Source: Reuters
Posted: April 30, 2008 4:07pm EDT
Summary:
Reuters reports researchers successfully converted skin stem cells into heart and blood cells:
"A new type of powerful stem cell made from ordinary skin cells has been coaxed into becoming three different types of heart and blood cells in mice, U.S. researchers reported... They said they had made heart and blood cells from so-called induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells -- which are transformed skin cells that mimic the powers of embryonic stem cells. They said their finding, published in the journal Stem Cells Express, brings one step closer the possibility of using the cells to treat heart disease in humans."
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
USC researcher reveals new model for embryonic limb development
Source: University of Southern California
Date: April 30, 2008
Summary:
A study led by a researcher at the University of Southern California has found a new model to explain how signals between cells in the embryo control limb development. The study, which will be published in the May issue of the journal Nature and now available online, found that secreted growth factors at the distal tip of the embryonic limb act as instructive molecules that control the pattern of bones along the length of the limb in an animal model.
Date: April 30, 2008
Summary:
A study led by a researcher at the University of Southern California has found a new model to explain how signals between cells in the embryo control limb development. The study, which will be published in the May issue of the journal Nature and now available online, found that secreted growth factors at the distal tip of the embryonic limb act as instructive molecules that control the pattern of bones along the length of the limb in an animal model.
Rresearchers create heart and blood cells from reprogrammed skin cells
Source: University of California - Los Angeles
Date: April 30, 2008
Summary:
Stem cell researchers at UCLA were able to grow functioning cardiac cells using mouse skin cells that had been reprogrammed into cells with the same unlimited properties as embryonic stem cells. The finding is the first to show that induced pluripotent stem cells or iPS cells, which don’t involve the use of embryos or eggs, can be differentiated into the three types of cardiovascular cells needed to repair the heart and blood vessels.
Date: April 30, 2008
Summary:
Stem cell researchers at UCLA were able to grow functioning cardiac cells using mouse skin cells that had been reprogrammed into cells with the same unlimited properties as embryonic stem cells. The finding is the first to show that induced pluripotent stem cells or iPS cells, which don’t involve the use of embryos or eggs, can be differentiated into the three types of cardiovascular cells needed to repair the heart and blood vessels.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Stem cells at root of antlers' branching
Source: Public Library of Science
Date: April 29, 2008
Summary:
The ability to regenerate lost body parts is unevenly distributed among higher organisms. Among vertebrates, some amphibians are able to replace lost limbs completely, while mammals are unable to regenerate complex appendages. The only exception to this rule is the annual replacement of deer antlers. The annual regrowth of these structures is the only example of regeneration of a complete, anatomically complex appendage in a mammal, and antlers are therefore of high interest to regeneration biologists.
The epimorphic regeneration of appendages may involve progenitor cells created through reprogramming of differentiated cells or through the activation of resident stem cells. Reporting in this week’s PLoS ONE in a study funded by the German Research Society, Hans J. Rolf and colleagues from the University of Goettingen and University of Hildesheim (Germany) emphasize that deer antler growth and regeneration might be reduced to a stem cell-based process.
Date: April 29, 2008
Summary:
The ability to regenerate lost body parts is unevenly distributed among higher organisms. Among vertebrates, some amphibians are able to replace lost limbs completely, while mammals are unable to regenerate complex appendages. The only exception to this rule is the annual replacement of deer antlers. The annual regrowth of these structures is the only example of regeneration of a complete, anatomically complex appendage in a mammal, and antlers are therefore of high interest to regeneration biologists.
The epimorphic regeneration of appendages may involve progenitor cells created through reprogramming of differentiated cells or through the activation of resident stem cells. Reporting in this week’s PLoS ONE in a study funded by the German Research Society, Hans J. Rolf and colleagues from the University of Goettingen and University of Hildesheim (Germany) emphasize that deer antler growth and regeneration might be reduced to a stem cell-based process.
Stem Cell-Like Cancer Cells Resistant To Standard Therapy, Responsive To Targeted Therapy
Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Date: April 30, 2008
Summary:
A comparison of breast cancer biopsies before and after treatment show that a subset of cells, which have stem cell-like properties, are resistant to standard chemotherapy. Tumors treated with lapatinib, which inhibits a pathway important for self-renewal, retained a smaller fraction of these tumorigenic cells after therapy.
Date: April 30, 2008
Summary:
A comparison of breast cancer biopsies before and after treatment show that a subset of cells, which have stem cell-like properties, are resistant to standard chemotherapy. Tumors treated with lapatinib, which inhibits a pathway important for self-renewal, retained a smaller fraction of these tumorigenic cells after therapy.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Breakthrough techniqute restores light sensitivity in damaged retinas
Source: Novartis Research Foundation / Friedrich Miescher Institute
Date: 28 April 2008
Summary:
The Friedrich Miescher Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (FMI) today announced a novel technique that restores light sensitivity to previously unresponsive retinas in blind mice and, remarkably, produces light-induced behavioral change in mice with retinal damage. A study on the technique, published in Nature Neuroscience, indicates that the approach could be an alternative to surgical transplantation of electrode arrays.
Date: 28 April 2008
Summary:
The Friedrich Miescher Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (FMI) today announced a novel technique that restores light sensitivity to previously unresponsive retinas in blind mice and, remarkably, produces light-induced behavioral change in mice with retinal damage. A study on the technique, published in Nature Neuroscience, indicates that the approach could be an alternative to surgical transplantation of electrode arrays.
Scientists find stem cells for the first time in the pituitary
Source: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: April 28, 2008
Summary:
A team of researchers led by scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have for the first time identified stem cells that allow the pituitary glands of mice to grow even after birth. They found that, in contrast to most adult stem cells, these cells are distinct from those that fuel the initial growth of this important organ. The results suggest a novel way that the hormone-secreting gland may adapt, even in adolescents and adults, to traumatic stress or to normal life changes like pregnancy.
Date: April 28, 2008
Summary:
A team of researchers led by scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have for the first time identified stem cells that allow the pituitary glands of mice to grow even after birth. They found that, in contrast to most adult stem cells, these cells are distinct from those that fuel the initial growth of this important organ. The results suggest a novel way that the hormone-secreting gland may adapt, even in adolescents and adults, to traumatic stress or to normal life changes like pregnancy.
Eye Cell Implants Improve Parkinson's Symptoms
Source: HealthDay News
Date: April 28, 2008
Summary:
HealthDay News reports implanting specialized eye cells into brains of patients affected by Parkinson's Disease reduced symptoms of the disease and improved quality of life:
"By implanting specialized cells found in the human eye into areas of the brain damaged by Parkinson's disease, researchers were able to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life in people with moderate to severe Parkinson's. The new treatment, dubbed Spheramine, reduced symptoms experienced when people were off their Parkinson's medications by 44 percent for as long as four years of follow-up. Quality-of-life measurements were up about 23 percent, according to the study..."
Date: April 28, 2008
Summary:
HealthDay News reports implanting specialized eye cells into brains of patients affected by Parkinson's Disease reduced symptoms of the disease and improved quality of life:
"By implanting specialized cells found in the human eye into areas of the brain damaged by Parkinson's disease, researchers were able to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life in people with moderate to severe Parkinson's. The new treatment, dubbed Spheramine, reduced symptoms experienced when people were off their Parkinson's medications by 44 percent for as long as four years of follow-up. Quality-of-life measurements were up about 23 percent, according to the study..."
Tissue-specific Blood Stem Cell Line Established From Embryonic Stem Cells
Source: The Swedish Research Council
Date: April 28, 2008
Summary:
A research team at the Umeå Center for Molecular Medicine (UCMM) in Sweden, led by Professor Leif Carlsson, has managed to establish and isolate the tissue-specific stem cell that produces blood cells (blood stem cell) by using genetically modified embryonic stem cells.
Date: April 28, 2008
Summary:
A research team at the Umeå Center for Molecular Medicine (UCMM) in Sweden, led by Professor Leif Carlsson, has managed to establish and isolate the tissue-specific stem cell that produces blood cells (blood stem cell) by using genetically modified embryonic stem cells.
Cell-based therapy shows promise in patients with Parkinson's disease
Source: Rush University Medical Center
Date: April 28, 2008
Summary:
A novel cell therapy using retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells attached to tiny gelatin bead microcarriers implanted in the brain can improve the symptoms of patients with moderate to advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD). Rush University Medical Center neurosurgeon Dr. Roy A. E. Bakay and colleagues from Emory University, Atlanta found the therapy Spheramine was well-tolerated and patients experienced improvement in Parkinsonian symptoms (tremor, rigidity, slowness of movements, and impaired balance and coordination.)
Date: April 28, 2008
Summary:
A novel cell therapy using retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells attached to tiny gelatin bead microcarriers implanted in the brain can improve the symptoms of patients with moderate to advanced Parkinson’s disease (PD). Rush University Medical Center neurosurgeon Dr. Roy A. E. Bakay and colleagues from Emory University, Atlanta found the therapy Spheramine was well-tolerated and patients experienced improvement in Parkinsonian symptoms (tremor, rigidity, slowness of movements, and impaired balance and coordination.)
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Gene Therapy Improves Vision In Patients With Congenital Retinal Disease
Source: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Date: April 27, 2008
Summary:
In a clinical trial at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, researchers from The University of Pennsylvania have used gene therapy to safely restore vision in three young adults with a rare form of congenital blindness. Although the patients have not achieved normal eyesight, the preliminary results set the stage for further studies of an innovative treatment for this and possibly other retinal diseases.
Date: April 27, 2008
Summary:
In a clinical trial at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, researchers from The University of Pennsylvania have used gene therapy to safely restore vision in three young adults with a rare form of congenital blindness. Although the patients have not achieved normal eyesight, the preliminary results set the stage for further studies of an innovative treatment for this and possibly other retinal diseases.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Embryonic stem cells coaxed into key heart cells
Source: Reuters
Posted: April 23, 2008 6:28pm EDT
Summary:
Reuters reports scientists turned embryonic stem cells into three types of human heart cells:
"Scientists say they have coaxed human embryonic stem cells into becoming three of the major cell types in the human heart, and they improved cardiac function when transplanted into mice. The findings, published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, showed that scientists can efficiently make different kinds of human heart cells for use in basic and clinical research. The researchers said that in the short term, they could be used to test how heart cells respond to different drugs. In the long term, the cells may be useful in developing new ways to repair damaged hearts following a heart attack. The study marks the latest step toward possibly using embryonic stem cells -- master cells that can transform into all types of cells in the body -- to treat disease in people."
Posted: April 23, 2008 6:28pm EDT
Summary:
Reuters reports scientists turned embryonic stem cells into three types of human heart cells:
"Scientists say they have coaxed human embryonic stem cells into becoming three of the major cell types in the human heart, and they improved cardiac function when transplanted into mice. The findings, published in the journal Nature on Wednesday, showed that scientists can efficiently make different kinds of human heart cells for use in basic and clinical research. The researchers said that in the short term, they could be used to test how heart cells respond to different drugs. In the long term, the cells may be useful in developing new ways to repair damaged hearts following a heart attack. The study marks the latest step toward possibly using embryonic stem cells -- master cells that can transform into all types of cells in the body -- to treat disease in people."
Eliminating Germline Lengthens Fly Lifespan, Brown Study Shows
Source: Brown University
Date: April 23, 2008
Summary:
Brown University biologists have found that eliminating germline stem cells, the cells that make eggs and sperm, lengthens the life of fruit flies and alters the insects' insulin production. These findings suggest a provocative general principle at work: Molecular signals from the reproductive system affect aging and metabolism in animals – and possibly in humans. The work also proposes a new mechanism of how this control may occur. Results are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Date: April 23, 2008
Summary:
Brown University biologists have found that eliminating germline stem cells, the cells that make eggs and sperm, lengthens the life of fruit flies and alters the insects' insulin production. These findings suggest a provocative general principle at work: Molecular signals from the reproductive system affect aging and metabolism in animals – and possibly in humans. The work also proposes a new mechanism of how this control may occur. Results are published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Heart Progenitor Cells Developed from Embryonic Stem Cells
Source: McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine / University Health Network
Date: April 23, 2008
Summary:
A team of international researchers at the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the University Health Network, have successfully grown human heart progenitor cells from embryonic stem cells. The study is being considered a significant step towards the creation of functioning heart tissue.
Date: April 23, 2008
Summary:
A team of international researchers at the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine at the University Health Network, have successfully grown human heart progenitor cells from embryonic stem cells. The study is being considered a significant step towards the creation of functioning heart tissue.
Researchers Isolate Earliest Cardiac Embryonic Stem Cell
Source: VistaGen Therapeutics
Date: April 23, 2008
Summary:
Scientists from VistaGen Therapeutics and a team of leading Canadian, American and British medical researchers have used embryonic stem (ES) cells differentiation cultures to successfully identify, grow and study the earliest cell destined to form the human heart. This novel cardiac stem cell is able to produce all three types of cells important to the cardiovascular system. The research was published today in the scientific journal Nature, in a paper entitled, "Human cardiovascular progenitor cells develop from a KDR embryonic-stem-cell-derived population."
Date: April 23, 2008
Summary:
Scientists from VistaGen Therapeutics and a team of leading Canadian, American and British medical researchers have used embryonic stem (ES) cells differentiation cultures to successfully identify, grow and study the earliest cell destined to form the human heart. This novel cardiac stem cell is able to produce all three types of cells important to the cardiovascular system. The research was published today in the scientific journal Nature, in a paper entitled, "Human cardiovascular progenitor cells develop from a KDR embryonic-stem-cell-derived population."
Menstrual Blood -- A Valuable Source Of Multipotential Stem Cells?
Source: Cell Transplantation Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair
Date: April 23, 2008
Summary:
Researchers suggest that stromal cells derived from menstrual blood may represent a potentially unlimited, ethically unencumbered, easily collectable and inexpensive source of stem cells for use in regenerative medicine. The study found that MenSCs are easily expandable to clinical relevance and express multipotent markers at both the molecular and cellular level. The abundance and plasticity of MenSCs suggest a potential role for MenSCs in regenerative transplantation therapies for many different organs and tissues.
Date: April 23, 2008
Summary:
Researchers suggest that stromal cells derived from menstrual blood may represent a potentially unlimited, ethically unencumbered, easily collectable and inexpensive source of stem cells for use in regenerative medicine. The study found that MenSCs are easily expandable to clinical relevance and express multipotent markers at both the molecular and cellular level. The abundance and plasticity of MenSCs suggest a potential role for MenSCs in regenerative transplantation therapies for many different organs and tissues.
Mechanisms of memory identified
Source: University of Bristol
Date: 23 April 2008
Summary:
By blocking certain mechanisms that control the way that nerve cells in the brain communicate, scientists from the University of Bristol have been able to prevent visual recognition memory in rats. This demonstrates they have identified cellular and molecular mechanisms in the brain that may provide a key to understanding processes of recognition memory
Date: 23 April 2008
Summary:
By blocking certain mechanisms that control the way that nerve cells in the brain communicate, scientists from the University of Bristol have been able to prevent visual recognition memory in rats. This demonstrates they have identified cellular and molecular mechanisms in the brain that may provide a key to understanding processes of recognition memory
Heart derived stem cells develop into heart muscle
Source: University Medical Center Utrecht
Date: April 23, 2008
Summary:
Dutch researchers at University Medical Center Utrecht and the Hubrecht Institute have succeeded in growing large numbers of stem cells from adult human hearts into new heart muscle cells. A breakthrough in stem cell research. Until now, it was necessary to use embryonic stem cells to make this happen. The findings are published in the latest issue of the journal Stem Cell Research.
Date: April 23, 2008
Summary:
Dutch researchers at University Medical Center Utrecht and the Hubrecht Institute have succeeded in growing large numbers of stem cells from adult human hearts into new heart muscle cells. A breakthrough in stem cell research. Until now, it was necessary to use embryonic stem cells to make this happen. The findings are published in the latest issue of the journal Stem Cell Research.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
A stem cell type supposed to be crucial for angiogenesis and cancer growth does not exist?
Source: University of Helsinki
Date: April 22, 2008
Summary:
Angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels, is a central process in diverse physiological and pathological situations such as healing of wounds and traumas, cardiovascular disorders, inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, and in cancer growth. The current belief about the source of blood vessel wall endothelial cells (ECs) responsible for vascular growth in adults is that a significant and crucial part of neovascular ECs originate from circulating stem and progenitor cells that are first mobilized from the bone marrow (BM), and subsequently differentiate to mature bona fide ECs and incorporate in the vasculature. This concept has become textbook material, and a common theme in modem vascular and cancer biology. A new study from researchers at the University of Helsinki, Finland, and Stanford University now suggests that a stem cell type supposed to be crucial for blood vessel formation and cancer growth does not actually exist.
Date: April 22, 2008
Summary:
Angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels, is a central process in diverse physiological and pathological situations such as healing of wounds and traumas, cardiovascular disorders, inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, and in cancer growth. The current belief about the source of blood vessel wall endothelial cells (ECs) responsible for vascular growth in adults is that a significant and crucial part of neovascular ECs originate from circulating stem and progenitor cells that are first mobilized from the bone marrow (BM), and subsequently differentiate to mature bona fide ECs and incorporate in the vasculature. This concept has become textbook material, and a common theme in modem vascular and cancer biology. A new study from researchers at the University of Helsinki, Finland, and Stanford University now suggests that a stem cell type supposed to be crucial for blood vessel formation and cancer growth does not actually exist.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Stem Cells: The Role Of Cancer-initiating Cells In Diagnosis And Treatment
Source: American Association for Cancer Research
Date: April 21, 2008
Summary:
Recent discoveries about the role of stem cells in cancer have altered the landscape of cancer research. As scientists learn more their cancer-initiating properties, stem cells are emerging as potential therapeutic targets for many types of cancers. Studies presented at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, April 12-16, report stem cell discoveries related to pancreatic, bladder, ovarian, and breast cancer and glioma.
Date: April 21, 2008
Summary:
Recent discoveries about the role of stem cells in cancer have altered the landscape of cancer research. As scientists learn more their cancer-initiating properties, stem cells are emerging as potential therapeutic targets for many types of cancers. Studies presented at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research, April 12-16, report stem cell discoveries related to pancreatic, bladder, ovarian, and breast cancer and glioma.
Inflammation starts cell fusions that could protect neurons
Source: Stanford University
Date: April 20, 2008
Summary:
Chronic inflammation triggers bone marrow-derived blood cells to travel to the brain and fuse with a certain type of neuron up to 100 times more frequently than previously believed, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine. After the fusion, the blood-cell nuclei begin to express previously silent, neuron-specific genes. The surprise finding in mice suggests that the creation of the fused cells, called heterokaryons, may possibly play a role in protecting neurons against damage and may open new doors to cell-mediated gene therapy.
Date: April 20, 2008
Summary:
Chronic inflammation triggers bone marrow-derived blood cells to travel to the brain and fuse with a certain type of neuron up to 100 times more frequently than previously believed, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine. After the fusion, the blood-cell nuclei begin to express previously silent, neuron-specific genes. The surprise finding in mice suggests that the creation of the fused cells, called heterokaryons, may possibly play a role in protecting neurons against damage and may open new doors to cell-mediated gene therapy.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Mature Mouse Cells Reprogrammed to Stem Cell-Like State
Source: HealthDay News
Date: April 17, 2008
Summary:
HealthDay News reports researchers have reprogrammed immune cells to have properties of embryonic stem cells:
" Without using an egg, researchers have been able to reprogram certain mature cells back to an embryonic-stem-cell-like state, a new report says. A research team from Massachusetts Institute of Technology performed the feat on mature B cells, immune cells that can bind to specific antigens, such as proteins from bacteria, viruses or microorganisms. They said their finding, confirmed when they were able to develop mice from the reprogrammed cells, may help enable the creation of models that will lead to a better study and understanding of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes."
Date: April 17, 2008
Summary:
HealthDay News reports researchers have reprogrammed immune cells to have properties of embryonic stem cells:
" Without using an egg, researchers have been able to reprogram certain mature cells back to an embryonic-stem-cell-like state, a new report says. A research team from Massachusetts Institute of Technology performed the feat on mature B cells, immune cells that can bind to specific antigens, such as proteins from bacteria, viruses or microorganisms. They said their finding, confirmed when they were able to develop mice from the reprogrammed cells, may help enable the creation of models that will lead to a better study and understanding of autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes."
Mature B cells reprogrammed to stem-cell-like state
Source: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
Date: April 17, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research have found that fully mature, differentiated B cells - immune cells that can bind to specific antigens, such as proteins from bacteria, viruses or microorganisms- can be reprogrammed to an embryonic-stem-cell-like state, without the use of an egg according to a study published in the April 18 issue of Cell.
Date: April 17, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research have found that fully mature, differentiated B cells - immune cells that can bind to specific antigens, such as proteins from bacteria, viruses or microorganisms- can be reprogrammed to an embryonic-stem-cell-like state, without the use of an egg according to a study published in the April 18 issue of Cell.
Ovarian cancer stem cells identified, characterized
Source: Yale University
Date: April 17, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have identified, characterized and cloned ovarian cancer stem cells and have shown that these stem cells may be the source of ovarian cancer’s recurrence and its resistance to chemotherapy.
Date: April 17, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have identified, characterized and cloned ovarian cancer stem cells and have shown that these stem cells may be the source of ovarian cancer’s recurrence and its resistance to chemotherapy.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Researchers identify process that may help treat Parkinson's, spinal cord injuries
Source: University of Minnesota
Date: April 16. 2008
Summary:
A new discovery by University of Minnesota researchers may lead to a better understanding of how the spinal cord controls how people walk. These insights could help lead to treatments for central nervous system maladies such as Parkinson's disease and spinal cord injuries. The study revealed it’s that the human nervous system – within each segment or region of spinal cord – may have its own “unit burst generator” to control rhythmic movements such as walking.
Date: April 16. 2008
Summary:
A new discovery by University of Minnesota researchers may lead to a better understanding of how the spinal cord controls how people walk. These insights could help lead to treatments for central nervous system maladies such as Parkinson's disease and spinal cord injuries. The study revealed it’s that the human nervous system – within each segment or region of spinal cord – may have its own “unit burst generator” to control rhythmic movements such as walking.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Molecule prompts blood stem cells to help repair heart damage in animal model
Source: UT Southwestern Medical Center
Date: April 14, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have for the first time used drug-treated blood stem cells to repair heart damage in an animal model, results that might point to methods for healing injuries from heart attacks or disease. In the study, researchers screened about 147,000 molecules to find one that could transform human blood stem cells into a form resembling immature heart cells. When they implanted blood stem cells activated by this compound into injured rodent hearts, the human cells took root and improved the animals’ heart function.
Date: April 14, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have for the first time used drug-treated blood stem cells to repair heart damage in an animal model, results that might point to methods for healing injuries from heart attacks or disease. In the study, researchers screened about 147,000 molecules to find one that could transform human blood stem cells into a form resembling immature heart cells. When they implanted blood stem cells activated by this compound into injured rodent hearts, the human cells took root and improved the animals’ heart function.
Discovery of differences in heart's precursor cells may advance treatment options
Source: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Date: April 14, 2008
Summary:
Scientists have long thought that the cells that ultimately give rise to the heart all respond to the same cue before turning into the muscle tissue of this vital organ. But now researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Medicine have shown that not all heart cells are created equal; in response to one signal to differentiate, some will act, while others lie in wait. The discovery, made in frogs, or Xenopus, may lead to advances in understanding – and ultimately treating – congenital heart disease and heart attacks.
Date: April 14, 2008
Summary:
Scientists have long thought that the cells that ultimately give rise to the heart all respond to the same cue before turning into the muscle tissue of this vital organ. But now researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s School of Medicine have shown that not all heart cells are created equal; in response to one signal to differentiate, some will act, while others lie in wait. The discovery, made in frogs, or Xenopus, may lead to advances in understanding – and ultimately treating – congenital heart disease and heart attacks.
Immune Rejection Problems May Be Solved By Embryonic Stem Cells
Source: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Article Date: 14 April 2008 - 3:00 PDT
Summary:
Tissues derived from embryonic stem (ES) cells could help to pacify the immune system and so prevent recipients from rejecting them, the UK National Stem Cell Network Science Meeting heard. Speaking at the conference in Edinburgh, Dr Paul Fairchild from the University of Oxford told delegates that although tissues derived from ES cells succumb to rejection, they have an inherent immune-privilege which, if exploited, could have far reaching implications for the treatment of conditions such as diabetes, heart attacks and Parkinson's.
Article Date: 14 April 2008 - 3:00 PDT
Summary:
Tissues derived from embryonic stem (ES) cells could help to pacify the immune system and so prevent recipients from rejecting them, the UK National Stem Cell Network Science Meeting heard. Speaking at the conference in Edinburgh, Dr Paul Fairchild from the University of Oxford told delegates that although tissues derived from ES cells succumb to rejection, they have an inherent immune-privilege which, if exploited, could have far reaching implications for the treatment of conditions such as diabetes, heart attacks and Parkinson's.
Regulating Hematopoietic Stem Cell Homeostasis and Leukemogenesis
Source: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: April 14, 2008
Summary:
In the April 15th issue of G&D, Dr. Richard Flavell (Yale University) and colleagues identify the c-Cbl protein as a critical repressor of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) self-renewal. In addition to establishing a key role for protein ubiquitylation in HSC development, this finding posits c-Cbl as a potential target in research into stem cell engineering as well as cell-based leukemia treatments.
Date: April 14, 2008
Summary:
In the April 15th issue of G&D, Dr. Richard Flavell (Yale University) and colleagues identify the c-Cbl protein as a critical repressor of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) self-renewal. In addition to establishing a key role for protein ubiquitylation in HSC development, this finding posits c-Cbl as a potential target in research into stem cell engineering as well as cell-based leukemia treatments.
Researchers find stem cell marker controls 2 key cancer pathways
Source: Georgetown University Medical Center
Date: April 14, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center have discovered that a gene associated with human breast stem cells can stimulate development of mammary cells by activating two critical cancer pathways. They say this finding, reported at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), provides new evidence that breast cancer can arise from stem cells and that targeting this gene might provide a new way to treat cancers of the breast as well as other tumor types. Specifically the researchers show for the first time that this gene, Musashi1 (Msi1), switches on Wnt and Notch cell signaling. Both of these pathways help control stem cell growth, and are known to be critically important to the development of many cancers.
Date: April 14, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center have discovered that a gene associated with human breast stem cells can stimulate development of mammary cells by activating two critical cancer pathways. They say this finding, reported at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR), provides new evidence that breast cancer can arise from stem cells and that targeting this gene might provide a new way to treat cancers of the breast as well as other tumor types. Specifically the researchers show for the first time that this gene, Musashi1 (Msi1), switches on Wnt and Notch cell signaling. Both of these pathways help control stem cell growth, and are known to be critically important to the development of many cancers.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Stem Cells Offer Cartilage Repair Hope For Arthritis Sufferers
Source: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Date: April 11, 2008
Summary:
Research being presented today at the UK National Stem Cell Network Annual Science Meeting in Edinburgh could offer hope that bone stem cells may be harnessed to repair the damaged cartilage that is one of the main symptoms of osteoarthritis. Scientists at Cardiff University have successfully identified stem cells within articular cartilage of adults, which although it cannot become any cell in the body like full stem cells, has the ability to derive into chondrocytes - the cells that make up the body’s cartilage – in high enough numbers to make treatment a realistic possibility. The team have even been able to identify the cells in people over 75 years of age.
Date: April 11, 2008
Summary:
Research being presented today at the UK National Stem Cell Network Annual Science Meeting in Edinburgh could offer hope that bone stem cells may be harnessed to repair the damaged cartilage that is one of the main symptoms of osteoarthritis. Scientists at Cardiff University have successfully identified stem cells within articular cartilage of adults, which although it cannot become any cell in the body like full stem cells, has the ability to derive into chondrocytes - the cells that make up the body’s cartilage – in high enough numbers to make treatment a realistic possibility. The team have even been able to identify the cells in people over 75 years of age.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Blood vessels: The pied piper for growing nerve cells
Source: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Date: April 10, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have discovered that blood vessels in the head can guide growing facial nerve cells with blood pressure controlling proteins. The findings, which suggest that blood vessels throughout the body might have the same power of persuasion over many nerves, are published this week in Nature.
Date: April 10, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have discovered that blood vessels in the head can guide growing facial nerve cells with blood pressure controlling proteins. The findings, which suggest that blood vessels throughout the body might have the same power of persuasion over many nerves, are published this week in Nature.
Developing cancer treatments directed at critical developmental pathway
Source: University of Pennsylvania
Date: April 10, 2008
Summary:
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and colleagues discovered that the Notch signaling pathway, which determines the development of many cell types, and is also implicated in some cancers, is not universally essential for the maintenance of stem cells. The findings appear this week in Cell Stem Cell, and indicate that inhibitors of Notch may not affect bone marrow stem cells.
Date: April 10, 2008
Summary:
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and colleagues discovered that the Notch signaling pathway, which determines the development of many cell types, and is also implicated in some cancers, is not universally essential for the maintenance of stem cells. The findings appear this week in Cell Stem Cell, and indicate that inhibitors of Notch may not affect bone marrow stem cells.
Computation and experiment combine to unravel how genes are regulated and shed light on how cells become different
Source: European Science Foundation
Date: 10 April 2008
Summary:
A closer alliance between computational and experimental researchers is needed to make progress towards one of biology’s most challenging goals, understanding how epigenetic marks contribute to regulation of gene expression. This emerged from a recent workshop organised by the European Science Foundation (ESF), “Computational Approaches to the Role of Epigenetic Marks in Transcription Regulation”.
Date: 10 April 2008
Summary:
A closer alliance between computational and experimental researchers is needed to make progress towards one of biology’s most challenging goals, understanding how epigenetic marks contribute to regulation of gene expression. This emerged from a recent workshop organised by the European Science Foundation (ESF), “Computational Approaches to the Role of Epigenetic Marks in Transcription Regulation”.
Scientists uncover the potential to control adult stem cells
Source: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Date: 10 April 2008
Summary:
Research being presented today at the UK National Stem Cell Network Annual Science Meeting in Edinburgh represents a step towards the use of Adult Stem Cells (ASCs) to repair damaged tissue. Speaking at the conference in Edinburgh, Professor Cay Kielty of the University of Manchester describes how she and her team have uncovered a messaging system that instructs ASCs to contribute to tissue repair in response to chemical signals in the body.
Date: 10 April 2008
Summary:
Research being presented today at the UK National Stem Cell Network Annual Science Meeting in Edinburgh represents a step towards the use of Adult Stem Cells (ASCs) to repair damaged tissue. Speaking at the conference in Edinburgh, Professor Cay Kielty of the University of Manchester describes how she and her team have uncovered a messaging system that instructs ASCs to contribute to tissue repair in response to chemical signals in the body.
Brain Tissue Could Be Regenerated After Stroke By Inserting Microscaffolding And Stem Cells, Animal Study Suggests
Source: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council
Date: 10 April 2008
Summary:
Inserting tiny scaffolding into the brain could dramatically reduce damage caused by strokes, according to new research. Scientists from the Institute of Psychiatry have found that combining scaffold microparticles with neural stem cells could regenerate lost brain tissue. With funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) neurobiologists from the Institute of Psychiatry (Dr. Mike Modo & Prof Jack Price) and tissue engineers from the University of Nottingham (Prof Kevin Shakesheff) have joined forces to tackle the challenge of tissue loss as a result of stroke. Working with rats, Dr Modo and his team are developing cell-scaffold combinations that could be injected into the brain to provide a framework inside the cavities caused by stroke so that the cells are held there until they can work their way to connect with surrounding healthy tissue.
Date: 10 April 2008
Summary:
Inserting tiny scaffolding into the brain could dramatically reduce damage caused by strokes, according to new research. Scientists from the Institute of Psychiatry have found that combining scaffold microparticles with neural stem cells could regenerate lost brain tissue. With funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) neurobiologists from the Institute of Psychiatry (Dr. Mike Modo & Prof Jack Price) and tissue engineers from the University of Nottingham (Prof Kevin Shakesheff) have joined forces to tackle the challenge of tissue loss as a result of stroke. Working with rats, Dr Modo and his team are developing cell-scaffold combinations that could be injected into the brain to provide a framework inside the cavities caused by stroke so that the cells are held there until they can work their way to connect with surrounding healthy tissue.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
HUMAN EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH REVEALS EARLIEST STEP IN HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Source: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Date: April 9, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have uncovered the molecular underpinnings of one of the earliest steps in human development using human embryonic stem cells. Their identification of a critical signal mediated by the protein BMP-4 that drives the differentiation of stem cells into what will become the placenta, will be published in the April issue of Cell Stem Cell.
Date: April 9, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have uncovered the molecular underpinnings of one of the earliest steps in human development using human embryonic stem cells. Their identification of a critical signal mediated by the protein BMP-4 that drives the differentiation of stem cells into what will become the placenta, will be published in the April issue of Cell Stem Cell.
Method to deliver molecules within embryonic stem cells improves differentiation
Source: Georgia Institute of Technology
Date: April 9, 2008
Summary:
Embryonic stem cell therapies have been proposed for regenerative medicine and tissue replacement after injury or disease. However, the inability of stem cells to efficiently develop into the desired specific cell type – such as muscle, skin, blood vessels, bone or neurons – now limits the potential clinical utility of this therapy. New research shows that delivering molecules within aggregates of embryonic stem cells via biodegradable microspheres enhances the efficiency and purity of differentiation, which is the process the cells undergo to become more specialized. Details of the microsphere-mediated delivery method, which is funded by the National Science Foundation, were presented on April 9 at the 235th American Chemical Society national meeting.
Date: April 9, 2008
Summary:
Embryonic stem cell therapies have been proposed for regenerative medicine and tissue replacement after injury or disease. However, the inability of stem cells to efficiently develop into the desired specific cell type – such as muscle, skin, blood vessels, bone or neurons – now limits the potential clinical utility of this therapy. New research shows that delivering molecules within aggregates of embryonic stem cells via biodegradable microspheres enhances the efficiency and purity of differentiation, which is the process the cells undergo to become more specialized. Details of the microsphere-mediated delivery method, which is funded by the National Science Foundation, were presented on April 9 at the 235th American Chemical Society national meeting.
Joslin study identifies gene involved in blood stem cell replication, movement
Source: Joslin Diabetes Center
Date: April 9, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center have identified a gene that is responsible for the division and movement of marrow-derived, blood-forming stem cells, a finding that could have major implications for the future of bone marrow and blood cell transplantation.
Date: April 9, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center have identified a gene that is responsible for the division and movement of marrow-derived, blood-forming stem cells, a finding that could have major implications for the future of bone marrow and blood cell transplantation.
Secrets of cellular signaling shed light on new cancer stem cell therapies
Source: University of Michigan
Date: April 9, 2008
Summary:
By revealing the inner workings of a common cell-to-cell signaling system, University of Michigan biologists have uncovered new clues about mysterious and contentious creatures called cancer stem cells. The findings also have implications for a high-profile breast-cancer drug trial getting underway at the U-M Medical School and two other institutions. In the groundbreaking trial, researchers are combining chemotherapy with a drug that blocks the Notch signaling pathway, which helps regulate fetal development and is active in most organ systems throughout a person's life. The aim is to use so-called Notch inhibitors to attack cancer stem cells, the small fraction of stem cells inside a tumor that help it survive and that fuel its growth. But a big concern is that the Notch inhibitors, while helping to destroy cancer stem cells, might also kill or harm the normal, healthy stem cells critical to a patient's survival – such as blood-forming stem cells in the bone marrow.
Date: April 9, 2008
Summary:
By revealing the inner workings of a common cell-to-cell signaling system, University of Michigan biologists have uncovered new clues about mysterious and contentious creatures called cancer stem cells. The findings also have implications for a high-profile breast-cancer drug trial getting underway at the U-M Medical School and two other institutions. In the groundbreaking trial, researchers are combining chemotherapy with a drug that blocks the Notch signaling pathway, which helps regulate fetal development and is active in most organ systems throughout a person's life. The aim is to use so-called Notch inhibitors to attack cancer stem cells, the small fraction of stem cells inside a tumor that help it survive and that fuel its growth. But a big concern is that the Notch inhibitors, while helping to destroy cancer stem cells, might also kill or harm the normal, healthy stem cells critical to a patient's survival – such as blood-forming stem cells in the bone marrow.
New technique creates cancer stem cells
Source: Stanford University
Date: April 9, 2008
Summary:
With a bit of genetic trickery, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have turned normal skin cells into cancer stem cells, a step that will make these naturally rare cells easier to study. Howard Chang, MD, PhD, assistant professor of dermatology and senior author of the work, said being able to generate cancer stem cells from normal cells will help move that research forward. The study also demonstrated that cancer stem cells are much more similar to the stem cells found in embryos, which can develop to form all tissue types, than they are to the more-restricted adult stem cells. This finding has important implications for understanding how cells go awry when they become cancerous.
Date: April 9, 2008
Summary:
With a bit of genetic trickery, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have turned normal skin cells into cancer stem cells, a step that will make these naturally rare cells easier to study. Howard Chang, MD, PhD, assistant professor of dermatology and senior author of the work, said being able to generate cancer stem cells from normal cells will help move that research forward. The study also demonstrated that cancer stem cells are much more similar to the stem cells found in embryos, which can develop to form all tissue types, than they are to the more-restricted adult stem cells. This finding has important implications for understanding how cells go awry when they become cancerous.
Monday, April 07, 2008
A Comprehensive Protein Map of a Stem Cell
Source: American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Date: April 7, 2008
Summary:
Researchers have successfully identified over 5,000 proteins that are present in embryonic stem cells, tripling the size of previous results and in the process creating the largest quantified protein map to date. Stem cells hold great potential in biology and medicine, but a host of questions lingers about how they operate and convert into other cells. To help answer these questions, researchers have begun taking a 'big picture' approach, identifying all the proteins that are expressed in stem cells.
Date: April 7, 2008
Summary:
Researchers have successfully identified over 5,000 proteins that are present in embryonic stem cells, tripling the size of previous results and in the process creating the largest quantified protein map to date. Stem cells hold great potential in biology and medicine, but a host of questions lingers about how they operate and convert into other cells. To help answer these questions, researchers have begun taking a 'big picture' approach, identifying all the proteins that are expressed in stem cells.
Stem cell research leads to potential new therapy for rare blood disorder
Source: University of California - San Diego
Date: April 7, 2008
Summary:
A unique partnership between industry and academia has led to human clinical trials of a new drug for a rare class of blood diseases called myeloproliferative disorders (MPD), which are all driven by the same genetic mutation and can evolve into leukemia. In just one year, collaborative discoveries by stem cell researchers from the University of California, San Diego, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the Mayo Clinic and a San Diego pharmaceutical company, TargeGen, moved from identification of the most promising drug candidate to clinical trials for a new drug to fight this degenerative blood disorder, which affects more than 100,000 Americans.
A study headed by Catriona H.M. Jamieson, M.D. Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego and Director for Stem Cell Research at Moores UCSD Cancer Center, found an inhibitor that can stop the over-proliferation of blood cells that results in problems with blood clotting, heart attacks and, in some cases, leukemia. Funded in part by a grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the study will be published in Cancer Cell on April 8, 2008.
Date: April 7, 2008
Summary:
A unique partnership between industry and academia has led to human clinical trials of a new drug for a rare class of blood diseases called myeloproliferative disorders (MPD), which are all driven by the same genetic mutation and can evolve into leukemia. In just one year, collaborative discoveries by stem cell researchers from the University of California, San Diego, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, the Mayo Clinic and a San Diego pharmaceutical company, TargeGen, moved from identification of the most promising drug candidate to clinical trials for a new drug to fight this degenerative blood disorder, which affects more than 100,000 Americans.
A study headed by Catriona H.M. Jamieson, M.D. Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine at the University of California, San Diego and Director for Stem Cell Research at Moores UCSD Cancer Center, found an inhibitor that can stop the over-proliferation of blood cells that results in problems with blood clotting, heart attacks and, in some cases, leukemia. Funded in part by a grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the study will be published in Cancer Cell on April 8, 2008.
Reprogrammed cells reduce Parkinson's symptoms in rats
Source: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
Date: April 7, 2008
Summary:
Neurons derived from reprogrammed adult skin cells successfully integrated into fetal mouse brains and reduced symptoms in a Parkinson’s disease rat model, according to a study published on April 7 in the online Early Edition of PNAS. This is the first demonstration that neurons derived from reprogrammed cells can integrate into an adult animal brain and improve symptoms of a neurodegenerative disease. The results may indicate a path to future therapeutic use in human patients, once hurdles associated with reprogramming adult cells have been addressed.
Date: April 7, 2008
Summary:
Neurons derived from reprogrammed adult skin cells successfully integrated into fetal mouse brains and reduced symptoms in a Parkinson’s disease rat model, according to a study published on April 7 in the online Early Edition of PNAS. This is the first demonstration that neurons derived from reprogrammed cells can integrate into an adult animal brain and improve symptoms of a neurodegenerative disease. The results may indicate a path to future therapeutic use in human patients, once hurdles associated with reprogramming adult cells have been addressed.
Pluristem's Second Pre-Clinical Study in Ischemic Stroke Shows Statistically Significant Advantages in Functional and Anatomical Recovery
Source: Pluristem Therapeutics Inc.
Posted: April 7, 2008 10:00 am ET
Summary:
Pluristem Therapeutics Inc., a bio-therapeutics company dedicated to the commercialization of non-personalized (allogeneic) cell therapy products for a variety of degenerative, ischemic and autoimmune indications, announced today that the results from Fraunhofer Institute’s additional pre-clinical study utilizing the Company’s proprietary PLacental eXpanded (PLX) cells in treating ischemic stroke showed statistical significance utilizing functional as well as anatomical endpoints. PLX cells are mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) obtained from the placenta and expanded using Pluristem’s proprietary 3D PluriX™ technology. Fraunhofer Institute’s scientists systemically injected PLX cells into spontaneously hypertensive rats that had undergone middle cerebral artery occlusion, a commonly accepted ischemic stroke model. The functional endpoints of improvement in beam walking and neurological severity score and the anatomical endpoint of reduction in infarct size reached statistical significance versus controls.
Posted: April 7, 2008 10:00 am ET
Summary:
Pluristem Therapeutics Inc., a bio-therapeutics company dedicated to the commercialization of non-personalized (allogeneic) cell therapy products for a variety of degenerative, ischemic and autoimmune indications, announced today that the results from Fraunhofer Institute’s additional pre-clinical study utilizing the Company’s proprietary PLacental eXpanded (PLX) cells in treating ischemic stroke showed statistical significance utilizing functional as well as anatomical endpoints. PLX cells are mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) obtained from the placenta and expanded using Pluristem’s proprietary 3D PluriX™ technology. Fraunhofer Institute’s scientists systemically injected PLX cells into spontaneously hypertensive rats that had undergone middle cerebral artery occlusion, a commonly accepted ischemic stroke model. The functional endpoints of improvement in beam walking and neurological severity score and the anatomical endpoint of reduction in infarct size reached statistical significance versus controls.
Identification of dopamine 'mother cells' could lead to future Parkinson's treatments
Source: Imperial College London
Date: April 7, 2008
Summary:
‘Mother cells’ which produce the neurons affected by Parkinson’s disease have been identified by scientists, according to new research published in the journal Glia. The new discovery could pave the way for future treatments for the disease, including the possibility of growing new neurons, and the cells which support them, in the lab. Scientists hope these could then be transplanted into patients to counteract the damage caused by Parkinson’s. The new study focuses on dopaminergic neurons – brain cells which produce and use the chemical dopamine to communicate with surrounding neurons. The researchers found that these important neurons are created when a particular type of cell in the embryonic brain divides during the early stages of brain development in the womb.
Date: April 7, 2008
Summary:
‘Mother cells’ which produce the neurons affected by Parkinson’s disease have been identified by scientists, according to new research published in the journal Glia. The new discovery could pave the way for future treatments for the disease, including the possibility of growing new neurons, and the cells which support them, in the lab. Scientists hope these could then be transplanted into patients to counteract the damage caused by Parkinson’s. The new study focuses on dopaminergic neurons – brain cells which produce and use the chemical dopamine to communicate with surrounding neurons. The researchers found that these important neurons are created when a particular type of cell in the embryonic brain divides during the early stages of brain development in the womb.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
Parkinson's brain cell transplants last for years
Source: Reuters
Date: April 6, 2008 1:21pm EDT
Summary:
Reuters reports researchers have discovered that brain cells administered to patients with Parkinson's disease can survive for up to ten years:
"Transplants of brain cells given to Parkinson's disease patients survive for 10 years or more, three teams of researchers reported on Sunday, but at least some of the transplants were damaged. The researchers disagree about whether this damage shows that Parkinson's disease is a long-term, ongoing process that continues to attack the brain into old age, or the result of the transplants themselves. But they agree that their studies, published in the journal Nature Medicine, demonstrate the benefits of the sometimes controversial brain cell transplants."
Date: April 6, 2008 1:21pm EDT
Summary:
Reuters reports researchers have discovered that brain cells administered to patients with Parkinson's disease can survive for up to ten years:
"Transplants of brain cells given to Parkinson's disease patients survive for 10 years or more, three teams of researchers reported on Sunday, but at least some of the transplants were damaged. The researchers disagree about whether this damage shows that Parkinson's disease is a long-term, ongoing process that continues to attack the brain into old age, or the result of the transplants themselves. But they agree that their studies, published in the journal Nature Medicine, demonstrate the benefits of the sometimes controversial brain cell transplants."
Parkinson's Disrupts Stem Cell Therapy Transplants
Source: HealthDay News
Date: April 6, 2008
Summary:
Current therapies using stem cell transplants in the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease may not work long-term, because the disease is an ongoing process that continually causes damage, new findings suggest.
Date: April 6, 2008
Summary:
Current therapies using stem cell transplants in the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease may not work long-term, because the disease is an ongoing process that continually causes damage, new findings suggest.
New study shows that fetal cells to treat Parkinson's disease may not function long term: Disease pathology found in implanted neurons
Source: Rush University Medical Center
Date: April 6, 2008
Summary:
Neurons grafted into the brain of a patient with Parkinson’s disease fourteen years ago have developed Lewy body pathology, the defining pathology for the disease, according to research by Jeffrey H. Kordower, PhD, and associates and published in the April 6 issue of Nature Medicine. The finding suggest that Parkinson’s disease is an ongoing process that can affect cells grafted into the brain in the same way the disease affects host dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra of the brain, according to Kordower, who is the lead author of the study and a neuroscientist at Rush University Medical Center.
Date: April 6, 2008
Summary:
Neurons grafted into the brain of a patient with Parkinson’s disease fourteen years ago have developed Lewy body pathology, the defining pathology for the disease, according to research by Jeffrey H. Kordower, PhD, and associates and published in the April 6 issue of Nature Medicine. The finding suggest that Parkinson’s disease is an ongoing process that can affect cells grafted into the brain in the same way the disease affects host dopamine neurons in the substantia nigra of the brain, according to Kordower, who is the lead author of the study and a neuroscientist at Rush University Medical Center.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Scientists devise potential approach to treat spinal muscular atrophy
Source: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: April 5, 2008
Summary:
In the neuromuscular disease called spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA, a protein deficiency caused by a single gene mutation leads to serious damage in growing nerve cells and the muscles they control. Now, in laboratory experiments, researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) and Isis Pharmaceuticals have induced cells to replenish the protein by activating an existing, slightly modified copy of the mutant gene. These early results hold out hope for one day successfully treating this often-fatal disease.
Date: April 5, 2008
Summary:
In the neuromuscular disease called spinal muscular atrophy, or SMA, a protein deficiency caused by a single gene mutation leads to serious damage in growing nerve cells and the muscles they control. Now, in laboratory experiments, researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) and Isis Pharmaceuticals have induced cells to replenish the protein by activating an existing, slightly modified copy of the mutant gene. These early results hold out hope for one day successfully treating this often-fatal disease.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Advanced Cell Technology Platform Yields Over 140 Cell Types from Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Source: Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.
Posted: April 3, 2008 11:19 AM EDT
Summary:
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. reports it has developed a large-scale differentiation process that has generated panels of differentiating human progenitor cell lines from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs):
"Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. reported on a large-scale differentiation process that has generated panels of differentiating human progenitor cell lines from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). The research will be published in the April issue of Regenerative Medicine. ...One of the hurdles has been a commercially viable means for the expansion of sufficient numbers of the cell types needed for tissue regeneration. With the publication of work entitled 'The ACTCellerate Initiative: large-scale combinatorial cloning of novel human embryonic stem cell derivatives,' ACT scientists have solved some of these problems. The paper describes a system that was established to isolate and clonally expand tissue specific precursors that heretofore could only be isolated from aborted human fetal tissue."
Posted: April 3, 2008 11:19 AM EDT
Summary:
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. reports it has developed a large-scale differentiation process that has generated panels of differentiating human progenitor cell lines from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs):
"Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. reported on a large-scale differentiation process that has generated panels of differentiating human progenitor cell lines from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). The research will be published in the April issue of Regenerative Medicine. ...One of the hurdles has been a commercially viable means for the expansion of sufficient numbers of the cell types needed for tissue regeneration. With the publication of work entitled 'The ACTCellerate Initiative: large-scale combinatorial cloning of novel human embryonic stem cell derivatives,' ACT scientists have solved some of these problems. The paper describes a system that was established to isolate and clonally expand tissue specific precursors that heretofore could only be isolated from aborted human fetal tissue."
Stem cell breakthrough offers diabetes hope
Source: University of Manchester
Date: 3 April 2008
Summary:
Scientists have discovered a new technique for turning embryonic stem cells into insulin-producing pancreatic tissue in what could prove a significant breakthrough in the quest to find new treatments for diabetes. The University of Manchester team, working with colleagues at the University of Sheffield, were able to genetically manipulate the stem cells so that they produced an important protein known as a ‘transcription factor’.
Date: 3 April 2008
Summary:
Scientists have discovered a new technique for turning embryonic stem cells into insulin-producing pancreatic tissue in what could prove a significant breakthrough in the quest to find new treatments for diabetes. The University of Manchester team, working with colleagues at the University of Sheffield, were able to genetically manipulate the stem cells so that they produced an important protein known as a ‘transcription factor’.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
High-res technology shows significant differences in stem cell lines
Source: University of California - Los Angeles
Date: April 2, 2008
Summary:
UCLA stem cell researchers using a high-resolution technique to examine the genome of a pair of human embryonic stem cell lines have found that while both lines could form neurons, they differed in the numbers of certain genes that could control such things as individual traits and disease susceptibility. The study appears in the April issue of the peer-reviewed journal Stem Cells.
Date: April 2, 2008
Summary:
UCLA stem cell researchers using a high-resolution technique to examine the genome of a pair of human embryonic stem cell lines have found that while both lines could form neurons, they differed in the numbers of certain genes that could control such things as individual traits and disease susceptibility. The study appears in the April issue of the peer-reviewed journal Stem Cells.
Promising new nanotechnology for spinal cord injury
Source: Northwestern University
Date: April 2, 2008
Summary:
A spinal cord injury often leads to permanent paralysis and loss of sensation below the site of the injury because the damaged nerve fibers can't regenerate. The nerve fibers or axons have the capacity to grow again, but don’t because they're blocked by scar tissue that develops around the injury. Northwestern University researchers have shown that a new nano-engineered gel inhibits the formation of scar tissue at the injury site and enables the severed spinal cord fibers to regenerate and grow. The gel is injected as a liquid into the spinal cord and self -assembles into a scaffold that supports the new nerve fibers as they grow up and down the spinal cord, penetrating the site of the injury. When the gel was injected into mice with a spinal cord injury, after six weeks the animals had a greatly enhanced ability to use their hind legs and walk. The research is published today in the April 2 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.
Date: April 2, 2008
Summary:
A spinal cord injury often leads to permanent paralysis and loss of sensation below the site of the injury because the damaged nerve fibers can't regenerate. The nerve fibers or axons have the capacity to grow again, but don’t because they're blocked by scar tissue that develops around the injury. Northwestern University researchers have shown that a new nano-engineered gel inhibits the formation of scar tissue at the injury site and enables the severed spinal cord fibers to regenerate and grow. The gel is injected as a liquid into the spinal cord and self -assembles into a scaffold that supports the new nerve fibers as they grow up and down the spinal cord, penetrating the site of the injury. When the gel was injected into mice with a spinal cord injury, after six weeks the animals had a greatly enhanced ability to use their hind legs and walk. The research is published today in the April 2 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
British team makes mixed human animal embryos
Source: The Times
Date: April 1, 2008
Summary:
The Times reports British researchers created animal embryos containing human DNA for the first time:
"Embryos containing both human and animal material have been created in Britain for the first time, a month before the House of Commons is to vote on new laws to regulate the controversial research. A team at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne announced tonight that it had successfully generated 'admixed embryos' by adding human DNA to empty cow eggs, in the first experiment of its kind in the UK."
Date: April 1, 2008
Summary:
The Times reports British researchers created animal embryos containing human DNA for the first time:
"Embryos containing both human and animal material have been created in Britain for the first time, a month before the House of Commons is to vote on new laws to regulate the controversial research. A team at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne announced tonight that it had successfully generated 'admixed embryos' by adding human DNA to empty cow eggs, in the first experiment of its kind in the UK."
Scientists Uncover How HIV Hides Inside Cells
Source: HealthDay News
Posted: April 1, 2008; 12:00 AM EDT
Summary:
U.S. researchers say they've discovered how HIV -- the virus that causes AIDS -- hides in human cells to avoid being destroyed by the body's immune cells. They explained that when a normal virus, such as the common cold, infects a person, the immune system responds and produces cells that quickly eliminate the virus. However, HIV makes itself appear as part of the normal trash in a cell, rather than being clearly visible on the cell surface.
Posted: April 1, 2008; 12:00 AM EDT
Summary:
U.S. researchers say they've discovered how HIV -- the virus that causes AIDS -- hides in human cells to avoid being destroyed by the body's immune cells. They explained that when a normal virus, such as the common cold, infects a person, the immune system responds and produces cells that quickly eliminate the virus. However, HIV makes itself appear as part of the normal trash in a cell, rather than being clearly visible on the cell surface.
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