.
Radiation therapy combined with microsurgery shows promise for curing injured spinal cord
Source: Public Library of Science
Date: July 24, 2007
Summary:
Research on rats with crushed spinal cords, similar to human injury, reveals that treatment soon after injury combining radiation therapy to destroy harmful cells and microsurgery to drain excess fluids significantly increases the body's ability to repair the injured cord leading to permanent recovery from injury, according to the study published in PLoS One. Since repair of damaged cord directly correlates with prevention of paralysis, this research demonstrates that conventional clinical procedures hold promise for preventing paralysis from spinal cord injuries.
Date: July 24, 2007
Summary:
Research on rats with crushed spinal cords, similar to human injury, reveals that treatment soon after injury combining radiation therapy to destroy harmful cells and microsurgery to drain excess fluids significantly increases the body's ability to repair the injured cord leading to permanent recovery from injury, according to the study published in PLoS One. Since repair of damaged cord directly correlates with prevention of paralysis, this research demonstrates that conventional clinical procedures hold promise for preventing paralysis from spinal cord injuries.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Effects of aging in stem cells
Source: Public Library of Science
Date: July 23, 2007
Summary:
Age-related defects in stem cells can limit proper tissue maintenance and hence contribute to a shortened lifespan. There is little disagreement that the body’s maintenance and repair systems deteriorate with age, even as there is plenty of disagreement as to why. Stem cells combat the aging process by replenishing old or damaged cells—particularly in the skin, gut, and blood—with a fresh supply to maintain and repair tissue. Unfortunately, new evidence from the open-access journalPLoS Biology and also published by EurekaAlert and Medical News Today, suggests that this regenerative capacity also declines with age as stem cells acquire functional defects.
Date: July 23, 2007
Summary:
Age-related defects in stem cells can limit proper tissue maintenance and hence contribute to a shortened lifespan. There is little disagreement that the body’s maintenance and repair systems deteriorate with age, even as there is plenty of disagreement as to why. Stem cells combat the aging process by replenishing old or damaged cells—particularly in the skin, gut, and blood—with a fresh supply to maintain and repair tissue. Unfortunately, new evidence from the open-access journal
Pluristem's PLX Cells Show Promise in Treating Limb Ischemia
Source: Pluristem Life Systems, Inc.
Posted: July 23, 2007 8:00 am ET
Summary:
Pluristem Life Systems, Inc., a bio-therapeutics Company dedicated to the commercialization of products for a variety of malignant, degenerative and auto-immune indications, announced today that favorable results have been obtained in pre-clinical testing using the Company's proprietary PLX cells (placenta derived mesenchymal stem cells) to treat limb ischemia..."
Posted: July 23, 2007 8:00 am ET
Summary:
Pluristem Life Systems, Inc., a bio-therapeutics Company dedicated to the commercialization of products for a variety of malignant, degenerative and auto-immune indications, announced today that favorable results have been obtained in pre-clinical testing using the Company's proprietary PLX cells (placenta derived mesenchymal stem cells) to treat limb ischemia..."
Thursday, July 19, 2007
A New Method Of Adult Stem Cell Growth Efficacious In Treatment Of Disorders Of The Cornea
Source: Basque Research
Date: July 19, 2007
Summary:
A new method of adult stem cell growth, designed in the Area of Cellular Therapy of the University Clinic (University of Navarra), has demonstrated its efficacy for its capacity to grow cornea stem cells. So Ana Fernández Hortelano, ophthalmologist at the Hospital demonstrated applying the growth technique in treating diseases of the cornea, using stem cells, in 70 test animals (rabbits). The aim of the procedure was to regain the damaged epithelium and thus restore transparency to the cornea.
Date: July 19, 2007
Summary:
A new method of adult stem cell growth, designed in the Area of Cellular Therapy of the University Clinic (University of Navarra), has demonstrated its efficacy for its capacity to grow cornea stem cells. So Ana Fernández Hortelano, ophthalmologist at the Hospital demonstrated applying the growth technique in treating diseases of the cornea, using stem cells, in 70 test animals (rabbits). The aim of the procedure was to regain the damaged epithelium and thus restore transparency to the cornea.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Enzyme Eliminated by Cancer Cells Holds Promise for Cancer Treatment
Source: Medical College of Georgia
Date: July 18, 2007
Summary:
An enzyme that cancer cells eliminate, apparently so they can keep proliferating, may hold clues to more targeted, effective cancer treatment, scientists say.
Date: July 18, 2007
Summary:
An enzyme that cancer cells eliminate, apparently so they can keep proliferating, may hold clues to more targeted, effective cancer treatment, scientists say.
6 Heart Disease Genes Found
Source: WebMD
Date: July 18, 2007
Summary:
The odds of getting heart disease may lie, in part, in six genes identified today by European researchers. Variations in those six genes appear to be more common in people who have heart attacks or heart disease before age 66, according to the scientists.
Date: July 18, 2007
Summary:
The odds of getting heart disease may lie, in part, in six genes identified today by European researchers. Variations in those six genes appear to be more common in people who have heart attacks or heart disease before age 66, according to the scientists.
Immune cells in the brains of aging mice prove more functional than expected
Source: Rockefeller University
Posted: July 18, 2007
Summary:
As people age past 50, their brains begin to decrease in mass. But even as neurons shrink, other brain cells appear to become more active. Microglia — the small immune cells that sense injury and the presence of pathogens in the nervous system — have shown increased activity, producing higher amounts of signaling molecules called cytokines and leading researchers to suggest that these cells may become dysfunctional as our brains get older. Because higher levels of cytokines have been associated with neurodegenerative diseases, scientists are paying close attention to the role of microglia in these disorders.
Posted: July 18, 2007
Summary:
As people age past 50, their brains begin to decrease in mass. But even as neurons shrink, other brain cells appear to become more active. Microglia — the small immune cells that sense injury and the presence of pathogens in the nervous system — have shown increased activity, producing higher amounts of signaling molecules called cytokines and leading researchers to suggest that these cells may become dysfunctional as our brains get older. Because higher levels of cytokines have been associated with neurodegenerative diseases, scientists are paying close attention to the role of microglia in these disorders.
Monday, July 16, 2007
A New Path To Facial Reconstruction
Source: University of Southern California
Date: July 16, 2007
Summary:
University of Southern California researchers are experimenting with stem cells that can regenerate bone and skin tissue. A researcher at USC’s Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, and colleagues at dental schools in Korea and China have discovered that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are capable of regenerating facial bone and skin tissue in mouse and swine models.
Date: July 16, 2007
Summary:
University of Southern California researchers are experimenting with stem cells that can regenerate bone and skin tissue. A researcher at USC’s Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology, and colleagues at dental schools in Korea and China have discovered that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are capable of regenerating facial bone and skin tissue in mouse and swine models.
Patch Helps Heart Grow New Cells
Source: HealthDay News
Date: July 16, 2007
Summary:
HealthDay News reports on the development of a special patch to regenerate damaged heart tissue after a heart attack:
"A special patch placed on a damaged area of the heart regenerates cardiac cells after heart attack and improves heart function, a new study finds. Success with the patch in rats may lead the way to new methods of repairing damaged human hearts and possibly spare some patients the need for a heart transplant, according to researchers reporting in the July 15 online edition of Nature Medicine."
Date: July 16, 2007
Summary:
HealthDay News reports on the development of a special patch to regenerate damaged heart tissue after a heart attack:
"A special patch placed on a damaged area of the heart regenerates cardiac cells after heart attack and improves heart function, a new study finds. Success with the patch in rats may lead the way to new methods of repairing damaged human hearts and possibly spare some patients the need for a heart transplant, according to researchers reporting in the July 15 online edition of Nature Medicine."
Human stem cells may be produced without embryos ‘within months’
Source: The Times
Date: July 16, 2007
Summary:
The Times reports that a Japanese scientist has successfully reprogrammed adult mouse skin cells into an embryonic state, a finding that could end the ethical controversy over embryonic stem cell research:
"Japan's leading genetics researcher could be "a matter of months" from reaching the Holy Grail of biotechnology producing an 'ethical' human stem cell without using a human embryo, he has said. The potential of Professor Yamanaka’s breakthrough work – in which the skin cells of laboratory mice were genetically manipulated back to their embryonic state – has been hailed as the equivalent of “transforming lead into gold”. If the research develops in the way he hopes, runs the excited logic, the ethical problems that have swirled around embryonic stem-cell research would disappear."
Date: July 16, 2007
Summary:
The Times reports that a Japanese scientist has successfully reprogrammed adult mouse skin cells into an embryonic state, a finding that could end the ethical controversy over embryonic stem cell research:
"Japan's leading genetics researcher could be "a matter of months" from reaching the Holy Grail of biotechnology producing an 'ethical' human stem cell without using a human embryo, he has said. The potential of Professor Yamanaka’s breakthrough work – in which the skin cells of laboratory mice were genetically manipulated back to their embryonic state – has been hailed as the equivalent of “transforming lead into gold”. If the research develops in the way he hopes, runs the excited logic, the ethical problems that have swirled around embryonic stem-cell research would disappear."
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Gene discovered for type 1 diabetes in children
Source: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Date: July 15, 2007
Summary:
Pediatrics researchers at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and McGill University in Montreal have identified a gene variant that raises a child’s risk for type 1 diabetes, formerly called juvenile diabetes. As investigators continue to pinpoint genes contributing to diabetes, they have their eyes on providing a scientific basis for designing better treatments and preventive measures for the disease.
Date: July 15, 2007
Summary:
Pediatrics researchers at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and McGill University in Montreal have identified a gene variant that raises a child’s risk for type 1 diabetes, formerly called juvenile diabetes. As investigators continue to pinpoint genes contributing to diabetes, they have their eyes on providing a scientific basis for designing better treatments and preventive measures for the disease.
Can heart tissue be regenerated? Mature heart cells, given the right environment, can replicate
Source: Children's Hospital Boston
Date: July 15, 2007
Summary:
When human hearts are injured, as during a heart attack, healthy tissue normally can’t regrow. Researchers now demonstrate in rats that a sponge-like patch, soaked in a compound called periostin and placed over the injury, can not only get heart cells to begin dividing and making copies of themselves again, but also improves heart function. Their findings appear in the July 15 online edition of Nature Medicine.
Date: July 15, 2007
Summary:
When human hearts are injured, as during a heart attack, healthy tissue normally can’t regrow. Researchers now demonstrate in rats that a sponge-like patch, soaked in a compound called periostin and placed over the injury, can not only get heart cells to begin dividing and making copies of themselves again, but also improves heart function. Their findings appear in the July 15 online edition of Nature Medicine.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Researchers create embryonic stem cells from unfertilized eggs
Source: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Posted: July 13, 2007 | 10:19 AM ET
Summary:
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reports on the creation of embryonic stetm cells from unfertilized eggs:
"American and Russian doctors have created embryonic stem cells from unfertilized eggs, sidestepping the need to use viable embryos, according to a report published in Thursday's edition of the journal Nature. Lead researchers Elena Revazova and Jeffrey Janus, of Maryland biotech company Lifeline Cell Technology, created embryos by using chemicals to activate unfertilized eggs donated by five Russian women undergoing in vitro fertilization. The technique avoids the need for sperm. While the method described by the Russian and American team is not ready for clinical applications, the doctors did manage to get the embryos to mature enough to create stem cells."
Posted: July 13, 2007 | 10:19 AM ET
Summary:
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reports on the creation of embryonic stetm cells from unfertilized eggs:
"American and Russian doctors have created embryonic stem cells from unfertilized eggs, sidestepping the need to use viable embryos, according to a report published in Thursday's edition of the journal Nature. Lead researchers Elena Revazova and Jeffrey Janus, of Maryland biotech company Lifeline Cell Technology, created embryos by using chemicals to activate unfertilized eggs donated by five Russian women undergoing in vitro fertilization. The technique avoids the need for sperm. While the method described by the Russian and American team is not ready for clinical applications, the doctors did manage to get the embryos to mature enough to create stem cells."
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Baxter, Mytogen Test Stem Cells to Repair Hearts
Source: Bloomberg News
Posted: July 12, 2007 16:59 EDT
Summary:
Bloomberg News reports on several new human clinical trials attempting to determine if a patient's own bone marrow stem cells can heal damaged heart muscle:
"Baxter International Inc. is conducting a study, to be completed in 2009, testing if stem cells taken from his bone marrow can strengthen damaged heart muscle. The trial is one of 50 involving 3,200 patients worldwide conducted by academic researchers and a dozen companies racing to market new treatments for heart disease, the No. 1 U.S. killer."
Posted: July 12, 2007 16:59 EDT
Summary:
Bloomberg News reports on several new human clinical trials attempting to determine if a patient's own bone marrow stem cells can heal damaged heart muscle:
"Baxter International Inc. is conducting a study, to be completed in 2009, testing if stem cells taken from his bone marrow can strengthen damaged heart muscle. The trial is one of 50 involving 3,200 patients worldwide conducted by academic researchers and a dozen companies racing to market new treatments for heart disease, the No. 1 U.S. killer."
Embryonic stem cells create own support system, study finds
Source: The Globe and Mail
Posted: July 12, 2007 at 1:20 PM EDT
Summary:
Canadian researchers have discovered that embryonic stem cells produce a posse of supporting cells that keeps them immortal. The work, led by Mick Bhatia at McMaster University in Hamilton, offers researchers a new way to control stem cells, and perhaps put them to work to repair the damage caused by diseases such as muscular dystrophy or Parkinson's. One day, they may be used to fix damaged hearts, kidneys or livers, or even to grow new organs for transplant. But before researchers can harness their regenerative powers, they have to understand how stem cells work.
Posted: July 12, 2007 at 1:20 PM EDT
Summary:
Canadian researchers have discovered that embryonic stem cells produce a posse of supporting cells that keeps them immortal. The work, led by Mick Bhatia at McMaster University in Hamilton, offers researchers a new way to control stem cells, and perhaps put them to work to repair the damage caused by diseases such as muscular dystrophy or Parkinson's. One day, they may be used to fix damaged hearts, kidneys or livers, or even to grow new organs for transplant. But before researchers can harness their regenerative powers, they have to understand how stem cells work.
Penn Researchers Find a New Target for Muscular Dystrophy Drug Therapy
Source: University of Pennsylvania Health System
Date: July 12, 2007
Summary:
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine report how the gene for utrophin, which codes for a protein very similar to dystrophin, the defective protein in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), puts the brakes on its own expression in muscle cells, thereby suggesting a new target for treatment. The findings were published online in Molecular Biology Cell, in advance of print publication.
Date: July 12, 2007
Summary:
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine report how the gene for utrophin, which codes for a protein very similar to dystrophin, the defective protein in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), puts the brakes on its own expression in muscle cells, thereby suggesting a new target for treatment. The findings were published online in Molecular Biology Cell, in advance of print publication.
Cells take risks with their identities
Source: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
Date: July 12, 2007
Summary:
Biologists have long thought that a simple on/off switch controls most genes in human cells. Flip the switch and a cell starts or stops producing a particular protein. But new evidence suggests that this model is too simple and that our genes are more ready for action than previously thought.
Date: July 12, 2007
Summary:
Biologists have long thought that a simple on/off switch controls most genes in human cells. Flip the switch and a cell starts or stops producing a particular protein. But new evidence suggests that this model is too simple and that our genes are more ready for action than previously thought.
McMaster claims stem-cell breakthrough
Source: Toronto Star
Posted: July 12, 2007 04:30 AM EDT
Summary:
The Toronto Star reports researchers at McMaster University have revealed how embryonic stem cells turn into different types of human tissues:
"A landmark discovery by researchers at McMaster University could radically alter the way scientists can use embryonic stem cells to grow replacement tissues and treat cancer. In a surprise revelation, a McMaster study found that human embryonic stem cells – “the great grandmothers” of all the other cells in our bodies – build themselves a nurturing cocoon that feeds them and directs their ability to transform into other types of tissues."
The researchers also discovered a way to manipulate embryonic stem cells to become organs and tissues, and stop tumor growth in cancers:
"And by manipulating the products of this tiny, cellular placenta, it may be possible for scientists to prompt the stem cells to grow into desired tissues and organs, or to switch off tumour growth in cancers, says Mickie Bhatia, the lead study author. The study will appear in an upcoming issue of the leading scientific journal Nature."
Posted: July 12, 2007 04:30 AM EDT
Summary:
The Toronto Star reports researchers at McMaster University have revealed how embryonic stem cells turn into different types of human tissues:
"A landmark discovery by researchers at McMaster University could radically alter the way scientists can use embryonic stem cells to grow replacement tissues and treat cancer. In a surprise revelation, a McMaster study found that human embryonic stem cells – “the great grandmothers” of all the other cells in our bodies – build themselves a nurturing cocoon that feeds them and directs their ability to transform into other types of tissues."
The researchers also discovered a way to manipulate embryonic stem cells to become organs and tissues, and stop tumor growth in cancers:
"And by manipulating the products of this tiny, cellular placenta, it may be possible for scientists to prompt the stem cells to grow into desired tissues and organs, or to switch off tumour growth in cancers, says Mickie Bhatia, the lead study author. The study will appear in an upcoming issue of the leading scientific journal Nature."
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Canadian team makes stem cell breakthrough
Source: Canadian Press
Posted: July 11, 2007 at 8:25 PM EDT
Summary:
The Canadian Press reports researchers have made new discoveries into embryonic stem cell development that could have implications for cancer detection and treatment:
"A team of Canadian scientists has made a discovery about how human embryonic stem cells develop that could change the direction of research into what has been dubbed the Holy Grail of regenerative medicine. In a paper published online Wednesday in the journal Nature, researchers at McMaster University say they have discovered that stem cells have a far more complex relationship with the cells around them — and that knowledge could open up entirely new avenues of research."
Posted: July 11, 2007 at 8:25 PM EDT
Summary:
The Canadian Press reports researchers have made new discoveries into embryonic stem cell development that could have implications for cancer detection and treatment:
"A team of Canadian scientists has made a discovery about how human embryonic stem cells develop that could change the direction of research into what has been dubbed the Holy Grail of regenerative medicine. In a paper published online Wednesday in the journal Nature, researchers at McMaster University say they have discovered that stem cells have a far more complex relationship with the cells around them — and that knowledge could open up entirely new avenues of research."
Doc: Stem cell promising for Parkinson's
Source: United Press International
Date: July 11, 2007
Summary:
A new primate study suggests stem cells have potential to relieve the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, says a Florida scientist. The groundbreaking primate study, meant to bridge the gap between testing the stem cell technique in rats and humans, found that only a small number of neural stem cells inserted into the brains of apes with Parkinson's disease turned into dopamine-producing cells that could replace similar cells destroyed by the disease.
Date: July 11, 2007
Summary:
A new primate study suggests stem cells have potential to relieve the symptoms of Parkinson's disease, says a Florida scientist. The groundbreaking primate study, meant to bridge the gap between testing the stem cell technique in rats and humans, found that only a small number of neural stem cells inserted into the brains of apes with Parkinson's disease turned into dopamine-producing cells that could replace similar cells destroyed by the disease.
Breakthrough leads to better understanding of human stem cell growth
Source: McMaster University
Date: July 11, 2007
Summary:
A startling discovery on the development of human embryonic stem cells by scientists at McMaster University will change how future research in the area is done. An article published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature this week reports on a new understanding of the growth of human stem cells. It had been thought previously that stem cells are directly influenced by cells in the local environment or ‘niche’, but the situation may be more complex. Human embryonic stem cells are perpetual machines that generate fuel for life.
Date: July 11, 2007
Summary:
A startling discovery on the development of human embryonic stem cells by scientists at McMaster University will change how future research in the area is done. An article published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature this week reports on a new understanding of the growth of human stem cells. It had been thought previously that stem cells are directly influenced by cells in the local environment or ‘niche’, but the situation may be more complex. Human embryonic stem cells are perpetual machines that generate fuel for life.
Columbia Scientists Peer Into Stem Cells in Live Brain
Source: Columbia University
Date: July 11, 2007
Summary:
Columbia University Medical Center scientists report they have observed the detailed sub-cellular behavior of neuronal precursor cells in living rat brain tissue.
Date: July 11, 2007
Summary:
Columbia University Medical Center scientists report they have observed the detailed sub-cellular behavior of neuronal precursor cells in living rat brain tissue.
Study provides new data about the laws governing embryo development in organisms
Source: Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB)
Date: July 11, 2007
Summary:
Research aimed at understanding the mechanisms underlying embryo development has taken a step forward thanks to collaborative work between biologists specialized in the study of the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) and scientists specialized in the design of mathematical models that simulate the functioning of biological systems.
Date: July 11, 2007
Summary:
Research aimed at understanding the mechanisms underlying embryo development has taken a step forward thanks to collaborative work between biologists specialized in the study of the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) and scientists specialized in the design of mathematical models that simulate the functioning of biological systems.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Neuroscientist comments on stem cell study's success in helping primates with Parkinson's
Source: University of South Florida Health
Date: July 10, 2007
Summary:
A University of South Florida neuroscientist reports that the cutting-edge research study of human stem cells in primates with Parkinson’s disease is compelling on several fronts – particularly how the transplanted cells did their job of easing disease symptoms.
Date: July 10, 2007
Summary:
A University of South Florida neuroscientist reports that the cutting-edge research study of human stem cells in primates with Parkinson’s disease is compelling on several fronts – particularly how the transplanted cells did their job of easing disease symptoms.
Monday, July 09, 2007
Specialized Cells: A Question Of Identity
Source: University of Virginia
Date: July 9, 2007
Summary:
Human development has long been seen as a one-way street. During gestation, stem cells were thought to develop into a succession of ever more specialized cells. As Dr. R. Ariel Gomez has discovered, the final identity of these cells is not as definite as once thought.
Date: July 9, 2007
Summary:
Human development has long been seen as a one-way street. During gestation, stem cells were thought to develop into a succession of ever more specialized cells. As Dr. R. Ariel Gomez has discovered, the final identity of these cells is not as definite as once thought.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Skin cells 'fight child cancer'
Source: BBC News
Posted: 7 July 2007, 23:51 GMT 00:51 UK
Summary:
BBC News reports on new research in which mouse skin cells were use to treat cancerous brain tumors in mice that could eventually be used to treat tumors in humans:
"Genetically modified skin cells could be used to fight a cancer which strikes the very young, a UK study suggests. Scientists at UCL said they were able to stimulate the immune system of mice by injecting the animals' skin cells into a neuroblastoma tumour. But the authors, writing in the British Journal of Cancer, said clinical trials in humans were at least five years off."
Posted: 7 July 2007, 23:51 GMT 00:51 UK
Summary:
BBC News reports on new research in which mouse skin cells were use to treat cancerous brain tumors in mice that could eventually be used to treat tumors in humans:
"Genetically modified skin cells could be used to fight a cancer which strikes the very young, a UK study suggests. Scientists at UCL said they were able to stimulate the immune system of mice by injecting the animals' skin cells into a neuroblastoma tumour. But the authors, writing in the British Journal of Cancer, said clinical trials in humans were at least five years off."
Friday, July 06, 2007
Analysis: Stem cells create blood vessels
Source: United Press International
Posted: July 6, 2007 4:56 PM EDT
Summary:
Doctors have succeeded in growing new blood vessels from a person's own bone marrow cells, but researchers said Friday they are still some years away from being able to use these test-tube grown vessels to replace diseased arteries.
Posted: July 6, 2007 4:56 PM EDT
Summary:
Doctors have succeeded in growing new blood vessels from a person's own bone marrow cells, but researchers said Friday they are still some years away from being able to use these test-tube grown vessels to replace diseased arteries.
Spinal injury 'repairs' on trial
Source: BBC News
Posted: 6 July 2007, 05:44 GMT 06:44 UK
Summary:
Trials are to begin on the first patients as part of cell research which could help thousands of people paralysed in accidents.
Posted: 6 July 2007, 05:44 GMT 06:44 UK
Summary:
Trials are to begin on the first patients as part of cell research which could help thousands of people paralysed in accidents.
Injecting Autologous Cells Could Relieve Urinary Incontinence
Source: The Lancet
Date: July 6, 2007
Summary:
Transurethral injections of autologous myoblasts and fibroblasts could relieve stress urinary incontinence in women, conclude authors of an Article published in The Lancet. And an accompanying comment hails the development as the beginning of a new era in urogynaecology.
Date: July 6, 2007
Summary:
Transurethral injections of autologous myoblasts and fibroblasts could relieve stress urinary incontinence in women, conclude authors of an Article published in The Lancet. And an accompanying comment hails the development as the beginning of a new era in urogynaecology.
Landmark Research Details World First In Skin Repair Using Laboratory-Manufactured Human Skin
Source: Regenerative Medicine
Date: 06 July 2007 - 1:00 PDT
Summary:
Details of the first artificial living skin graft to demonstrate full, consistent wound integration and persistence were today published in the July issue of the journal Regenerative Medicine. Publication of the research, carried out by Intercytex Group plc, followed the conclusion of a clinical trial in which laboratory-made living human skin has been fully and consistently integrated into the human body for the first time.
Date: 06 July 2007 - 1:00 PDT
Summary:
Details of the first artificial living skin graft to demonstrate full, consistent wound integration and persistence were today published in the July issue of the journal Regenerative Medicine. Publication of the research, carried out by Intercytex Group plc, followed the conclusion of a clinical trial in which laboratory-made living human skin has been fully and consistently integrated into the human body for the first time.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Insight into neural stem cells has implications for designing therapies
Source: University of California - San Francisco
Date: July 5, 2007
Summary:
Scientists have discovered that adult neural stem cells, which exist in the brain throughout life, are not a single, homogeneous group. Instead, they are a diverse group of cells, each capable of giving rise to specific types of neurons. The finding, the team says, significantly shifts the perspective on how these cells could be used to develop cell-based brain therapies.
Date: July 5, 2007
Summary:
Scientists have discovered that adult neural stem cells, which exist in the brain throughout life, are not a single, homogeneous group. Instead, they are a diverse group of cells, each capable of giving rise to specific types of neurons. The finding, the team says, significantly shifts the perspective on how these cells could be used to develop cell-based brain therapies.
Engineered Blood Vessels Function like Native Tissue
Source: University at Buffalo
Date: July 5, 2007
Summary:
Blood vessels that have been tissue-engineered from bone marrow adult stem cells may in the future serve as a patient's own source of new blood vessels following a coronary bypass or other procedures that require vessel replacement, according to new research from the University at Buffalo Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering.
Date: July 5, 2007
Summary:
Blood vessels that have been tissue-engineered from bone marrow adult stem cells may in the future serve as a patient's own source of new blood vessels following a coronary bypass or other procedures that require vessel replacement, according to new research from the University at Buffalo Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering.
Tracing Parkinson's lethal mechanism
Source: Cell Press
Date: July 5, 2007
Summary:
In the vast majority of Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients, the disorder arises not because of a genetic defect, but because some external insult triggers the death of dopamine-producing neurons. Now, researchers have reported progress in understanding the mechanism underlying that death, which they say suggests a new treatment pathway.
Date: July 5, 2007
Summary:
In the vast majority of Parkinson’s disease (PD) patients, the disorder arises not because of a genetic defect, but because some external insult triggers the death of dopamine-producing neurons. Now, researchers have reported progress in understanding the mechanism underlying that death, which they say suggests a new treatment pathway.
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Blood Clotting Protein May Inhibit Spinal Cord Regeneration
Source: University of California - San Diego
Date: July 3, 2007
Summary:
Fibrinogen, a blood-clotting protein found in circulating blood, has been found to inhibit the growth of central nervous system neuronal cells, a process that is necessary for the regeneration of the spinal cord after traumatic injury. The findings by researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine, may explain why the human body is unable to repair itself after most spinal cord injuries.
Date: July 3, 2007
Summary:
Fibrinogen, a blood-clotting protein found in circulating blood, has been found to inhibit the growth of central nervous system neuronal cells, a process that is necessary for the regeneration of the spinal cord after traumatic injury. The findings by researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine, may explain why the human body is unable to repair itself after most spinal cord injuries.
Stem cell procedure successfully treats amyloidosis patients
Source: Boston University
Date: July 3, 2007
Summary:
Researchers from the Stem Cell Transplant Program and the Amyloid Treatment and Research Program at Boston University Medical Center (BUMC) have found that tandem cycles of high-dose chemotherapy and blood stem cell transplantation can help treat patients with immunoglobulin-light chain (AL) Amyloidosis who did not respond to initial treatment with this method. These findings were published on-line in the June 25th issue of Bone Marrow Transplantation.
Date: July 3, 2007
Summary:
Researchers from the Stem Cell Transplant Program and the Amyloid Treatment and Research Program at Boston University Medical Center (BUMC) have found that tandem cycles of high-dose chemotherapy and blood stem cell transplantation can help treat patients with immunoglobulin-light chain (AL) Amyloidosis who did not respond to initial treatment with this method. These findings were published on-line in the June 25th issue of Bone Marrow Transplantation.
Fat Kills Cancer: Turning Stem Cells Taken from Fat Tissue into Personalized, Cancer-Targeted Therapeutics
Source: American Association for Cancer Research
Date: July 3. 2007
Summary:
Researchers in Slovakia have been able to derive mesenchymal stem cells from human adipose, or fat, tissue and engineer them into “suicide genes” that seek out and destroy tumors like tiny homing missiles. This gene therapy approach is a novel way to attack small tumor metastases that evade current detection techniques and treatments, the researchers conclude in the July 1 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Date: July 3. 2007
Summary:
Researchers in Slovakia have been able to derive mesenchymal stem cells from human adipose, or fat, tissue and engineer them into “suicide genes” that seek out and destroy tumors like tiny homing missiles. This gene therapy approach is a novel way to attack small tumor metastases that evade current detection techniques and treatments, the researchers conclude in the July 1 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
Monday, July 02, 2007
Researchers Discover Method for Identifying How Cancer Evades the Immune System
Source: American Association for Cancer Research
Date: July 2, 2007
Summary:
One of the fundamental traits of a tumor – how it avoids the immune system – might become its greatest vulnerability, according to researchers from the University of Southern California. Their findings, demonstrated in human breast and colorectal cancers, indicate that a technique for determining a tumor’s “immune signature,” could be useful for diagnosing and treating specific cancers.
Date: July 2, 2007
Summary:
One of the fundamental traits of a tumor – how it avoids the immune system – might become its greatest vulnerability, according to researchers from the University of Southern California. Their findings, demonstrated in human breast and colorectal cancers, indicate that a technique for determining a tumor’s “immune signature,” could be useful for diagnosing and treating specific cancers.
Mighty Mouse’s musk makes females smarter
Source: LiveScience
Posted: July 2, 2007 10:45 a.m. PT
Summary:
Animals often attract the opposite sex using chemicals in their scents known as pheromones. The areas of the brain that scientists think pheromones target are also where new cells most often grow in the adult brain — the olfactory bulb, which helps perceive odors, and the hippocampus, which helps store memories. Now researchers have discovered pheromones from dominant male mice stimulated the production of new neurons in female brains.
Posted: July 2, 2007 10:45 a.m. PT
Summary:
Animals often attract the opposite sex using chemicals in their scents known as pheromones. The areas of the brain that scientists think pheromones target are also where new cells most often grow in the adult brain — the olfactory bulb, which helps perceive odors, and the hippocampus, which helps store memories. Now researchers have discovered pheromones from dominant male mice stimulated the production of new neurons in female brains.
Advances in telomere therapy outstrip stem cell therapy without raising ethical concerns
Source: Telomolecular Corporation
Date: July 2, 2007
Summary:
In an official news release, Telomolecular Corporation explains its telomere regenerative medicine therapy and how it might achieve some of the potential healing outcomes promised by stem cell therapy without ethical controversy:
"Nanotechnologies involving chromosomal telomeres, such as those acquired and developed by Rancho Cordova, Calif.-based Telomolecular, can achieve everything that stem cell therapies achieve but without many of the drawbacks. Telomeres are protein compounds that act like caps on the ends of chromosomes and make sure that the DNA replication process ends the way it's supposed two when a cell divides. But every time a cell divides the telomeres shorten and eventually they become exhausted. Telomere exhaustion has been linked with numerous age-related diseases and with cancer. Stem cell therapy attempts to address this problem by growing new tissue with renewed telomeres in place of the tissue with exhausted telomeres. But stem cell therapy can lead to development of cancerous or abnormal tissues."
Date: July 2, 2007
Summary:
In an official news release, Telomolecular Corporation explains its telomere regenerative medicine therapy and how it might achieve some of the potential healing outcomes promised by stem cell therapy without ethical controversy:
"Nanotechnologies involving chromosomal telomeres, such as those acquired and developed by Rancho Cordova, Calif.-based Telomolecular, can achieve everything that stem cell therapies achieve but without many of the drawbacks. Telomeres are protein compounds that act like caps on the ends of chromosomes and make sure that the DNA replication process ends the way it's supposed two when a cell divides. But every time a cell divides the telomeres shorten and eventually they become exhausted. Telomere exhaustion has been linked with numerous age-related diseases and with cancer. Stem cell therapy attempts to address this problem by growing new tissue with renewed telomeres in place of the tissue with exhausted telomeres. But stem cell therapy can lead to development of cancerous or abnormal tissues."
Pheromones trigger brain cell growth, say researchers
Source: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Posted: July 2, 2007 9:01 AM MDT
Summary:
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reports that pheromones could enable the growth of new brain cells:
"Pheromone signals from dominant males spark new brain cells in their female partners and could help repair injured brains, suggests a new study by a University of Calgary neuroscientist. Sam Weiss's findings, in the July issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience, provide evidence that pheromones — subtle chemical signatures that influence mating behaviour — can control stem cells in the brain."
Posted: July 2, 2007 9:01 AM MDT
Summary:
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation reports that pheromones could enable the growth of new brain cells:
"Pheromone signals from dominant males spark new brain cells in their female partners and could help repair injured brains, suggests a new study by a University of Calgary neuroscientist. Sam Weiss's findings, in the July issue of the journal Nature Neuroscience, provide evidence that pheromones — subtle chemical signatures that influence mating behaviour — can control stem cells in the brain."
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