Source: Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center
Date: March 29, 2012
Summary:
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center researchers have identified a new population of intestinal stem cells that may hold clues to the origin of colorectal cancer. This new stem cell population, reported March 30 in the journal Cell, appears to be relatively quiescent (inactive) – in contrast to the recent discovery of intestinal stem cells that multiply rapidly – and is marked by a protein, Lrig1, that may act as a “brake” on cell growth and proliferation. The researchers have also developed a new and clinically relevant mouse model of colorectal cancer that investigators can now use to better understand where and how the disease arises, as well as for probing new therapeutic targets.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
Single antibody shrinks variety of human tumors transplanted into mice, study shows
Source: Stanford University School of Medicine
Date: March 26, 2012
Summary:
Human tumors transplanted into laboratory mice disappeared or shrank when scientists treated the animals with a single antibody, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine. The antibody works by masking a protein flag on cancer cells that protects them from macrophages and other cells in the immune system. The scientists achieved the findings with human breast, ovarian, colon, bladder, brain, liver and prostate cancer samples.
It is the first antibody treatment shown to be broadly effective against a variety of human solid tumors, and the dramatic response — including some overt cures in the laboratory animals — has the investigators eager to begin phase-1 and –2 human clinical trials within the next two years. The antibody treatment also significantly inhibited the ability of the tumors to metastasize throughout the animals’ bodies. The research was published online March 26 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Date: March 26, 2012
Summary:
Human tumors transplanted into laboratory mice disappeared or shrank when scientists treated the animals with a single antibody, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine. The antibody works by masking a protein flag on cancer cells that protects them from macrophages and other cells in the immune system. The scientists achieved the findings with human breast, ovarian, colon, bladder, brain, liver and prostate cancer samples.
It is the first antibody treatment shown to be broadly effective against a variety of human solid tumors, and the dramatic response — including some overt cures in the laboratory animals — has the investigators eager to begin phase-1 and –2 human clinical trials within the next two years. The antibody treatment also significantly inhibited the ability of the tumors to metastasize throughout the animals’ bodies. The research was published online March 26 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Bone Marrow Stem Cells Can Improve Heart Function, Study Suggests
Source: Mayo Clinic
Date: March 24, 2012
Summary:
CHICAGO — A research network led by a Mayo Clinic physician found that stem cells derived from heart failure patients' own bone marrow and injected into their hearts improved the function of the left ventricle, the heart's pumping chamber. Researchers also found that certain types of the stem cells were associated with the largest improvement and warrant further study. The results were presented today at the 2012 American College of Cardiology Meeting in Chicago. They will also be published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Date: March 24, 2012
Summary:
CHICAGO — A research network led by a Mayo Clinic physician found that stem cells derived from heart failure patients' own bone marrow and injected into their hearts improved the function of the left ventricle, the heart's pumping chamber. Researchers also found that certain types of the stem cells were associated with the largest improvement and warrant further study. The results were presented today at the 2012 American College of Cardiology Meeting in Chicago. They will also be published online in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Friday, March 23, 2012
Embryonic Stem Cells Shift Metabolism in Cancer-Like Way Upon Implanting in Uterus
Source: University of Washington
Date: March 23, 2012
Summary:
Shortly after a mouse embryo starts to form, some of its stem cells undergo a dramatic metabolic shift to enter the next stage of development, University of Washington researchers have reported. These stem cells start using and producing energy like cancer cells. This discovery is recently published in EMBO, the European Molecular Biology Organization journal.
The metabolic transition they discovered occurs very early as the mouse embryo, barely more than a speck of dividing cells, implants in the mother's uterus. The change is driven by low oxygen conditions, Ruohola-Baker explained.
The researchers also saw a specific type of biochemical slowdown in the stem cells' mitochondria -- the cells' powerhouses. The phenomenon previously was associated with aging and disease. This was the first example of the same downshift controlling normal early embryonic development.
Date: March 23, 2012
Summary:
Shortly after a mouse embryo starts to form, some of its stem cells undergo a dramatic metabolic shift to enter the next stage of development, University of Washington researchers have reported. These stem cells start using and producing energy like cancer cells. This discovery is recently published in EMBO, the European Molecular Biology Organization journal.
The metabolic transition they discovered occurs very early as the mouse embryo, barely more than a speck of dividing cells, implants in the mother's uterus. The change is driven by low oxygen conditions, Ruohola-Baker explained.
The researchers also saw a specific type of biochemical slowdown in the stem cells' mitochondria -- the cells' powerhouses. The phenomenon previously was associated with aging and disease. This was the first example of the same downshift controlling normal early embryonic development.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Researchers Discover Protein Critical for Tissue Regeneration
Source: University of California - Merced
Date: March 20, 2012
Summary:
A flatworm known for its ability to regenerate cells is shedding more light on how cancer could be treated and how regenerative medicine could better target diseases, according to researchers at the University of California, Merced. In research published online in the Journal of Cell Science, biology Professor Néstor Oviedo has shown that signaling by a protein called Target of Rapamycin (TOR) — found in humans and most other mammals — is crucial for planaria's unique tissue regeneration. Disabling the protein prevents the flatworm’s regrowth, a sign that disabling it in abnormal cells could prevent the growth of a cancer.
Date: March 20, 2012
Summary:
A flatworm known for its ability to regenerate cells is shedding more light on how cancer could be treated and how regenerative medicine could better target diseases, according to researchers at the University of California, Merced. In research published online in the Journal of Cell Science, biology Professor Néstor Oviedo has shown that signaling by a protein called Target of Rapamycin (TOR) — found in humans and most other mammals — is crucial for planaria's unique tissue regeneration. Disabling the protein prevents the flatworm’s regrowth, a sign that disabling it in abnormal cells could prevent the growth of a cancer.
SANBIO ANNOUNCES ENROLLMENT OF FIRST COHORT OF PATIENTS IN ITS CLINICAL TRIAL OF STEM CELL THERAPY FOR CHRONIC STROKE
Source: SanBio Inc.
Date: March 20, 2012
Summary:
SanBio Inc. today announced the successful enrollment of the first dose cohort of patients in its Phase 1/2a clinical trial testing the safety and efficacy of a novel allogeneic stem cell therapy product, SB623, a cell therapy product consisting of cells derived from genetically engineered bone marrow stromal cells obtained from healthy adult donors, in patients suffering from chronic deficits resulting from previous stroke injuries. The first 6 patients, of a total of 18, have been successfully administered SB623. The trial is being conducted at Stanford University and the University of Pittsburgh. No safety concerns have been reported. Details of this clinical trial can be found here.
Date: March 20, 2012
Summary:
SanBio Inc. today announced the successful enrollment of the first dose cohort of patients in its Phase 1/2a clinical trial testing the safety and efficacy of a novel allogeneic stem cell therapy product, SB623, a cell therapy product consisting of cells derived from genetically engineered bone marrow stromal cells obtained from healthy adult donors, in patients suffering from chronic deficits resulting from previous stroke injuries. The first 6 patients, of a total of 18, have been successfully administered SB623. The trial is being conducted at Stanford University and the University of Pittsburgh. No safety concerns have been reported. Details of this clinical trial can be found here.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Stem Cells Hint at Potential Treatment for Huntington's Disease
Source: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Date: March 15, 2012
Summary:
Huntington's disease, the debilitating congenital neurological disorder that progressively robs patients of muscle coordination and cognitive ability, is a condition without effective treatment, a slow death sentence. But if researchers can build on new research reported this week (March 15, 2012) in the journal Cell Stem Cell, a special type of brain cell forged from stem cells could help restore the muscle coordination deficits that cause the uncontrollable spasms characteristic of the disease.
In In the new study, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Waisman Center focused on what are known as GABA neurons, cells whose degradation is responsible for disruption of a key neural circuit and loss of motor function in Huntington's patients. The researchers have learned how to make large amounts of GABA neurons from human embryonic stem cells, which they sought to test in a mouse model of Huntington's disease. The goal of the study, researchers note, was simply to see if the cells would safely integrate into the mouse brain. To their astonishment, the cells not only integrated but also project to the right target and effectively reestablished the broken communication network, restoring motor function.
Date: March 15, 2012
Summary:
Huntington's disease, the debilitating congenital neurological disorder that progressively robs patients of muscle coordination and cognitive ability, is a condition without effective treatment, a slow death sentence. But if researchers can build on new research reported this week (March 15, 2012) in the journal Cell Stem Cell, a special type of brain cell forged from stem cells could help restore the muscle coordination deficits that cause the uncontrollable spasms characteristic of the disease.
In In the new study, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Waisman Center focused on what are known as GABA neurons, cells whose degradation is responsible for disruption of a key neural circuit and loss of motor function in Huntington's patients. The researchers have learned how to make large amounts of GABA neurons from human embryonic stem cells, which they sought to test in a mouse model of Huntington's disease. The goal of the study, researchers note, was simply to see if the cells would safely integrate into the mouse brain. To their astonishment, the cells not only integrated but also project to the right target and effectively reestablished the broken communication network, restoring motor function.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Scientists Produce Eye Structures from Human Blood-Derived Stem Cells
Source: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Date: March 13, 2012
Summary:
For the first time, scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have made early retina structures containing proliferating neuroretinal progenitor cells using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells derived from human blood.
And in another advance, the retina structures showed the capacity to form layers of cells - as the retina does in normal human development - and these cells possessed the machinery that could allow them to communicate information. (Light-sensitive photoreceptor cells in the retina along the back wall of the eye produce impulses that are ultimately transmitted through the optic nerve and then to the brain, allowing you to see.) Put together, these findings suggest that it is possible to assemble human retinal cells into more complex retinal tissues, all starting from a routine patient blood sample.
Many applications of laboratory-built human retinal tissues can be envisioned, including using them to test drugs and study degenerative diseases of the retina such as retinitis pigmentosa, a prominent cause of blindness in children and young adults. One day, it may also be possible replace multiple layers of the retina in order to help patients with more widespread retinal damage.
The study is published in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science.
Date: March 13, 2012
Summary:
For the first time, scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have made early retina structures containing proliferating neuroretinal progenitor cells using induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells derived from human blood.
And in another advance, the retina structures showed the capacity to form layers of cells - as the retina does in normal human development - and these cells possessed the machinery that could allow them to communicate information. (Light-sensitive photoreceptor cells in the retina along the back wall of the eye produce impulses that are ultimately transmitted through the optic nerve and then to the brain, allowing you to see.) Put together, these findings suggest that it is possible to assemble human retinal cells into more complex retinal tissues, all starting from a routine patient blood sample.
Many applications of laboratory-built human retinal tissues can be envisioned, including using them to test drugs and study degenerative diseases of the retina such as retinitis pigmentosa, a prominent cause of blindness in children and young adults. One day, it may also be possible replace multiple layers of the retina in order to help patients with more widespread retinal damage.
The study is published in the journal Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science.
Monday, March 12, 2012
New Approach to Treating Type I Diabetes? Scientists Transform Gut Cells into Insulin Factories
Source: Columbia University Medical Center
Date: March 12, 2012
Summary:
A study by Columbia researchers suggests that cells in the patient's intestine could be coaxed into making insulin, circumventing the need for a stem cell transplant. Until now, stem cell transplants have been seen by many researchers as the ideal way to replace cells lost in type I diabetes and to free patients from insulin injections. The research -- conducted in mice -- was published 11 March 2012 in the journal Nature Genetics.
The study shows that certain progenitor cells in the intestine of mice have the surprising ability to make insulin-producing cells. The insulin made by the gut cells also was released into the bloodstream, worked as well as normal insulin, and was made in sufficient quantity to nearly normalize blood glucose levels in otherwise diabetic mice.
Date: March 12, 2012
Summary:
A study by Columbia researchers suggests that cells in the patient's intestine could be coaxed into making insulin, circumventing the need for a stem cell transplant. Until now, stem cell transplants have been seen by many researchers as the ideal way to replace cells lost in type I diabetes and to free patients from insulin injections. The research -- conducted in mice -- was published 11 March 2012 in the journal Nature Genetics.
The study shows that certain progenitor cells in the intestine of mice have the surprising ability to make insulin-producing cells. The insulin made by the gut cells also was released into the bloodstream, worked as well as normal insulin, and was made in sufficient quantity to nearly normalize blood glucose levels in otherwise diabetic mice.
Insulin, Nutrition Prevent Blood Stem Cell Differentiation in the Fruit Fly
Source: University of California - Los Angeles
Date: March 12, 2012
Summary:
UCLA stem cell researchers have shown that insulin and nutrition prevent blood stem cells from differentiating into mature blood cells in Drosophila, the common fruit fly, a finding that has implications for studying inflammatory response and blood development in response to dietary changes in humans.
Keeping blood stem cells, or progenitor cells, from differentiating into blood cells is important as blood stem cells are needed to create the blood supply for the adult fruit fly. The study found that the blood stem cells are receiving systemic signals from insulin and nutritional factors, in this case essential amino acids, that helped them to maintain their “stemness,” said study senior author Utpal Banerjee, the Irving and Jean Stone Professor and chairman of molecular, cell and developmental biology in the UCLA Division of Life Sciences and a researcher with the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine at UCLA.
The study appeared March 11 in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Cell Biology.
Date: March 12, 2012
Summary:
UCLA stem cell researchers have shown that insulin and nutrition prevent blood stem cells from differentiating into mature blood cells in Drosophila, the common fruit fly, a finding that has implications for studying inflammatory response and blood development in response to dietary changes in humans.
Keeping blood stem cells, or progenitor cells, from differentiating into blood cells is important as blood stem cells are needed to create the blood supply for the adult fruit fly. The study found that the blood stem cells are receiving systemic signals from insulin and nutritional factors, in this case essential amino acids, that helped them to maintain their “stemness,” said study senior author Utpal Banerjee, the Irving and Jean Stone Professor and chairman of molecular, cell and developmental biology in the UCLA Division of Life Sciences and a researcher with the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine at UCLA.
The study appeared March 11 in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Cell Biology.
Wednesday, March 07, 2012
New transplant method may let kidney recipients live life free of anti-rejection medication
Source: University of Louisville / Northwestern Medicine
Date: March 7, 2012
Summary:
New ongoing research published March 7 in the journal Science Translational Medicine suggests organ transplant recipients may not require anti-rejection medication in the future thanks to the power of stem cells, which may prove to be able to be manipulated in mismatched kidney donor and recipient pairs to allow for successful transplantation without immunosuppressive drugs. Northwestern Medicine® and University of Louisville researchers are partnering on a clinical trial to study the use of donor stem cell infusions that have been specially engineered to “trick” the recipients’ immune system into thinking the donated organ is part of the patient’s natural self, thus gradually eliminating or reducing the need for anti-rejection medication.
Reuters published a news story on this finding today.
Date: March 7, 2012
Summary:
New ongoing research published March 7 in the journal Science Translational Medicine suggests organ transplant recipients may not require anti-rejection medication in the future thanks to the power of stem cells, which may prove to be able to be manipulated in mismatched kidney donor and recipient pairs to allow for successful transplantation without immunosuppressive drugs. Northwestern Medicine® and University of Louisville researchers are partnering on a clinical trial to study the use of donor stem cell infusions that have been specially engineered to “trick” the recipients’ immune system into thinking the donated organ is part of the patient’s natural self, thus gradually eliminating or reducing the need for anti-rejection medication.
Reuters published a news story on this finding today.
Fourteenth Patient Dosed in Neuralstem ALS Stem Cell Trial
Source: Neuralstem, Inc.
Date: March 7, 2012
Summary:
ROCKVILLE, Md., March 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Neuralstem, Inc. announced that the second patient to receive stem cells in the cervical (upper back) region of the spine was dosed on February 29th in the ongoing Phase I trial of its spinal cord neural stem cells in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease). Patient 14 is also the first woman to be treated in the trial. Stem cell transplantation into the cervical region of the spinal cord could support breathing, a key function that is lost as ALS progresses. The first twelve patients in the trial received stem cell transplants in the lumbar (lower back) region of the spinal cord only.
Date: March 7, 2012
Summary:
ROCKVILLE, Md., March 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Neuralstem, Inc. announced that the second patient to receive stem cells in the cervical (upper back) region of the spine was dosed on February 29th in the ongoing Phase I trial of its spinal cord neural stem cells in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease). Patient 14 is also the first woman to be treated in the trial. Stem cell transplantation into the cervical region of the spinal cord could support breathing, a key function that is lost as ALS progresses. The first twelve patients in the trial received stem cell transplants in the lumbar (lower back) region of the spinal cord only.
Tuesday, March 06, 2012
Influencing Stem Cell Fate: New Screening Method Helps Scientists Identify Key Information Rapidly
Source: Northwestern University
Date: March 6, 2012
Summary:
Northwestern University scientists have developed a powerful analytical method that they have used to direct stem cell differentiation. Out of millions of possibilities, they rapidly identified the chemical and physical structures that can cue stem cells to become osteocytes, cells found in mature bone.
Researchers can use the method, called nanocombinatorics, to build enormous libraries of physical structures varying in size from a few nanometers to many micrometers for addressing problems within and outside biology. Those in the fields of chemistry, materials engineering and nanotechnology could use this invaluable tool to assess which chemical and physical structures -- including size, shape and composition -- work best for a desired process or function.
Nanocombinatorics holds promise for screening catalysts for energy conversion, understanding properties conferred by nanostructures, identifying active molecules for drug discovery or even optimizing materials for tissue regeneration, among other applications.
Details of the method and proof of concept is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Date: March 6, 2012
Summary:
Northwestern University scientists have developed a powerful analytical method that they have used to direct stem cell differentiation. Out of millions of possibilities, they rapidly identified the chemical and physical structures that can cue stem cells to become osteocytes, cells found in mature bone.
Researchers can use the method, called nanocombinatorics, to build enormous libraries of physical structures varying in size from a few nanometers to many micrometers for addressing problems within and outside biology. Those in the fields of chemistry, materials engineering and nanotechnology could use this invaluable tool to assess which chemical and physical structures -- including size, shape and composition -- work best for a desired process or function.
Nanocombinatorics holds promise for screening catalysts for energy conversion, understanding properties conferred by nanostructures, identifying active molecules for drug discovery or even optimizing materials for tissue regeneration, among other applications.
Details of the method and proof of concept is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Investigational human adult stem cell therapy studied in ischemic stroke patients
Source: Methodist Hospital, Houston
Date: March 6, 2012
Summary:
Houston, TX - Physicians at the Methodist Neurological Institute are studying the use of human stem cells as a possible treatment for acute ischemic stroke, a leading cause of death and disability. Each year, stroke affects more than 15 million people around the world. Patients whose ischemic strokes occur within one to two days of being admitted to The Methodist Hospital in Houston may be eligible to enroll in the double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase 2 safety and efficacy trial of MultiStem®, a novel therapy being developed by Athersys, Inc.
The study will examine the effects of intravenous administration of adult stem cells that can be manufactured from a donor. In contrast to traditional bone marrow transplants, which require one donor for each patient that needs treatment, MultiStem is a patented formulation of early adult stem cells, and hundreds of thousands to millions of doses can be made from the bone marrow cells of one healthy donor. The product can be made in advance, and may be stored in the hospital and used “off the shelf”.
Researchers in the clinical trial will not only look at how well the investigational therapy works for stroke treatment, but they will also monitor for potential side effects and how potent the drug is compared to placebo.
Another goal of this study is to examine some of the stem cells’ effects on organs such as the spleen, which is thought to contribute to ongoing inflammation that could increase brain injury after the initial stroke. Published work from preclinical studies shows that MultiStem can provide benefits even when administered several days after a stroke has occurred, and some of the cell effects appear to occur through their action on the spleen. Animal models used in this research showed a statistically significant and durable improvement in motor skills relative to animals that received a placebo.
Date: March 6, 2012
Summary:
Houston, TX - Physicians at the Methodist Neurological Institute are studying the use of human stem cells as a possible treatment for acute ischemic stroke, a leading cause of death and disability. Each year, stroke affects more than 15 million people around the world. Patients whose ischemic strokes occur within one to two days of being admitted to The Methodist Hospital in Houston may be eligible to enroll in the double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase 2 safety and efficacy trial of MultiStem®, a novel therapy being developed by Athersys, Inc.
The study will examine the effects of intravenous administration of adult stem cells that can be manufactured from a donor. In contrast to traditional bone marrow transplants, which require one donor for each patient that needs treatment, MultiStem is a patented formulation of early adult stem cells, and hundreds of thousands to millions of doses can be made from the bone marrow cells of one healthy donor. The product can be made in advance, and may be stored in the hospital and used “off the shelf”.
Researchers in the clinical trial will not only look at how well the investigational therapy works for stroke treatment, but they will also monitor for potential side effects and how potent the drug is compared to placebo.
Another goal of this study is to examine some of the stem cells’ effects on organs such as the spleen, which is thought to contribute to ongoing inflammation that could increase brain injury after the initial stroke. Published work from preclinical studies shows that MultiStem can provide benefits even when administered several days after a stroke has occurred, and some of the cell effects appear to occur through their action on the spleen. Animal models used in this research showed a statistically significant and durable improvement in motor skills relative to animals that received a placebo.
Friday, March 02, 2012
Scientists Develop New 3D Stem Cell Culture Method
Source: Journal of Visualized Experiments
Date: March 2, 2012
Summary:
Scientists from the University of Victoria have developed a new technique to culture cells in 3D— a significant step forward for regenerative medicine. By growing these cells in 3D, researchers are better able to see how these cells behave in conditions that more closely resemble those in the body. The article will be published in JoVE on March 2.
Date: March 2, 2012
Summary:
Scientists from the University of Victoria have developed a new technique to culture cells in 3D— a significant step forward for regenerative medicine. By growing these cells in 3D, researchers are better able to see how these cells behave in conditions that more closely resemble those in the body. The article will be published in JoVE on March 2.
Thursday, March 01, 2012
Cell and Signaling Pathway That Regulates the Placental Blood Stem Cell Niche Identified
Source: University of California - Los Angeles
Date: March 1, 2012
Summary:
UCLA stem-cell researchers have identified a certain type of cell and a signaling pathway in the placental niche that play a key role in stopping blood stem cells from differentiating into mature blood cells in the placenta. Preventing this premature differentiation is critical to ensuring a proper blood supply for an individual's lifetime.
The placental niche is considered a stem cell "safe zone," which supports the creation and expansion of blood stem cells without promoting their differentiation into mature cells. This allows for the establishment of a pool of precursor cells that will later provide blood cells for fetal and post-natal life, said the study's senior author, Dr. Hanna Mikkola, an associate professor of molecular cell and developmental biology at UCLA and a researcher at UCLA's Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research.
Mikkola and her team found that PDGF-B signaling in specialized cells in the placenta called trophoblasts — which facilitate embryo implantation and exchanges of nutrients between the mother and fetus — is vital to maintaining the unique micro-environment needed for the blood precursor cells. When PDGF-B signaling is halted, these blood precursors differentiate too early, creating red blood cells in the placenta, Mikkola said.
The study, done in mouse models, appears March 1 in the peer-reviewed journal Developmental Cell.
Date: March 1, 2012
Summary:
UCLA stem-cell researchers have identified a certain type of cell and a signaling pathway in the placental niche that play a key role in stopping blood stem cells from differentiating into mature blood cells in the placenta. Preventing this premature differentiation is critical to ensuring a proper blood supply for an individual's lifetime.
The placental niche is considered a stem cell "safe zone," which supports the creation and expansion of blood stem cells without promoting their differentiation into mature cells. This allows for the establishment of a pool of precursor cells that will later provide blood cells for fetal and post-natal life, said the study's senior author, Dr. Hanna Mikkola, an associate professor of molecular cell and developmental biology at UCLA and a researcher at UCLA's Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research.
Mikkola and her team found that PDGF-B signaling in specialized cells in the placenta called trophoblasts — which facilitate embryo implantation and exchanges of nutrients between the mother and fetus — is vital to maintaining the unique micro-environment needed for the blood precursor cells. When PDGF-B signaling is halted, these blood precursors differentiate too early, creating red blood cells in the placenta, Mikkola said.
The study, done in mouse models, appears March 1 in the peer-reviewed journal Developmental Cell.
Basic Molecular 'Wiring' of Stem Cells Revealed
Souce University of Georgia
Date: March 1, 2012
Summary:
Athens, Ga. - Despite the promise associated with the therapeutic use of human stem cells, a complete understanding of the mechanisms that control the fundamental question of whether a stem cell becomes a specific cell type within the body or remains a stem cell has-until now-eluded scientists.
A University of Georgia study published in the March 2 edition of the journal Cell Stem Cell, however, creates the first ever blueprint of how stem cells are wired to respond to the external signaling molecules to which they are constantly exposed. The finding, which reconciles years of conflicting results from labs across the world, gives scientists the ability to precisely control the development, or differentiation, of stem cells into specific cell types.
Date: March 1, 2012
Summary:
Athens, Ga. - Despite the promise associated with the therapeutic use of human stem cells, a complete understanding of the mechanisms that control the fundamental question of whether a stem cell becomes a specific cell type within the body or remains a stem cell has-until now-eluded scientists.
A University of Georgia study published in the March 2 edition of the journal Cell Stem Cell, however, creates the first ever blueprint of how stem cells are wired to respond to the external signaling molecules to which they are constantly exposed. The finding, which reconciles years of conflicting results from labs across the world, gives scientists the ability to precisely control the development, or differentiation, of stem cells into specific cell types.
Scientists Make Groundbreaking Discovery on Stem Cell Regulation
Source: Agency for Science, Technology and Research
Date: March 1, 2012
Summary:
A*STAR scientists have for the first time, identified that precise regulation of polyamine[1] levels is critical for embryonic stem cell (ESC) self-renewal – the ability of ESCs to divide indefinitely – and directed differentiation. This paper is crucial for better understanding of ESC regulation and was published in the journal Genes & Development on 1st March by the team of scientists from the Institute of Medical Biology (IMB), a research institute under the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).
Date: March 1, 2012
Summary:
A*STAR scientists have for the first time, identified that precise regulation of polyamine[1] levels is critical for embryonic stem cell (ESC) self-renewal – the ability of ESCs to divide indefinitely – and directed differentiation. This paper is crucial for better understanding of ESC regulation and was published in the journal Genes & Development on 1st March by the team of scientists from the Institute of Medical Biology (IMB), a research institute under the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR).
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