Source: Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
Date: November 25, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC have been able to effectively repair damaged heart muscle in an animal model using a novel population of stem cells they discovered that is derived from human skeletal muscle tissue. The research team — led by Johnny Huard, PhD — transplanted stem cells purified from human muscle-derived blood vessels into the hearts of mice that had heart damage similar to that which would occur in people who had suffered a heart attack. The transplanted myoendothelial cells repaired the injured muscle, stimulated the growth of new blood vessels in the heart and reduced scar tissue from the injury, thereby dramatically improving the function of the injured left ventricle. Results of this study are published in the Dec. 2 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
Pure Insulin-producing Cells Produced In Mice
Source: Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
Date: November 21, 2008
Summary:
Researchers from the Institute of Medical Biology (IMB) under the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (YLLSoM ) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have scored a breakthrough in developing an unlimited number of pure insulin-producing cells from mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs)[1]. The cells, which have the same sub-cellular structures as the insulin-producing cells naturally found in the pancreas, were highly effective in treating diabetes in the mouse model.
Date: November 21, 2008
Summary:
Researchers from the Institute of Medical Biology (IMB) under the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) and the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (YLLSoM ) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have scored a breakthrough in developing an unlimited number of pure insulin-producing cells from mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs)[1]. The cells, which have the same sub-cellular structures as the insulin-producing cells naturally found in the pancreas, were highly effective in treating diabetes in the mouse model.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Sweet success for new stem cell ID trick
Source: University of Manchester
Date: 20 November 2008
Summary:
Biomaterial scientists at the University of Manchester believe they have found a new way of isolating the ‘ingredients’ needed for potential stem cell treatments for nerve damage and heart disease. And the technique could also be used in the future to improve the efficiency of bone marrow transplants. Writing in the journal Stem Cells, the Manchester scientists report how the technique allows cells to be clearly identified depending on whether the antibodies bind themselves to the cells or not.
Date: 20 November 2008
Summary:
Biomaterial scientists at the University of Manchester believe they have found a new way of isolating the ‘ingredients’ needed for potential stem cell treatments for nerve damage and heart disease. And the technique could also be used in the future to improve the efficiency of bone marrow transplants. Writing in the journal Stem Cells, the Manchester scientists report how the technique allows cells to be clearly identified depending on whether the antibodies bind themselves to the cells or not.
Neurons Derived From Embryonic Stem Cells Restore Muscle Function After Injury
Source: Dalhousie University
Date: November 20, 2008
Summary:
Dalhousie Medical School researchers have discovered that embryonic stem cells may play a critical role in helping people with nerve damage and motor neuron diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), regain muscular strength. The research team used embryonic stem cells from mice to grow motor neurons in the laboratory. They then transplanted the neurons into mouse nerves that were separated from the spinal cord. After separation, it would be expected that the nerves and muscles they control die. However, the Dalhousie group was the first in the world to find that the muscles not only were preserved by the transplantation, but they could produce about half their normal force to contract.
Date: November 20, 2008
Summary:
Dalhousie Medical School researchers have discovered that embryonic stem cells may play a critical role in helping people with nerve damage and motor neuron diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), regain muscular strength. The research team used embryonic stem cells from mice to grow motor neurons in the laboratory. They then transplanted the neurons into mouse nerves that were separated from the spinal cord. After separation, it would be expected that the nerves and muscles they control die. However, the Dalhousie group was the first in the world to find that the muscles not only were preserved by the transplantation, but they could produce about half their normal force to contract.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Human Trachea Created from Adult Stem Cells
Source: University of Bristol
Date: 19 November 2008
Summary:
The first tissue-engineered trachea (windpipe), utilising the patient’s own stem cells, has been successfully transplanted into a young woman with a failing airway. The bioengineered trachea immediately provided the patient with a normally functioning airway, thereby saving her life. These remarkable results provide crucial new evidence that adult stem cells, combined with biologically compatible materials, can offer genuine solutions to other serious illnesses. In particular, the successful outcome shows it is possible to produce a tissue-engineered airway with mechanical properties that permit normal breathing and which is free from the risks of rejection seen with conventional transplanted organs. The patient has not developed antibodies to her graft, despite not taking any immunosuppressive drugs. Lung function tests performed two months after the operation were all at the better end of the normal range for a young woman. The pan-European team from the universities of Barcelona, Bristol, Padua and Milan report on this pioneering work in an article published early online and in an upcoming edition of The Lancet.
Date: 19 November 2008
Summary:
The first tissue-engineered trachea (windpipe), utilising the patient’s own stem cells, has been successfully transplanted into a young woman with a failing airway. The bioengineered trachea immediately provided the patient with a normally functioning airway, thereby saving her life. These remarkable results provide crucial new evidence that adult stem cells, combined with biologically compatible materials, can offer genuine solutions to other serious illnesses. In particular, the successful outcome shows it is possible to produce a tissue-engineered airway with mechanical properties that permit normal breathing and which is free from the risks of rejection seen with conventional transplanted organs. The patient has not developed antibodies to her graft, despite not taking any immunosuppressive drugs. Lung function tests performed two months after the operation were all at the better end of the normal range for a young woman. The pan-European team from the universities of Barcelona, Bristol, Padua and Milan report on this pioneering work in an article published early online and in an upcoming edition of The Lancet.
Stem cells restore hearing, vision in animals
Source: Reuters
Posted: November 19, 2008 6:59am EST
Summary:
Reuters reports researchers have found that adult stem cells can restore hearing and vision in animals:
"Stem cells from tiny embryos can be used to restore lost hearing and vision in animals, researchers said Tuesday in what they believe is a first step toward helping people. One team repaired hearing in guinea pigs using human bone marrow stem cells, while another grew functioning eyes in tadpoles using frog cells. While there are no immediate uses for humans, they said their findings help describe some of the most basic biological processes underlying the development of hearing and sight, and may help in the development of the new field of regenerative medicine."
Posted: November 19, 2008 6:59am EST
Summary:
Reuters reports researchers have found that adult stem cells can restore hearing and vision in animals:
"Stem cells from tiny embryos can be used to restore lost hearing and vision in animals, researchers said Tuesday in what they believe is a first step toward helping people. One team repaired hearing in guinea pigs using human bone marrow stem cells, while another grew functioning eyes in tadpoles using frog cells. While there are no immediate uses for humans, they said their findings help describe some of the most basic biological processes underlying the development of hearing and sight, and may help in the development of the new field of regenerative medicine."
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Researchers define ideal time for stem cell collection for Parkinson's disease therapy
Source: Thomas Jefferson University
Date: November 19, 2008
Summary:
Researchers have identified a stage during dopamine neuron differentiation that may be an ideal time to collect human embryonic stem cells for transplantation to treat Parkinson's disease, according to data presented at Neuroscience 2008, the 38th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. Lorraine Iacovitti, Ph.D., professor and interim director of the Farber Institute for Neurosciences of Thomas Jefferson University, and her research team found that neural progenitor cells that express the gene Lmx1a are committed to the midbrain dopamine neuron lineage, but still retain proliferative capacity. Because of these characteristics, the stage at which Lmx1a is expressed may be ideal for transplantation.
Date: November 19, 2008
Summary:
Researchers have identified a stage during dopamine neuron differentiation that may be an ideal time to collect human embryonic stem cells for transplantation to treat Parkinson's disease, according to data presented at Neuroscience 2008, the 38th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. Lorraine Iacovitti, Ph.D., professor and interim director of the Farber Institute for Neurosciences of Thomas Jefferson University, and her research team found that neural progenitor cells that express the gene Lmx1a are committed to the midbrain dopamine neuron lineage, but still retain proliferative capacity. Because of these characteristics, the stage at which Lmx1a is expressed may be ideal for transplantation.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Researchers to use patient's own stem cells to treat heart failure
Source: University of Utah Health Sciences
Date: November 17, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the University of Utah are enrolling people in a new clinical trial that uses a patient's own stem cells to treat ischemic and non-ischemic heart failure. Patients enrolled in IMPACT-DCM will have their own bone marrow cells drawn (about 3 tablespoons worth), which will then be grown in a culture to expand the number of cells that will help the heart muscle and improve blood flow. Two weeks later, the patient's stem cells will be injected directly into the left ventricle of the heart during a minimally invasive surgery developed by Amit N. Patel, M.D., national principal investigator for the IMPACT-DCM trial and director of cardiovascular regenerative medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine.
Date: November 17, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the University of Utah are enrolling people in a new clinical trial that uses a patient's own stem cells to treat ischemic and non-ischemic heart failure. Patients enrolled in IMPACT-DCM will have their own bone marrow cells drawn (about 3 tablespoons worth), which will then be grown in a culture to expand the number of cells that will help the heart muscle and improve blood flow. Two weeks later, the patient's stem cells will be injected directly into the left ventricle of the heart during a minimally invasive surgery developed by Amit N. Patel, M.D., national principal investigator for the IMPACT-DCM trial and director of cardiovascular regenerative medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
UCSF team moves in on mechanism in stem cell growth, possibly cancer
Source: University of California - San Francisco
Date: 13 November 2008
Summary:
A class of miniscule molecules called microRNAs has become a major focus of biomedical research. Now, UCSF scientists have identified multiple members of this class that enable embryonic stem cells to divide, and thus proliferate, much more rapidly than the mature, or specialized, cells of the adult body. The finding offers insight into a critical aspect of normal embryonic development -- the capacity of the early embryo to grow rapidly from a single fertilized cell to an entire embryo. It also suggests, the researcher say, that when these microRNAs function inappropriately they likely play a role in cancer.
Date: 13 November 2008
Summary:
A class of miniscule molecules called microRNAs has become a major focus of biomedical research. Now, UCSF scientists have identified multiple members of this class that enable embryonic stem cells to divide, and thus proliferate, much more rapidly than the mature, or specialized, cells of the adult body. The finding offers insight into a critical aspect of normal embryonic development -- the capacity of the early embryo to grow rapidly from a single fertilized cell to an entire embryo. It also suggests, the researcher say, that when these microRNAs function inappropriately they likely play a role in cancer.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Intraspinal implant of mesenchymal stem cells may not heal the demyelinated spinal cord
Source: Source: Cell Transplantation Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair
Date: November 12, 2008
Summary:
Multiple sclerosis is a disease caused by the loss of the myelinated sheath surrounding the nerve fibers of the spinal cord. Therapeutic hope for curing multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases has included the possibility that stem cell transplants could help remyelinate the spinal cord. Accordingly, researchers from the University of Cambridge (UK) conducted experiments using animal models to see if the direct implantation of multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) (derived from a different rat's adult bone marrow, i.e. allogenic) into the demyelinated rat spinal cord would be therapeutic and remyelinate the damaged area.
Date: November 12, 2008
Summary:
Multiple sclerosis is a disease caused by the loss of the myelinated sheath surrounding the nerve fibers of the spinal cord. Therapeutic hope for curing multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases has included the possibility that stem cell transplants could help remyelinate the spinal cord. Accordingly, researchers from the University of Cambridge (UK) conducted experiments using animal models to see if the direct implantation of multipotent mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) (derived from a different rat's adult bone marrow, i.e. allogenic) into the demyelinated rat spinal cord would be therapeutic and remyelinate the damaged area.
Stem Cells with Potential to Regenerate Injured Liver Tissue Identified
Source: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Date: November 12, 2008
Summary:
A novel protein marker has been found that identifies rare adult liver stem cells, whose ability to regenerate injured liver tissue has the potential for cell-replacement therapy. For the first time, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine led by Linda Greenbaum, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, have demonstrated that cells expressing the marker can differentiate into both liver cells and cells that line the bile duct. In the future, this marker will allow for the isolation and expansion of these stem cells, which could then be used to help patients whose livers can no longer repair their own tissue.
Date: November 12, 2008
Summary:
A novel protein marker has been found that identifies rare adult liver stem cells, whose ability to regenerate injured liver tissue has the potential for cell-replacement therapy. For the first time, researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine led by Linda Greenbaum, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology, have demonstrated that cells expressing the marker can differentiate into both liver cells and cells that line the bile duct. In the future, this marker will allow for the isolation and expansion of these stem cells, which could then be used to help patients whose livers can no longer repair their own tissue.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Researchers find stem cells from monkey teeth can stimulate growth and generation of brain cells
Source: Emory University
Date: November 11, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, have discovered dental pulp stem cells can stimulate growth and generation of several types of neural cells. Findings from this study, available in the October issue of the journal Stem Cells, suggest dental pulp stem cells show promise for use in cell therapy and regenerative medicine, particularly therapies associated with the central nervous system.
Date: November 11, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, have discovered dental pulp stem cells can stimulate growth and generation of several types of neural cells. Findings from this study, available in the October issue of the journal Stem Cells, suggest dental pulp stem cells show promise for use in cell therapy and regenerative medicine, particularly therapies associated with the central nervous system.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Researchers identify key mechanism that regulates the development of stem cells into neurons
Source: University of Southern California
Date: November 10, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) have identified a novel mechanism in the regulation and differentiation of neural stem cells. Researchers found that the protein receptor Ryk has a key role in the differentiation of neural stem cells, and demonstrated a signaling mechanism that regulates neuronal differentiation as stem cells begin to grow into neurons. The study will be published in the Nov. 11 issue of the journal Developmental Cell, and is now available online. The findings could have important implications for regenerative medicine and cancer therapies, says Wange Lu, Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, and the principal investigator on the study.
Date: November 10, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) have identified a novel mechanism in the regulation and differentiation of neural stem cells. Researchers found that the protein receptor Ryk has a key role in the differentiation of neural stem cells, and demonstrated a signaling mechanism that regulates neuronal differentiation as stem cells begin to grow into neurons. The study will be published in the Nov. 11 issue of the journal Developmental Cell, and is now available online. The findings could have important implications for regenerative medicine and cancer therapies, says Wange Lu, Ph.D., assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, and the principal investigator on the study.
Thursday, November 06, 2008
Researchers make brain tissues from stem cells
Source: Agence France Presse (AFP)
Posted: November 06, 2008 05:20 EST
Summary:
Agence France Presse (AFP) reports Japanese researchers created functioning human brain cells from embryonic stem cells:
"Japanese researchers said Thursday they had created functioning human brain tissues from stem cells, a world first that has raised new hopes for the treatment of disease. Stem cells taken from human embryos have been used to form tissues of the cerebral cortex, the supreme control tower of the brain, according to researchers at the government-backed research institute Riken. The tissues self-organised into four distinct zones very similar to the structure seen in human foetuses, and conducted neuro-activity such as transmitting electrical signals, the institute said. Research on stem cells is seen as having the potential to save lives by helping to find cures for diseases such as cancer and diabetes or to replace damaged cells, tissues and organs."
Below is a summary of additional news coverage of this story from various sources:
Reuters, Nov 6, 2008 3:24pm EST: "Scientists coax brain cells in mice to regenerate":
"Scientists have found a way to get damaged nerve cells in the brains of mice to repair themselves, a finding that may lead to new treatments for spinal cord and brain injuries. By turning off proteins that keep nerve cell growth in check, the researchers were able to stimulate regrowth in mice with damaged optic nerves..."
HealthDay News, November 6, 2008: "New Pathways Studied to Repair Nerves":
"Nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain can't be repaired now if they are severed or damaged, but two ways to get them to grow again are being proposed by separate groups of researchers. The basic idea of both approaches is to interfere with the built-in mechanisms that prevent nerve cell regeneration. One approach attacks it from the outside of nerve cells, the other from the inside."
Posted: November 06, 2008 05:20 EST
Summary:
Agence France Presse (AFP) reports Japanese researchers created functioning human brain cells from embryonic stem cells:
"Japanese researchers said Thursday they had created functioning human brain tissues from stem cells, a world first that has raised new hopes for the treatment of disease. Stem cells taken from human embryos have been used to form tissues of the cerebral cortex, the supreme control tower of the brain, according to researchers at the government-backed research institute Riken. The tissues self-organised into four distinct zones very similar to the structure seen in human foetuses, and conducted neuro-activity such as transmitting electrical signals, the institute said. Research on stem cells is seen as having the potential to save lives by helping to find cures for diseases such as cancer and diabetes or to replace damaged cells, tissues and organs."
Below is a summary of additional news coverage of this story from various sources:
Reuters, Nov 6, 2008 3:24pm EST: "Scientists coax brain cells in mice to regenerate":
"Scientists have found a way to get damaged nerve cells in the brains of mice to repair themselves, a finding that may lead to new treatments for spinal cord and brain injuries. By turning off proteins that keep nerve cell growth in check, the researchers were able to stimulate regrowth in mice with damaged optic nerves..."
HealthDay News, November 6, 2008: "New Pathways Studied to Repair Nerves":
"Nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain can't be repaired now if they are severed or damaged, but two ways to get them to grow again are being proposed by separate groups of researchers. The basic idea of both approaches is to interfere with the built-in mechanisms that prevent nerve cell regeneration. One approach attacks it from the outside of nerve cells, the other from the inside."
Scientists confirm a molecular clipping mechanism behind stem cell development
Source: Rockefeller University
Posted: November 6, 2008
Summary:
Stem cells don’t just become a part of the liver or the brain in a flash; it takes a complex molecular choreography and requires that specific genes be switched on and off at specific times. Some of these genes are regulated through a process by which proteins in the cell nucleus, called histones, are chemically modified by small “chemical marks” such as acetyl or methyl groups. New research from Rockefeller University scientists now shows that during specific stages of differentiation in mouse embryonic stem cells, crucial marks can be removed by cutting off the end of the histone’s tail. The research, reported in the October 17 issue of Cell, identifies for the first time a clipping mechanism that scientists first hypothesized nearly 30 years ago. The finding offers new clues about differentiation of embryonic stem cells and raises questions about the potential effects of a new class of cancer treatments that specifically target histones.
Posted: November 6, 2008
Summary:
Stem cells don’t just become a part of the liver or the brain in a flash; it takes a complex molecular choreography and requires that specific genes be switched on and off at specific times. Some of these genes are regulated through a process by which proteins in the cell nucleus, called histones, are chemically modified by small “chemical marks” such as acetyl or methyl groups. New research from Rockefeller University scientists now shows that during specific stages of differentiation in mouse embryonic stem cells, crucial marks can be removed by cutting off the end of the histone’s tail. The research, reported in the October 17 issue of Cell, identifies for the first time a clipping mechanism that scientists first hypothesized nearly 30 years ago. The finding offers new clues about differentiation of embryonic stem cells and raises questions about the potential effects of a new class of cancer treatments that specifically target histones.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Research sheds light on key trigger of embryonic stem cell differentiation
Source: Stanford University
Date: November 5, 2008
Summary:
Clusters of mouse embryonic stem cells called embryoid bodies more closely approximate true embryos in organization and structure than previously thought, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Harnessing the signals that influence the cells’ fate may help researchers more accurately direct the differentiation of embryonic stem cells for use in therapy. The researchers found that embryoid bodies have hallmarks of gastrulation - a remarkable developmental step that launches a hollow ball of cells toward becoming an organism with three distinct types of precursor cells. The scientists showed that this process is initiated by a single signaling pathway in embryoid bodies and in real embryos. Enhancing or blocking this signal affects what the cells become, the scientists found.
Date: November 5, 2008
Summary:
Clusters of mouse embryonic stem cells called embryoid bodies more closely approximate true embryos in organization and structure than previously thought, according to researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Harnessing the signals that influence the cells’ fate may help researchers more accurately direct the differentiation of embryonic stem cells for use in therapy. The researchers found that embryoid bodies have hallmarks of gastrulation - a remarkable developmental step that launches a hollow ball of cells toward becoming an organism with three distinct types of precursor cells. The scientists showed that this process is initiated by a single signaling pathway in embryoid bodies and in real embryos. Enhancing or blocking this signal affects what the cells become, the scientists found.
Scientists identify compounds for stem-cell production from adult cells
Source: Scripps Research Institute
Date: November 5, 2008
Summary:
Scientists screened known drugs and identified small molecules that could replace conventional reprogramming genes, which can have dangerous side effects. This new process offers a new way to generate stem cells from fibroblasts, a general cell type that is abundant and easily accessible from various tissues, including skin. The study was published in the November 6, 2008 edition (Volume 3, Issue 5) of the journal Cell Stem Cell.
Date: November 5, 2008
Summary:
Scientists screened known drugs and identified small molecules that could replace conventional reprogramming genes, which can have dangerous side effects. This new process offers a new way to generate stem cells from fibroblasts, a general cell type that is abundant and easily accessible from various tissues, including skin. The study was published in the November 6, 2008 edition (Volume 3, Issue 5) of the journal Cell Stem Cell.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Honeycomb to mend a broken heart
Source: New Scientist
Posted: 02 November 2008 18:00
Summary:
New Scientist reports researchers at Harvard and MIT have created a biodegradable patch containing stem cells that could repair damaged hearts:
"A biodegradable honeycomb laced with stem cells could help broken hearts mend themselves. The polymer patch could one day lay down a pathway in areas damaged by heart disease for cells to regenerate and regrow, while the mesh itself slowly disintegrates within the body."
Posted: 02 November 2008 18:00
Summary:
New Scientist reports researchers at Harvard and MIT have created a biodegradable patch containing stem cells that could repair damaged hearts:
"A biodegradable honeycomb laced with stem cells could help broken hearts mend themselves. The polymer patch could one day lay down a pathway in areas damaged by heart disease for cells to regenerate and regrow, while the mesh itself slowly disintegrates within the body."
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