Source: Stanford University Medical Center
Date: July 31, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found that mature, specialized cells naturally regress to serve as a kind of de facto stem cell during the fruit-fly life cycle. The surprising discovery counters the common belief that the ability to form new cell types or tissues wanes as a cell becomes more specialized. Harnessing this type of developmental backtracking in adult human cells would allow researchers to explore new avenues for treating many human diseases. The research is published online Aug. 1 in Science Express.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Neurons Created from ALS Patient’s Skin Cells
Source: Columbia University
Date: July 31, 2008
Summary:
Harvard and Columbia scientists have for the first time used a new technique to transform an ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease) patient’s skin cells into motor neurons, a process that may be used in the future to create tailor-made cells to treat the debilitating disease. The research – led by Kevin Eggan, Ph.D. of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and Chief Scientific Officer of the New York Stem Cell Foundation – will be published July 31 in the online version of the journal Science.
Date: July 31, 2008
Summary:
Harvard and Columbia scientists have for the first time used a new technique to transform an ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease) patient’s skin cells into motor neurons, a process that may be used in the future to create tailor-made cells to treat the debilitating disease. The research – led by Kevin Eggan, Ph.D. of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and Chief Scientific Officer of the New York Stem Cell Foundation – will be published July 31 in the online version of the journal Science.
Neurons created from skin cells of elderly patients with ALS
Source: Harvard University
Date: July 31, 2008
Summary:
Less than 27 months after announcing that he had institutional permission to attempt the creation of patient and disease-specific stem cell lines, Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) Principal Faculty member Kevin Eggan today proclaimed the effort a success - though politically imposed restrictions and scientific advances prompted him to use a different technique than originally planned.
The breakthrough by Eggan and colleagues at Harvard and Columbia University marks the first time scientists are known to have produced human stem cell lines coaxed from the cells of adult patients suffering from a genetically-based disease. The affected patients had Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
The work, published in today's on-line edition of the journal Science, provides "proof of concept" for the belief of scientists and fervent hope of patients that in the not-too-distant future it may be possible to treat patients suffering from chronic diseases with stem cell-based treatments created from their own adult cells. However, Eggan believes that the first therapeutic use of these newly derived stem cells will in fact be to use them to study the root cause of this disease and to screen for drugs that may provide benefit in patients.
Date: July 31, 2008
Summary:
Less than 27 months after announcing that he had institutional permission to attempt the creation of patient and disease-specific stem cell lines, Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) Principal Faculty member Kevin Eggan today proclaimed the effort a success - though politically imposed restrictions and scientific advances prompted him to use a different technique than originally planned.
The breakthrough by Eggan and colleagues at Harvard and Columbia University marks the first time scientists are known to have produced human stem cell lines coaxed from the cells of adult patients suffering from a genetically-based disease. The affected patients had Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease.
The work, published in today's on-line edition of the journal Science, provides "proof of concept" for the belief of scientists and fervent hope of patients that in the not-too-distant future it may be possible to treat patients suffering from chronic diseases with stem cell-based treatments created from their own adult cells. However, Eggan believes that the first therapeutic use of these newly derived stem cells will in fact be to use them to study the root cause of this disease and to screen for drugs that may provide benefit in patients.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Discovery reveals link between Parkinson’s gene and red blood cell production
Source: Ottawa Health Research Institute
Date: July 28, 2008
Summary:
New research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals a key link between a gene involved in Parkinson’s disease and genes that regulate iron metabolism during red blood cell production, thus opening up a potential avenue for developing new therapies. The discovery results from a collaboration between Ottawa scientist Dr. Michael Schlossmacher and colleagues in the United States. Dr. Schlossmacher and his collaborators made the surprising discovery that the alpha-synuclein gene was expressed at high levels in red blood cells as well as in brain cells.
Date: July 28, 2008
Summary:
New research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals a key link between a gene involved in Parkinson’s disease and genes that regulate iron metabolism during red blood cell production, thus opening up a potential avenue for developing new therapies. The discovery results from a collaboration between Ottawa scientist Dr. Michael Schlossmacher and colleagues in the United States. Dr. Schlossmacher and his collaborators made the surprising discovery that the alpha-synuclein gene was expressed at high levels in red blood cells as well as in brain cells.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Adult stem cells activated in mammalian brain
Source: University of California - Irvine
Date: July 24, 2008
Summary:
Adult stem cells originate in a different part of the brain than is commonly believed, and with proper stimulation they can produce new brain cells to replace those lost to disease or injury, a study by UC Irvine scientists has shown.
Evidence strongly shows that the true stem cells in the mammalian brain are the ependymal cells that line the ventricles in the brain and spinal cord, rather than cells in the subventricular zone as biologists previously believed. Brain ventricles are hollow chambers filled with fluid that supports brain tissue, and a layer of ependymal cells lines these ventricles.
Knowing the cell source is crucial when developing stem cell-based therapies. Additionally, knowing that these normally dormant cells can be coaxed into dividing lays the groundwork for future therapies in which a patient’s own stem cells produce new brain cells to treat neurological disorders and injuries such as Parkinson’s disease, stroke or traumatic brain injury.
Date: July 24, 2008
Summary:
Adult stem cells originate in a different part of the brain than is commonly believed, and with proper stimulation they can produce new brain cells to replace those lost to disease or injury, a study by UC Irvine scientists has shown.
Evidence strongly shows that the true stem cells in the mammalian brain are the ependymal cells that line the ventricles in the brain and spinal cord, rather than cells in the subventricular zone as biologists previously believed. Brain ventricles are hollow chambers filled with fluid that supports brain tissue, and a layer of ependymal cells lines these ventricles.
Knowing the cell source is crucial when developing stem cell-based therapies. Additionally, knowing that these normally dormant cells can be coaxed into dividing lays the groundwork for future therapies in which a patient’s own stem cells produce new brain cells to treat neurological disorders and injuries such as Parkinson’s disease, stroke or traumatic brain injury.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Want A Reason to Love Your Lower Belly Fat? Study Finds Some Areas of the Body Have Greater Concentrations of Stem Cells
Source: American Society of Plastic Surgeons
Date: July 23, 2008
Summary:
Fat removed from the lower abdomen and inner thigh through liposuction was found to be an excellent source of stem cells, with higher stem cell concentrations than other areas of the body, reports a Brazilian-based study in August's Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). This is the first study of its kind to examine whether fat tissues from different areas of the body vary in stem cell concentration.
In the study, 23 female patients having liposuction in at least four different body areas agreed to have their fat isolated for adult stem cells and analyzed to determine stem cell concentrations. The body areas that were liposuctioned were: lower abdomen, upper abdomen, inner knee, inner thigh, flank and hips.
The study results found a significant difference in stem cell concentrations in different areas of the body. A major finding was that the concentration of stem cells was greatest in the lower abdomen and inner thighs. Interestingly, stem cell concentration in the lower abdomen was five times greater than in the upper abdomen.
Date: July 23, 2008
Summary:
Fat removed from the lower abdomen and inner thigh through liposuction was found to be an excellent source of stem cells, with higher stem cell concentrations than other areas of the body, reports a Brazilian-based study in August's Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). This is the first study of its kind to examine whether fat tissues from different areas of the body vary in stem cell concentration.
In the study, 23 female patients having liposuction in at least four different body areas agreed to have their fat isolated for adult stem cells and analyzed to determine stem cell concentrations. The body areas that were liposuctioned were: lower abdomen, upper abdomen, inner knee, inner thigh, flank and hips.
The study results found a significant difference in stem cell concentrations in different areas of the body. A major finding was that the concentration of stem cells was greatest in the lower abdomen and inner thighs. Interestingly, stem cell concentration in the lower abdomen was five times greater than in the upper abdomen.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Human Stem Cell Research: Stepping It Up a Notch
Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine
Date: July 22, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have discovered that the Notch protein helps human embryonic stem cells “decide” their own fate, a finding which may eventually be useful in programming cells for the development of stem cell therapies. Their results are reported in the May 2008 issue of Cell Stem Cell. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) receive signals from neighboring cells instructing them either to grow more of themselves or become other cell types, including the three types that make up the developing embryo or type that becomes the placenta. Researchers are just beginning to understand the many signals involved in committing hESCs to different fates.
Date: July 22, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have discovered that the Notch protein helps human embryonic stem cells “decide” their own fate, a finding which may eventually be useful in programming cells for the development of stem cell therapies. Their results are reported in the May 2008 issue of Cell Stem Cell. Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) receive signals from neighboring cells instructing them either to grow more of themselves or become other cell types, including the three types that make up the developing embryo or type that becomes the placenta. Researchers are just beginning to understand the many signals involved in committing hESCs to different fates.
NIST Membrane Model May Unlock Secrets of Early-Stage Alzheimer’s
Source: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Date: July 22, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and three collaborating institutions are using a new laboratory model of the membrane surrounding neurons in the brain to study how a protein long suspected of a role in early-stage Alzheimer’s disease actually impairs a neuron’s structure and function. The team’s findings are reported in a new paper in the Biophysical Journal.
Date: July 22, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology and three collaborating institutions are using a new laboratory model of the membrane surrounding neurons in the brain to study how a protein long suspected of a role in early-stage Alzheimer’s disease actually impairs a neuron’s structure and function. The team’s findings are reported in a new paper in the Biophysical Journal.
Sugar study is sweetener for stem cell science
Source: University of Manchester
Date: 22 July 2008
Summary:
Scientists at The University of Manchester are striving to discover how the body's natural sugars can be used to create stem cell treatments for heart disease and nerve damage – thanks to a £370,000 funding boost. All cells that make up the tissues of the body – such as skin, liver, brain and blood – are surrounded by a layer of sugars that coat the cells. These sugars help the cells to know what type of cell they are and to respond to the other cells which surround them and the chemical messages that pass between cells.
Date: 22 July 2008
Summary:
Scientists at The University of Manchester are striving to discover how the body's natural sugars can be used to create stem cell treatments for heart disease and nerve damage – thanks to a £370,000 funding boost. All cells that make up the tissues of the body – such as skin, liver, brain and blood – are surrounded by a layer of sugars that coat the cells. These sugars help the cells to know what type of cell they are and to respond to the other cells which surround them and the chemical messages that pass between cells.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Stem Cell Chicken and Egg Debate Moves to Unlikely Arena: The Testes
Source: Salk Institute
Date: July 21, 2008
Summary:
Logic says it has to be the niche. As air and water preceded life, so the niche, that hospitable environment that shelters adult stem cells in many tissues and provides factors necessary to keep them young and vital, must have emerged before its stem cell dependents. A team of scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies led by Leanne Jones, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Laboratory of Genetics, now suggests that this is not always the case. They report in the July 20 advance online edition of the journal Nature that the cells that comprise a specialized niche in the testis of fruit flies actually emerge from adult stem cells, a finding with implications for regenerative medicine, aging research, and cancer therapeutics.
Date: July 21, 2008
Summary:
Logic says it has to be the niche. As air and water preceded life, so the niche, that hospitable environment that shelters adult stem cells in many tissues and provides factors necessary to keep them young and vital, must have emerged before its stem cell dependents. A team of scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies led by Leanne Jones, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Laboratory of Genetics, now suggests that this is not always the case. They report in the July 20 advance online edition of the journal Nature that the cells that comprise a specialized niche in the testis of fruit flies actually emerge from adult stem cells, a finding with implications for regenerative medicine, aging research, and cancer therapeutics.
ReNcell® VM Neural Stem Cell Line Models: New human disease model shows function of PINK1 gene in neural degeneration
Source: Millipore Corporation
Date: July 21, 2008
Summary:
Millipore Corporation, a provider of technologies, tools and services for bioscience research and biopharmaceutical manufacturing, announced the publication of a new discovery derived from its ReNcell VM neural stem cell line. A study published in June in the journal PLoS ONE established the first functional link between the PINK1 gene and neural degeneration.
Date: July 21, 2008
Summary:
Millipore Corporation, a provider of technologies, tools and services for bioscience research and biopharmaceutical manufacturing, announced the publication of a new discovery derived from its ReNcell VM neural stem cell line. A study published in June in the journal PLoS ONE established the first functional link between the PINK1 gene and neural degeneration.
Predicting Acute GVHD By Gene Expression Could Improve Liver Stem Cell Transplant Outcomes
Source: Cell Transplantation: The Regenerative Medicine Journal
Date: July 21, 2008
Summary:
Acute graft-versus-host disease occurs when an immune response is elicited by the grafted cells against a recipient, resulting in tissue damage for the treated individual. There are no definitive markers for predicting the development or progression of GVHD following the transplant of allogenic stem cells as therapy for liver cancer. This study offers a preliminary "molecular signature" for the development of acute GVHD based on altered gene expression.
Date: July 21, 2008
Summary:
Acute graft-versus-host disease occurs when an immune response is elicited by the grafted cells against a recipient, resulting in tissue damage for the treated individual. There are no definitive markers for predicting the development or progression of GVHD following the transplant of allogenic stem cells as therapy for liver cancer. This study offers a preliminary "molecular signature" for the development of acute GVHD based on altered gene expression.
Researchers prove that insulin-producing cells can give rise to stem-like cells in-vitro
Source: McGill University
Date: July 21, 2008
Summary:
The question of whether insulin-producing cells of the pancreas can regenerate is key to our understanding of diabetes, and to the further development of regenerative therapies against the disease. Dr Rosenberg from the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and McGill University together with Dr Bernard Massie from the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) have just concluded that they can. The results of their study have been published in the July issue of the journal Laboratory Investigation.
Date: July 21, 2008
Summary:
The question of whether insulin-producing cells of the pancreas can regenerate is key to our understanding of diabetes, and to the further development of regenerative therapies against the disease. Dr Rosenberg from the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) and McGill University together with Dr Bernard Massie from the Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) have just concluded that they can. The results of their study have been published in the July issue of the journal Laboratory Investigation.
Study identifies cells for spinal-cord repair
Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Date: July 21, 2008
Summary:
A researcher at MIT’s Picower Institute for Learning and Memory has pinpointed stem cells within the spinal cord that, if persuaded to differentiate into more healing cells and fewer scarring cells following an injury, may lead to a new, non-surgical treatment for debilitating spinal-cord injuries. The work, reported in the July issue of the journal PLoS (Public Library of Science) Biology, is by Konstantinos Meletis, a postdoctoral fellow at the Picower Institute, and colleagues at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. Their results could lead to drugs that might restore some degree of mobility to the 30,000 people worldwide afflicted each year with spinal-cord injuries.
Date: July 21, 2008
Summary:
A researcher at MIT’s Picower Institute for Learning and Memory has pinpointed stem cells within the spinal cord that, if persuaded to differentiate into more healing cells and fewer scarring cells following an injury, may lead to a new, non-surgical treatment for debilitating spinal-cord injuries. The work, reported in the July issue of the journal PLoS (Public Library of Science) Biology, is by Konstantinos Meletis, a postdoctoral fellow at the Picower Institute, and colleagues at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. Their results could lead to drugs that might restore some degree of mobility to the 30,000 people worldwide afflicted each year with spinal-cord injuries.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Mechanism that regulates cell movement Discovered
Source: Institute for Research in Biomedicine
Date: July 20, 2008
Summary:
A study performed by researchers at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), in collaboration with researchers at the Instituto de BiologÃa Molecular of the CSIC, reveal a mechanism that controls the movement of cells in a tissue by regulating cell adhesion. This same mechanism may be defective in diseases such as cancer and its metastasis, when tumour cells lose their adhesion to neighbouring cells and migrate through the organism. The results of this research have been published in this week's Nature Cell Biology.
Date: July 20, 2008
Summary:
A study performed by researchers at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona), in collaboration with researchers at the Instituto de BiologÃa Molecular of the CSIC, reveal a mechanism that controls the movement of cells in a tissue by regulating cell adhesion. This same mechanism may be defective in diseases such as cancer and its metastasis, when tumour cells lose their adhesion to neighbouring cells and migrate through the organism. The results of this research have been published in this week's Nature Cell Biology.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Researchers grow human blood vessels in mice from adult progenitor cells
Source: American Heart Association
Date: July 18, 2008
Summary:
For the first time, researchers have successfully grown functional human blood vessels in mice using cells from adult human blood and bone marrow donors — an important step in developing clinical strategies to grow tissue, researchers report in Circulation Research: Journal of the American Heart Association. This research could eventually lead to treatments for heart attack, acute injuries, wound healing and may facilitate growing new organs. The research could also enhance tissue engineering — growing new organs for later implantation into patients, another medical research field that needs good sources of microvascularization to develop.
Date: July 18, 2008
Summary:
For the first time, researchers have successfully grown functional human blood vessels in mice using cells from adult human blood and bone marrow donors — an important step in developing clinical strategies to grow tissue, researchers report in Circulation Research: Journal of the American Heart Association. This research could eventually lead to treatments for heart attack, acute injuries, wound healing and may facilitate growing new organs. The research could also enhance tissue engineering — growing new organs for later implantation into patients, another medical research field that needs good sources of microvascularization to develop.
A Potential Metastatic Disease Target?
Source: New York- Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center/Weill Cornell Medical College
Date: July 18, 2008
Summary:
Researchers have identified a type of cancer stem cell that might initiate metastatic cancer, which spreads beyond the original, primary tumor site and to other locations within the body. For the first time, scientists have revealed that the molecular profiles of these cancer stem cells are much different than those located in primary tumors. The study's senior author Dr. Shahin Rafii — the Arthur B. Belfer Professor in Genetic Medicine and director of the Ansary Center for Stem Cell Therapeutics at Weill Cornell and a noted investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute — believes that these findings pave the way for research into a new subset of metastatic cancer stem cells, previously unidentified.
Date: July 18, 2008
Summary:
Researchers have identified a type of cancer stem cell that might initiate metastatic cancer, which spreads beyond the original, primary tumor site and to other locations within the body. For the first time, scientists have revealed that the molecular profiles of these cancer stem cells are much different than those located in primary tumors. The study's senior author Dr. Shahin Rafii — the Arthur B. Belfer Professor in Genetic Medicine and director of the Ansary Center for Stem Cell Therapeutics at Weill Cornell and a noted investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute — believes that these findings pave the way for research into a new subset of metastatic cancer stem cells, previously unidentified.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Researchers link Huntington's disease to overactive immune response in the brain
Source: University of Washington
Date: July 16, 2008
Summary:
The damage to brain tissue seen in Huntington's disease may be caused by an overactive immune response in the bloodstream and the brain, according to new findings from two teams of researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle and University College London. The findings were published online July 14 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. Working separately, the two teams found evidence in both brain cells and the bloodstream suggesting an important link between the immune system's response and Huntington's disease. Together, the findings may help scientists find biological markers for monitoring the disease progression earlier and with more accuracy, and could help them develop new treatments for the disease.
Date: July 16, 2008
Summary:
The damage to brain tissue seen in Huntington's disease may be caused by an overactive immune response in the bloodstream and the brain, according to new findings from two teams of researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle and University College London. The findings were published online July 14 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine. Working separately, the two teams found evidence in both brain cells and the bloodstream suggesting an important link between the immune system's response and Huntington's disease. Together, the findings may help scientists find biological markers for monitoring the disease progression earlier and with more accuracy, and could help them develop new treatments for the disease.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Stem cell transplant for sickle cell disease subject of clinical trial
Source: Washington University School of Medicine
Date: July 11, 2008
Summary:
Children with sickle cell disease often face severe pain, organ damage, recurrent strokes and repeated, prolonged hospital stays. Although there are medical interventions that can lessen the symptoms, there is no cure. In an effort to change that, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are leading a nationwide, multicenter clinical trial to determine the effectiveness of transplanting blood stem cells from unrelated donors into children with severe sickle cell disease.
Date: July 11, 2008
Summary:
Children with sickle cell disease often face severe pain, organ damage, recurrent strokes and repeated, prolonged hospital stays. Although there are medical interventions that can lessen the symptoms, there is no cure. In an effort to change that, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are leading a nationwide, multicenter clinical trial to determine the effectiveness of transplanting blood stem cells from unrelated donors into children with severe sickle cell disease.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Stem Cells Hold Promise for Muscular Dystrophy
Source: HealthDay News
Date: July 10, 2008
Summary:
HealthDay News reports researchers have used adult muscle stem cells to successfully treat muscular dystrophy in mice:
"Researchers are reporting that they've managed to repair damaged muscle in mice with a form of muscular dystrophy by injecting them with specialized stem cells from skeletal muscle. There's no guarantee that the treatment will translate to humans with the disease, said study author Amy Wagers, an assistant professor in Harvard University's Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology Department. Still, the findings are going to help scientists 'move forward very quickly with human stem cells,' she said. 'It is an important step.' In the new study, Wagers and her colleagues turned to purified stem cells that create muscle. The cells came from healthy adult mice and were injected into mice with a disease that scientists consider to be the equivalent to Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The findings were published in the July 11 issue of Cell."
Date: July 10, 2008
Summary:
HealthDay News reports researchers have used adult muscle stem cells to successfully treat muscular dystrophy in mice:
"Researchers are reporting that they've managed to repair damaged muscle in mice with a form of muscular dystrophy by injecting them with specialized stem cells from skeletal muscle. There's no guarantee that the treatment will translate to humans with the disease, said study author Amy Wagers, an assistant professor in Harvard University's Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology Department. Still, the findings are going to help scientists 'move forward very quickly with human stem cells,' she said. 'It is an important step.' In the new study, Wagers and her colleagues turned to purified stem cells that create muscle. The cells came from healthy adult mice and were injected into mice with a disease that scientists consider to be the equivalent to Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The findings were published in the July 11 issue of Cell."
Muscle stem cell advance hailed
Source: BBC News
Published: 2008/07/10 23:24:53 GMT
Summary:
BBC News reports Harvard University researchers improved muscle strength and function in mice with muscular dystrophy by injected them with adult muscle stem cells:
"Transplanting adult stem cells into mice with an illness like muscular dystrophy (MD) helped rebuild muscle structure and strength, a study says. The work by Harvard University, published in the journal Cell, boosts the prospect of similar treatments for people with the condition one day."
Published: 2008/07/10 23:24:53 GMT
Summary:
BBC News reports Harvard University researchers improved muscle strength and function in mice with muscular dystrophy by injected them with adult muscle stem cells:
"Transplanting adult stem cells into mice with an illness like muscular dystrophy (MD) helped rebuild muscle structure and strength, a study says. The work by Harvard University, published in the journal Cell, boosts the prospect of similar treatments for people with the condition one day."
Cancer drug shows promise against graft vs. host disease
Source: University of Michigan
Date: July 10, 2008
Summary:
A new University of Michigan study in mice suggests that a drug recently approved to fight cancer tumors is also able to reduce the effects of graft-versus-host disease, a common and sometimes fatal complication for people who have had bone marrow transplants. Plans are under way at U-M for an initial trial of the drug in people as a new way to prevent graft-versus-host disease. Researchers expect to begin a trial within a year.
The U-M scientists tested the effects of the drug SAHA, as well as another member of a group of drugs known as HDAC inhibitors, on key immune system cells called dendritic cells. In mice, both drugs were able to significantly diminish the destructive inflammatory effects that these cells cause in graft-versus-host disease. Graft-versus-host disease occurs when immune cells in the transplanted bone marrow mount a misguided attack on body tissues. If HDAC inhibitors turn out to be safe and effective in people, they might offer a treatment option preferable to the immunosuppressant drugs used now to treat the disease. These leave people vulnerable to infection and have other significant side effects.
Date: July 10, 2008
Summary:
A new University of Michigan study in mice suggests that a drug recently approved to fight cancer tumors is also able to reduce the effects of graft-versus-host disease, a common and sometimes fatal complication for people who have had bone marrow transplants. Plans are under way at U-M for an initial trial of the drug in people as a new way to prevent graft-versus-host disease. Researchers expect to begin a trial within a year.
The U-M scientists tested the effects of the drug SAHA, as well as another member of a group of drugs known as HDAC inhibitors, on key immune system cells called dendritic cells. In mice, both drugs were able to significantly diminish the destructive inflammatory effects that these cells cause in graft-versus-host disease. Graft-versus-host disease occurs when immune cells in the transplanted bone marrow mount a misguided attack on body tissues. If HDAC inhibitors turn out to be safe and effective in people, they might offer a treatment option preferable to the immunosuppressant drugs used now to treat the disease. These leave people vulnerable to infection and have other significant side effects.
Umbilical Cord Stem Cells Transport Anti-Cancer Drugs Directly to Tumors
Source: Kansas State University
Date: July 10, 2008
Summary:
Kansas State University researchers are working on a method of delivering cancer drugs that promises to be more efficient and reduce the side effects. The researchers are using stem cells isolated from Wharton's jelly, the substance that cushions blood vessels in the umbilical cord. These types of stem cells can be harvested noninvasively and therefore are not controversial. Deryl Troyer, professor of anatomy and physiology at K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine, said the stem cells display a sort of homing ability in that they tend to travel to tumors and other pathological lesions. The researchers are using these stem cells as delivery systems by loading the cells with nanoparticles that contain anti-cancer drugs.
Date: July 10, 2008
Summary:
Kansas State University researchers are working on a method of delivering cancer drugs that promises to be more efficient and reduce the side effects. The researchers are using stem cells isolated from Wharton's jelly, the substance that cushions blood vessels in the umbilical cord. These types of stem cells can be harvested noninvasively and therefore are not controversial. Deryl Troyer, professor of anatomy and physiology at K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine, said the stem cells display a sort of homing ability in that they tend to travel to tumors and other pathological lesions. The researchers are using these stem cells as delivery systems by loading the cells with nanoparticles that contain anti-cancer drugs.
Genes that control embryonic stem cell fate identified
Source: University of California - San Francisco
Date: July 10, 2008
Summary:
Scientists have identified about two dozen genes that control embryonic stem cell fate. The genes may either prod or restrain stem cells from drifting into a kind of limbo, they suspect. The limbo lies between the embryonic stage and fully differentiated, or specialized, cells, such as bone, muscle or fat. By knowing the genes and proteins that control a cell's progress toward the differentiated form, researchers may be able to accelerate the process – a potential boon for the use of stem cells in therapy or the study of some degenerative diseases, the scientists say. Their finding comes from the first large-scale search for genes crucial to embryonic stem cells. The research was carried out by a team at the University of California, San Francisco and is reported in a paper in the July 11, 2008 issue of Cell.
Date: July 10, 2008
Summary:
Scientists have identified about two dozen genes that control embryonic stem cell fate. The genes may either prod or restrain stem cells from drifting into a kind of limbo, they suspect. The limbo lies between the embryonic stage and fully differentiated, or specialized, cells, such as bone, muscle or fat. By knowing the genes and proteins that control a cell's progress toward the differentiated form, researchers may be able to accelerate the process – a potential boon for the use of stem cells in therapy or the study of some degenerative diseases, the scientists say. Their finding comes from the first large-scale search for genes crucial to embryonic stem cells. The research was carried out by a team at the University of California, San Francisco and is reported in a paper in the July 11, 2008 issue of Cell.
Muscle Stem Cell Transplant Boosts Diseased Muscle Function and Replenishes Stem Cell Pool
Source: Joslin Diabetes Center
Date: July 10, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center have demonstrated for the first time that transplanted muscle stem cells can both improve muscle function in animals with a form of muscular dystrophy and replenish the stem cell population for use in the repair of future muscle injuries. The study was designed to test the concept that skeletal muscle precursor cells could function as adult stem cells and that transplantation of these cells could both repair muscle tissue and regenerate the stem cell pool in a model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The research is published in the July 11 issue of Cell. The data from this new study demonstrate that regenerative muscle stem cells can be distinguished from other cells in the muscle by unique protein markers present on their surfaces. The authors used these markers to select stem cells from normal adult muscle and transferred the cells to diseased muscle of mice carrying a mutation in the same gene affected in human Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Date: July 10, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center have demonstrated for the first time that transplanted muscle stem cells can both improve muscle function in animals with a form of muscular dystrophy and replenish the stem cell population for use in the repair of future muscle injuries. The study was designed to test the concept that skeletal muscle precursor cells could function as adult stem cells and that transplantation of these cells could both repair muscle tissue and regenerate the stem cell pool in a model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The research is published in the July 11 issue of Cell. The data from this new study demonstrate that regenerative muscle stem cells can be distinguished from other cells in the muscle by unique protein markers present on their surfaces. The authors used these markers to select stem cells from normal adult muscle and transferred the cells to diseased muscle of mice carrying a mutation in the same gene affected in human Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
New Technique Harvests Stem Cells at Earlier Stage
Source: HealthDay News
Date: July 9, 2008
Summary:
HealthDay News reports scientists have found a way to obtain embryonic stem cells in blastomere stage of embryonic development without destroying the embryo, a finding that could end the ethical controversy surrounding the field of embryonic stem cell research:
"Scientists say they have finally succeeded in developing human embryonic stem cells earlier in the development stage of a blastomere, or a 4-cell stage embryo, so the whole embryo is not destroyed. The development, expected to be presented Wednesday at the European Society of Human Reproduction & Embryology annual conference in Barcelona, may make stem cell research easier to conduct by not raising as many ethical concerns, the researchers added."
Date: July 9, 2008
Summary:
HealthDay News reports scientists have found a way to obtain embryonic stem cells in blastomere stage of embryonic development without destroying the embryo, a finding that could end the ethical controversy surrounding the field of embryonic stem cell research:
"Scientists say they have finally succeeded in developing human embryonic stem cells earlier in the development stage of a blastomere, or a 4-cell stage embryo, so the whole embryo is not destroyed. The development, expected to be presented Wednesday at the European Society of Human Reproduction & Embryology annual conference in Barcelona, may make stem cell research easier to conduct by not raising as many ethical concerns, the researchers added."
Herceptin targets breast cancer stem cells
Source: University of Michigan
Date: July 9, 2008
Summary:
A gene that is overexpressed in 20 percent of breast cancers increases the number of cancer stem cells, the cells that fuel a tumor's growth and spread, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The gene, HER2, causes cancer stem cells to multiply and spread, explaining why HER2 has been linked to a more aggressive type of breast cancer and to metastatic disease, in which the cancer has spread beyond the breast, the researchers say. Further, the drug Herceptin, which is used to treat HER2-positive breast cancer, was found to target and destroy the cancer stem cells. Results of the study appear online in the journal Oncogene.
Date: July 9, 2008
Summary:
A gene that is overexpressed in 20 percent of breast cancers increases the number of cancer stem cells, the cells that fuel a tumor's growth and spread, according to a new study from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.
The gene, HER2, causes cancer stem cells to multiply and spread, explaining why HER2 has been linked to a more aggressive type of breast cancer and to metastatic disease, in which the cancer has spread beyond the breast, the researchers say. Further, the drug Herceptin, which is used to treat HER2-positive breast cancer, was found to target and destroy the cancer stem cells. Results of the study appear online in the journal Oncogene.
Human Embryonic Stem Cells Developed From 4-cell Embryo; World First May Lessen Ethical Concerns
Source: European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology
Date: July 9, 2008
Summary:
For the first time in the world scientists have succeeded in developing human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) from a single cell, or blastomere, of a 4-cell stage embryo, the 24th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology heard on July 9. Dr. Hilde Van de Velde, from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium, said that their research meant that it might be possible in the future to produce hESC lines at an earlier stage without destroying the embryo.
Date: July 9, 2008
Summary:
For the first time in the world scientists have succeeded in developing human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) from a single cell, or blastomere, of a 4-cell stage embryo, the 24th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology heard on July 9. Dr. Hilde Van de Velde, from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium, said that their research meant that it might be possible in the future to produce hESC lines at an earlier stage without destroying the embryo.
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Study Will See If Patients' Own Stem Cells Can Help Prevent Leg Loss
Source: University of Utah Health Sciences
Date: July 8, 2008
Summary:
People with a form of peripheral vascular disease so severe that it can lead to leg amputations might be able to use their own stem cells to remedy the problem. The University of Utah recently was selected as a site in a nationwide trial of the experimental treatment and U of U medical researchers are looking for participants with critical limb ischemia, a severe obstruction of the arteries that feed blood to the legs, according to Larry W. Kraiss, M.D., professor and chief of vascular surgery at the School of Medicine and lead Utah investigator in the trial. To be eligible for the trial, participants must have exhausted all other treatment options, he said.
Date: July 8, 2008
Summary:
People with a form of peripheral vascular disease so severe that it can lead to leg amputations might be able to use their own stem cells to remedy the problem. The University of Utah recently was selected as a site in a nationwide trial of the experimental treatment and U of U medical researchers are looking for participants with critical limb ischemia, a severe obstruction of the arteries that feed blood to the legs, according to Larry W. Kraiss, M.D., professor and chief of vascular surgery at the School of Medicine and lead Utah investigator in the trial. To be eligible for the trial, participants must have exhausted all other treatment options, he said.
Researchers Map Cells' Inner Landscapes
Source: Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
Date: July 8, 2008
Summary:
Much of the field of stem cell biology and development remains uncharted territory. Just as famous explorers and astronomers mapped out landmasses and constellations, researchers are working fervently to chart the molecular landscapes within stem cells -- especially embryonic stem cells. A clearer understanding of the cells’ unique properties, particularly their ability to give rise to nearly any type of cell, could unlock fundamental questions about biology and may even spur novel ways to treat disease. A team of researchers at the Broad Institute has helped break new ground in stem cell research through work described in two recent Nature papers. The most recently published study, appearing in the July 6 advance online issue, involves an effort to map regions of cells’ genomes marked by DNA methylation — one of several so-called ‘epigenetic’ modifications.
Date: July 8, 2008
Summary:
Much of the field of stem cell biology and development remains uncharted territory. Just as famous explorers and astronomers mapped out landmasses and constellations, researchers are working fervently to chart the molecular landscapes within stem cells -- especially embryonic stem cells. A clearer understanding of the cells’ unique properties, particularly their ability to give rise to nearly any type of cell, could unlock fundamental questions about biology and may even spur novel ways to treat disease. A team of researchers at the Broad Institute has helped break new ground in stem cell research through work described in two recent Nature papers. The most recently published study, appearing in the July 6 advance online issue, involves an effort to map regions of cells’ genomes marked by DNA methylation — one of several so-called ‘epigenetic’ modifications.
Monday, July 07, 2008
BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics and Rutgers University Study Shows That Transplanting NTF Cells Improves the Recovery of Spinal Cord Injury Rat Model
Source: BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.
Date: July 7, 2008
Summary:
In an official company news release, BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc., a biotechnology company in the field of adult stem cell research, announced the completion of a preclinical study to treat spinal cord injuries in animals using adult neural stem cells:
" BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc., a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies and therapeutics, has completed a preclinical study in collaboration with the W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. The study conducted at the Keck Center was an effort to repair spinal cord injuries in animals through the transplantation of Brainstorm’s neurotrophic factor (NTF) adult stem cells. The results showed a positive trend of the NTF cells in the male animals."
Date: July 7, 2008
Summary:
In an official company news release, BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc., a biotechnology company in the field of adult stem cell research, announced the completion of a preclinical study to treat spinal cord injuries in animals using adult neural stem cells:
" BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc., a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies and therapeutics, has completed a preclinical study in collaboration with the W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. The study conducted at the Keck Center was an effort to repair spinal cord injuries in animals through the transplantation of Brainstorm’s neurotrophic factor (NTF) adult stem cells. The results showed a positive trend of the NTF cells in the male animals."
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Statins Have Unexpected Effect on Pool of Powerful Brain Cells
Source: University of Rochester Medical Center
Date: July 3, 2008
Summary:
Cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins have a profound effect on an elite group of cells important to brain health as we age, scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center have found. The new findings shed light on a long-debated potential role for statins in the area of dementia. Neuroscientists found that statins, one of the most widely prescribed classes of medication ever used, have an unexpected effect on brain cells. Researchers looked at the effects of statins on glial progenitor cells, which help the brain stay healthy by serving as a crucial reservoir of cells that the brain can customize depending on its needs. The team found that the compounds spur the cells, which are very similar to stem cells, to shed their flexibility and become one particular type of cell.
Date: July 3, 2008
Summary:
Cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins have a profound effect on an elite group of cells important to brain health as we age, scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center have found. The new findings shed light on a long-debated potential role for statins in the area of dementia. Neuroscientists found that statins, one of the most widely prescribed classes of medication ever used, have an unexpected effect on brain cells. Researchers looked at the effects of statins on glial progenitor cells, which help the brain stay healthy by serving as a crucial reservoir of cells that the brain can customize depending on its needs. The team found that the compounds spur the cells, which are very similar to stem cells, to shed their flexibility and become one particular type of cell.
Bone Marrow Alternative: Stem Cells From Umbilical Cord May Be Used To Treat Hepatic Diseases
Source: Universidad de Granada
Date: July 3, 2008
Summary:
Researchers from the Universities of Granada and Leon have shown that mononuclear blood cells from human umbilical cord can be an effective alternative to bone marrow. This work, to be published in the journal Cell Transplantation, could potentially mean a great advance in regenerative hepatic medicine.
Date: July 3, 2008
Summary:
Researchers from the Universities of Granada and Leon have shown that mononuclear blood cells from human umbilical cord can be an effective alternative to bone marrow. This work, to be published in the journal Cell Transplantation, could potentially mean a great advance in regenerative hepatic medicine.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Gene directs stem cells to build the heart
Source: Washington University School of Medicine
Date: July 2, 2008
Summary:
Researchers have shown that they can put mouse embryonic stem cells to work building the heart, potentially moving medical science a significant step closer to a new generation of heart disease treatments that use human stem cells. Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report in Cell Stem Cell that the Mesp1 gene locks mouse embryonic stem cells into becoming heart parts and gets them moving to the area where the heart forms. Researchers are now testing if stem cells exposed to Mesp1 can help fix damaged mouse hearts.
Date: July 2, 2008
Summary:
Researchers have shown that they can put mouse embryonic stem cells to work building the heart, potentially moving medical science a significant step closer to a new generation of heart disease treatments that use human stem cells. Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report in Cell Stem Cell that the Mesp1 gene locks mouse embryonic stem cells into becoming heart parts and gets them moving to the area where the heart forms. Researchers are now testing if stem cells exposed to Mesp1 can help fix damaged mouse hearts.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Small protein may have big role in making more bone and less fat
Source: Medical College of Georgia
Date: July 1, 2008
Summary:
A small protein may have a big role in helping you make more bone and less fat, researchers say. "The pathways are parallel, and the idea is if you can somehow disrupt the fat production pathway, you will get more bone," says Dr. Xingming Shi, bone biologist at the Medical College of Georgia Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics. He's found the short-acting protein GILZ appears to make this desirable shift and wants to better understand how it does it with the long-term goal of targeted therapies for osteoporosis, obesity and maybe more.
Date: July 1, 2008
Summary:
A small protein may have a big role in helping you make more bone and less fat, researchers say. "The pathways are parallel, and the idea is if you can somehow disrupt the fat production pathway, you will get more bone," says Dr. Xingming Shi, bone biologist at the Medical College of Georgia Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics. He's found the short-acting protein GILZ appears to make this desirable shift and wants to better understand how it does it with the long-term goal of targeted therapies for osteoporosis, obesity and maybe more.
New technique produces genetically identical stem cells
Source: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
Date: July 1, 2008
Summary:
Adult cells of mice created from genetically reprogrammed cells—so-called induced pluripotent stem (IPS) stem cells—can be triggered via drug to enter an embryonic-stem-cell-like state, without the need for further genetic alteration. The discovery, which promises to bring new efficiencies to embryonic stem cell research, is reported in the July 1, 2008, online issue of Nature Biotechnology.
The authors explain the scientific implications of this finding:
"This technical advancement will allow thousands of identical reprogrammed cells to be used in experiments," says Marius Wernig, one of the paper's two lead authors and a postdoctoral researcher in Whitehead Member Rudolf Jaenisch's lab.
The study also points out potential therapeutic applications of this research:
"Using these cells could help define the milestones of how cells are reprogrammed and screen for drug-like molecules that replace the potentially cancer-causing viruses used for reprogramming," adds Christopher Lengner, the other lead author and also a postdoctoral researcher in the Jaenisch's lab.
Date: July 1, 2008
Summary:
Adult cells of mice created from genetically reprogrammed cells—so-called induced pluripotent stem (IPS) stem cells—can be triggered via drug to enter an embryonic-stem-cell-like state, without the need for further genetic alteration. The discovery, which promises to bring new efficiencies to embryonic stem cell research, is reported in the July 1, 2008, online issue of Nature Biotechnology.
The authors explain the scientific implications of this finding:
"This technical advancement will allow thousands of identical reprogrammed cells to be used in experiments," says Marius Wernig, one of the paper's two lead authors and a postdoctoral researcher in Whitehead Member Rudolf Jaenisch's lab.
The study also points out potential therapeutic applications of this research:
"Using these cells could help define the milestones of how cells are reprogrammed and screen for drug-like molecules that replace the potentially cancer-causing viruses used for reprogramming," adds Christopher Lengner, the other lead author and also a postdoctoral researcher in the Jaenisch's lab.
Reprogramming Adult Stem Cells in the Brain
Source: Salk Institute
Date: July 1, 2008
Summary:
In recent years, stem cell researchers have become very adept at manipulating the fate of adult stem cells cultured in the lab. Now, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies achieved the same feat with adult neural stem cells still in place in the brain. They successfully coaxed mouse brain stem cells bound to join the neuronal network to differentiate into support cells instead. The discovery, which is published ahead of print on Nature Neuroscience's website, not only attests to the versatility of neural stem cells but also opens up new directions for the treatment of neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, stroke and epilepsy that not only affect neuronal cells but also disrupt the functioning of glial support cells.
Date: July 1, 2008
Summary:
In recent years, stem cell researchers have become very adept at manipulating the fate of adult stem cells cultured in the lab. Now, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies achieved the same feat with adult neural stem cells still in place in the brain. They successfully coaxed mouse brain stem cells bound to join the neuronal network to differentiate into support cells instead. The discovery, which is published ahead of print on Nature Neuroscience's website, not only attests to the versatility of neural stem cells but also opens up new directions for the treatment of neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, stroke and epilepsy that not only affect neuronal cells but also disrupt the functioning of glial support cells.
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