Source: Wiley-Blackwell
Date: May 31, 2008
Summary:
According to some experts, newly born neuronal stem cells in the adult brain may provide a therapy for brain injury. But if these stem cells are to be utilized in this way, the process by which they are created, neurogenesis, must be regulated. A new study, led by Laurence Katz, Co-Director of the Carolina Resuscitation Research Group at the University of the North Carolina School of Medicine, suggests a way in which this might be achieved. According to the research, neurogenesis can be regulated through induced hypothermia. In rat subjects, a mild decrease in body temperature was found to substantially decrease the proliferation of newly-born neurons, a discovery that marks a major step forward for the development of neuronal stem cell-based brain therapies.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Skin Morphed Into Stem Cells, Now With Sickle Cell Mutations
Source: Bloomberg News
Date: May 29, 2008
Summary:
Bloomberg News reports researchers have created stem cells with a genetic mutation for sickle cell anemia:
" Researchers for the first time say they've made stem cells with a disease-causing mutation -- in this case, sickle cell anemia, a genetic blood disorder that affects mostly people of African descent. ...Scientists from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine used a two-year-old method for giving adult skin cells the unlimited potential of those from a human embryo. To create the mutation, they modified the technique by adding an extra gene to a four-gene combination that reprogrammed the cells to their more primitive state. The extra gene boosted the efficiency of the process as much as 70-fold, making more stem cells in less time."
Date: May 29, 2008
Summary:
Bloomberg News reports researchers have created stem cells with a genetic mutation for sickle cell anemia:
" Researchers for the first time say they've made stem cells with a disease-causing mutation -- in this case, sickle cell anemia, a genetic blood disorder that affects mostly people of African descent. ...Scientists from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine used a two-year-old method for giving adult skin cells the unlimited potential of those from a human embryo. To create the mutation, they modified the technique by adding an extra gene to a four-gene combination that reprogrammed the cells to their more primitive state. The extra gene boosted the efficiency of the process as much as 70-fold, making more stem cells in less time."
Researchers develop human stem cell line containing sickle cell anemia mutation
Source: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Date: May 29, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have established a human cell-based system for studying sickle cell anemia by reprogramming somatic cells to an embryonic stem cell like state. Researchers at Johns Hopkins have established a human cell-based system for studying sickle cell anemia by reprogramming somatic cells to an embryonic stem cell like state. Publishing online in Stem Cells on May 29, the team describes a faster and more efficient method of reprogramming cells that might speed the development of stem cell therapies.
Date: May 29, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have established a human cell-based system for studying sickle cell anemia by reprogramming somatic cells to an embryonic stem cell like state. Researchers at Johns Hopkins have established a human cell-based system for studying sickle cell anemia by reprogramming somatic cells to an embryonic stem cell like state. Publishing online in Stem Cells on May 29, the team describes a faster and more efficient method of reprogramming cells that might speed the development of stem cell therapies.
Researchers Develop Stem Line With Sickle Cell Mutation
Source: HealthDay News
Date: May 29, 2008
Summary:
HealthDay News reports researchers at John Hopkins University have developed a stem cell line with a sickle cell anemia mutation containing cells with properties of embryonic stem cells:
"Using a faster and more efficient method of reprogramming adult stem cells to an embryonic stem cell-like state, Johns Hopkins researchers developed a human stem cell line containing the mutation associated with sickle cell anemia... Using this new method, the researchers created embryonic-like stem cells that contained the mutation that causes sickle cell anemia."
Date: May 29, 2008
Summary:
HealthDay News reports researchers at John Hopkins University have developed a stem cell line with a sickle cell anemia mutation containing cells with properties of embryonic stem cells:
"Using a faster and more efficient method of reprogramming adult stem cells to an embryonic stem cell-like state, Johns Hopkins researchers developed a human stem cell line containing the mutation associated with sickle cell anemia... Using this new method, the researchers created embryonic-like stem cells that contained the mutation that causes sickle cell anemia."
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
New insights into cellular reprogramming revealed by genomic analysis
Source: Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
Date: May 28, 2008
Summary:
The ability to drive somatic, or fully differentiated, human cells back to a pluripotent or “stem cell” state would overcome many of the significant scientific and social challenges to the use of embryo-derived stem cells and help realize the promise of regenerative medicine. Recent research with mouse and human cells has demonstrated that such a transformation (“reprogramming”) is possible, although the current process is inefficient and, when it does work, poorly understood. But now, thanks to the application of powerful new integrative genomic tools, a cross-disciplinary research team from Harvard University, Whitehead Institute, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard has uncovered significant new information about the molecular changes that underlie the direct reprogramming process. Their findings are published online in the journal Nature.
Date: May 28, 2008
Summary:
The ability to drive somatic, or fully differentiated, human cells back to a pluripotent or “stem cell” state would overcome many of the significant scientific and social challenges to the use of embryo-derived stem cells and help realize the promise of regenerative medicine. Recent research with mouse and human cells has demonstrated that such a transformation (“reprogramming”) is possible, although the current process is inefficient and, when it does work, poorly understood. But now, thanks to the application of powerful new integrative genomic tools, a cross-disciplinary research team from Harvard University, Whitehead Institute, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard has uncovered significant new information about the molecular changes that underlie the direct reprogramming process. Their findings are published online in the journal Nature.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Team identifies new cancer stem cell driving metastatic tumors
Source: Weill Cornell Medical College / New York- Presbyterian Hospital
Date: May 27, 2008
Summary:
The molecular profile of cancer stem cells that initiate metastatic colon tumors is significantly different from those responsible for primary tumors, according to new research from a team at Weill Cornell Medical College. Cancer researchers have long believed that a protein called CD133 identifies a population of cancer stem cells (so-called CD133+ cells), the only subset of cells that are responsible for tumor initiation. But in the experiment, in which immunocompromised mice were injected with human metastatic colon cancer, the Weill Cornell team discovered that cancer cells that do not express CD133 can also spur metastatic disease. The findings were released as a special "highlighted" article in the May 22 online edition of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Date: May 27, 2008
Summary:
The molecular profile of cancer stem cells that initiate metastatic colon tumors is significantly different from those responsible for primary tumors, according to new research from a team at Weill Cornell Medical College. Cancer researchers have long believed that a protein called CD133 identifies a population of cancer stem cells (so-called CD133+ cells), the only subset of cells that are responsible for tumor initiation. But in the experiment, in which immunocompromised mice were injected with human metastatic colon cancer, the Weill Cornell team discovered that cancer cells that do not express CD133 can also spur metastatic disease. The findings were released as a special "highlighted" article in the May 22 online edition of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Monday, May 26, 2008
VANCOUVER RESEARCHERS PIONEER SAFE PATHWAY TO SLOW ALS USING STEM CELLS
Source: The University of British Columbia
Date: May 26, 2008
Summary:
A unique pilot study has established a safe pathway for using bone-marrow stem cells to slow down and potentially treat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disease without cure. The study, published in the journal, Muscle & Nerve and led by Dr. Neil Cashman, professor of neurology at The University of British Columbia and director of the ALS program at Vancouver Coastal Health and VCH Research Institute, tested the use of a growth factor stimulant in ALS patients and found that bone-marrow stem cells became activated with no adverse effects to patients.
Date: May 26, 2008
Summary:
A unique pilot study has established a safe pathway for using bone-marrow stem cells to slow down and potentially treat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disease without cure. The study, published in the journal, Muscle & Nerve and led by Dr. Neil Cashman, professor of neurology at The University of British Columbia and director of the ALS program at Vancouver Coastal Health and VCH Research Institute, tested the use of a growth factor stimulant in ALS patients and found that bone-marrow stem cells became activated with no adverse effects to patients.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Transfusable blood from a stem cell
Source: Riken Research
Date: May 23, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the RIKEN BioResource Center in Tsukuba have established several cell lines that produce functional red blood cells (RBCs) from mouse embryonic stem cells1. The technique may pave the way for production of human donor red blood cells in vitro, lessening the need for blood donation.
Date: May 23, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the RIKEN BioResource Center in Tsukuba have established several cell lines that produce functional red blood cells (RBCs) from mouse embryonic stem cells1. The technique may pave the way for production of human donor red blood cells in vitro, lessening the need for blood donation.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Researchers discover mechanism that turns normal blood cells to cancerous ones
Source: University of California - Los Angeles
Date: May 22, 2008
Summary:
Stem cell researchers at UCLA have identified a type of leukemia stem cell and uncovered the molecular and genetic mechanisms that cause normal blood cells to become cancerous. The discovery may lead to the development of new therapies that target these leukemia stem cells, attacking the disease at its very root and killing the early cells that give rise to mature cancer cells. The study appears in the May 22, 2008 issue of the journal Nature.
Date: May 22, 2008
Summary:
Stem cell researchers at UCLA have identified a type of leukemia stem cell and uncovered the molecular and genetic mechanisms that cause normal blood cells to become cancerous. The discovery may lead to the development of new therapies that target these leukemia stem cells, attacking the disease at its very root and killing the early cells that give rise to mature cancer cells. The study appears in the May 22, 2008 issue of the journal Nature.
Embryonic stem cells are self-sufficient
Source: Medical Research Council
Date: 22 May 2008
Summary:
Scientists have shown for the first time that embryonic stem (ES) cells are able to self-renew without the natural chemicals that scientists have so far used to maintain them and grow stem cell lines. This discovery contradicts previously held views and could have wide-ranging implications for stem cell research. It is hoped the findings, from the Cambridge team lead by Medical Research Council Professor Austin Smith and published in Nature, will lead to a better biological understanding of ES cells and more straightforward translation to the human system of detailed work done only in mouse ES cells to date.
Date: 22 May 2008
Summary:
Scientists have shown for the first time that embryonic stem (ES) cells are able to self-renew without the natural chemicals that scientists have so far used to maintain them and grow stem cell lines. This discovery contradicts previously held views and could have wide-ranging implications for stem cell research. It is hoped the findings, from the Cambridge team lead by Medical Research Council Professor Austin Smith and published in Nature, will lead to a better biological understanding of ES cells and more straightforward translation to the human system of detailed work done only in mouse ES cells to date.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Neural Cell Transplants May Help Those With Parkinson's Disease
Source: Cell Transplantation Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair
Date: May 21, 2008
Summary:
Researchers publishing their studies in CELL TRANSPLANTATION are seeking new ways to treat Parkinson's disease using cell transplantation in animal models. Recent studies are aimed at finding ways to track the progress of transplanted cells and monitor motor and behavioral changes in test animals. The survival of transplanted cells in the microenvironment to which they are directed, and their ability to be efficacious in the presence of tracking tools, is of prime importance.
Date: May 21, 2008
Summary:
Researchers publishing their studies in CELL TRANSPLANTATION are seeking new ways to treat Parkinson's disease using cell transplantation in animal models. Recent studies are aimed at finding ways to track the progress of transplanted cells and monitor motor and behavioral changes in test animals. The survival of transplanted cells in the microenvironment to which they are directed, and their ability to be efficacious in the presence of tracking tools, is of prime importance.
Stem Cell Study Sheds New Light on Cell Mechanism
Source: University of Southern California
Date: May 21, 2008
Summary:
Research from the University of Southern California (USC) has discovered a new mechanism to allow embryonic stem cells to divide indefinitely and remain undifferentiated. The study, which will be published in the May 22 issue of the journal Nature, also reveals how embryonic stem cell multiplication is regulated, which may be important in understanding how to control tumor cell growth.
Date: May 21, 2008
Summary:
Research from the University of Southern California (USC) has discovered a new mechanism to allow embryonic stem cells to divide indefinitely and remain undifferentiated. The study, which will be published in the May 22 issue of the journal Nature, also reveals how embryonic stem cell multiplication is regulated, which may be important in understanding how to control tumor cell growth.
Many paths, few destinations: How stem cells decide what they'll be
Source: Children's Hospital Boston
Date: May 21, 2008
Summary:
How does a stem cell decide what specialized identity to adopt – or simply to remain a stem cell? A new study suggests that the conventional view, which assumes that cells are “instructed” to progress along prescribed signaling pathways, is too simplistic. Instead, it supports the idea that cells differentiate through the collective behavior of multiple genes in a network that ultimately leads to just a few endpoints – just as a marble on a hilltop can travel a nearly infinite number of downward paths, only to arrive in the same valley. The findings, published in the May 22 issue of Nature, give a glimpse into how that collective behavior works, and show that cell populations maintain a built-in variability that nature can harness for change under the right conditions. The findings also help explain why the process of differentiating stem cells into specific lineages in the laboratory has been highly inefficient.
Date: May 21, 2008
Summary:
How does a stem cell decide what specialized identity to adopt – or simply to remain a stem cell? A new study suggests that the conventional view, which assumes that cells are “instructed” to progress along prescribed signaling pathways, is too simplistic. Instead, it supports the idea that cells differentiate through the collective behavior of multiple genes in a network that ultimately leads to just a few endpoints – just as a marble on a hilltop can travel a nearly infinite number of downward paths, only to arrive in the same valley. The findings, published in the May 22 issue of Nature, give a glimpse into how that collective behavior works, and show that cell populations maintain a built-in variability that nature can harness for change under the right conditions. The findings also help explain why the process of differentiating stem cells into specific lineages in the laboratory has been highly inefficient.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Stem Cells Might Contribute To Vascular Disease
Source: Weill Cornell Medical Center/Weill Cornell Medical College
Date: May 20, 2008
Summary:
Physician-scientists believe that stem cells might play a harmful role in the body's reaction to trauma following common vascular surgery, like angioplasty. They are currently studying how stem cells implant themselves in the wall of arteries and grow out of control.
Date: May 20, 2008
Summary:
Physician-scientists believe that stem cells might play a harmful role in the body's reaction to trauma following common vascular surgery, like angioplasty. They are currently studying how stem cells implant themselves in the wall of arteries and grow out of control.
Nonsignaling glial cells can direct synapse formation in the forging of neural networks
Source: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: May 20, 2008
Summary:
Brain cells known as neurons process information by joining into complex networks, transmitting signals to each other across junctions called synapses. But “neurons don’t just connect to other neurons,” emphasizes Z. Josh Huang, Ph.D., “in a lot of cases, they connect to very specific partners, at particular spots.” Dr. Huang, a professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), leads a team that has identified molecules guiding this highly specific neuronal targeting in the developing brains of mice. The researchers report in PLoS Biology that in some cases, these molecular guides -- non-signaling brain cells known as glia -- form a kind of scaffold. This scaffold, in turn, directs the growth of nerve fibers and their connections between specific types of neurons.
Date: May 20, 2008
Summary:
Brain cells known as neurons process information by joining into complex networks, transmitting signals to each other across junctions called synapses. But “neurons don’t just connect to other neurons,” emphasizes Z. Josh Huang, Ph.D., “in a lot of cases, they connect to very specific partners, at particular spots.” Dr. Huang, a professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), leads a team that has identified molecules guiding this highly specific neuronal targeting in the developing brains of mice. The researchers report in PLoS Biology that in some cases, these molecular guides -- non-signaling brain cells known as glia -- form a kind of scaffold. This scaffold, in turn, directs the growth of nerve fibers and their connections between specific types of neurons.
Protein key to neuro-regeneration
Source: The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry
Date: May 20, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the Peninsula Medical School in the South West of England, University College London, the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan and Cancer Research UK, have for the first time identified a protein that is key to the regeneration of damage in the peripheral nervous system and which could with further research lead to understanding diseases of our peripheral nervous systems and provide clues to methods of repairing damage in the central nervous system, according to a paper published this week in the Journal of Cell Biology.
Date: May 20, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the Peninsula Medical School in the South West of England, University College London, the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan and Cancer Research UK, have for the first time identified a protein that is key to the regeneration of damage in the peripheral nervous system and which could with further research lead to understanding diseases of our peripheral nervous systems and provide clues to methods of repairing damage in the central nervous system, according to a paper published this week in the Journal of Cell Biology.
Scientists discover a molecular scaffold that guides connections between brain cells
Source: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: May 20, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have identified molecules guiding this highly specific neuronal targeting in the developing brains of mice. The researchers report in PLoS Biology that in some cases, these molecular guides -- non-signaling brain cells known as glia -- form a kind of scaffold. This scaffold, in turn, directs the growth of nerve fibers and their connections between specific types of neurons. As they learn through research like this how the brain develops its complex wiring, the scientists hope they can clarify what goes wrong in disorders like autism.
Date: May 20, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have identified molecules guiding this highly specific neuronal targeting in the developing brains of mice. The researchers report in PLoS Biology that in some cases, these molecular guides -- non-signaling brain cells known as glia -- form a kind of scaffold. This scaffold, in turn, directs the growth of nerve fibers and their connections between specific types of neurons. As they learn through research like this how the brain develops its complex wiring, the scientists hope they can clarify what goes wrong in disorders like autism.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Working bladders grown from progenitor cells
Source: Reuters
Posted: May 19, 2008 2:35pm EDT
Summary:
Reuters reports researchers have created bladders from progenitor cells:
"Months after being implanted into research animals, "neo-bladders" created from progenitor cells appear to function much like natural bladders, researchers have shown. Stem cells become progenitor cells on the way to becoming specialized cells forming particular types of tissue. Neo-bladders are created by removing bladder progenitor cells during bladder biopsies, growing the cells in culture and then seeding them onto a biodegradable bladder-shaped scaffold made out of collagen or other material."
Posted: May 19, 2008 2:35pm EDT
Summary:
Reuters reports researchers have created bladders from progenitor cells:
"Months after being implanted into research animals, "neo-bladders" created from progenitor cells appear to function much like natural bladders, researchers have shown. Stem cells become progenitor cells on the way to becoming specialized cells forming particular types of tissue. Neo-bladders are created by removing bladder progenitor cells during bladder biopsies, growing the cells in culture and then seeding them onto a biodegradable bladder-shaped scaffold made out of collagen or other material."
Neural cell transplants may help those with Parkinson's disease
Source: Cell Transplantation Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair
Date: May 19, 2008
Summary:
The current issue of CELL TRANSPLANTATION (Vol. 17:4) features a number of publications by researchers seeking new ways to treat Parkinson’s disease (PD), a neurological disease characterized by muscle rigidity, tremor and slowed physical movements related to insufficient levels of dopamine (DA) in the basal ganglia of the brain, by using primate models to examine the potential therapy role of transplanted cells.
Date: May 19, 2008
Summary:
The current issue of CELL TRANSPLANTATION (Vol. 17:4) features a number of publications by researchers seeking new ways to treat Parkinson’s disease (PD), a neurological disease characterized by muscle rigidity, tremor and slowed physical movements related to insufficient levels of dopamine (DA) in the basal ganglia of the brain, by using primate models to examine the potential therapy role of transplanted cells.
Preclinical Data Demonstrate Ability to Regenerate an Entire Bladder with Tengion Neo-Bladder Replacement™
Source: Tengion, Inc.
Date: May 19, 2008
Summary:
Tengion, Inc., a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on the development of neo-organs and neo-vessels, presented preclinical efficacy data for its Tengion Neo-Bladder Replacement™ at the Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) in Orlando, Florida on May 18, 2008.
Date: May 19, 2008
Summary:
Tengion, Inc., a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on the development of neo-organs and neo-vessels, presented preclinical efficacy data for its Tengion Neo-Bladder Replacement™ at the Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) in Orlando, Florida on May 18, 2008.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Stem cell find linked to memory
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
Date: May 17, 2008
Summary:
The Sydney Morning Herald reports researchers at the Queensland Brain Institute in Brisbane, Australia have found brain stem cells that are critical to learning and memory:
"AUSTRALIAN researchers have discovered stem cells in the brain that are vital for learning and memory. They have also worked out how to activate the cells so they produce new neurons, a discovery that could eventually lead to better treatments for degenerative brain conditions of ageing, such as dementia."
Date: May 17, 2008
Summary:
The Sydney Morning Herald reports researchers at the Queensland Brain Institute in Brisbane, Australia have found brain stem cells that are critical to learning and memory:
"AUSTRALIAN researchers have discovered stem cells in the brain that are vital for learning and memory. They have also worked out how to activate the cells so they produce new neurons, a discovery that could eventually lead to better treatments for degenerative brain conditions of ageing, such as dementia."
Friday, May 16, 2008
Researchers Expand Natural Killer Cells In Cord Blood To Fight Leukemia
Source: University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Date: May 16, 2008
Summary:
Researchers from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have found a therapy that effectively kills human leukemia cells in mice using natural killer (NK) cells from umbilical cord blood.
Date: May 16, 2008
Summary:
Researchers from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have found a therapy that effectively kills human leukemia cells in mice using natural killer (NK) cells from umbilical cord blood.
Researchers identify proteins that help develop mammalian hearts
Source: Medical College of Wisconsin
Date: May 16, 2008
Summary:
The absence of two proteins in mammalian embryos prevents the development of a healthy heart, a new study by researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, has found. This is the first study that has successfully identified the factors responsible for the onset of heart formation in the mammalian embryo. Until now, no single mutation had been identified that was thought to be responsible for blocking proper development of the heart in mammalian embryos. The identification of these major developmental switches will allow researchers to unravel the fundamental mechanisms that define heart cell formation.
Date: May 16, 2008
Summary:
The absence of two proteins in mammalian embryos prevents the development of a healthy heart, a new study by researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, has found. This is the first study that has successfully identified the factors responsible for the onset of heart formation in the mammalian embryo. Until now, no single mutation had been identified that was thought to be responsible for blocking proper development of the heart in mammalian embryos. The identification of these major developmental switches will allow researchers to unravel the fundamental mechanisms that define heart cell formation.
How nerve cells are shaped: Discovery of molecules that sculpt nerve shape will assist in understanding nerve cell function and neurological disease
Source: Riken Research
Date: 16 May 2008
Summary:
Molecular biologists at RIKEN’s Brain Science Institute in Wako have unraveled details of the genetic controls that determine the distinctive shapes of four classes of sensory nerve cells in the fruit fly, Drosophila. Nerve cell shapes vary according to the number, branching and disposition of their projections or dendrites, collectively known as arborization. This determines their capacity for interacting with their environment and with other nerve cells or neurons, hence their computational ability and roles. Knowing how such shapes are determined is important for understanding nerve cell function and neurological disease.
Date: 16 May 2008
Summary:
Molecular biologists at RIKEN’s Brain Science Institute in Wako have unraveled details of the genetic controls that determine the distinctive shapes of four classes of sensory nerve cells in the fruit fly, Drosophila. Nerve cell shapes vary according to the number, branching and disposition of their projections or dendrites, collectively known as arborization. This determines their capacity for interacting with their environment and with other nerve cells or neurons, hence their computational ability and roles. Knowing how such shapes are determined is important for understanding nerve cell function and neurological disease.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Adult Cells Steal Trick from Cancer to Become Stem Cell-Like
Source: Scientific American
Date: May 15, 2008
Summary:
In a boon to cancer treatment and regenerative medicine, scientists have discovered that a trick used by tumor cells that allows them to migrate around the body can cause normal, adult cells to revert into stem cell like cells.
Date: May 15, 2008
Summary:
In a boon to cancer treatment and regenerative medicine, scientists have discovered that a trick used by tumor cells that allows them to migrate around the body can cause normal, adult cells to revert into stem cell like cells.
Embryonic pathway delivers stem cell traits
Source: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
Date: May 15, 2008
Summary:
Studies of how cancer cells spread have led to a surprising discovery about the creation of cells with adult stem cell characteristics, offering potentially major implications for regenerative medicine and for cancer treatment. Some cancer cells acquire the ability to migrate through the body by re-activating biological programs that have lain dormant since the embryo stage, as the lab of Whitehead Member Robert Weinberg has helped to demonstrate in recent years. Now scientists in the Weinberg lab have shown that both normal and cancer cells that are induced to follow one of these pathways may gain properties of adult stem cells, including the ability to self-renew.
Date: May 15, 2008
Summary:
Studies of how cancer cells spread have led to a surprising discovery about the creation of cells with adult stem cell characteristics, offering potentially major implications for regenerative medicine and for cancer treatment. Some cancer cells acquire the ability to migrate through the body by re-activating biological programs that have lain dormant since the embryo stage, as the lab of Whitehead Member Robert Weinberg has helped to demonstrate in recent years. Now scientists in the Weinberg lab have shown that both normal and cancer cells that are induced to follow one of these pathways may gain properties of adult stem cells, including the ability to self-renew.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Geron stem cell trial delayed by FDA
Source: San Jose Mercury News
Posted: May 14, 2008 02:43:24 PM PDT
Summary:
The San Jose Mercury News reports the Food and Drug Administration put a proposed human clinical trial by Geron Corporation, a biotechnology company in the field of stem cell research, using embryonic stem cells to attempt to treat spinal cord injuries on hold:
"Geron suffered a setback Wednesday when regulators put the brakes to its quest to become the first company to test people with a treatment developed from human embryonic stem cells. Executives with the Menlo Park biotech company said they received word from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that the agency had placed a so-called clinical hold on their proposed test of the treatment for people with spinal injuries."
Posted: May 14, 2008 02:43:24 PM PDT
Summary:
The San Jose Mercury News reports the Food and Drug Administration put a proposed human clinical trial by Geron Corporation, a biotechnology company in the field of stem cell research, using embryonic stem cells to attempt to treat spinal cord injuries on hold:
"Geron suffered a setback Wednesday when regulators put the brakes to its quest to become the first company to test people with a treatment developed from human embryonic stem cells. Executives with the Menlo Park biotech company said they received word from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that the agency had placed a so-called clinical hold on their proposed test of the treatment for people with spinal injuries."
Pioneering induction of bone formation using embryonic stem cells
Source: University of Twente
Date: May 14, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the University of Twente break new ground by successfully creating bone tissue “in vivo”, using embryonic stem cells. They imitated bone formation in embryos and children, which uses cartilage as a template. This new approach appears to be a promising way of repairing bone defects. This week, the researchers’ findings are presented in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Date: May 14, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the University of Twente break new ground by successfully creating bone tissue “in vivo”, using embryonic stem cells. They imitated bone formation in embryos and children, which uses cartilage as a template. This new approach appears to be a promising way of repairing bone defects. This week, the researchers’ findings are presented in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Discovery Of Cell Linked To Learning And Memory
Source: University of Queensland
Date: May 14, 2008
Summary:
Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) neuroscientists at The University of Queensland have discovered a fundamental component of the process that regulates memory formation. The discovery explains, for the first time, how new nerve cells form in an area of the brain associated with learning and memory – which is known to deteriorate in people with stroke and dementia.
Date: May 14, 2008
Summary:
Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) neuroscientists at The University of Queensland have discovered a fundamental component of the process that regulates memory formation. The discovery explains, for the first time, how new nerve cells form in an area of the brain associated with learning and memory – which is known to deteriorate in people with stroke and dementia.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Gene Therapy Slows Progression of Fatal Neurodegenerative Disease in Children
Source: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News
Date: May 13, 2008
Summary:
Gene therapy to replace the faulty CLN2 gene, which causes Late Infantile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (LINCL), a genetic neurodegenerative disease that is fatal by age 8-12 years, was able to slow significantly the rate of neurologic decline in treated children, according to a paper published online ahead of print in the May 2008 issue (Vol. 19 No. 5) of Human Gene Therapy. Late Infantile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (LINCL) is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder that causes degeneration of the central nervous system. It is a form of Batten disease, a group of lysosomal storage disease in which a lipofuscin-like material is not broken down and accumulates in neurons, causing cognitive impairment, visual failure, seizures, and progressive deterioration of motor function.
Date: May 13, 2008
Summary:
Gene therapy to replace the faulty CLN2 gene, which causes Late Infantile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (LINCL), a genetic neurodegenerative disease that is fatal by age 8-12 years, was able to slow significantly the rate of neurologic decline in treated children, according to a paper published online ahead of print in the May 2008 issue (Vol. 19 No. 5) of Human Gene Therapy. Late Infantile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (LINCL) is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder that causes degeneration of the central nervous system. It is a form of Batten disease, a group of lysosomal storage disease in which a lipofuscin-like material is not broken down and accumulates in neurons, causing cognitive impairment, visual failure, seizures, and progressive deterioration of motor function.
Researchers uncover mechanism of action of antibiotic able to reduce neuronal cell death in brain
Source: Virginia Commonwealth University
Date: May 13, 2008
Summary:
Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have discovered how an antibiotic works to modulate the activity of a neurotransmitter that regulates brain functions, which eventually could lead to therapies to treat Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, epilepsy, stroke, dementia and malignant gliomas.
Date: May 13, 2008
Summary:
Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have discovered how an antibiotic works to modulate the activity of a neurotransmitter that regulates brain functions, which eventually could lead to therapies to treat Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, epilepsy, stroke, dementia and malignant gliomas.
Novel mechanisms controlling insulin release and fat deposition discovered
Source: Karolinska Institutet
Date: May 13, 2008
Summary
Scientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have in two recent studies shown that a receptor called ALK7 plays important roles in the regulation of body fat deposition as well as the release of insulin from beta-cells in the pancreas. These findings have implications for the development of treatments against diabetes and obesity.
Date: May 13, 2008
Summary
Scientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have in two recent studies shown that a receptor called ALK7 plays important roles in the regulation of body fat deposition as well as the release of insulin from beta-cells in the pancreas. These findings have implications for the development of treatments against diabetes and obesity.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Got sugar? Skeletal muscle development responds to nutrient availability
Source: Cell Press
Date: May 12, 2008
Summary:
A new study finds that restricted nutrient availability prevents muscle stem cells from growing into mature muscle cells. The research, published by Cell Press in the May issue of the journal Developmental Cell, provides exciting new information about how developing muscle cells sense and respond to nutrient levels. The study adds a new twist to ongoing research into the effects of caloric restriction on physiology and aging and may lead to new therapeutic avenues for muscle wasting.
Date: May 12, 2008
Summary:
A new study finds that restricted nutrient availability prevents muscle stem cells from growing into mature muscle cells. The research, published by Cell Press in the May issue of the journal Developmental Cell, provides exciting new information about how developing muscle cells sense and respond to nutrient levels. The study adds a new twist to ongoing research into the effects of caloric restriction on physiology and aging and may lead to new therapeutic avenues for muscle wasting.
How Embryonic Stem Cells Develop Into Tissue-specific Cells Demonstrated
Source: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Date: May 12, 2008
Summary:
While it has long been known that embryonic stem cells have the ability to develop into any kind of tissue-specific cells, the exact mechanism as to how this occurs has heretofore not been demonstrated. Now, researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and elsewhere have succeeded in graphically revealing this process, resolving a long-standing question as to whether the stem cells achieve their development through selective activation or selective repression of genes.
Date: May 12, 2008
Summary:
While it has long been known that embryonic stem cells have the ability to develop into any kind of tissue-specific cells, the exact mechanism as to how this occurs has heretofore not been demonstrated. Now, researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and elsewhere have succeeded in graphically revealing this process, resolving a long-standing question as to whether the stem cells achieve their development through selective activation or selective repression of genes.
Friday, May 09, 2008
Naturally-occurring Protein May Be Effective In Limiting Heart Attack Injury & Restoring Function
Source: Medical College of Wisconsin
Date: May 9, 2008
Summary:
Medical College of Wisconsin researchers in Milwaukee have shown for the first time that thrombopoietin (TPO), a naturally occurring protein being developed as a pharmaceutical to increase platelet count in cancer patients during chemotherapy, can also protect the heart against injury during a heart attack.
Date: May 9, 2008
Summary:
Medical College of Wisconsin researchers in Milwaukee have shown for the first time that thrombopoietin (TPO), a naturally occurring protein being developed as a pharmaceutical to increase platelet count in cancer patients during chemotherapy, can also protect the heart against injury during a heart attack.
Diabetes beater? Final trials are underway
Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press
Posted: May 9, 2008 10:29:09 AM CDT
Summary:
The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports researchers at the University of Minnesota announced the final round of clinical trials of a pancreatic islet cell transplant procedure that can reverse type 1 diabetes:
"An experimental islet transplant that can reverse type 1 diabetes is entering a final round of clinical trials at the University of Minnesota. Researchers at the U announced the start of two trials Thursday, hoping to prove that transplants of donated human islets — insulin-producing cell clusters — are safe and effective for diabetics. Favorable results would persuade the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve the transplants for mainstream medicine."
Posted: May 9, 2008 10:29:09 AM CDT
Summary:
The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports researchers at the University of Minnesota announced the final round of clinical trials of a pancreatic islet cell transplant procedure that can reverse type 1 diabetes:
"An experimental islet transplant that can reverse type 1 diabetes is entering a final round of clinical trials at the University of Minnesota. Researchers at the U announced the start of two trials Thursday, hoping to prove that transplants of donated human islets — insulin-producing cell clusters — are safe and effective for diabetics. Favorable results would persuade the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve the transplants for mainstream medicine."
Thursday, May 08, 2008
U of M Begins Clinical Trials for Type 1 Diabetes
Source: University of Minnesota
Date: May 8, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the University of Minnesota’s Diabetes Institute for Immunology and Transplantation announce the start of new clinical trials for people with type 1 diabetes. The University is one of only seven sites in the United States funded by the National Institutes of Health as part of the Clinical Islet Transplantation Consortium, the goal of which is to determine whether islet transplantation becomes an FDA-approved treatment for people with difficult-to-manage type 1 diabetes.
Date: May 8, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the University of Minnesota’s Diabetes Institute for Immunology and Transplantation announce the start of new clinical trials for people with type 1 diabetes. The University is one of only seven sites in the United States funded by the National Institutes of Health as part of the Clinical Islet Transplantation Consortium, the goal of which is to determine whether islet transplantation becomes an FDA-approved treatment for people with difficult-to-manage type 1 diabetes.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
New target for Alzheimer's disease identified
Source: Gladstone Institutes
Date: May 7, 2008
Summary:
In a new study, published in today’s Journal of Neuroscience, researchers in the laboratory of Lennart Mucke, MD, director of the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease (GIND), have determined in mouse models that modulating the activity of enkephalin peptides in the brain might reduce the cognitive deficits seen in Alzheimer’s disease.
Date: May 7, 2008
Summary:
In a new study, published in today’s Journal of Neuroscience, researchers in the laboratory of Lennart Mucke, MD, director of the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease (GIND), have determined in mouse models that modulating the activity of enkephalin peptides in the brain might reduce the cognitive deficits seen in Alzheimer’s disease.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Researchers demonstrate safety of gene therapy using adult stem cells
Source: University of California - Davis
Date: May 6, 2008
Summary:
A new study by UC Davis researchers provides evidence that methods using human bone marrow-derived stem cells to deliver gene therapy to cure diseases of the blood, bone marrow and certain types of cancer do not cause the development of tumors or leukemia. The study was published online in the May 6, 2008 issue of Molecular Therapy.
Date: May 6, 2008
Summary:
A new study by UC Davis researchers provides evidence that methods using human bone marrow-derived stem cells to deliver gene therapy to cure diseases of the blood, bone marrow and certain types of cancer do not cause the development of tumors or leukemia. The study was published online in the May 6, 2008 issue of Molecular Therapy.
Bone marrow treatments restore nerves, expert says
Source: Reuters
Posted: May 6, 2008 2:37pm EDT
Summary:
Reuters reports patients with Multiple Sclerosis experienced remission of their symptoms after receiving bone marrow transplants:
"An experiment that went wrong may provide a new way to treat multiple sclerosis, a Canadian researcher said... Patients who got bone marrow stem-cell transplants -- similar to those given to leukemia patients -- have enjoyed a mysterious remission of their disease. Researchers had thought that destroying the bone marrow would improve symptoms within a year. After all, MS is believed to be an autoimmune disease, in which immune system cells mistakenly attack the fatty myelin sheath that protects nerve strands. Patients lose the ability to move as the thin strands that connect one nerve cell to another wither. Instead, improvements began two years after treatment."
Posted: May 6, 2008 2:37pm EDT
Summary:
Reuters reports patients with Multiple Sclerosis experienced remission of their symptoms after receiving bone marrow transplants:
"An experiment that went wrong may provide a new way to treat multiple sclerosis, a Canadian researcher said... Patients who got bone marrow stem-cell transplants -- similar to those given to leukemia patients -- have enjoyed a mysterious remission of their disease. Researchers had thought that destroying the bone marrow would improve symptoms within a year. After all, MS is believed to be an autoimmune disease, in which immune system cells mistakenly attack the fatty myelin sheath that protects nerve strands. Patients lose the ability to move as the thin strands that connect one nerve cell to another wither. Instead, improvements began two years after treatment."
New Technology Tests Maturity Of Stem Cells
Source: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
Date: May 6, 2008
Summary:
Stem cells can differentiate into 220 different types of body cell. The development of these cells can now be systematically observed and investigated with the aid of two new machines that imitate the conditions in the human body with unprecedented accuracy. Biologists and medical scientists plan to make use of this differentiation ability to selectively harvest cardiac, skin or nerve cells for the treatment of different diseases.
Date: May 6, 2008
Summary:
Stem cells can differentiate into 220 different types of body cell. The development of these cells can now be systematically observed and investigated with the aid of two new machines that imitate the conditions in the human body with unprecedented accuracy. Biologists and medical scientists plan to make use of this differentiation ability to selectively harvest cardiac, skin or nerve cells for the treatment of different diseases.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Findings indicate how gene transcription is controlled in embroyonic stem cells
Source: Baylor College of Medicine
Date: May 4, 2008
Summary:
Association determines fate in embryonic stem cells, said Baylor College of Medicine researchers in a report that appears in the current issue of the journal Nature Cell Biology. “These findings provide models of how the embryonic stem cell is maintained in its flexible state,” said Dr. Zhou Songyang, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at BCM and senior author of the report. “It provides another hint as to how gene transcription is controlled in embryonic stem cells.”
Date: May 4, 2008
Summary:
Association determines fate in embryonic stem cells, said Baylor College of Medicine researchers in a report that appears in the current issue of the journal Nature Cell Biology. “These findings provide models of how the embryonic stem cell is maintained in its flexible state,” said Dr. Zhou Songyang, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at BCM and senior author of the report. “It provides another hint as to how gene transcription is controlled in embryonic stem cells.”
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Research team's breakthrough turns stem cells into heart cells
Source: Canwest News Service
Date: May 1, 2008
Summary:
Canwest News Service reports researchers turned embryonic stem cells into heart cells:
"An international research team, led by a Canadian stem-cell scientist, has successfully turned human embryonic stem cells into three types of heart cells. The breakthrough, said Dr. Gordon Keller, director of the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine at University Health Network in Toronto, marks a significant step towards the test-tube creation of functioning heart tissue and in the future could lead to new strategies for repairing damaged hearts following a heart attack."
Date: May 1, 2008
Summary:
Canwest News Service reports researchers turned embryonic stem cells into heart cells:
"An international research team, led by a Canadian stem-cell scientist, has successfully turned human embryonic stem cells into three types of heart cells. The breakthrough, said Dr. Gordon Keller, director of the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine at University Health Network in Toronto, marks a significant step towards the test-tube creation of functioning heart tissue and in the future could lead to new strategies for repairing damaged hearts following a heart attack."
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