Source: University of Montreal
Date: March 31, 2008
Summary:
A team of Canadian and French researchers has identified a novel gene responsible for a significant fraction of ALS (sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) cases. ALS is commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease, an incurable neuromuscular disorder that affects motor neurons and leads to paralysis and death within one to five years. Published in the current online edition of Nature Genetics, the study on 200 human subjects with ALS was led by Doctors Guy Rouleau, Edor Kabashi, Paul Valdmanis of the Research Centre of the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM). The team identified several genetic mutations in the TDP-43 gene by studying ALS patients from France and Quebec. They established TDP-43 as the gene responsible for up to five percent of the ALS patients.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Damaged Brain Can Be Repaired And Cerebral Functions Restored, Neuronal Study Suggests
Source: CNRS / Université Pierre et Marie Curie
Date: March 31, 2008
Summary:
Scientists have shown that it is possible to repair an injured brain by creating a small number of new, specifically-targeted innervations, rather than a larger number of non-specific connections. Behavioral tests have demonstrated that such reinnervation can thus restore damaged cerebral functions.
Date: March 31, 2008
Summary:
Scientists have shown that it is possible to repair an injured brain by creating a small number of new, specifically-targeted innervations, rather than a larger number of non-specific connections. Behavioral tests have demonstrated that such reinnervation can thus restore damaged cerebral functions.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Stem Cells from Hair Follicles May Help "Grow" New Blood Vessels
Source: University of Buffalo
Date: March 28, 2008
Summary:
For a rich source of stem cells to be engineered into new blood vessels or skin tissue, clinicians may one day look no further than the hair on their patients' heads, according to new research published earlier this month by University at Buffalo engineers. In the study, the UB researchers demonstrate that stem cells isolated from sheep hair follicles contain the smooth muscle cells that grow new vasculature. The group recently produced data showing that stem cells from human hair follicles also differentiate into contractile smooth muscle cells. In addition to growing new skin for burn victims, cells from hair follicles could potentially be used to engineer vascular grafts and possibly regenerate cardiac tissues for patients with heart problems.
Date: March 28, 2008
Summary:
For a rich source of stem cells to be engineered into new blood vessels or skin tissue, clinicians may one day look no further than the hair on their patients' heads, according to new research published earlier this month by University at Buffalo engineers. In the study, the UB researchers demonstrate that stem cells isolated from sheep hair follicles contain the smooth muscle cells that grow new vasculature. The group recently produced data showing that stem cells from human hair follicles also differentiate into contractile smooth muscle cells. In addition to growing new skin for burn victims, cells from hair follicles could potentially be used to engineer vascular grafts and possibly regenerate cardiac tissues for patients with heart problems.
Scientists identify a mechanism that helps fruit flies lock-in memories
Source: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: March 28, 2008
Summary:
To lock in a memory, nerve cells must strengthen their connections with some neighbors but not others. Three research groups at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have collaborated to identify a protein whose action helps alter the strength of synaptic connections in fruit flies as they form memories. Synapses are the tiny gaps across which information crosses between nerve cells. Changes in the strength of synaptic connections, called plasticity, play a vital role in both memory formation and learning, and help determine how nerve signals propagate.
Date: March 28, 2008
Summary:
To lock in a memory, nerve cells must strengthen their connections with some neighbors but not others. Three research groups at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have collaborated to identify a protein whose action helps alter the strength of synaptic connections in fruit flies as they form memories. Synapses are the tiny gaps across which information crosses between nerve cells. Changes in the strength of synaptic connections, called plasticity, play a vital role in both memory formation and learning, and help determine how nerve signals propagate.
Uterine Stem Cells Create New Neurons That Can Curb Parkinson's Disease
Source: Yale University
Date: March 28, 2008
Summary:
The injection of uterine stem cells trigger growth of new brain cells in mice with Parkinson’s disease, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in an abstract presented at the 2008 Society for Gynecologic Investigation (SGI) Annual Scientific Meeting held March 26-29 in San Diego, California.
Date: March 28, 2008
Summary:
The injection of uterine stem cells trigger growth of new brain cells in mice with Parkinson’s disease, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in an abstract presented at the 2008 Society for Gynecologic Investigation (SGI) Annual Scientific Meeting held March 26-29 in San Diego, California.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Self-Assembled Materials Form Mini Stem Cell Lab
Source: Northwestern University
Date: March 27, 2008
Summary:
Imagine having one polymer and one small molecule that instantly assemble into a flexible but strong sac in which you can grow human stem cells, creating a sort of miniature laboratory. And that sac, if used for cell therapy, could cloak the stem cells from the human body’s immune system and biodegrade upon arriving at its destination, releasing the stem cells to do their work.
Futuristic? Only in part. A research team from Northwestern University’s Institute for BioNanotechnology in Medicine has created such sacs and demonstrated that human stem cells will grow in them. The researchers also report that the sacs can survive for weeks in culture and that their membranes are permeable to proteins. Proteins, even large ones, can travel freely across the membrane.
Date: March 27, 2008
Summary:
Imagine having one polymer and one small molecule that instantly assemble into a flexible but strong sac in which you can grow human stem cells, creating a sort of miniature laboratory. And that sac, if used for cell therapy, could cloak the stem cells from the human body’s immune system and biodegrade upon arriving at its destination, releasing the stem cells to do their work.
Futuristic? Only in part. A research team from Northwestern University’s Institute for BioNanotechnology in Medicine has created such sacs and demonstrated that human stem cells will grow in them. The researchers also report that the sacs can survive for weeks in culture and that their membranes are permeable to proteins. Proteins, even large ones, can travel freely across the membrane.
UCLA researchers examine human embryonic stem cell genome
Source: University of California - Los Angeles
Date: March 27, 2008
Summary:
Stem cell researchers from UCLA used a high resolution technique to examine the genome, or total DNA content, of a pair of human embryonic stem cell lines and found that while both lines could form neurons, the lines had differences in the numbers of certain genes that could control such things as individual traits and disease susceptibility. The technique used to study the genome, which contains all the genes on 46 chromosomes, is called array CGH. The use of higher resolution techniques, such as array CGH and, soon, whole genome sequencing, will enhance the ability of researchers to examine stem cell lines to determine which are best – least likely to result in diseases and other problems – to use in creating therapies for use in humans.
Date: March 27, 2008
Summary:
Stem cell researchers from UCLA used a high resolution technique to examine the genome, or total DNA content, of a pair of human embryonic stem cell lines and found that while both lines could form neurons, the lines had differences in the numbers of certain genes that could control such things as individual traits and disease susceptibility. The technique used to study the genome, which contains all the genes on 46 chromosomes, is called array CGH. The use of higher resolution techniques, such as array CGH and, soon, whole genome sequencing, will enhance the ability of researchers to examine stem cell lines to determine which are best – least likely to result in diseases and other problems – to use in creating therapies for use in humans.
New drug may help rescue the aging brain
Source: Rockefeller University
Date: March 27, 2008
Summary:
As people age, their brains pay the price — inflammation goes up, levels of certain neurotransmitters go down, and the result is a plethora of ailments ranging from memory impairment and depression to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. But in a long-term study with implications to treat these and other conditions, researchers have found that an experimental drug, taken chronically, has the ability to stem the effects of aging in the rat brain. The drug, temporarily designated S18986, interacts with AMPA (short for α-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid, or ampakine) receptors in the brain. These receptors transmit excitatory signals in the brain, and researchers were interested in experimental AMPA-receptor drugs (such as S18986) for their neuroprotective abilities and for the way they temporarily boost memory.
Date: March 27, 2008
Summary:
As people age, their brains pay the price — inflammation goes up, levels of certain neurotransmitters go down, and the result is a plethora of ailments ranging from memory impairment and depression to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. But in a long-term study with implications to treat these and other conditions, researchers have found that an experimental drug, taken chronically, has the ability to stem the effects of aging in the rat brain. The drug, temporarily designated S18986, interacts with AMPA (short for α-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid, or ampakine) receptors in the brain. These receptors transmit excitatory signals in the brain, and researchers were interested in experimental AMPA-receptor drugs (such as S18986) for their neuroprotective abilities and for the way they temporarily boost memory.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Umbilical Cord Blood Cell Therapy May Treat Cognitive Decline Of Alzheimer's Disease, Animal Study Suggests
Source: University of of South Florida
Date: March 26, 2008
Summary:
Targeted immune suppression using human umbilical cord blood cells may improve the pathology associated with Alzheimer’s disease, a new study in a mouse model of this currently untreatable neurodegenerative condition reports. The study, led by researchers at the University of South Florida, is published online in the peer-reviewed journal Stem Cells and Development.
Date: March 26, 2008
Summary:
Targeted immune suppression using human umbilical cord blood cells may improve the pathology associated with Alzheimer’s disease, a new study in a mouse model of this currently untreatable neurodegenerative condition reports. The study, led by researchers at the University of South Florida, is published online in the peer-reviewed journal Stem Cells and Development.
Growth hormone found to have new role in development of brain's smell center
Source: University of California - Berkeley
Date: March 26, 2008
Summary:
A human hormone known to stimulate the growth of cells throughout the body has a new role - helping to set up the proper nerve connections in the odor center of the brain, according to University of California, Berkeley scientists. Now, neuroscientists have shown that IGF also controls the direction of axon growth as axons stretch from the nose's odor detectors to the brain's olfactory bulb. Axon guidance represents a new role for IGF in development.
Date: March 26, 2008
Summary:
A human hormone known to stimulate the growth of cells throughout the body has a new role - helping to set up the proper nerve connections in the odor center of the brain, according to University of California, Berkeley scientists. Now, neuroscientists have shown that IGF also controls the direction of axon growth as axons stretch from the nose's odor detectors to the brain's olfactory bulb. Axon guidance represents a new role for IGF in development.
Key factor in brain development revealed, offers insight into disorder
Source: University of California, San Francisco
Date: March 26, 2008
Summary:
In the earliest days of brain development, the brain’s first cells – neuroepithelial stem cells -- divide continuously, producing a population of cells that eventually evolves into the various cells of the fully formed brain. Now, scientists have identified a gene that, in mice, is critical for these stem cells to divide correctly. Without it, they fail to divide, and die. The finding offers insight into the first steps of brain development, and may shed light, the scientists say, on a rare pediatric disorder known as lissencephaly, or “smooth brain” disease. The senior author of the study was Anthony Wynshaw-Boris, MD, PhD, the recently recruited chief of the Division of Genetics in the Department of Pediatrics, and the Institute for Human Genetics at the University of California, San Francisco.
Date: March 26, 2008
Summary:
In the earliest days of brain development, the brain’s first cells – neuroepithelial stem cells -- divide continuously, producing a population of cells that eventually evolves into the various cells of the fully formed brain. Now, scientists have identified a gene that, in mice, is critical for these stem cells to divide correctly. Without it, they fail to divide, and die. The finding offers insight into the first steps of brain development, and may shed light, the scientists say, on a rare pediatric disorder known as lissencephaly, or “smooth brain” disease. The senior author of the study was Anthony Wynshaw-Boris, MD, PhD, the recently recruited chief of the Division of Genetics in the Department of Pediatrics, and the Institute for Human Genetics at the University of California, San Francisco.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
South Carolina to begin working on the world's first biological heart pacemaker
Source: Health Sciences South Carolina
Date: March 25, 2008
Summary:
South Carolina will soon begin working on the world’s first tissue-derived human heart pacemaker with the recruitment of internationally acclaimed researcher, Dr. Martin Morad. The announcement was made today at a press conference at the State House hosted by Health Sciences South Carolina (HSSC).
Date: March 25, 2008
Summary:
South Carolina will soon begin working on the world’s first tissue-derived human heart pacemaker with the recruitment of internationally acclaimed researcher, Dr. Martin Morad. The announcement was made today at a press conference at the State House hosted by Health Sciences South Carolina (HSSC).
Coverage of Parkinson's Stem Cell Study
Below is a summary of media coverage from various sources of recent studies by researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) using embryonic stem cells derived from therapeutic cloning to treat Parkinson's Disease in mice:
Medical News Today, 25 March 2008 - 2:00 PDT:
"In a step closer to developing a treatment for Parkinson's in humans using therapeutic cloning, scientists in the US and Japan have for the first time used cells from a mouse to treat Parkinson's in the same mouse. The study is published in the advanced online issue of the journal Nature Medicine and is the work of investigators at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York, and the Riken Institute in Kobe, Japan. Hailed as the first study of its kind, the investigators showed that therapeutic cloning, or somatic cell nuclear transfer (SNCT), using cells from a mouse to treat the same mouse can be successful. Although so far only demonstrated in animals, if the success is replicated in humans, it will open the door to treatments that reduce transplant rejection and improve recovery in a range of other diseases and medical conditions."
United Press International, March 24, 2008 at 2:57 PM EDT:
"A U.S. and Japanese study used therapeutic cloning to treat Parkinson's disease in mice. The nucleus taken from skin cells from the tail of the mouse were used to generate "customized" dopamine neurons. The study, published online in Nature Medicine, found mice receiving dopamine neurons from the individually matched stem cell lines showed neurological improvement. But when these neurons were grafted into mice that did not genetically match the transplanted cells, the cells did not survive well and the mice did not recover."
HealthDay News, March 24, 2008:
"Therapeutic cloning successfully treated Parkinson's disease in mice, researchers report. Using the process to develop dopamine-producing neurons with an identical genetic profile to each mouse being treated allowed scientists to significantly improve the neurological performance of the diseased animals, without provoking any evidence of immune system rejection."
ScienceNOW Daily News, 24 March 2008:
"Scientists have moved a step closer toward therapeutic cloning, the strategy of using patients' own cells to treat their diseases. Mice with a Parkinson-like movement disorder showed significant improvement after being implanted with brain cells derived from their own tissue. It's a "technical tour de force," says Harvard stem cell researcher George Daley."
The Independent, 24 March 2008:
"A potential cure for Parkinson's disease has come a significant step closer today with a study showing that it is possible to treat the degenerative brain disorder with cells derived from cloned embryos – a development condemned by the Roman Catholic Church. The research was carried out on laboratory mice but scientists believe the findings are proof that the techniques could be applied to humans suffering not just from Parkinson's, but a range of other incurable diseases. Researchers have demonstrated the possibility of treating Parkinson's disease by transplanting laboratory-matured brain cells back into the individual who supplied the skin cells that were turned into cloned embryos – a process known as therapeutic cloning."
Daily Mail - Glasgow, UK, 24th March 2008, 11:07am GMT:
"A potential cure for Parkinson's disease has come a significant step closer today with a study showing that it is possible to treat the degenerative brain disorder with cells derived from cloned embryos. The cells were successfully used to treat animals with the disease for the first time. The experiment marked the first time that cloned stem cells had been used to reverse disease in the same animals from which they were taken. Mice bred to develop the equivalent of Parkinson's showed signs of improvement when they received neurons containing the chemical dopamine which had been grown from their own cloned stem cells. The findings, published in the journal Nature Medicine, suggest it could be possible to use this cloning approach, known as therapeutic cloning, to treat Parkinson's in humans."
Sydney Morning Herald, March 24, 2008 - 6:33 AM
AST:
"THE controversial technique of therapeutic cloning has been successfully used to treat a disease for the first time, with mice with Parkinson's disease found to improve after receiving their own modified cells. American and Japanese researchers converted skin cells from the tail of the sick animals into the dopamine-producing brain cells they lacked, and grafted the genetically matched tissue back into the same mice."
BBC News 23 March 2008 19:03 GMT:
"Therapeutic cloning has been successfully used to treat Parkinson's disease in mice, US researchers say. The study in Nature Medicine provides the best evidence so far that the controversial technique could one day help people with the condition. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre team say it is the first time animals have been successfully treated with their own cloned cells. UK experts said the work was promising and exciting development."
Bloomberg News, March 23, 2008:
"Researchers cured mice with a version of Parkinson's disease by treating them with brain cells made from clones of their own skin cells. The researchers employed nuclear transfer, which involves swapping genetic material from one individual into an egg cell belonging to another. The same procedure was used to create Dolly the sheep, one of the first animals produced by cloning. The findings, published today in the journal Nature Medicine, offer a glimpse into how the cloning technique might one day be used to develop therapies, as opposed to making copies of an individual."
Bloomberg News, March 23, 2008:
"Researchers cured mice with a version of Parkinson's disease by treating them with brain cells made from clones of their own skin cells. The researchers employed nuclear transfer, which involves swapping genetic material from one individual into an egg cell belonging to another. The same procedure was used to create Dolly the sheep, one of the first animals produced by cloning. The findings, published today in the journal Nature Medicine, offer a glimpse into how the cloning technique might one day be used to develop therapies, as opposed to making copies of an individual."
The Guardian, March 24, 2008:
"Scientists have shown that stem cells produced by therapeutic cloning are effective for treating Parkinson's disease, in the first convincing demonstration that stem cells derived from the subject can be used to treat a serious disease. The technique has only been tried in mice, but scientists have hailed it as proof that a similar approach could be successful in humans."
The Times, March 24, 2008:
"Cloned embryonic stem cells have been used to treat animals with Parkinson’s disease for the first time, in an important step towards developing the therapy for human patients. The successful experiment marks the first time that cloned stem cells have been used to reverse disease in the same animals from which they were derived, and suggests that it should be possible to use therapeutic cloning in medicine."
Reuters, March 23, 2008 2:05 pm EDT:
"Researchers who used cloned embryonic stem cells to treat Parkinson's disease in mice said on Sunday they worked better than other cells. The researchers were trying to prove that it is possible to make embryonic stem cells using cloning technology and use them to provide a tailor-made treatment. But they found that a mouse's own cloned stem cells were far less disruptive to its body than cloned cells taken from other mice."
New Scientist, 18:00 GMT 23 March 2008:
"Therapeutic cloning works – in mice, at least. An international team has restored mice with a condition similar to Parkinson's disease back to health, using neurons grown in the lab that were made from their own cloned skin cells. This is the first time that a disease has been successfully treated using cloned cells that had been derived from the recipient animals."
The Courier Mail, March 24, 2008 05:30am AST:
"RESEARCHERS who used cloned embryonic stem cells to treat Parkinson's disease in mice said today they worked better than other cells. The researchers were trying to prove that it is possible to make embryonic stem cells using cloning technology and use them to provide a tailor-made treatment. But they found that a mouse's own cloned stem cells were far less disruptive to its body than cloned cells taken from other mice."
Medical News Today, 25 March 2008 - 2:00 PDT:
"In a step closer to developing a treatment for Parkinson's in humans using therapeutic cloning, scientists in the US and Japan have for the first time used cells from a mouse to treat Parkinson's in the same mouse. The study is published in the advanced online issue of the journal Nature Medicine and is the work of investigators at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in New York, and the Riken Institute in Kobe, Japan. Hailed as the first study of its kind, the investigators showed that therapeutic cloning, or somatic cell nuclear transfer (SNCT), using cells from a mouse to treat the same mouse can be successful. Although so far only demonstrated in animals, if the success is replicated in humans, it will open the door to treatments that reduce transplant rejection and improve recovery in a range of other diseases and medical conditions."
United Press International, March 24, 2008 at 2:57 PM EDT:
"A U.S. and Japanese study used therapeutic cloning to treat Parkinson's disease in mice. The nucleus taken from skin cells from the tail of the mouse were used to generate "customized" dopamine neurons. The study, published online in Nature Medicine, found mice receiving dopamine neurons from the individually matched stem cell lines showed neurological improvement. But when these neurons were grafted into mice that did not genetically match the transplanted cells, the cells did not survive well and the mice did not recover."
HealthDay News, March 24, 2008:
"Therapeutic cloning successfully treated Parkinson's disease in mice, researchers report. Using the process to develop dopamine-producing neurons with an identical genetic profile to each mouse being treated allowed scientists to significantly improve the neurological performance of the diseased animals, without provoking any evidence of immune system rejection."
ScienceNOW Daily News, 24 March 2008:
"Scientists have moved a step closer toward therapeutic cloning, the strategy of using patients' own cells to treat their diseases. Mice with a Parkinson-like movement disorder showed significant improvement after being implanted with brain cells derived from their own tissue. It's a "technical tour de force," says Harvard stem cell researcher George Daley."
The Independent, 24 March 2008:
"A potential cure for Parkinson's disease has come a significant step closer today with a study showing that it is possible to treat the degenerative brain disorder with cells derived from cloned embryos – a development condemned by the Roman Catholic Church. The research was carried out on laboratory mice but scientists believe the findings are proof that the techniques could be applied to humans suffering not just from Parkinson's, but a range of other incurable diseases. Researchers have demonstrated the possibility of treating Parkinson's disease by transplanting laboratory-matured brain cells back into the individual who supplied the skin cells that were turned into cloned embryos – a process known as therapeutic cloning."
Daily Mail - Glasgow, UK, 24th March 2008, 11:07am GMT:
"A potential cure for Parkinson's disease has come a significant step closer today with a study showing that it is possible to treat the degenerative brain disorder with cells derived from cloned embryos. The cells were successfully used to treat animals with the disease for the first time. The experiment marked the first time that cloned stem cells had been used to reverse disease in the same animals from which they were taken. Mice bred to develop the equivalent of Parkinson's showed signs of improvement when they received neurons containing the chemical dopamine which had been grown from their own cloned stem cells. The findings, published in the journal Nature Medicine, suggest it could be possible to use this cloning approach, known as therapeutic cloning, to treat Parkinson's in humans."
Sydney Morning Herald, March 24, 2008 - 6:33 AM
AST:
"THE controversial technique of therapeutic cloning has been successfully used to treat a disease for the first time, with mice with Parkinson's disease found to improve after receiving their own modified cells. American and Japanese researchers converted skin cells from the tail of the sick animals into the dopamine-producing brain cells they lacked, and grafted the genetically matched tissue back into the same mice."
BBC News 23 March 2008 19:03 GMT:
"Therapeutic cloning has been successfully used to treat Parkinson's disease in mice, US researchers say. The study in Nature Medicine provides the best evidence so far that the controversial technique could one day help people with the condition. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre team say it is the first time animals have been successfully treated with their own cloned cells. UK experts said the work was promising and exciting development."
Bloomberg News, March 23, 2008:
"Researchers cured mice with a version of Parkinson's disease by treating them with brain cells made from clones of their own skin cells. The researchers employed nuclear transfer, which involves swapping genetic material from one individual into an egg cell belonging to another. The same procedure was used to create Dolly the sheep, one of the first animals produced by cloning. The findings, published today in the journal Nature Medicine, offer a glimpse into how the cloning technique might one day be used to develop therapies, as opposed to making copies of an individual."
Bloomberg News, March 23, 2008:
"Researchers cured mice with a version of Parkinson's disease by treating them with brain cells made from clones of their own skin cells. The researchers employed nuclear transfer, which involves swapping genetic material from one individual into an egg cell belonging to another. The same procedure was used to create Dolly the sheep, one of the first animals produced by cloning. The findings, published today in the journal Nature Medicine, offer a glimpse into how the cloning technique might one day be used to develop therapies, as opposed to making copies of an individual."
The Guardian, March 24, 2008:
"Scientists have shown that stem cells produced by therapeutic cloning are effective for treating Parkinson's disease, in the first convincing demonstration that stem cells derived from the subject can be used to treat a serious disease. The technique has only been tried in mice, but scientists have hailed it as proof that a similar approach could be successful in humans."
The Times, March 24, 2008:
"Cloned embryonic stem cells have been used to treat animals with Parkinson’s disease for the first time, in an important step towards developing the therapy for human patients. The successful experiment marks the first time that cloned stem cells have been used to reverse disease in the same animals from which they were derived, and suggests that it should be possible to use therapeutic cloning in medicine."
Reuters, March 23, 2008 2:05 pm EDT:
"Researchers who used cloned embryonic stem cells to treat Parkinson's disease in mice said on Sunday they worked better than other cells. The researchers were trying to prove that it is possible to make embryonic stem cells using cloning technology and use them to provide a tailor-made treatment. But they found that a mouse's own cloned stem cells were far less disruptive to its body than cloned cells taken from other mice."
New Scientist, 18:00 GMT 23 March 2008:
"Therapeutic cloning works – in mice, at least. An international team has restored mice with a condition similar to Parkinson's disease back to health, using neurons grown in the lab that were made from their own cloned skin cells. This is the first time that a disease has been successfully treated using cloned cells that had been derived from the recipient animals."
The Courier Mail, March 24, 2008 05:30am AST:
"RESEARCHERS who used cloned embryonic stem cells to treat Parkinson's disease in mice said today they worked better than other cells. The researchers were trying to prove that it is possible to make embryonic stem cells using cloning technology and use them to provide a tailor-made treatment. But they found that a mouse's own cloned stem cells were far less disruptive to its body than cloned cells taken from other mice."
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Therapeutic Cloning Treats Parkinson's Disease in Mice
Source: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Date: March 23, 2008
Summary:
Research led by investigators at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) has shown that therapeutic cloning, also known as somatic-cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), can be used to treat Parkinson's disease in mice. The study's results are published in the March 23 online edition of the journal Nature Medicine. For the first time, researchers showed that therapeutic cloning or SCNT has been successfully used to treat disease in the same subjects from whom the initial cells were derived. While this current work is in animals, it could have future implications as this method may be an effective way to reduce transplant rejection and enhance recovery in other diseases and in other organ systems.
Date: March 23, 2008
Summary:
Research led by investigators at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) has shown that therapeutic cloning, also known as somatic-cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), can be used to treat Parkinson's disease in mice. The study's results are published in the March 23 online edition of the journal Nature Medicine. For the first time, researchers showed that therapeutic cloning or SCNT has been successfully used to treat disease in the same subjects from whom the initial cells were derived. While this current work is in animals, it could have future implications as this method may be an effective way to reduce transplant rejection and enhance recovery in other diseases and in other organ systems.
Protein protects embryonic stem cells' versatility and self-renewal
Source: University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Date: March 23, 2008
Summary:
A protein known as REST blocks the expression of a microRNA that prevents embryonic stem cells from reproducing themselves and causes them to differentiate into specific cell types, scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report in the journal Nature.
Date: March 23, 2008
Summary:
A protein known as REST blocks the expression of a microRNA that prevents embryonic stem cells from reproducing themselves and causes them to differentiate into specific cell types, scientists at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center report in the journal Nature.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Therapeutic cloning creates perfect match: Animal-specific stem cells treat Parkinson's symptoms in mice.
Source: Nature
Date: 21 March 2008
Summary:
Nature reports researchers have treated Parkinson's disease in mice using embryonic stem cells derived from therapeutic cloning:
"Researchers have used therapeutic cloning to transform a mouse's tail cells into ones that can treat it for disease. The study helps advance the prospect of creating cell lines perfectly matched to human patients. ... "The process is laborious and technically challenging. Previous work had shown that dopamine-producing cells formed from embryonic stem cells could be transplanted into mice with a model of Parkinson’s disease. The transplants successfully relieved symptoms, but in that case the researchers derived the stem cell line from a different (but genetically related) donor, not from the mouse that was being treated. The new study is the first to take cells from a mouse, transform them through therapeutic cloning into a new cell line, and use this to treat the original donor."
Date: 21 March 2008
Summary:
Nature reports researchers have treated Parkinson's disease in mice using embryonic stem cells derived from therapeutic cloning:
"Researchers have used therapeutic cloning to transform a mouse's tail cells into ones that can treat it for disease. The study helps advance the prospect of creating cell lines perfectly matched to human patients. ... "The process is laborious and technically challenging. Previous work had shown that dopamine-producing cells formed from embryonic stem cells could be transplanted into mice with a model of Parkinson’s disease. The transplants successfully relieved symptoms, but in that case the researchers derived the stem cell line from a different (but genetically related) donor, not from the mouse that was being treated. The new study is the first to take cells from a mouse, transform them through therapeutic cloning into a new cell line, and use this to treat the original donor."
Researchers Identify Genes that Put the "Stem" in Cell
Source: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Date: March 21, 2008
Summary:
A team led by Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) researchers has identified a network of hundreds of genes that keep embryonic stem cells in their characteristic malleable state, able to develop into any cell type when the time comes. The finding, based on studies of mouse cells, provides valuable insight into the way stem cells function, and could help researchers find ways to reprogram adult cells for therapeutic use.
Date: March 21, 2008
Summary:
A team led by Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) researchers has identified a network of hundreds of genes that keep embryonic stem cells in their characteristic malleable state, able to develop into any cell type when the time comes. The finding, based on studies of mouse cells, provides valuable insight into the way stem cells function, and could help researchers find ways to reprogram adult cells for therapeutic use.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Promising Research On The Susceptibility To And Drug Targets For Parkinson's Disease
Source: Public Library of Science
Date: March 20, 2008
Summary:
Better understanding of Parkinson’s disease onset during aging is important for improving diagnostics and developing strategies for therapeutic intervention. Scientists from the University Medical Center in Groningen have now identified genes and processes that may underlie what makes some people more susceptible to this disease. Their findings are described in an article published March 21 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.
Date: March 20, 2008
Summary:
Better understanding of Parkinson’s disease onset during aging is important for improving diagnostics and developing strategies for therapeutic intervention. Scientists from the University Medical Center in Groningen have now identified genes and processes that may underlie what makes some people more susceptible to this disease. Their findings are described in an article published March 21 in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics.
New stem cell variety found in menstrual blood
Source: San Diego Union-Tribune
Date: March 20, 2008
Summary:
The San Diego Union-Tribune reports Medistem Laboratories, a start-up biotechnology company in the field of adult stem cell research, announced it has discovered a new type of adult stem cell in menstrual blood:
"A startup stem cell company with part of its operations in San Diego has discovered a new type of stem cell in menstrual blood, a finding that might allow researchers to avoid the medical and ethical issues surrounding the use of human embryonic stem cells. Medistem Laboratories said these new cells are more like human embryonic stem cells than most so-called adult stem cells because they can turn into nine tissue types in the body. They also can replicate themselves faster than other adult stem cell types, giving them the potential to be banked and creating the possibility of a plentiful supply of cells for therapies, said Thomas Ichim, the company's new chief executive."
NBC Sandiego.com has a streaming TV news video report on this development.
Date: March 20, 2008
Summary:
The San Diego Union-Tribune reports Medistem Laboratories, a start-up biotechnology company in the field of adult stem cell research, announced it has discovered a new type of adult stem cell in menstrual blood:
"A startup stem cell company with part of its operations in San Diego has discovered a new type of stem cell in menstrual blood, a finding that might allow researchers to avoid the medical and ethical issues surrounding the use of human embryonic stem cells. Medistem Laboratories said these new cells are more like human embryonic stem cells than most so-called adult stem cells because they can turn into nine tissue types in the body. They also can replicate themselves faster than other adult stem cell types, giving them the potential to be banked and creating the possibility of a plentiful supply of cells for therapies, said Thomas Ichim, the company's new chief executive."
NBC Sandiego.com has a streaming TV news video report on this development.
Tweaking Insulin Might Help Fight Aging
Source: HealthDay News
Date: March 20, 2008
Summary:
HealthDay News reports new findings into the function of insulin in the aging process:
"Scientists have gained new insight into the workings of insulin, potentially laying the groundwork for an anti-aging treatment. The research has only taken place in worms, a common model for this type of research, and it's too early to know if it will translate to humans. But worms whose insulin levels were adjusted lived a week longer than their typical two-week lifespan, the scientists said. ... the findings -- which explore a genetic pathway in the worms -- provide new information about how insulin and lifespan might be related."
Date: March 20, 2008
Summary:
HealthDay News reports new findings into the function of insulin in the aging process:
"Scientists have gained new insight into the workings of insulin, potentially laying the groundwork for an anti-aging treatment. The research has only taken place in worms, a common model for this type of research, and it's too early to know if it will translate to humans. But worms whose insulin levels were adjusted lived a week longer than their typical two-week lifespan, the scientists said. ... the findings -- which explore a genetic pathway in the worms -- provide new information about how insulin and lifespan might be related."
New Research Provides Genetic Clue to Parkinson’s Disease
Source: Brown University
Date: March 20, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and at Rhode Island Hospital have discovered a gene that could hold the key to developing new treatments for Parkinson’s disease – a progressive and often debilitating movement disorder that affects as many as one million Americans. According to the findings of the study, published online in the American Journal of Human Genetics, mutations in the gene, known as GIGYF2, appear to be directly linked to the development of Parkinson’s in people with a family history of the disease. The gene is one of only a handful linked to Parkinson’s and one of just two genes known to be a common contributor to this degenerative disease, which has no known cause or cure.
Date: March 20, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and at Rhode Island Hospital have discovered a gene that could hold the key to developing new treatments for Parkinson’s disease – a progressive and often debilitating movement disorder that affects as many as one million Americans. According to the findings of the study, published online in the American Journal of Human Genetics, mutations in the gene, known as GIGYF2, appear to be directly linked to the development of Parkinson’s in people with a family history of the disease. The gene is one of only a handful linked to Parkinson’s and one of just two genes known to be a common contributor to this degenerative disease, which has no known cause or cure.
Researchers Unmask Proteins In Telomerase, A Substance That Enables Cancer
Source: Stanford University Medical Center
Date: March 20, 2008
Summary:
One of the more intriguing workhorses of the cell, a protein conglomerate called telomerase, has in its short history been implicated in some critical areas of medicine including cancer, aging and keeping stem cells healthy. Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine have identified two new proteins that make up the telomerase complex and have a lead on several more. This is the first significant step toward understanding the makeup of telomerase since 1999. The discovery of these two proteins provides new targets for cancer treatments, the researchers said.
Date: March 20, 2008
Summary:
One of the more intriguing workhorses of the cell, a protein conglomerate called telomerase, has in its short history been implicated in some critical areas of medicine including cancer, aging and keeping stem cells healthy. Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine have identified two new proteins that make up the telomerase complex and have a lead on several more. This is the first significant step toward understanding the makeup of telomerase since 1999. The discovery of these two proteins provides new targets for cancer treatments, the researchers said.
Insulin Has Previously Unknown Effect That Has Role In Aging And Lifespan
Source: Joslin Diabetes Center
Date: March 20, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center have shown that insulin has a previously unknown effect that plays a role in aging and lifespan, a finding that could ultimately provide a mechanism for gene manipulations that could help people live longer and healthier lives.
Date: March 20, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center have shown that insulin has a previously unknown effect that plays a role in aging and lifespan, a finding that could ultimately provide a mechanism for gene manipulations that could help people live longer and healthier lives.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Coming soon: Cell therapies for diabetes, cancer?
Source: Cell Transplantation Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair
Date: March 19, 2008
Summary:
Therapies using stem cell transplants are advancing promising treatments for such conditions as Alzheimer’s Disease, neurological diseases and spinal cord injury, and heart disease. Now, scientists think that stem cell transplants may ultimately benefit those who suffer from diabetes or cancer.
Date: March 19, 2008
Summary:
Therapies using stem cell transplants are advancing promising treatments for such conditions as Alzheimer’s Disease, neurological diseases and spinal cord injury, and heart disease. Now, scientists think that stem cell transplants may ultimately benefit those who suffer from diabetes or cancer.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Scientists successfully awaken sleeping stem cells
Source: Schepens Eye Research Institute
Date: March 18, 2008
Summary:
Scientists at Schepens Eye Research Institute have discovered what chemical in the eye triggers the dormant capacity of certain non-neuronal cells to transform into progenitor cells, a stem-like cell that can generate new retinal cells. The discovery, published in the March issue of Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, offers new hope to victims of diseases that harm the retina, such as macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa.
Date: March 18, 2008
Summary:
Scientists at Schepens Eye Research Institute have discovered what chemical in the eye triggers the dormant capacity of certain non-neuronal cells to transform into progenitor cells, a stem-like cell that can generate new retinal cells. The discovery, published in the March issue of Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, offers new hope to victims of diseases that harm the retina, such as macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Zebrafish Enables Cell Regeneration Studies To Help Understand, Treat Human Disease
Source: Medical College of Georgia
Date: March 17, 2008
Summary:
One aquarium fish’s uncanny ability to regenerate essentially any cell type has given scientists a way to mimic cell loss that occurs in diseases such as Parkinson’s and diabetes then watch how the fish make more of them. “What we are pinning everything on is the idea that humans also have this capacity, but it’s sort of locked up,” says Dr. Jeff S. Mumm, biologist at the Medical College of Georgia.
Date: March 17, 2008
Summary:
One aquarium fish’s uncanny ability to regenerate essentially any cell type has given scientists a way to mimic cell loss that occurs in diseases such as Parkinson’s and diabetes then watch how the fish make more of them. “What we are pinning everything on is the idea that humans also have this capacity, but it’s sort of locked up,” says Dr. Jeff S. Mumm, biologist at the Medical College of Georgia.
Umbilical Cord Blood Injections Aid Aging Brains
Source: HealthDay News
Date: March 17, 2008
Summary:
HealthDay News reports University of South Florida researchers improved function in aged brains of rats by Injecting human umbilical cord blood cells (UCBC):
"Injection of human umbilical cord blood cells (UCBC) boosted the brains of aged lab rats, University of South Florida researchers report. They found that the injections led to improvements in the microenvironment of the hippocampus region of the rats' brains and subsequent rejuvenation of neural stem/progenitor cells. The findings, published online in BMC Neuroscience, suggest that it may be possible to use cell therapy to revitalize and improve function in aging brains."
Date: March 17, 2008
Summary:
HealthDay News reports University of South Florida researchers improved function in aged brains of rats by Injecting human umbilical cord blood cells (UCBC):
"Injection of human umbilical cord blood cells (UCBC) boosted the brains of aged lab rats, University of South Florida researchers report. They found that the injections led to improvements in the microenvironment of the hippocampus region of the rats' brains and subsequent rejuvenation of neural stem/progenitor cells. The findings, published online in BMC Neuroscience, suggest that it may be possible to use cell therapy to revitalize and improve function in aging brains."
Work with power grids leads to cell biology discovery
Source: Northwestern University
Date: March 17, 2008
Summary:
Gene therapy, in which a working gene is inserted into a cell to replace a faulty or absent gene, is a promising experimental technique for the prevention and treatment of disease. Now a research team led by a Northwestern University physicist reports that a counterintuitive approach also holds promise. The targeted removal of genes -- the exact opposite of what a gene therapist would do -- can restore cellular function in cells with genetic defects, such as mutations.
Date: March 17, 2008
Summary:
Gene therapy, in which a working gene is inserted into a cell to replace a faulty or absent gene, is a promising experimental technique for the prevention and treatment of disease. Now a research team led by a Northwestern University physicist reports that a counterintuitive approach also holds promise. The targeted removal of genes -- the exact opposite of what a gene therapist would do -- can restore cellular function in cells with genetic defects, such as mutations.
Regrowing Limbs: Can People Regenerate Body Parts?
Source: Scientific American
Date: March 17, 2008
Summary:
Scientific American reports on new studies of salamanders' ability to regrow limb and whether humans can also regenerate body parts damaged by amputations and wounds:
"A salamander’s limbs are smaller and a bit slimier than those of most people, but otherwise they are not that different from their human counterparts. The salamander limb is encased in skin, and inside it is composed of a bony skeleton, muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves and blood vessels. A loose arrangement of cells called fibroblasts holds all these internal tissues together and gives the limb its shape."
"Yet a salamander’s limb is unique in the world of vertebrates in that it can regrow from a stump after an amputation. An adult salamander can regenerate a lost arm or leg this way over and over again, regardless of how many times the part is amputated. Frogs can rebuild a limb during tadpole stages when their limbs are first growing out, but they lose this ability in adulthood. Even mammalian embryos have some ability to replace developing limb buds, but that capacity also disappears well before birth. Indeed, this trend toward declining regenerative capacity over the course of an organism’s development is mirrored in the evolution of higher animal forms, leaving the lowly salamander as the only vertebrate still able to regrow complex body parts throughout its lifetime."
Date: March 17, 2008
Summary:
Scientific American reports on new studies of salamanders' ability to regrow limb and whether humans can also regenerate body parts damaged by amputations and wounds:
"A salamander’s limbs are smaller and a bit slimier than those of most people, but otherwise they are not that different from their human counterparts. The salamander limb is encased in skin, and inside it is composed of a bony skeleton, muscles, ligaments, tendons, nerves and blood vessels. A loose arrangement of cells called fibroblasts holds all these internal tissues together and gives the limb its shape."
"Yet a salamander’s limb is unique in the world of vertebrates in that it can regrow from a stump after an amputation. An adult salamander can regenerate a lost arm or leg this way over and over again, regardless of how many times the part is amputated. Frogs can rebuild a limb during tadpole stages when their limbs are first growing out, but they lose this ability in adulthood. Even mammalian embryos have some ability to replace developing limb buds, but that capacity also disappears well before birth. Indeed, this trend toward declining regenerative capacity over the course of an organism’s development is mirrored in the evolution of higher animal forms, leaving the lowly salamander as the only vertebrate still able to regrow complex body parts throughout its lifetime."
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Insight into HIV's 'on-off' switch shows promise for therapy, understanding cellular decisions
Source: University of California - San Diego
Date: March 16, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have discovered how a genetic circuit in HIV controls whether the virus turns on or stays dormant, and have succeeded in forcing the virus towards dormancy, a finding that shows promise as an avenue for HIV therapy. Their findings are published in the March 16 issue of the journal Nature Genetics.
Date: March 16, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego and Oak Ridge National Laboratory have discovered how a genetic circuit in HIV controls whether the virus turns on or stays dormant, and have succeeded in forcing the virus towards dormancy, a finding that shows promise as an avenue for HIV therapy. Their findings are published in the March 16 issue of the journal Nature Genetics.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Researchers Discover Two Proteins that Regulate Potassium in Stem Cells
Source: Texas Tech University
Date: March 14, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at Texas Tech University and the University of Wisconsin have discovered two proteins that control potassium regulation in stem cells found in the embryonic brain of rats. Understanding this potassium regulation and how these proteins work can help researchers develop better detection and treatment methods for diseases of nervous system and the heart, said Dean O. Smith, vice president for research at Texas Tech. The findings were published in the journal PLoS ONE.
Date: March 14, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at Texas Tech University and the University of Wisconsin have discovered two proteins that control potassium regulation in stem cells found in the embryonic brain of rats. Understanding this potassium regulation and how these proteins work can help researchers develop better detection and treatment methods for diseases of nervous system and the heart, said Dean O. Smith, vice president for research at Texas Tech. The findings were published in the journal PLoS ONE.
MicroRNAs help fins regenerate in zebrafish
Source: Duke University
Date: March 14, 2008
Summary:
Biologists have discovered a molecular circuit breaker that controls a zebrafish's remarkable ability to regrow missing fins, according to a new study from Duke University Medical Center. Tiny wonders of the aquarium world, zebrafish can regenerate organs and tissues, including hearts, eye parts and fins. When a fin is lost, the fish regenerates a perfect copy in two weeks by orchestrating the growth of many tissue types, including bone, nerves, blood vessels, connective tissue and skin. Scientists hope that understanding how zebrafish repair themselves will lead to new treatments for human conditions caused by damaged tissue, such as heart failure, diabetes and spinal cord injuries.
Date: March 14, 2008
Summary:
Biologists have discovered a molecular circuit breaker that controls a zebrafish's remarkable ability to regrow missing fins, according to a new study from Duke University Medical Center. Tiny wonders of the aquarium world, zebrafish can regenerate organs and tissues, including hearts, eye parts and fins. When a fin is lost, the fish regenerates a perfect copy in two weeks by orchestrating the growth of many tissue types, including bone, nerves, blood vessels, connective tissue and skin. Scientists hope that understanding how zebrafish repair themselves will lead to new treatments for human conditions caused by damaged tissue, such as heart failure, diabetes and spinal cord injuries.
Potential Alzheimer’s Disease Drug Target Identified
Source: University of California - San Diego
Date: March 14, 2008
Summary:
In findings with the potential to provide a therapy for Alzheimer’s disease patients where none now exist, a researcher at the University of California, San Diego and colleagues have demonstrated in mice a way to reduce the overproduction of a peptide associated with the disease.
Date: March 14, 2008
Summary:
In findings with the potential to provide a therapy for Alzheimer’s disease patients where none now exist, a researcher at the University of California, San Diego and colleagues have demonstrated in mice a way to reduce the overproduction of a peptide associated with the disease.
Stem cells open window on disease processes: Provide way to study disease in a lab dish
Source: Harvard University
Date: March 14, 2008
Summary:
A panel of Harvard Stem Cell Institute experts said recently that stem cell research’s biggest impact on patients’ health likely won’t come from therapies that inject stem cells or implant tissues made from them, but rather from the knowledge gained by examining diseased tissues grown from the cells. Kenneth Chien, head of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute’s Cardiovascular Program, and director of Massachusetts General Hospital’s Cardiovascular Research Center, said he expected stem cell research to transform our understanding of diseases over the next 10 years or so and lead to new drugs and treatment strategies.
Date: March 14, 2008
Summary:
A panel of Harvard Stem Cell Institute experts said recently that stem cell research’s biggest impact on patients’ health likely won’t come from therapies that inject stem cells or implant tissues made from them, but rather from the knowledge gained by examining diseased tissues grown from the cells. Kenneth Chien, head of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute’s Cardiovascular Program, and director of Massachusetts General Hospital’s Cardiovascular Research Center, said he expected stem cell research to transform our understanding of diseases over the next 10 years or so and lead to new drugs and treatment strategies.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Growing Old Together: Yeast, Worms, And People May Age By Similar Mechanisms
Source: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
Date March 12, 2008
Summary:
A study published online in Genome Research provides new insight into the evolutionary conservation of the genes and pathways associated with aging. This report describes the identification of conserved aging-related genes in simple model organisms that may lead to the characterization of similar genes playing a role in human aging and age-associated diseases.
Date March 12, 2008
Summary:
A study published online in Genome Research provides new insight into the evolutionary conservation of the genes and pathways associated with aging. This report describes the identification of conserved aging-related genes in simple model organisms that may lead to the characterization of similar genes playing a role in human aging and age-associated diseases.
Same Process Discovered To Both Form Skeleton and Protect it For Life
Source: University of Rochester
Date: March 12, 2008
Summary:
A protein signaling pathway recently discovered to guide the formation of the skeleton in the fetus also keeps bones strong through adult life, according to two papers published recently in the journal Nature Medicine. Furthermore, the same mechanism may be at the heart of osteoporosis, where too little bone is made over time, and bone cancer, where uncontrolled bone growth contributes to tumors. Lastly, the results argue that an experimental Alzheimer’s drug may also be useful against bone cancer.
Date: March 12, 2008
Summary:
A protein signaling pathway recently discovered to guide the formation of the skeleton in the fetus also keeps bones strong through adult life, according to two papers published recently in the journal Nature Medicine. Furthermore, the same mechanism may be at the heart of osteoporosis, where too little bone is made over time, and bone cancer, where uncontrolled bone growth contributes to tumors. Lastly, the results argue that an experimental Alzheimer’s drug may also be useful against bone cancer.
Scientists identify new longevity genes
Source: University of Washington
Date: March 12, 2008
Summary
Scientists at the University of Washington and other institutions have identified 25 genes regulating lifespan in two organisms separated by about 1.5 billion years in evolutionary change. At least 15 of those genes have very similar versions in humans, suggesting that scientists may be able to target those genes to help slow down the aging process and treat age-related conditions. The study will be published online by the journal Genome Research on March 13.
New Scientist also published a story on this finding.
Date: March 12, 2008
Summary
Scientists at the University of Washington and other institutions have identified 25 genes regulating lifespan in two organisms separated by about 1.5 billion years in evolutionary change. At least 15 of those genes have very similar versions in humans, suggesting that scientists may be able to target those genes to help slow down the aging process and treat age-related conditions. The study will be published online by the journal Genome Research on March 13.
New Scientist also published a story on this finding.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Biologists identify key protein in cell's 'self-eating' function
Source: University of California - San Diego
Date: March 11, 2008
Summary:
Molecular biologists at the University of California, San Diego have found one piece of the complex puzzle of autophagy, the process of “self-eating” performed by all eukaryotic cells -- cells with a nucleus -- to keep themselves healthy. Their finding, published in the March 11 issue of the journal Developmental Cell, is important because it allows scientists to control this one aspect of cellular autophagy, and may lead to the ability to control other selective “self-eating” processes. This, in turn, could help illuminate autophagy’s role in aging, immunity, neurodegeneration and cancer.
Date: March 11, 2008
Summary:
Molecular biologists at the University of California, San Diego have found one piece of the complex puzzle of autophagy, the process of “self-eating” performed by all eukaryotic cells -- cells with a nucleus -- to keep themselves healthy. Their finding, published in the March 11 issue of the journal Developmental Cell, is important because it allows scientists to control this one aspect of cellular autophagy, and may lead to the ability to control other selective “self-eating” processes. This, in turn, could help illuminate autophagy’s role in aging, immunity, neurodegeneration and cancer.
New nerve cells originate from neural stem cells
Source: Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health
Date: March 11, 2008
Summary:
In the study group of Prof. Dr. Magdalena Götz in the Institute of Stem Cell Research of the Helmholtz Zentrum München and Ludwig Maximilians-University Munich, another step has been taken towards the understanding of processes to be able to substitute for injured brain cells after accidents. Stem cells that originate from supporting cells can evolve again into new nerve cells.
Date: March 11, 2008
Summary:
In the study group of Prof. Dr. Magdalena Götz in the Institute of Stem Cell Research of the Helmholtz Zentrum München and Ludwig Maximilians-University Munich, another step has been taken towards the understanding of processes to be able to substitute for injured brain cells after accidents. Stem cells that originate from supporting cells can evolve again into new nerve cells.
Protein in Embryonic Stem Cells Controls Malignant Tumor Cells
Source: Northwestern University
Date: March 11, 2008
Summary:
A protein that governs development of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) also inhibits the growth and spread of malignant melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer, Northwestern University researchers have discovered. Metastatic melanoma, which develops from the transformation of skin pigment cells or melanocytes, has a death rate of more than 80 percent and a median survival of less than 7.5 months.
Date: March 11, 2008
Summary:
A protein that governs development of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) also inhibits the growth and spread of malignant melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer, Northwestern University researchers have discovered. Metastatic melanoma, which develops from the transformation of skin pigment cells or melanocytes, has a death rate of more than 80 percent and a median survival of less than 7.5 months.
Structure Reveals How Cells 'Sugar-coat' Proteins
Source: Brookhaven National Laboratory
Date: March 11, 2008
Summary:
Biologists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, Stony Brook University, and the University of Wurzburg, Germany, have deciphered the structure of a large protein complex responsible for adding sugar molecules to newly formed proteins - a process essential to many proteins' functions. The structure offers insight into the molecular "sugar-coating" mechanism, and may help scientists better understand a variety of diseases that result when the process goes awry.
Date: March 11, 2008
Summary:
Biologists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory, Stony Brook University, and the University of Wurzburg, Germany, have deciphered the structure of a large protein complex responsible for adding sugar molecules to newly formed proteins - a process essential to many proteins' functions. The structure offers insight into the molecular "sugar-coating" mechanism, and may help scientists better understand a variety of diseases that result when the process goes awry.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Injection of human umbilical cord blood helps the aging brain
Source: University of South Florida
Date: March 10, 2008
Summary:
When human umbilical cord blood cells (UCBC) were injected into aged laboratory animals, researchers at the University of South Florida (USF) found improvements in the microenvironment of the hippocampus region of the animals’ brains and a subsequent rejuvenation of neural stem/progenitor cells. Published online at BMC Neuroscience, the research presented the possibility of a cell therapy aimed at rejuvenating the aged brain.
Date: March 10, 2008
Summary:
When human umbilical cord blood cells (UCBC) were injected into aged laboratory animals, researchers at the University of South Florida (USF) found improvements in the microenvironment of the hippocampus region of the animals’ brains and a subsequent rejuvenation of neural stem/progenitor cells. Published online at BMC Neuroscience, the research presented the possibility of a cell therapy aimed at rejuvenating the aged brain.
Policing Cells Demand ID to Tell Friend From Foe, Say University of Pennsylvania Cell Engineers
Source: University of Pennsylvania
Date: March 10, 2008
Summary:
University of Pennsylvania scientists studying macrophages, the biological cells that spring from white blood cells to eat and destroy foreign or dying cells, have discovered how these “policemen” differentiate between friend and foe. The paper appears as the cover article in the March 10 edition of the Journal of Cell Biology. The knowledge suggests new ways science may be able to turn off rogue macrophages that are the root cause of the many inflammatory diseases ranging from atherosclerosis to arthritis and that provide the mechanism for tissue and organ rejection after transplant. There is also evidence that some types of cancer cells over-express the molecular protein that macrophages recognize as friendly — like a fake ID — which allows the cancer to avoid being perceived as foreign. In addition, the molecules involved in the recognition mechanism appear somewhat variable from person to person, with possible links to success or failure in transplantation of stem cells.
Date: March 10, 2008
Summary:
University of Pennsylvania scientists studying macrophages, the biological cells that spring from white blood cells to eat and destroy foreign or dying cells, have discovered how these “policemen” differentiate between friend and foe. The paper appears as the cover article in the March 10 edition of the Journal of Cell Biology. The knowledge suggests new ways science may be able to turn off rogue macrophages that are the root cause of the many inflammatory diseases ranging from atherosclerosis to arthritis and that provide the mechanism for tissue and organ rejection after transplant. There is also evidence that some types of cancer cells over-express the molecular protein that macrophages recognize as friendly — like a fake ID — which allows the cancer to avoid being perceived as foreign. In addition, the molecules involved in the recognition mechanism appear somewhat variable from person to person, with possible links to success or failure in transplantation of stem cells.
Friday, March 07, 2008
MIT researchers demonstrate protective role of microRNA
Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Date: March 7, 2008
Summary:
Snippets of genetic material that have been linked to cancer also play a critical role in normal embryonic development in mice, according to a new paper from MIT cancer biologists. The work, reported in the March 7 issue of Cell, shows that a family of microRNAs--short strands of genetic material--protect mouse cells during development and allow them to grow normally. But that protective role could backfire: The researchers theorize that when these microRNAs become overactive, they can help keep alive cancer cells that should otherwise die--providing another reason to target microRNAs as a treatment for cancer.
Date: March 7, 2008
Summary:
Snippets of genetic material that have been linked to cancer also play a critical role in normal embryonic development in mice, according to a new paper from MIT cancer biologists. The work, reported in the March 7 issue of Cell, shows that a family of microRNAs--short strands of genetic material--protect mouse cells during development and allow them to grow normally. But that protective role could backfire: The researchers theorize that when these microRNAs become overactive, they can help keep alive cancer cells that should otherwise die--providing another reason to target microRNAs as a treatment for cancer.
New stem cell technique improves genetic alteration
Source: University of California - Irvine
Date: March 7, 2008
Summary:
UC Irvine researchers have discovered a dramatically improved method for genetically manipulating human embryonic stem cells, making it easier for scientists to study and potentially treat thousands of disorders ranging from Huntington’s disease to muscular dystrophy and diabetes. The technique for the first time blends two existing cell-handling methods to improve cell survival rates and increase the efficiency of inserting DNA into cells. The new approach is up to 100 times more efficient than current methods at producing human embryonic stem cells with desired genetic alterations.
Date: March 7, 2008
Summary:
UC Irvine researchers have discovered a dramatically improved method for genetically manipulating human embryonic stem cells, making it easier for scientists to study and potentially treat thousands of disorders ranging from Huntington’s disease to muscular dystrophy and diabetes. The technique for the first time blends two existing cell-handling methods to improve cell survival rates and increase the efficiency of inserting DNA into cells. The new approach is up to 100 times more efficient than current methods at producing human embryonic stem cells with desired genetic alterations.
On a 'roll': Researchers devise new cell-sorting system
Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Date: March 7, 2008
Summary:
Capitalizing on a cell’s ability to roll along a surface, MIT researchers have developed a simple, inexpensive system to sort different kinds of cells — a process that could result in low-cost tools to test for diseases such as cancer, even in remote locations. The method relies on the way cells sometimes interact with a surface (such as the wall of a blood vessel) by rolling along it. In the new device, a surface is coated with lines of a material that interacts with the cells, making it seem sticky to specific types of cells. The sticky lines are oriented diagonally to the flow of cell-containing fluid passing over the surface, so as certain kinds of cells respond to the coating they are nudged to one side, allowing them to be separated out.
Date: March 7, 2008
Summary:
Capitalizing on a cell’s ability to roll along a surface, MIT researchers have developed a simple, inexpensive system to sort different kinds of cells — a process that could result in low-cost tools to test for diseases such as cancer, even in remote locations. The method relies on the way cells sometimes interact with a surface (such as the wall of a blood vessel) by rolling along it. In the new device, a surface is coated with lines of a material that interacts with the cells, making it seem sticky to specific types of cells. The sticky lines are oriented diagonally to the flow of cell-containing fluid passing over the surface, so as certain kinds of cells respond to the coating they are nudged to one side, allowing them to be separated out.
Thursday, March 06, 2008
Stem cell therapy breakthrough
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
Date: March 6, 2008
Summary:
The San Francisco Chronicle reports researchers at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease at the University of California, San Francisco have found a way to turn human embryonic stem cells into heart muscle cells:
"Researchers in San Francisco have discovered a new way to nudge human embryonic stem cells to form specialized cells - a potentially huge step toward the development of stem cell therapies to repair damaged hearts, nerves and other organs.
In a scientific first, a research team at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease and UCSF demonstrated that small regulatory molecules called microRNAs can influence embryonic stem cells to produce heart muscle cells."
Date: March 6, 2008
Summary:
The San Francisco Chronicle reports researchers at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease at the University of California, San Francisco have found a way to turn human embryonic stem cells into heart muscle cells:
"Researchers in San Francisco have discovered a new way to nudge human embryonic stem cells to form specialized cells - a potentially huge step toward the development of stem cell therapies to repair damaged hearts, nerves and other organs.
In a scientific first, a research team at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease and UCSF demonstrated that small regulatory molecules called microRNAs can influence embryonic stem cells to produce heart muscle cells."
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Gladstone Scientists Identify Role of Tiny RNAs in Controlling Stem Cell Fate
Source: Gladstone Institutes
Date: March 5, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease (GICD) and the University of California, San Francisco have identified for the first time how tiny genetic factors called microRNAs may influence the differentiation of pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells into cardiac muscle.
Date: March 5, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease (GICD) and the University of California, San Francisco have identified for the first time how tiny genetic factors called microRNAs may influence the differentiation of pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells into cardiac muscle.
UCLA researchers find blood stem cells originate and are nurtured in the placenta
Source: University of California - Los Angeles
Date: March 5, 2008
Summary:
Solving a longstanding biological mystery, UCLA stem cell researchers have discovered that blood stem cells — the cells that later differentiate into all the cells in the blood supply — originate and are nurtured in the placenta. The discovery may allow researchers to mimic the specific embryonic microenvironment necessary for the development of blood stem cells in cell cultures and grow them for use in treating diseases like leukemia and aplastic anemia, said Dr. Hanna Mikkola, a researcher with the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA and senior author of the study.
Date: March 5, 2008
Summary:
Solving a longstanding biological mystery, UCLA stem cell researchers have discovered that blood stem cells — the cells that later differentiate into all the cells in the blood supply — originate and are nurtured in the placenta. The discovery may allow researchers to mimic the specific embryonic microenvironment necessary for the development of blood stem cells in cell cultures and grow them for use in treating diseases like leukemia and aplastic anemia, said Dr. Hanna Mikkola, a researcher with the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA and senior author of the study.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Molecular alliance that sustains embryonic stem cell state
Source: Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore
Date: March 4, 2008
Summary:
One of the four ingredients in the genetic recipe that scientists in Japan and the U.S. followed last year to persuade human skin cells to revert to an embryonic stem cell state, is dispensable in ES cells, thanks to the presence of a molecular alliance between a specific group of key proteins known as transcription factors, a research team led by the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) under the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) reports in the current issue of Nature Cell Biology.
Date: March 4, 2008
Summary:
One of the four ingredients in the genetic recipe that scientists in Japan and the U.S. followed last year to persuade human skin cells to revert to an embryonic stem cell state, is dispensable in ES cells, thanks to the presence of a molecular alliance between a specific group of key proteins known as transcription factors, a research team led by the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) under the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) reports in the current issue of Nature Cell Biology.
Watery Pools in Bone Marrow Key to Psoriatic Arthritic Damage
Source: University of Rochester Medical Center
Date: March 4, 2008
Summary:
Researchers have learned more about how a leading drug prevents certain types of arthritis from eating away at bone. Precursors to bone-eating cells are a likely target of next-generation arthritis treatments. The findings may soon enable physicians to tell patients quickly whether or not they will respond to current therapies. In addition, the findings may help with the design of new drugs that prevent arthritis-related bone loss, but with fewer side effects.
Date: March 4, 2008
Summary:
Researchers have learned more about how a leading drug prevents certain types of arthritis from eating away at bone. Precursors to bone-eating cells are a likely target of next-generation arthritis treatments. The findings may soon enable physicians to tell patients quickly whether or not they will respond to current therapies. In addition, the findings may help with the design of new drugs that prevent arthritis-related bone loss, but with fewer side effects.
Cancers inhibited by embryonic stem cell protein
Source: New Scientist
Posted: 04 March 2008 11:22 GMT
Summary:
New Scientist reports researchers have discovered that a human embryonic stem cell protein can prevent the growth and spread of some forms of cancer:
"...researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago, US, say a protein produced by human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can inhibit the growth and spread of breast cancer and malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. They suspect that the protein, called Lefty, has similar effects on other tumour types, including those of the prostate... The team at Northwestern previously showed that hESCs – the most versatile type of stem cell – produce chemicals that caused melanoma cells to revert to normal skin cells. They also demonstrated that melanoma and breast cancers produce a protein called Nodal that helps tumour cells spread, and that this protein also facilitates embryonic stem cell's ability to turn into different cell types."
Posted: 04 March 2008 11:22 GMT
Summary:
New Scientist reports researchers have discovered that a human embryonic stem cell protein can prevent the growth and spread of some forms of cancer:
"...researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago, US, say a protein produced by human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can inhibit the growth and spread of breast cancer and malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. They suspect that the protein, called Lefty, has similar effects on other tumour types, including those of the prostate... The team at Northwestern previously showed that hESCs – the most versatile type of stem cell – produce chemicals that caused melanoma cells to revert to normal skin cells. They also demonstrated that melanoma and breast cancers produce a protein called Nodal that helps tumour cells spread, and that this protein also facilitates embryonic stem cell's ability to turn into different cell types."
Researchers genetically engineer immune cells into potent weapons for battling HIV
Source: Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Date: March 4, 2008
Summary:
By outfitting immune-system killer cells with a new pair of genes, scientists at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University transformed them into potent weapons that destroy cells infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Their novel strategy of genetically engineering immune cells to redirect their infection-fighting ability toward killing HIV-infected cells could lead to an entirely new approach for combating AIDS and other viral diseases. The findings appear in the March issue of the Journal of Virology.
Date: March 4, 2008
Summary:
By outfitting immune-system killer cells with a new pair of genes, scientists at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University transformed them into potent weapons that destroy cells infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Their novel strategy of genetically engineering immune cells to redirect their infection-fighting ability toward killing HIV-infected cells could lead to an entirely new approach for combating AIDS and other viral diseases. The findings appear in the March issue of the Journal of Virology.
Monday, March 03, 2008
Protein in embryonic stem cells control malignant tumor cells
Source: Northwestern University
Date: March 3, 2008
Summary:
A protein that governs development of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) also inhibits the growth and spread of malignant melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer, Northwestern University researchers have discovered. Metastatic melanoma, which develops from the transformation of skin pigment cells or melanocytes, has a death rate of more than 80 percent and a median survival of less than 7.5 months.
HealthDay News also published a news story about this finding:
"A protein called Lefty that regulates development of human embryonic stem cells can inhibit the growth and spread of deadly melanomas and aggressive breast cancers, says a study by researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago. The findings, published in this week's online issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, add to the team's previous efforts to identify the genes and cellular pathways involved in cancer metastasis, and may help lead to new kinds of cancer treatments."
Date: March 3, 2008
Summary:
A protein that governs development of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) also inhibits the growth and spread of malignant melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer, Northwestern University researchers have discovered. Metastatic melanoma, which develops from the transformation of skin pigment cells or melanocytes, has a death rate of more than 80 percent and a median survival of less than 7.5 months.
HealthDay News also published a news story about this finding:
"A protein called Lefty that regulates development of human embryonic stem cells can inhibit the growth and spread of deadly melanomas and aggressive breast cancers, says a study by researchers at Northwestern University in Chicago. The findings, published in this week's online issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, add to the team's previous efforts to identify the genes and cellular pathways involved in cancer metastasis, and may help lead to new kinds of cancer treatments."
Toxins in Cigarette Smoke Prevent Stem Cells from Becoming Cartilage
Source: University of Rochester Medical Center
Date: March 3, 2008
Summary:
A toxic pollutant spread by oil spills, forest fires and car exhaust is also present in cigarette smoke, and may represent a second way in which smoking delays bone healing, according to research presented this week at the annual meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society in San Francisco.
Date: March 3, 2008
Summary:
A toxic pollutant spread by oil spills, forest fires and car exhaust is also present in cigarette smoke, and may represent a second way in which smoking delays bone healing, according to research presented this week at the annual meeting of the Orthopaedic Research Society in San Francisco.
Sunday, March 02, 2008
Short RNA strand helps exposed skin cells protect body from bacteria, dehydration and even cancer
Source: Rockefeller University
Date: March 2, 2008
Summary:
Every minute, 30,000 of our outermost skin cells die so that we can live. When they do, new cells migrate from the inner layer of the skin to the surface of it, where they form a tough protective barrier. In a series of elegant experiments in mice, researchers at Rockefeller University have now discovered a tiny RNA molecule that helps create this barrier. The results not only yield new insight into how skin first evolved, but also suggest how healthy cells can turn cancerous.
Date: March 2, 2008
Summary:
Every minute, 30,000 of our outermost skin cells die so that we can live. When they do, new cells migrate from the inner layer of the skin to the surface of it, where they form a tough protective barrier. In a series of elegant experiments in mice, researchers at Rockefeller University have now discovered a tiny RNA molecule that helps create this barrier. The results not only yield new insight into how skin first evolved, but also suggest how healthy cells can turn cancerous.
Adult stem cell changes underlie rare genetic disease associated with accelerated aging
Source: National Cancer Institute
Date: March 2, 2008
Summary:
Adult stem cells may provide an explanation for the cause of a Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS), a rare disease that causes premature aging in children, according to researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health. These findings, the first to indicate a biological basis for the clinical features of HGPS, also known as progeria, may also provide new insights into the biological mechanisms of normal aging. The results were published in the March, 2008, issue of Nature Cell Biology.
Date: March 2, 2008
Summary:
Adult stem cells may provide an explanation for the cause of a Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS), a rare disease that causes premature aging in children, according to researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health. These findings, the first to indicate a biological basis for the clinical features of HGPS, also known as progeria, may also provide new insights into the biological mechanisms of normal aging. The results were published in the March, 2008, issue of Nature Cell Biology.
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