Source: University of Florida
Date: July 30, 2009
Summary:
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — University of Florida researchers were able to program bone marrow stem cells to repair damaged retinas in mice, suggesting a potential treatment for one of the most common causes of vision loss in older people. The success in repairing a damaged layer of retinal cells in mice implies that blood stem cells taken from bone marrow can be programmed to restore a variety of cells and tissues, including ones involved in cardiovascular disorders such as atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease.
In a paper slated to appear in the September issue of the journal Molecular Therapy, scientists describe how they used a virus carrying a gene that gently pushed cultured adult stem cells from mice toward a fate as retinal cells. Only after the stem cells were reintroduced into the mice did they completely transform into the desired type of vision cells, apparently taking environmental cues from the damaged retinas.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Reprogramming human cells without inserting genes
Source: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Date: July 29, 2009
Summary:
A research team comprised of faculty at Worcester Polytechnic Institute's (WPI) Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center (LSBC) and investigators at CellThera, a private company also located at the LSBC, has discovered a novel way to turn on stem cell genes in human fibroblasts (skin cells) without the risks associated with inserting extra genes or using viruses. This discovery opens a new avenue for reprogramming cells that could eventually lead to treatments for a range of human diseases and traumatic injuries by coaxing a patient's own cells to repair and regenerate the damaged tissues.
The research team reported its findings in the paper "Induction of Stem Cell Gene Expression in Adult Human Fibroblasts without Transgenes," published online July 21, 2009 (in advance of September print publication) as a "fast track" paper from the journal Cloning and Stem Cells. (Cloning, Stem Cells. 2009 Jul 21.) "We show that by manipulating culture conditions alone, we can achieve changes in fibroblasts that would be beneficial in development of patient-specific cell therapy approaches," the authors wrote in the paper.
Date: July 29, 2009
Summary:
A research team comprised of faculty at Worcester Polytechnic Institute's (WPI) Life Sciences and Bioengineering Center (LSBC) and investigators at CellThera, a private company also located at the LSBC, has discovered a novel way to turn on stem cell genes in human fibroblasts (skin cells) without the risks associated with inserting extra genes or using viruses. This discovery opens a new avenue for reprogramming cells that could eventually lead to treatments for a range of human diseases and traumatic injuries by coaxing a patient's own cells to repair and regenerate the damaged tissues.
The research team reported its findings in the paper "Induction of Stem Cell Gene Expression in Adult Human Fibroblasts without Transgenes," published online July 21, 2009 (in advance of September print publication) as a "fast track" paper from the journal Cloning and Stem Cells. (Cloning, Stem Cells. 2009 Jul 21.) "We show that by manipulating culture conditions alone, we can achieve changes in fibroblasts that would be beneficial in development of patient-specific cell therapy approaches," the authors wrote in the paper.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Male Germ Cells Can Be Directly Converted Into Other Cell Types
Source: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Date: July 28, 2009
Summary:
CHAMPAIGN, lll. – Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have found a way to directly convert spermatogonial stem cells, the precursors of sperm cells, into tissues of the prostate, skin and uterus. Their approach, described this month in the journal Stem Cells, may prove to be an effective alternative to the medical use of embryonic stem cells. The new method, co-developed by postdoctoral researcher Liz Simon takes advantage of the unusual interaction of two tissue types: the epithelium and the mesenchyme.
The hunt for alternatives to embryonic stem cells has led to some promising yet problematic approaches, some of which involve spermatagonial stem cells (SSCs). Researchers recently observed, for example, that SSCs grown in the laboratory will eventually give rise to a few cells that look and act like embryonic stem cells. This process can take months, however, and only a small percentage of the SSCs are converted into “embryonic stem-like” cells.
Date: July 28, 2009
Summary:
CHAMPAIGN, lll. – Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have found a way to directly convert spermatogonial stem cells, the precursors of sperm cells, into tissues of the prostate, skin and uterus. Their approach, described this month in the journal Stem Cells, may prove to be an effective alternative to the medical use of embryonic stem cells. The new method, co-developed by postdoctoral researcher Liz Simon takes advantage of the unusual interaction of two tissue types: the epithelium and the mesenchyme.
The hunt for alternatives to embryonic stem cells has led to some promising yet problematic approaches, some of which involve spermatagonial stem cells (SSCs). Researchers recently observed, for example, that SSCs grown in the laboratory will eventually give rise to a few cells that look and act like embryonic stem cells. This process can take months, however, and only a small percentage of the SSCs are converted into “embryonic stem-like” cells.
Monday, July 27, 2009
How the pathology of Parkinson's disease spreads
Source: University of California - San Diego
Date: July 27, 2009
Summary:
Accumulation of the synaptic protein α-synuclein, resulting in the formation of aggregates called Lewy bodies in the brain, is a hallmark of Parkinson’s and other related neurodegenerative diseases. This pathology appears to spread throughout the brain as the disease progresses. Now, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Konkuk University in Seoul, South Korea, have described how this mechanism works. Their findings – the first to show neuron-to-neuron transmission of α-synuclein – will appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on July 29. This insight will impact research into stem cell therapy for Parkinson's disease
Date: July 27, 2009
Summary:
Accumulation of the synaptic protein α-synuclein, resulting in the formation of aggregates called Lewy bodies in the brain, is a hallmark of Parkinson’s and other related neurodegenerative diseases. This pathology appears to spread throughout the brain as the disease progresses. Now, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Konkuk University in Seoul, South Korea, have described how this mechanism works. Their findings – the first to show neuron-to-neuron transmission of α-synuclein – will appear in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) on July 29. This insight will impact research into stem cell therapy for Parkinson's disease
Friday, July 24, 2009
Coverage Summary of Reprogrammed Stem Cell Breakthrough
Below is a summary of media coverage of recent experiments by Chinese researchers published in Cell Stem Cell in which a mouse was grown using reprogrammed adult stem cells:
Reuters, July 23, 2009 12:03pm EDT: "Chinese experts grow live mice from skin cells":
"Chinese researchers have managed to create powerful stem cells from mouse skin and used these to generate fertile live mouse pups. They used induced pluripotent skin cells, or iPS cells -- cells that have been reprogrammed to look and act like embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells, taken from days-old embryos, have the power to morph into any cell type and, in mice, can be implanted into a mother's womb to create living mouse pups."
Time, July 23, 2009: "Mice Research Shows Promise of Adult Stem Cells":
"... two groups of scientists in China separately reported that they had created a new kind of mouse — grown entirely from a type of stem cell that originated from already mature cells, instead of from embryos. Researchers took skin cells from donor mice, reprogrammed them to revert back to an embryonic state, then programmed them again to develop into an entire mouse pup."
HealthDay News, July 23, 2009: "Scientists Use Non-Embryonic Stem Cells to Create Healthy Mice. Achievement shows how 'plastic' these cells can be, experts say":
"The mouse may be named 'Tiny,' but what it represents in the world of science is anything but that. According to Chinese researchers, the birth of Tiny (and Tiny's brethren) marks a milestone in stem cell research: Healthy, fertile animals grown using so-called pluripotent stem cells (iPS) derived not from embryonic cells, but rather cells sourced from adult mice."
Los Angeles Times, July 23, 2009: "Researchers produce cells they say are identical to embryonic stem cells":
"Two groups of Chinese researchers have performed an unprecedented feat, it was announced today, by inducing cells from connective tissue in mice to revert back to their embryonic state and producing living mice from them. By demonstrating that cells from adults can be converted into cells that, like embryonic stem cells from fetuses, have the ability to produce any type of tissue, the researchers have made a major advance toward eliminating the need for fetal cells in research and clinical applications."
Washington Post, July 24, 2009: "Researchers May Have Found Equivalent of Embryonic Stem Cells":
"Chinese scientists have bred mice from cells that might offer an alternative to human embryonic stem cells, producing the most definitive evidence yet that the technique could help sidestep many of the explosive ethical issues engulfing the controversial field but raising alarm that the advance could lead to human cloning and designer babies.
In papers published online Thursday by two scientific journals, separate teams of researchers from Beijing and Shanghai reported that they had for the first time created virtual genetic duplicates of mice using skin cells from adult animals that had been coaxed into the equivalent of embryonic stem cells."
Associated Press, July 24, 2009: "Non-embryonic stem cells pass major hurdle in mice":
"Two teams of Chinese scientists have made a major advance in mice in the development of a new kind of stem cell that doesn’t involve destroying embryos. Those cells are derived from ordinary skin cells, and when they were created two years ago from human skin and genetically reprogrammed, it was hailed as a breakthrough. But questions remained whether they could act as chameleon-like as embryonic stem cells and morph into any cell type in the body. One way to show that versatility is if the new reprogrammed stem cells could be used to produce an entire new life. And now researchers have shown they can in mice."
Cell Press, July 24, 2009: "Reprogrammed Mouse Fibroblasts Can Make A Whole Mouse":
Scientists report an important advance in the characterization of reprogrammed induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSCs. Researchers used established methods to reprogram mouse cells to isolate five new iPSC lines, and then found that, using one of these lines, they were able to make by tetraploid complementation embryos that survived until birth, and one embryo that also survived to adulthood.
Wall Street Journal, July 24, 2009: "Chinese Scientists Reprogram Cells to Create Mice":
"Two teams of Chinese researchers working separately have reprogrammed mature skin cells of mice to an embryonic-like state and used the resulting cells to create live mouse offspring. The reprogramming may bring scientists one step closer to creating medically useful stem-cell lines for treating human disease without having to resort to controversial laboratory techniques. However, the advance poses fresh ethical challenges because the results could make it easier to create human clones and babies with specific genetic traits."
Below is a TV news segment from NBC News:
Reuters, July 23, 2009 12:03pm EDT: "Chinese experts grow live mice from skin cells":
"Chinese researchers have managed to create powerful stem cells from mouse skin and used these to generate fertile live mouse pups. They used induced pluripotent skin cells, or iPS cells -- cells that have been reprogrammed to look and act like embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells, taken from days-old embryos, have the power to morph into any cell type and, in mice, can be implanted into a mother's womb to create living mouse pups."
Time, July 23, 2009: "Mice Research Shows Promise of Adult Stem Cells":
"... two groups of scientists in China separately reported that they had created a new kind of mouse — grown entirely from a type of stem cell that originated from already mature cells, instead of from embryos. Researchers took skin cells from donor mice, reprogrammed them to revert back to an embryonic state, then programmed them again to develop into an entire mouse pup."
HealthDay News, July 23, 2009: "Scientists Use Non-Embryonic Stem Cells to Create Healthy Mice. Achievement shows how 'plastic' these cells can be, experts say":
"The mouse may be named 'Tiny,' but what it represents in the world of science is anything but that. According to Chinese researchers, the birth of Tiny (and Tiny's brethren) marks a milestone in stem cell research: Healthy, fertile animals grown using so-called pluripotent stem cells (iPS) derived not from embryonic cells, but rather cells sourced from adult mice."
Los Angeles Times, July 23, 2009: "Researchers produce cells they say are identical to embryonic stem cells":
"Two groups of Chinese researchers have performed an unprecedented feat, it was announced today, by inducing cells from connective tissue in mice to revert back to their embryonic state and producing living mice from them. By demonstrating that cells from adults can be converted into cells that, like embryonic stem cells from fetuses, have the ability to produce any type of tissue, the researchers have made a major advance toward eliminating the need for fetal cells in research and clinical applications."
Washington Post, July 24, 2009: "Researchers May Have Found Equivalent of Embryonic Stem Cells":
"Chinese scientists have bred mice from cells that might offer an alternative to human embryonic stem cells, producing the most definitive evidence yet that the technique could help sidestep many of the explosive ethical issues engulfing the controversial field but raising alarm that the advance could lead to human cloning and designer babies.
In papers published online Thursday by two scientific journals, separate teams of researchers from Beijing and Shanghai reported that they had for the first time created virtual genetic duplicates of mice using skin cells from adult animals that had been coaxed into the equivalent of embryonic stem cells."
Associated Press, July 24, 2009: "Non-embryonic stem cells pass major hurdle in mice":
"Two teams of Chinese scientists have made a major advance in mice in the development of a new kind of stem cell that doesn’t involve destroying embryos. Those cells are derived from ordinary skin cells, and when they were created two years ago from human skin and genetically reprogrammed, it was hailed as a breakthrough. But questions remained whether they could act as chameleon-like as embryonic stem cells and morph into any cell type in the body. One way to show that versatility is if the new reprogrammed stem cells could be used to produce an entire new life. And now researchers have shown they can in mice."
Cell Press, July 24, 2009: "Reprogrammed Mouse Fibroblasts Can Make A Whole Mouse":
Scientists report an important advance in the characterization of reprogrammed induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSCs. Researchers used established methods to reprogram mouse cells to isolate five new iPSC lines, and then found that, using one of these lines, they were able to make by tetraploid complementation embryos that survived until birth, and one embryo that also survived to adulthood.
Wall Street Journal, July 24, 2009: "Chinese Scientists Reprogram Cells to Create Mice":
"Two teams of Chinese researchers working separately have reprogrammed mature skin cells of mice to an embryonic-like state and used the resulting cells to create live mouse offspring. The reprogramming may bring scientists one step closer to creating medically useful stem-cell lines for treating human disease without having to resort to controversial laboratory techniques. However, the advance poses fresh ethical challenges because the results could make it easier to create human clones and babies with specific genetic traits."
Below is a TV news segment from NBC News:
Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Reprogrammed mouse fibroblasts can make a whole mouse
Source: Cell Press
Date: July 23, 2009
Summary:
In a paper publishing online July 23 in Cell Stem Cell, a Cell Press journal, Dr. Shaorong Gao and colleagues from the National Institute of Biological Sciences in Beijing, China, report an important advance in the characterization of reprogrammed induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSCs.
Date: July 23, 2009
Summary:
In a paper publishing online July 23 in Cell Stem Cell, a Cell Press journal, Dr. Shaorong Gao and colleagues from the National Institute of Biological Sciences in Beijing, China, report an important advance in the characterization of reprogrammed induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPSCs.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Unraveling Flatworm Regeneration
Source: Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
Date: July 21, 2009
Summary:
Planarian flatworms are only a few millimeters up to a few centimeters in length, live in freshwater and are the object of intense research, because they possess the extraordinary ability to regenerate lost tissue with the help of their stem cells (neoblasts) and even grow an entirely new worm out of minute amputated body parts. Now researchers from the Max Delbrück Center in Berlin, Germany together with researchers in the US and Canada present the first comprehensive catalogue of small RNAs of planaria, elements that regulate gene expression. They also have identified small RNAs which may play a role in regeneration and stem cell function, Nikolaus Rajewsky from the MDC points out in the PNAS, Early Edition.
Date: July 21, 2009
Summary:
Planarian flatworms are only a few millimeters up to a few centimeters in length, live in freshwater and are the object of intense research, because they possess the extraordinary ability to regenerate lost tissue with the help of their stem cells (neoblasts) and even grow an entirely new worm out of minute amputated body parts. Now researchers from the Max Delbrück Center in Berlin, Germany together with researchers in the US and Canada present the first comprehensive catalogue of small RNAs of planaria, elements that regulate gene expression. They also have identified small RNAs which may play a role in regeneration and stem cell function, Nikolaus Rajewsky from the MDC points out in the PNAS, Early Edition.
Neural stem cells offer potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease
Source: University of California - Irvine
Date: July 21, 2009
Summary:
UC Irvine scientists have shown for the first time that neural stem cells can rescue memory in mice with advanced Alzheimer's disease, raising hopes of a potential treatment for the leading cause of elderly dementia that afflicts 5.3 million people in the U.S.
Mice genetically engineered to have Alzheimer's performed markedly better on memory tests a month after mouse neural stem cells were injected into their brains. The stem cells secreted a protein that created more neural connections, improving cognitive function.
"Essentially, the cells were producing fertilizer for the brain," said Frank LaFerla, director of UCI's Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, or UCI MIND, and co-author of the study, which appears online the week of July 20 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Date: July 21, 2009
Summary:
UC Irvine scientists have shown for the first time that neural stem cells can rescue memory in mice with advanced Alzheimer's disease, raising hopes of a potential treatment for the leading cause of elderly dementia that afflicts 5.3 million people in the U.S.
Mice genetically engineered to have Alzheimer's performed markedly better on memory tests a month after mouse neural stem cells were injected into their brains. The stem cells secreted a protein that created more neural connections, improving cognitive function.
"Essentially, the cells were producing fertilizer for the brain," said Frank LaFerla, director of UCI's Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, or UCI MIND, and co-author of the study, which appears online the week of July 20 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Skin-like Tissue Developed from Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Source: Tufts University
Date: July 21, 2009
Summary:
Dental and tissue engineering researchers at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts have harnessed the pluripotency of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) to generate complex, multilayer tissues that mimic human skin and the oral mucosa (the moist tissue that lines the inside of the mouth). The proof-of-concept study is published online in advance of print in Tissue Engineering Part A.
Date: July 21, 2009
Summary:
Dental and tissue engineering researchers at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine and the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts have harnessed the pluripotency of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) to generate complex, multilayer tissues that mimic human skin and the oral mucosa (the moist tissue that lines the inside of the mouth). The proof-of-concept study is published online in advance of print in Tissue Engineering Part A.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Induced pluripotent stem cells repair heart, study shows
Source: Mayo Clinic
Date: July 20, 2009
Summary:
In a proof-of-concept study, Mayo Clinic investigators have demonstrated that induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells can be used to treat heart disease. iPS cells are stem cells converted from adult cells. In this study, the researchers reprogrammed ordinary fibroblasts, cells that contribute to scars such as those resulting from a heart attack, converting them into stem cells that fix heart damage caused by infarction. The findings appear in the current online issue of the journal Circulation.
This is the first application of iPS-based technology for heart disease therapy. Previously iPS cells have been used on only three other disease models: Parkinson's disease, sickle cell anemia and hemophilia A. The ultimate goal is to use iPS cells derived from patients to repair injury. Using a person's own cells in the process eliminates the risk of rejection and the need for anti-rejection drugs. One day this regenerative medicine strategy may alleviate the demand for organ transplantation limited by donor shortage, the researchers say.
Date: July 20, 2009
Summary:
In a proof-of-concept study, Mayo Clinic investigators have demonstrated that induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells can be used to treat heart disease. iPS cells are stem cells converted from adult cells. In this study, the researchers reprogrammed ordinary fibroblasts, cells that contribute to scars such as those resulting from a heart attack, converting them into stem cells that fix heart damage caused by infarction. The findings appear in the current online issue of the journal Circulation.
This is the first application of iPS-based technology for heart disease therapy. Previously iPS cells have been used on only three other disease models: Parkinson's disease, sickle cell anemia and hemophilia A. The ultimate goal is to use iPS cells derived from patients to repair injury. Using a person's own cells in the process eliminates the risk of rejection and the need for anti-rejection drugs. One day this regenerative medicine strategy may alleviate the demand for organ transplantation limited by donor shortage, the researchers say.
Discovery of Genetic Toggle Switch Moves Science Closer to Possible Diabetes Cure
Source: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
Date: July 20, 2009
Summary:
Scientists have identified a master regulator gene for early embryonic development of the pancreas and other organs, putting researchers closer to coaxing stem cells into pancreatic cells as a possible cure for type1 diabetes. Researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center report their findings in the July 21 Developmental Cell.
Besides having important implications in diabetes research, the study offers new insights into congenital birth defects involving the pancreas and biliary system by concluding both organs share a common cellular ancestry in the early mouse embryo. This discovery reverses a long standing belief that the biliary systems origin is connected to early embryonic formation of the liver, the researchers said. The pancreas regulates digestion and blood sugar, and the biliary system is vital for digestion. If the organs do not form properly during fetal development, it can be fatal. The study reports that one gene, Sox17 (a transcription factor that controls which genes are turned on or off in a cell) is the key regulator for giving instruction to cells in early mouse embryos to become either a pancreatic cell or part of the biliary system.
Date: July 20, 2009
Summary:
Scientists have identified a master regulator gene for early embryonic development of the pancreas and other organs, putting researchers closer to coaxing stem cells into pancreatic cells as a possible cure for type1 diabetes. Researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center report their findings in the July 21 Developmental Cell.
Besides having important implications in diabetes research, the study offers new insights into congenital birth defects involving the pancreas and biliary system by concluding both organs share a common cellular ancestry in the early mouse embryo. This discovery reverses a long standing belief that the biliary systems origin is connected to early embryonic formation of the liver, the researchers said. The pancreas regulates digestion and blood sugar, and the biliary system is vital for digestion. If the organs do not form properly during fetal development, it can be fatal. The study reports that one gene, Sox17 (a transcription factor that controls which genes are turned on or off in a cell) is the key regulator for giving instruction to cells in early mouse embryos to become either a pancreatic cell or part of the biliary system.
Students Embed Stem Cells in Sutures to Enhance Healing
Source: Johns Hopkins University
Date: July 20, 2009
Summary:
Johns Hopkins biomedical engineering students have demonstrated a practical way to embed a patient’s own adult stem cells in the surgical thread that doctors use to repair serious orthopedic injuries such as ruptured tendons. The goal, the students said, is to enhance healing and reduce the likelihood of re-injury without changing the surgical procedure itself.
Date: July 20, 2009
Summary:
Johns Hopkins biomedical engineering students have demonstrated a practical way to embed a patient’s own adult stem cells in the surgical thread that doctors use to repair serious orthopedic injuries such as ruptured tendons. The goal, the students said, is to enhance healing and reduce the likelihood of re-injury without changing the surgical procedure itself.
Researchers discover genetic circuit that regulates behavior of stem cells
Source: Universitat Politčcnica de Catalunya
Date: July 20, 2009
Summary:
Jordi Garcia Ojalvo -- a lecturer at the Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering of the Universitat Politčcnica de Catalunya’s School of Industrial and Aeronautical Engineering of Terrassa (ETSEIAT, Spain) -- has discovered the genetic circuit that controls the behavior of embryonic stem cells. The discovery was made in collaboration with University of Cambridge researchers. The process by which a stem cell is transformed into another type of cell is called differentiation, and the ability to change into other cell types is known as pluripotentiality.
Up until now it was generally believed in the international scientific community that embryonic stem cells are in a state of biochemical repose, static, awaiting a signal that causes them to differentiate, that gives them the initial trait which leads them to become bone, blood or skin cells, or any other type of cell of which an organism is composed. Jordi Garcia Ojalvo, one of the coordinators of the Nonlinear Dynamics, Nonlinear Optics and Lasers research group at the UPC’s Terrassa Campus, has discovered that this view is not correct, and that in fact the state of pluripotentiality in stem cells is anything but static.
Greater efficiency in generating new cells.
In a paper published this July in the prestigious journal PLoS Biology, Jordi Garcia Ojalvo and the group headed by University of Cambridge researcher Alfonso Martínez Arias say that the pluripotentiality of embryonic stem cells is not static and that these cells are in fact constantly changing. Garcia-Ojalvo and Martínez-Arias also found that there is always a subset of stem cells that are on alert, ready to respond to the signals that trigger the process of transformation known as differentiation. This ensures that an embryo’s differentiation program is completed correctly and with the necessary speed.
Date: July 20, 2009
Summary:
Jordi Garcia Ojalvo -- a lecturer at the Department of Physics and Nuclear Engineering of the Universitat Politčcnica de Catalunya’s School of Industrial and Aeronautical Engineering of Terrassa (ETSEIAT, Spain) -- has discovered the genetic circuit that controls the behavior of embryonic stem cells. The discovery was made in collaboration with University of Cambridge researchers. The process by which a stem cell is transformed into another type of cell is called differentiation, and the ability to change into other cell types is known as pluripotentiality.
Up until now it was generally believed in the international scientific community that embryonic stem cells are in a state of biochemical repose, static, awaiting a signal that causes them to differentiate, that gives them the initial trait which leads them to become bone, blood or skin cells, or any other type of cell of which an organism is composed. Jordi Garcia Ojalvo, one of the coordinators of the Nonlinear Dynamics, Nonlinear Optics and Lasers research group at the UPC’s Terrassa Campus, has discovered that this view is not correct, and that in fact the state of pluripotentiality in stem cells is anything but static.
Greater efficiency in generating new cells.
In a paper published this July in the prestigious journal PLoS Biology, Jordi Garcia Ojalvo and the group headed by University of Cambridge researcher Alfonso Martínez Arias say that the pluripotentiality of embryonic stem cells is not static and that these cells are in fact constantly changing. Garcia-Ojalvo and Martínez-Arias also found that there is always a subset of stem cells that are on alert, ready to respond to the signals that trigger the process of transformation known as differentiation. This ensures that an embryo’s differentiation program is completed correctly and with the necessary speed.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Placentas found to be rich in stem cells
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
Date: July 18, 2009
Summary:
The San Francisco Chronicle reports researchers have discovered that placentas contain stem cells that can treat blood diseases:
"Bay Area researchers have found that human placentas - typically tossed as medical waste after birth - are full of the kind of stem cells that can treat leukemia and dozens of other diseases of the blood. Placental stem cells, much like the cells retrieved from umbilical cord blood, do not have the broad potential of embryonic stem cells that can turn into nearly any kind of tissue or organ in the body. But they can replace some cells and help rebuild entire systems damaged by disease."
Date: July 18, 2009
Summary:
The San Francisco Chronicle reports researchers have discovered that placentas contain stem cells that can treat blood diseases:
"Bay Area researchers have found that human placentas - typically tossed as medical waste after birth - are full of the kind of stem cells that can treat leukemia and dozens of other diseases of the blood. Placental stem cells, much like the cells retrieved from umbilical cord blood, do not have the broad potential of embryonic stem cells that can turn into nearly any kind of tissue or organ in the body. But they can replace some cells and help rebuild entire systems damaged by disease."
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Environmental factors instruct lineage choice of blood progenitor cells
Source: Helmholtz Zentrum München
Date: July 15, 2009
Summary:
The research team led by Dr. Timm Schroeder, stem cell researcher at Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen, Germany, has developed a new bioimaging method for observing the differentiation of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) at the single-cell level. With this method the researchers were able to prove for the first time that not only cell-intrinsic mechanisms, but also external environmental factors such as growth factors can control HPC lineage choice directly. The findings, published in the current issue of the prestigious journal Science, provide an essential building block for understanding the molecular mechanisms of hematopoiesis and are an important prerequisite for optimizing therapeutic stem cell applications.
Date: July 15, 2009
Summary:
The research team led by Dr. Timm Schroeder, stem cell researcher at Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen, Germany, has developed a new bioimaging method for observing the differentiation of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) at the single-cell level. With this method the researchers were able to prove for the first time that not only cell-intrinsic mechanisms, but also external environmental factors such as growth factors can control HPC lineage choice directly. The findings, published in the current issue of the prestigious journal Science, provide an essential building block for understanding the molecular mechanisms of hematopoiesis and are an important prerequisite for optimizing therapeutic stem cell applications.
Timing is everything: Growth factor keeps brain development on track
Source: Salk Institute
Date: July 15, 2009
Summary:
Just like a conductor cueing musicians in an orchestra, Fgf10, a member of the fibroblast growth factor (Ffg) family of morphogens, lets brain stem cells know that the moment to get to work has arrived, ensuring that they hit their first developmental milestone on time, report scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in the July 16, 2009, edition of the journal Neuron. Their findings not only add new insights into brain development and a novel function for Fgfs, but also reveal a possible mechanism for the selective expansion of specific brain areas over the course of evolution, such as the greatly increased size of the frontal lobe in humans.
Date: July 15, 2009
Summary:
Just like a conductor cueing musicians in an orchestra, Fgf10, a member of the fibroblast growth factor (Ffg) family of morphogens, lets brain stem cells know that the moment to get to work has arrived, ensuring that they hit their first developmental milestone on time, report scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in the July 16, 2009, edition of the journal Neuron. Their findings not only add new insights into brain development and a novel function for Fgfs, but also reveal a possible mechanism for the selective expansion of specific brain areas over the course of evolution, such as the greatly increased size of the frontal lobe in humans.
Monday, July 13, 2009
The dormant potential of damaged nerve cells: Damaged neurons in the spinal cord retain their ability to grow
Source: Max Planck Institute
Date: July 13, 2009
Summary:
Damaged nerve cells in a finger will regrow, but those in the spinal cord do not. Why the difference? Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology working with an international team of researchers can now explain two important details. Nerve cells in the spinal cord still have the ability to grow even many weeks after an injury. However, the regeneration is prevented by scar tissue created after the injury occurs. Now that they have this knowledge, scientists can search for ways to reduce the scar tissue and activate the relevant growth mechanisms. ( Current Biology, June 2009)
Date: July 13, 2009
Summary:
Damaged nerve cells in a finger will regrow, but those in the spinal cord do not. Why the difference? Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology working with an international team of researchers can now explain two important details. Nerve cells in the spinal cord still have the ability to grow even many weeks after an injury. However, the regeneration is prevented by scar tissue created after the injury occurs. Now that they have this knowledge, scientists can search for ways to reduce the scar tissue and activate the relevant growth mechanisms. ( Current Biology, June 2009)
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Research May Hold Key to Maintaining Embryonic Stem Cells in Lab
Source: UT Southwestern Medical Center
Date: July 9, 2009
Summary:
In a new study that could transform embryonic stem cell (ES cell) research, scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered why mouse ES cells can be easily grown in a laboratory while other mammalian ES cells are difficult, if not impossible, to maintain. If the findings in mice can be applied to other animals, scientists could have an entirely new palette of research tools to work with, said Dr. Steven McKnight, chairman of biochemistry at UT Southwestern and senior author of the study appearing in the July 9 issue of Science Express.
According to the research, the activation of a gene called TDH in mouse ES cells results in the cells entering a unique metabolic state that is similar to that of rapidly growing bacterial cells. The gene controls the production of the threonine dehydrogenase (TDH) enzyme in mouse ES cells. This enzyme breaks down an amino acid called threonine into two products. One of the two products goes on to control a cellular process called one carbon metabolism; the other provides ES cells with an essential metabolic fuel.
Date: July 9, 2009
Summary:
In a new study that could transform embryonic stem cell (ES cell) research, scientists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have discovered why mouse ES cells can be easily grown in a laboratory while other mammalian ES cells are difficult, if not impossible, to maintain. If the findings in mice can be applied to other animals, scientists could have an entirely new palette of research tools to work with, said Dr. Steven McKnight, chairman of biochemistry at UT Southwestern and senior author of the study appearing in the July 9 issue of Science Express.
According to the research, the activation of a gene called TDH in mouse ES cells results in the cells entering a unique metabolic state that is similar to that of rapidly growing bacterial cells. The gene controls the production of the threonine dehydrogenase (TDH) enzyme in mouse ES cells. This enzyme breaks down an amino acid called threonine into two products. One of the two products goes on to control a cellular process called one carbon metabolism; the other provides ES cells with an essential metabolic fuel.
New Role Discovered for Molecule Important in Development of Pancreas
Source: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Date: July 9, 2009
Summary:
PHILADELPHIA – For years researchers have been searching for a way to treat diabetics by reactivating their insulin-producing beta cells, to no avail. Now, they may be one step closer, according to new studies published by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. A protein, whose role in pancreatic development has long been recognized, has been discovered to play an additional and previously unknown regulatory role in the development of cells in the immature endocrine system. These cells ultimately give rise to pancreatic islet cells, which include beta cells.
By carefully defining the developmental steps and genetic circuits that lead to mature beta cells, researchers may be able to one day mimic these developmental processes, thereby facilitating beta-cell growth in the lab, and eventually, new therapies. The findings appear in the July 2009 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Date: July 9, 2009
Summary:
PHILADELPHIA – For years researchers have been searching for a way to treat diabetics by reactivating their insulin-producing beta cells, to no avail. Now, they may be one step closer, according to new studies published by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. A protein, whose role in pancreatic development has long been recognized, has been discovered to play an additional and previously unknown regulatory role in the development of cells in the immature endocrine system. These cells ultimately give rise to pancreatic islet cells, which include beta cells.
By carefully defining the developmental steps and genetic circuits that lead to mature beta cells, researchers may be able to one day mimic these developmental processes, thereby facilitating beta-cell growth in the lab, and eventually, new therapies. The findings appear in the July 2009 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Cellular Dynamics International Reprograms Blood Cells into Stem Cells
Source: Cellular Dynamics International, Inc.
Date: July 8, 2009
Summary:
Researchers at Cellular Dynamics International (CDI) report the ability to generate pluripotent stem cells, which have the ability to generate all tissue types in the body, from very small volumes of ordinary human blood samples. This significant breakthrough provides a readily obtainable source of pluripotent stem cells from the millions of samples in storage at blood repositories and healthcare institutions worldwide. These findings, announced today, will be presented during a poster session beginning at 4:45 p.m. on July 10 at the ISSCR annual meeting in Barcelona, Spain.
Date: July 8, 2009
Summary:
Researchers at Cellular Dynamics International (CDI) report the ability to generate pluripotent stem cells, which have the ability to generate all tissue types in the body, from very small volumes of ordinary human blood samples. This significant breakthrough provides a readily obtainable source of pluripotent stem cells from the millions of samples in storage at blood repositories and healthcare institutions worldwide. These findings, announced today, will be presented during a poster session beginning at 4:45 p.m. on July 10 at the ISSCR annual meeting in Barcelona, Spain.
Stem cells’ “suspended” state preserved by key step, scientists report
Source: University of California - San Francisco
Date: July 8, 2009
Summary:
Scientists have identified a gene that is essential for embryonic stem cells to maintain their all-purpose, pluripotent state. Exploiting the finding may lead to a greater understanding of how cells acquire their specialized states and provide a strategy to efficiently reprogram mature cells back into the pluripotent state, an elusive step in stem cell research but one crucial to a range of potential clinical treatments. The research was led by University of California, San Francisco scientists. It is being reported Wednesday, July 8, 2009, in the advanced online edition of the journal Nature, and will be published in the journal’s print edition at the end of July.
Date: July 8, 2009
Summary:
Scientists have identified a gene that is essential for embryonic stem cells to maintain their all-purpose, pluripotent state. Exploiting the finding may lead to a greater understanding of how cells acquire their specialized states and provide a strategy to efficiently reprogram mature cells back into the pluripotent state, an elusive step in stem cell research but one crucial to a range of potential clinical treatments. The research was led by University of California, San Francisco scientists. It is being reported Wednesday, July 8, 2009, in the advanced online edition of the journal Nature, and will be published in the journal’s print edition at the end of July.
Monday, July 06, 2009
New discovery points to a new treatment avenue for acute myeloid leukemia
Source: University Health Network
Date: July 6, 2009
Summary:
Dr. John Dick, Senior Scientist at the Ontario Cancer Institute, the research arm of Princess Margaret Hospital, part of the University Health Network, co-led a multinational team that has developed the first leukemia therapy that targets a protein, CD123, on the surface of cancer stem cells that drive acute myeloid leukemia (AML), which is an aggressive disease with a poor outcome. Dr. Richard Lock is leading the clinical trial in Australia that expands on research suggesting that antibodies targeting cancer stem cells significantly reduced the growth of human AML cells that had been transplanted into immune-deficient mice, a laboratory model that mimics the human disease, establishing the therapeutic potential of this type of therapy. The research paper Monoclonal Antibody-Mediated Targeting of CD123, IL-3 Receptor α Chain, Eliminates Human Acute Myeloid Leukemic Stem Cells was published in Cell Stem Cell July 2, 2009.
Date: July 6, 2009
Summary:
Dr. John Dick, Senior Scientist at the Ontario Cancer Institute, the research arm of Princess Margaret Hospital, part of the University Health Network, co-led a multinational team that has developed the first leukemia therapy that targets a protein, CD123, on the surface of cancer stem cells that drive acute myeloid leukemia (AML), which is an aggressive disease with a poor outcome. Dr. Richard Lock is leading the clinical trial in Australia that expands on research suggesting that antibodies targeting cancer stem cells significantly reduced the growth of human AML cells that had been transplanted into immune-deficient mice, a laboratory model that mimics the human disease, establishing the therapeutic potential of this type of therapy. The research paper Monoclonal Antibody-Mediated Targeting of CD123, IL-3 Receptor α Chain, Eliminates Human Acute Myeloid Leukemic Stem Cells was published in Cell Stem Cell July 2, 2009.
Functional Dendritic Cells Can Be Derived From Embryonic Stem Cells
Source: Geron Corporation
Date: July 6, 2009
Summary:
Geron Corporation today announced the publication of data demonstrating that dendritic cells (DCs) scalably manufactured from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) exhibit the normal functions of naturally occurring human DCs found in the bloodstream. These findings support the use of hESC-derived DCs in therapeutic vaccine applications for cancer and other diseases. Substituting standardized, off-the-shelf hESC-derived DCs for current approaches using DCs obtained from individual patients may result in more cost effective and reliable approaches to cancer immunotherapy.
The study, authored by Geron scientists and collaborators Prof. Waldmann and Dr. Fairchild at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, appears online in advance of print in the journal Regenerative Medicine.
Date: July 6, 2009
Summary:
Geron Corporation today announced the publication of data demonstrating that dendritic cells (DCs) scalably manufactured from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) exhibit the normal functions of naturally occurring human DCs found in the bloodstream. These findings support the use of hESC-derived DCs in therapeutic vaccine applications for cancer and other diseases. Substituting standardized, off-the-shelf hESC-derived DCs for current approaches using DCs obtained from individual patients may result in more cost effective and reliable approaches to cancer immunotherapy.
The study, authored by Geron scientists and collaborators Prof. Waldmann and Dr. Fairchild at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, University of Oxford, appears online in advance of print in the journal Regenerative Medicine.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Scientists find molecular differences between embryonic stem cells and reprogrammed skin cells
Source: University of California - Los Angeles
Date: July 2, 2009
Summary:
UCLA researchers have found that embryonic stem cells and skin cells reprogrammed into embryonic-like cells have inherent molecular differences, demonstrating for the first time that the two cell types are clearly distinguishable from one another. The data from the study suggest that embryonic stem cells and the reprogrammed cells, known as induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, have overlapping but still distinct gene expression signatures. The differing signatures were evident regardless of where the cell lines were generated, the methods by which they were derived or the species from which they were isolated, said Bill Lowry, a researcher with the Broad Stem Cell Research Center and a study author. The study appears in the July 2, 2009 issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell.
Date: July 2, 2009
Summary:
UCLA researchers have found that embryonic stem cells and skin cells reprogrammed into embryonic-like cells have inherent molecular differences, demonstrating for the first time that the two cell types are clearly distinguishable from one another. The data from the study suggest that embryonic stem cells and the reprogrammed cells, known as induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, have overlapping but still distinct gene expression signatures. The differing signatures were evident regardless of where the cell lines were generated, the methods by which they were derived or the species from which they were isolated, said Bill Lowry, a researcher with the Broad Stem Cell Research Center and a study author. The study appears in the July 2, 2009 issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
Human cardiac master stem cells identified
Source Harvard University
Date: July 1, 2009
Summary:
Harvard Stem Cell Institute researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have identified the earliest master human heart stem cell from human embryonic stem cells - ISL1+ progenitors - that give rise to a family of cells that form the essential portions of the human heart. The discovery, by a group led by Kenneth Chien, director of both HSCI’s Cardiovascular Disease Program and the MGH Cardiovascular Research Center, is particularly important because the cells were found in regions of the heart known as hot spots for congenital heart disease. These latest findings, published today in the journal Nature, build upon and expand earlier work by Chien’s team and others in mice.
Date: July 1, 2009
Summary:
Harvard Stem Cell Institute researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have identified the earliest master human heart stem cell from human embryonic stem cells - ISL1+ progenitors - that give rise to a family of cells that form the essential portions of the human heart. The discovery, by a group led by Kenneth Chien, director of both HSCI’s Cardiovascular Disease Program and the MGH Cardiovascular Research Center, is particularly important because the cells were found in regions of the heart known as hot spots for congenital heart disease. These latest findings, published today in the journal Nature, build upon and expand earlier work by Chien’s team and others in mice.
Blood stem cell growth factor reverses memory decline in mice
Source: University of South Florida Health
Date: July 1, 2009
Summary:
A human growth factor that stimulates blood stem cells to proliferate in the bone marrow reverses memory impairment in mice genetically altered to develop Alzheimer's disease, researchers at the University of South Florida and James A. Haley Hospital found. The granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (GCSF) significantly reduced levels of the brain-clogging protein beta amyloid deposited in excess in the brains of the Alzheimer's mice, increased the production of new neurons and promoted nerve cell connections. The findings are reported online in Neuroscience and are scheduled to appear in the journal's print edition in August.
Date: July 1, 2009
Summary:
A human growth factor that stimulates blood stem cells to proliferate in the bone marrow reverses memory impairment in mice genetically altered to develop Alzheimer's disease, researchers at the University of South Florida and James A. Haley Hospital found. The granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (GCSF) significantly reduced levels of the brain-clogging protein beta amyloid deposited in excess in the brains of the Alzheimer's mice, increased the production of new neurons and promoted nerve cell connections. The findings are reported online in Neuroscience and are scheduled to appear in the journal's print edition in August.
Stanford discovery pinpoints new connection between cancer cells, stem cells
Source: Stanford University Medical Center
Date: July 1, 2009
Summary:
STANFORD, Calif. — A molecule called telomerase, best known for enabling unlimited cell division of stem cells and cancer cells, has a surprising additional role in the expression of genes in an important stem cell regulatory pathway, say researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The unexpected finding may lead to new anticancer therapies and a greater understanding of how adult and embryonic stem cells divide and specialize.
"Telomerase is the factor that accounts for the unlimited division of cancer cells," said Steven Artandi, MD, PhD, associate professor of hematology, "and we're very excited about what this connection might mean in human disease." Artandi is the senior author of the research, which will be published in the July 2 issue of the journal Nature. He is also a member of Stanford's Cancer Center.
Date: July 1, 2009
Summary:
STANFORD, Calif. — A molecule called telomerase, best known for enabling unlimited cell division of stem cells and cancer cells, has a surprising additional role in the expression of genes in an important stem cell regulatory pathway, say researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The unexpected finding may lead to new anticancer therapies and a greater understanding of how adult and embryonic stem cells divide and specialize.
"Telomerase is the factor that accounts for the unlimited division of cancer cells," said Steven Artandi, MD, PhD, associate professor of hematology, "and we're very excited about what this connection might mean in human disease." Artandi is the senior author of the research, which will be published in the July 2 issue of the journal Nature. He is also a member of Stanford's Cancer Center.
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