Source: Cell Press
Posted: April 10, 2006
Scientists have discovered that a stem cell factor overexpressed both in brain tumor cells and in neurons following brain injury promotes tumor survival by inducing angiogenesis. The research study, published in the April issue of Cancer Cell, examines the interaction between tumor cells and surrounding tissues and may have substantial significance for design of more effective therapeutics for one of the most lethal types of tumor, malignant gliomas.
Commentary: Hopefully this research will enable stem cells to be used for cancer treatments in the future.
Tuesday, April 11, 2006
Monday, April 10, 2006
Regrow Your Own
Source: The New York Times
Posted: April 11, 2006
Here is a feature by Nicholas Wade about regenerative medicine by transforming mature cells at the site of a wound into a clump of immature cells, known as a blastema, to regrow missing limbs and organs. A few scientists, working in a relatively obscure field, believe this path to regenerative medicine may be as likely to succeed as stem cell therapy.
Posted: April 11, 2006
Here is a feature by Nicholas Wade about regenerative medicine by transforming mature cells at the site of a wound into a clump of immature cells, known as a blastema, to regrow missing limbs and organs. A few scientists, working in a relatively obscure field, believe this path to regenerative medicine may be as likely to succeed as stem cell therapy.
Stem-cell institute makes first grants: CASH POOR, IT TURNS TO FUNDRAISING
Here is more coverage about the first stem cell research grants awarded by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.
Calif. Stem Cell Agency Issues Grants
Here is a story on the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine awarding its first round of grants for stem cell research. The grants will go toward training stem cell researchers. This is a sign of progress in funding stem cell research on a large scale that will hopefully expedite the discovery of stem cell treatments for diseases and injuries.
Sunday, April 09, 2006
Lab-Grown Bladders Successful in Humans
Source: Los Angeles Times
Posted: April 4, 2006
Bladders grown from patients' own cells in the laboratory have been successfully implanted into patients with spina bifida and shown to function for five years or longer, scientists reported today. The breakthrough is considered a significan step toward the creaton of artificial organs.
The advancement is the first time that artificial organs more complicated than skin and bone have been implanted in humans. It is progress toward potentially growing new organs for people who have lost them to disease or injury.
Posted: April 4, 2006
Bladders grown from patients' own cells in the laboratory have been successfully implanted into patients with spina bifida and shown to function for five years or longer, scientists reported today. The breakthrough is considered a significan step toward the creaton of artificial organs.
The advancement is the first time that artificial organs more complicated than skin and bone have been implanted in humans. It is progress toward potentially growing new organs for people who have lost them to disease or injury.
Saturday, April 08, 2006
Brittlestar Provides New Model For Stem Cell Research
Source: Society for Experimental Biology
Posted: April 8, 2006
Scientists are using the brittlestar as a new model for studying stem cells, allowing them to do experiments that avoid the ethical issues associated with human and vertebrate research. The brittlestar, Amphiura filiformis, is a close relative of the starfish and can regenerate lost arms in a matter of weeks.
The researchers are particularly interested in studying the recovery of the nervous system which could have possible applications in the future for understanding and treating neurodegenerative diseases.
Commentary: This research could lead to major advancements in regenerative medicine if it can be applied to humans.
Posted: April 8, 2006
Scientists are using the brittlestar as a new model for studying stem cells, allowing them to do experiments that avoid the ethical issues associated with human and vertebrate research. The brittlestar, Amphiura filiformis, is a close relative of the starfish and can regenerate lost arms in a matter of weeks.
The researchers are particularly interested in studying the recovery of the nervous system which could have possible applications in the future for understanding and treating neurodegenerative diseases.
Commentary: This research could lead to major advancements in regenerative medicine if it can be applied to humans.
Stem Cells Could Boost Stroke Recovery. In rat studies, they also show promise against cerebral palsy
Source: HealthDay News
Posted: April 8, 2006
Summary:
Researchers say they've lessened the effects of stroke in rats by transplanting human bone marrow stem cells into the rodents' brains. The treatment also seemed to help rats fight a condition similar to human cerebral palsy. Researchers observed that movement skills in the stroke-afflicted rats improved by 25 percent, and a similar improvement in treated rats affected with a condition equivalent to human cerebral palsy after stem cell treatment.
Posted: April 8, 2006
Summary:
Researchers say they've lessened the effects of stroke in rats by transplanting human bone marrow stem cells into the rodents' brains. The treatment also seemed to help rats fight a condition similar to human cerebral palsy. Researchers observed that movement skills in the stroke-afflicted rats improved by 25 percent, and a similar improvement in treated rats affected with a condition equivalent to human cerebral palsy after stem cell treatment.
See Blind Mice: Algae gene makes sightless eyes sense light
Source: Science News
Posted: April 8, 2006
Christen Brownlee
Scientists have prompted mouse-eye cells that aren't normally light sensitive to respond to light. This strategy could lead to new treatments for retinitis pigmentosa and related diseases, which cause blindness in 1 in 3,000 people worldwide.
To restore vision in people who have lost these cells, scientists have suggested several strategies, such as growing rods and cones from stem cells or replacing them with synthetic chips that sense light. But so far, these approaches face myriad challenges. Neuroscientists say these preliminary findings offer a novel approach to treat blinding diseases.
Posted: April 8, 2006
Christen Brownlee
Scientists have prompted mouse-eye cells that aren't normally light sensitive to respond to light. This strategy could lead to new treatments for retinitis pigmentosa and related diseases, which cause blindness in 1 in 3,000 people worldwide.
To restore vision in people who have lost these cells, scientists have suggested several strategies, such as growing rods and cones from stem cells or replacing them with synthetic chips that sense light. But so far, these approaches face myriad challenges. Neuroscientists say these preliminary findings offer a novel approach to treat blinding diseases.
Friday, April 07, 2006
Mutation In Blood Stem Cells Provides Clues To Cancer Development
Source: University of California - San Diego
Posted: April 7, 2006
A mutation in blood stem cells occurs in patients with a blood disorder called polycythemia vera (PV), scientists at the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Comprehensive Cancer Center at Stanford University School of Medicine have confirmed.
The discovery suggests that development of a very specific inhibitor at the stem-cell level, to interfere with the pathway leading to the disease, could improve treatment for the cancer-causing disorder. The advance may enable scientist fight the disease by destroying cancerous stem cells while still enabling normal stem cell production, protection and differentiation and health of stem cells.
Posted: April 7, 2006
A mutation in blood stem cells occurs in patients with a blood disorder called polycythemia vera (PV), scientists at the Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine and Comprehensive Cancer Center at Stanford University School of Medicine have confirmed.
The discovery suggests that development of a very specific inhibitor at the stem-cell level, to interfere with the pathway leading to the disease, could improve treatment for the cancer-causing disorder. The advance may enable scientist fight the disease by destroying cancerous stem cells while still enabling normal stem cell production, protection and differentiation and health of stem cells.
Nano-patterns guide stem cell development
16:55 07 April 2006
NewScientist.com news service
Tom Simonite
Stem cells can be prompted to develop into bone, instead of muscle or cartilage tissue, if they are grown on a substrate etched with nanoscopic patterns – and no added chemicals – researchers have found.
The discovery could lead to longer-lasting artificial implants that are nano-engineered to encourage suitable tissue to develop around them, experts say.
Commentary: Hopefully this advance will lead to improved treatments for bone diseases including osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.
NewScientist.com news service
Tom Simonite
Stem cells can be prompted to develop into bone, instead of muscle or cartilage tissue, if they are grown on a substrate etched with nanoscopic patterns – and no added chemicals – researchers have found.
The discovery could lead to longer-lasting artificial implants that are nano-engineered to encourage suitable tissue to develop around them, experts say.
Commentary: Hopefully this advance will lead to improved treatments for bone diseases including osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.
Techniques Push Stem Cells to Repair Damaged Nerves: Potential breakthroughs from marrow transplants and seaweed
Source: HealthDay News
Posted: April 7, 2006
FRIDAY, April 7 (HealthDay News) -- Two new studies suggest that use of cells derived from bone marrow, as well as a seaweed-derived product called hydrogel, may prompt stem cells to repair nerve damage caused by stroke or spinal cord injury.
Posted: April 7, 2006
FRIDAY, April 7 (HealthDay News) -- Two new studies suggest that use of cells derived from bone marrow, as well as a seaweed-derived product called hydrogel, may prompt stem cells to repair nerve damage caused by stroke or spinal cord injury.
High hopes for AIDS research: Experimental treatment fortifies the body's own stem cells with an enzyme that may block the relentless advance of the v
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
Date: Friday, April 7, 2006
Sabin Russell, Chronicle Medical Writer
An experimental therapy, if proved successful, could enable individuals infected with HIV or AIDS to control the virus and maintain their health without having to spend a lifetime taking costly and potentially toxic drugs. The goal of this experiment -- which combines elements of genetic engineering, gene therapy and stem cell science -- is to create a kind of parallel immune system that is fortified against the AIDS virus. Scientist believe that this therapy, while not a cure, could lead to greater control of HIV.
Date: Friday, April 7, 2006
Sabin Russell, Chronicle Medical Writer
An experimental therapy, if proved successful, could enable individuals infected with HIV or AIDS to control the virus and maintain their health without having to spend a lifetime taking costly and potentially toxic drugs. The goal of this experiment -- which combines elements of genetic engineering, gene therapy and stem cell science -- is to create a kind of parallel immune system that is fortified against the AIDS virus. Scientist believe that this therapy, while not a cure, could lead to greater control of HIV.
Thursday, April 06, 2006
Stem Cell Transplants Improve Recovery In Animal Models For Stroke, Cerebral Palsy
Source: Medical College of Georgia
Posted: April 7, 2006
Summary:
A single dose of adult donor stem cells given to animals that have neurological damage similar to that experienced by adults with a stroke or newborns with cerebral palsy can significantly enhance recovery from these types of injuries, researchers say.
Posted: April 7, 2006
Summary:
A single dose of adult donor stem cells given to animals that have neurological damage similar to that experienced by adults with a stroke or newborns with cerebral palsy can significantly enhance recovery from these types of injuries, researchers say.
Umbilical Cord Blood: The Future of Stem Cell Research?
Here is a feature from National Geographic about using Umblical stem cells to treat stroke patients, like me.
Stem Cells Can Repair Torn Tendons Or Ligaments
Source: Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Posted: April 5, 2006
Researchers engineered mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which reside in the bone marrow and fat tissues, to express a protein that enabled cells implanted into a torn Achilles tendons of rats to go to the site of the injury and repair the tendon.
Commentary: This research could lead to effective treatments for chronic pain or athletic injuries.
Posted: April 5, 2006
Researchers engineered mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which reside in the bone marrow and fat tissues, to express a protein that enabled cells implanted into a torn Achilles tendons of rats to go to the site of the injury and repair the tendon.
Commentary: This research could lead to effective treatments for chronic pain or athletic injuries.
Researchers Target Cancer Stem Cells' Unique Vulnerability
Source: Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Posted: April 5, 2006
New research has revealed a difference that distinguishes cells that keep the blood system healthy from the stem cells that make leukemia lethal, scientists report. This advance shows that the stem cells promoting leukemia can be killed.
Posted: April 5, 2006
New research has revealed a difference that distinguishes cells that keep the blood system healthy from the stem cells that make leukemia lethal, scientists report. This advance shows that the stem cells promoting leukemia can be killed.
Wednesday, April 05, 2006
Bone loss seen in kids after stem cell therapy
Source: Reuters
Posted: Wed Apr 5, 2006 12:40 PM ET
By David Douglas
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A type of stem cell therapy called hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) often leads to a reduction in bone formation in children, according to Minneapolis-based researchers. HCT is used to treat cancers of the blood such as leukemia.
Posted: Wed Apr 5, 2006 12:40 PM ET
By David Douglas
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A type of stem cell therapy called hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) often leads to a reduction in bone formation in children, according to Minneapolis-based researchers. HCT is used to treat cancers of the blood such as leukemia.
Stem cell therapy a world first
Source: Herald Sun
Date: April 6, 2006
Michelle Pountney, health reporter
A MELBOURNE man is the first person in the world whose own stem cells are being used to try to mend a broken leg. Bone marrow cells were harvested from a patient's pelvis. Adult stem cells were from other bone cells, and mesenchymal precursor cells-cells that cann form tissues such as bone cartilage and heart-were isolated and grown.
Date: April 6, 2006
Michelle Pountney, health reporter
A MELBOURNE man is the first person in the world whose own stem cells are being used to try to mend a broken leg. Bone marrow cells were harvested from a patient's pelvis. Adult stem cells were from other bone cells, and mesenchymal precursor cells-cells that cann form tissues such as bone cartilage and heart-were isolated and grown.
'Prosthetic' retinal cells let blind mice see light
Source: Cell Press
Posted: April 5, 2006
Summary:
In an experiment that could offer a new pathway to restoring vision in people with inherited retinal degeneration, researchers have engineered cells in the eye to be light sensitive that were not before. Using a harmless virus, they introduced a gene for a light-sensitive protein into "inner retinal neurons" in a strain of mice with photoreceptor deficiency that resembles the defect in such inherited human disorders as retinitis pigmentosa.
Posted: April 5, 2006
Summary:
In an experiment that could offer a new pathway to restoring vision in people with inherited retinal degeneration, researchers have engineered cells in the eye to be light sensitive that were not before. Using a harmless virus, they introduced a gene for a light-sensitive protein into "inner retinal neurons" in a strain of mice with photoreceptor deficiency that resembles the defect in such inherited human disorders as retinitis pigmentosa.
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Stem cells repair torn tendons, ligaments
Source: United Press International
Posted: April 4, 2006
JERUSALEM, April 4 (UPI) -- Hebrew University scientists in Jerusalem say they've determined adult stem cells might one day be able to repair tendon and ligament injuries.
Posted: April 4, 2006
JERUSALEM, April 4 (UPI) -- Hebrew University scientists in Jerusalem say they've determined adult stem cells might one day be able to repair tendon and ligament injuries.
Factor Stimulates Cartilage Growth From Stem Cells
Source: Duke University Medical Center
Date: April 4, 2006
Summary:
A novel growth factor significantly improves the ability of specialized stem cells derived from human fat to be transformed into cartilage cells, according to Duke University Medical Center and Pratt School of Engineering researchers.
Date: April 4, 2006
Summary:
A novel growth factor significantly improves the ability of specialized stem cells derived from human fat to be transformed into cartilage cells, according to Duke University Medical Center and Pratt School of Engineering researchers.
First Bladders Grown in Lab Transplanted Breakthrough Shows Promise for Creating Other Human Organs
Source: Washington Post
Date: April 4, 2006
By Rick Weiss
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 4, 2006; Page A01
Researchers said yesterday that they have grown complete urinary bladders in a laboratory and transplanted them into patients, improving their health and achieving a Holy Grail of medicine: the first cultivation of working replacements for failing solid organs in people.
Date: April 4, 2006
By Rick Weiss
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 4, 2006; Page A01
Researchers said yesterday that they have grown complete urinary bladders in a laboratory and transplanted them into patients, improving their health and achieving a Holy Grail of medicine: the first cultivation of working replacements for failing solid organs in people.
Wake Forest Physician Reports First Human Recipients Of Laboratory-grown Organs
Source: Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
Posted: April 4, 2006
The first human recipients of laboratory-grown organs were reported by Anthony Atala, M.D., director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. In The Lancet, Atala describes long-term success in children and teenagers who received bladders grown from their own cells. Since the engineered bladders were grown from the patients’ own cells, there is no risk of rejection. Scientists hope that laboratory-grown organs can one day help solve the shortage of donated organs available for transplantation.
Posted: April 4, 2006
The first human recipients of laboratory-grown organs were reported by Anthony Atala, M.D., director of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. In The Lancet, Atala describes long-term success in children and teenagers who received bladders grown from their own cells. Since the engineered bladders were grown from the patients’ own cells, there is no risk of rejection. Scientists hope that laboratory-grown organs can one day help solve the shortage of donated organs available for transplantation.
Bladders Built in the Lab: Cells, Plastic Shell Combine
Source: Wall Street Journal
Posted: April 4, 2006
Summary:
Here is a recent story about the creation of a human bladder in the laboratory using patients' own cells to restore autonomic bladder function
Posted: April 4, 2006
Summary:
Here is a recent story about the creation of a human bladder in the laboratory using patients' own cells to restore autonomic bladder function
Monday, April 03, 2006
Scientists rebuild bladder in 7 patients
Source: Associated Press
Posted: Monday, April 3, 2006; 6:52 PM
Summary:
The Associated Press reports on the creation of a human bladder using live human tissue:
"For the first time, scientists have rebuilt a complex human organ, the bladder, in seven young patients using live tissue grown in the lab - a breakthrough that could hold exciting promise for someday regenerating ailing hearts and other organs. Only simpler tissues -- skin, bone, and cartilage -- have been lab-grown and transplanted in the past. This is the first time that a more intricate organ has been mostly replaced with tissue grown from the patient's own cells."
Posted: Monday, April 3, 2006; 6:52 PM
Summary:
The Associated Press reports on the creation of a human bladder using live human tissue:
"For the first time, scientists have rebuilt a complex human organ, the bladder, in seven young patients using live tissue grown in the lab - a breakthrough that could hold exciting promise for someday regenerating ailing hearts and other organs. Only simpler tissues -- skin, bone, and cartilage -- have been lab-grown and transplanted in the past. This is the first time that a more intricate organ has been mostly replaced with tissue grown from the patient's own cells."
On a Scaffold in the Lab, Doctors Build a Bladder
Source: The New York Times
By LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN
Published: April 4, 2006
Bladders created in the laboratory from a patient's own cells and then implanted in seven young people have achieved good long-term results in all of them, a team of researchers reported yesterday in a medical journal.
The hope is that someday the experimental reconstruction procedure will be standard for larger numbers of patients, including adults, and for those with other kinds of bladder damage.
By LAWRENCE K. ALTMAN
Published: April 4, 2006
Bladders created in the laboratory from a patient's own cells and then implanted in seven young people have achieved good long-term results in all of them, a team of researchers reported yesterday in a medical journal.
The hope is that someday the experimental reconstruction procedure will be standard for larger numbers of patients, including adults, and for those with other kinds of bladder damage.
Bio-engineered bladders successful in patients
00:01 04 April 2006
NewScientist.com news service
Roxanne Khamsi
Bladders engineered in the laboratory from patients' own cells and then implanted into the body have succeeded in their first clinical trial.
The feat was accomplished by Anthony Atala, at Wake Forest University Medical School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and his colleagues. He says that while scientists have had success with skin transplants grown on scaffolds in the past, this is the first time they have grown and transplanted a discrete, complex organ.
NewScientist.com news service
Roxanne Khamsi
Bladders engineered in the laboratory from patients' own cells and then implanted into the body have succeeded in their first clinical trial.
The feat was accomplished by Anthony Atala, at Wake Forest University Medical School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and his colleagues. He says that while scientists have had success with skin transplants grown on scaffolds in the past, this is the first time they have grown and transplanted a discrete, complex organ.
Patients receive first custom-made bladders
Source: Reuters
Posted: Mon Apr 3, 2006 11:32 PM BST
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Custom-made bladders grown from patients' own cells have been successfully transplanted and work, in some cases for years, scientists reported on Monday.
Writing in a special report in the Lancet medical journal, they described the cases of seven patients who had new bladders engineered from a plug of tissue grown from their own, dysfunctional bladders.
Posted: Mon Apr 3, 2006 11:32 PM BST
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Custom-made bladders grown from patients' own cells have been successfully transplanted and work, in some cases for years, scientists reported on Monday.
Writing in a special report in the Lancet medical journal, they described the cases of seven patients who had new bladders engineered from a plug of tissue grown from their own, dysfunctional bladders.
Doctors grow organs from patients' own cells: Seven living with bladders from new process
Source: CNN.com
Posted: Monday, April 3, 2006; Posted: 6:32 p.m. EDT (22:32 GMT)
A new procedure pioneered at Wake Forest University in North Carolina has enabled scientists to grow new bladders from patients' own cells, which were then transplanted back into the patients' bodies.
Posted: Monday, April 3, 2006; Posted: 6:32 p.m. EDT (22:32 GMT)
A new procedure pioneered at Wake Forest University in North Carolina has enabled scientists to grow new bladders from patients' own cells, which were then transplanted back into the patients' bodies.
Sunday, April 02, 2006
Saturday, April 01, 2006
Liver Cancer Linked To Cellular Repair Pathway
Source: Duke University Medical Center
Posted: April 2, 2006
The unchecked activity of a cell signaling pathway crucial in embryonic development and the liver's response to injury leads to liver cancer, researchers from Duke University Medical Center and John Hopkins University School of Medicine have found.
Because the pathway, called Hedgehog, is present only in immature, stem-like liver cells, the discovery offers hope for targeted treatment of liver cancer. Laboratory experiments have shown that blocking the Hedgehog pathway kills cancer cells but leaves mature healthy liver cells intact. Treating patients with medications to interrupt the pathway would likely eliminate the cancer cells while sparing healthy liver tissue, said Jason Sicklick, M.D., a postdoctoral fellow at Duke and lead author of the study.
Posted: April 2, 2006
The unchecked activity of a cell signaling pathway crucial in embryonic development and the liver's response to injury leads to liver cancer, researchers from Duke University Medical Center and John Hopkins University School of Medicine have found.
Because the pathway, called Hedgehog, is present only in immature, stem-like liver cells, the discovery offers hope for targeted treatment of liver cancer. Laboratory experiments have shown that blocking the Hedgehog pathway kills cancer cells but leaves mature healthy liver cells intact. Treating patients with medications to interrupt the pathway would likely eliminate the cancer cells while sparing healthy liver tissue, said Jason Sicklick, M.D., a postdoctoral fellow at Duke and lead author of the study.
US company claims to make stem cells from testes
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Correspondent
Reuters
Saturday, April 1, 2006; 3:12 PM
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - US researchers said on Saturday they had transformed immature cells from men's testicles into powerful stem cells, which they then coaxed into becoming nerve, heart and bone cells.
Commentary: Hopefully these cells can be turned into effective treatments for diseases and injuries.
Reuters
Saturday, April 1, 2006; 3:12 PM
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - US researchers said on Saturday they had transformed immature cells from men's testicles into powerful stem cells, which they then coaxed into becoming nerve, heart and bone cells.
Commentary: Hopefully these cells can be turned into effective treatments for diseases and injuries.
New York Times, 3/31/06: Editorial: "The States Confront Stem Cells"
Here is an editorial from the New York Times about state-funded stem cell research.
Friday, March 31, 2006
Technique for Bioengineering Cell Sheets Used to Repair Damaged Heart Muscle Is Described in Tissue Engineering
Source: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc via Business Wire / Yahoo! News
Posted: Friday March 31, 2006 12:02 pm ET
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 31, 2006--Cardiac cells grown in the laboratory as cell sheets can be layered to form myocardial tissue grafts which, when transplanted into animals, will beat like normal cardiac muscle and can survive and function for at least a year, according to a report in the March 2006 issue (Volume 12, Number 3) issue of Tissue Engineering, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The paper is available free online at www.liebertpub.com/ten.
Posted: Friday March 31, 2006 12:02 pm ET
NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 31, 2006--Cardiac cells grown in the laboratory as cell sheets can be layered to form myocardial tissue grafts which, when transplanted into animals, will beat like normal cardiac muscle and can survive and function for at least a year, according to a report in the March 2006 issue (Volume 12, Number 3) issue of Tissue Engineering, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. The paper is available free online at www.liebertpub.com/ten.
Thursday, March 30, 2006
Stem Cell Treatment Succeeds In Spinal Cord-injured Rats
Source: Society for Neuroscience
Date: March 30, 2006
Summary:
Stem cells can repair damaged spinal tissue and help restore function in rats with spinal cord injuries, according to a new study. The findings may eventually lead to insights that result in new treatments for humans with spinal cord injuries. Researchers at the Krembil Neuroscience Center at Toronto Western Research Institute and the University of Toronto also identified a critical window during which stem cell transplants may be effective, says the study, which appears in the March 29 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.
Date: March 30, 2006
Summary:
Stem cells can repair damaged spinal tissue and help restore function in rats with spinal cord injuries, according to a new study. The findings may eventually lead to insights that result in new treatments for humans with spinal cord injuries. Researchers at the Krembil Neuroscience Center at Toronto Western Research Institute and the University of Toronto also identified a critical window during which stem cell transplants may be effective, says the study, which appears in the March 29 issue of The Journal of Neuroscience.
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Jell-O Fix for Spinal Cords
Source: Wired
Posted: 02:00 AM Mar, 29, 2006
By Elizabeth Svoboda
Stem cells embedded in futuristic materials may heal decades-old spinal cord injuries and rescue patients from paralysis, if recent experiments in rodents can be replicated in humans.
Stem cells have cured many rats of spinal cord injuries, but the treatment has yet to benefit humans. When it does, most scientists say the first treatments will benefit only the newly injured.
Posted: 02:00 AM Mar, 29, 2006
By Elizabeth Svoboda
Stem cells embedded in futuristic materials may heal decades-old spinal cord injuries and rescue patients from paralysis, if recent experiments in rodents can be replicated in humans.
Stem cells have cured many rats of spinal cord injuries, but the treatment has yet to benefit humans. When it does, most scientists say the first treatments will benefit only the newly injured.
Spinal Cord Injury Reduced With Cells Transplanted From Adult Mice Brain Cells
Source: Journal of Neuroscience
Date: March 29, 2006
Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Scientists at Toronto University and the Toronto Western Research Institute of Canada managed to reduce some of the paralysis of rats with spinal cord injury with cells transplanted from adult mice brain cells. This could eventually lead to treatment for humans with paralysis as a result of spinal cord injury.
Date: March 29, 2006
Written by: Christian Nordqvist
Editor: Medical News Today
Scientists at Toronto University and the Toronto Western Research Institute of Canada managed to reduce some of the paralysis of rats with spinal cord injury with cells transplanted from adult mice brain cells. This could eventually lead to treatment for humans with paralysis as a result of spinal cord injury.
Study offers potential for regenerative bone therapy
Source: Pharmaceuitical Business Review
Date: March 29, 2006
Researchers from the UK and Belgium have identified special properties in a type of stem cell that give it the potential to regenerate cartilage, muscle, and bone in patients with inflammatory and degenerative rheumatic diseases.
Date: March 29, 2006
Researchers from the UK and Belgium have identified special properties in a type of stem cell that give it the potential to regenerate cartilage, muscle, and bone in patients with inflammatory and degenerative rheumatic diseases.
Stem Cells For Tissue Regeneration And Joint Repair
Source: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Posted: March 29, 2006
Researchers are studying the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as a strategy for tissue regeneration And joint repair. MSCs are capable of extensive self-renewal and adaptable to forming all kinds of connective tissues. Their study is the first to identify periosteal cells as MSCs, with multipotent properties at the single cell level and the potential to regenerate cartilage, muscle, and bone in patients with inflammatory and degenerative rheumatic diseases. It is a groundbreaking study that calls attention to the need for more research into MSCs--in the periosteum and other tissues--and their practical therapeutic benefits for late-stage arthritis sufferers.
Posted: March 29, 2006
Researchers are studying the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as a strategy for tissue regeneration And joint repair. MSCs are capable of extensive self-renewal and adaptable to forming all kinds of connective tissues. Their study is the first to identify periosteal cells as MSCs, with multipotent properties at the single cell level and the potential to regenerate cartilage, muscle, and bone in patients with inflammatory and degenerative rheumatic diseases. It is a groundbreaking study that calls attention to the need for more research into MSCs--in the periosteum and other tissues--and their practical therapeutic benefits for late-stage arthritis sufferers.
Canadian researchers use stem cells to help spinal-cord injured rats walk
Source: Canadian Press
Posted: March 28, 2006 5:40 PM ET
By SHERYL UBELACKER
TORONTO (CP) - Canadian researchers have used stem cells to repair spinal cord damage in laboratory rats, restoring significant mobility in the animals and bringing the search for a human therapy another step closer.
Posted: March 28, 2006 5:40 PM ET
By SHERYL UBELACKER
TORONTO (CP) - Canadian researchers have used stem cells to repair spinal cord damage in laboratory rats, restoring significant mobility in the animals and bringing the search for a human therapy another step closer.
Stem Cell Innovations Produces Human Pluripotent Stem Cells; Cells Eligible for Use in Government Funded Laboratories
Source: BUSINESS WIRE via COLLEGIATE PRESSWIRE
Posted: March 29, 2006
Posted: March 29, 2006
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Hopes Raised For Effectiveness Of Multiple Sclerosis Drug
Source: University of Cincinnati
Posted: March 29, 2006
Discovery of the mechanism of a drug being tested for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) has revealed that it's not only more effective than first thought, but might also help in the management of other autoimmune diseases, organ transplant rejection and even cancer. A research team led by the University of Cincinnati's Bibiana Bielekova, MD, report new insights into the role of the MS drug daclizumab (Zenapax).
Posted: March 29, 2006
Discovery of the mechanism of a drug being tested for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) has revealed that it's not only more effective than first thought, but might also help in the management of other autoimmune diseases, organ transplant rejection and even cancer. A research team led by the University of Cincinnati's Bibiana Bielekova, MD, report new insights into the role of the MS drug daclizumab (Zenapax).
Scientists discover stem cells can repair spine tissue
Source: The Scotsman
Date: March 29, 2006
Summary:
STEM cells can be used to repair damaged spinal tissue in rats and help them move again, researchers said yesterday. The latest research, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, could offer new hope to paralysed patients. The team said the technique appeared to work best in the two weeks after the spinal cord was injured.
Date: March 29, 2006
Summary:
STEM cells can be used to repair damaged spinal tissue in rats and help them move again, researchers said yesterday. The latest research, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, could offer new hope to paralysed patients. The team said the technique appeared to work best in the two weeks after the spinal cord was injured.
Stem cell cocktail could treat spinal injury
Source: New Scientist
Date: March 28, 2006
NewScientist.com news service
Roxanne Khamsi
Stem cells can help restore some function in injured rats with spinal cord damage, suggests a new study. The team, led by Michael Fehlings at the Toronto Western Research Institute, Canada, used stem cells taken from mice brains. They injected a finely tuned cocktail of growth hormones, anti-inflammatory drugs and the cells into rats with crushed spines.
Date: March 28, 2006
NewScientist.com news service
Roxanne Khamsi
Stem cells can help restore some function in injured rats with spinal cord damage, suggests a new study. The team, led by Michael Fehlings at the Toronto Western Research Institute, Canada, used stem cells taken from mice brains. They injected a finely tuned cocktail of growth hormones, anti-inflammatory drugs and the cells into rats with crushed spines.
Brain-cell transplants restore movement in paralyzed rats
Source: Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
Posted: March 28, 2006 17:17:49 EST
Canadian researchers have restored some movement in rats paralyzed from spinal cord injuries by using transplanted brain cells taken from adult mice.
Posted: March 28, 2006 17:17:49 EST
Canadian researchers have restored some movement in rats paralyzed from spinal cord injuries by using transplanted brain cells taken from adult mice.
Stem cells from brains help rats walk, study says
Source: Reuters
Posted: Tue March 28, 2006 5:19 PM ET
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Stem cells harvested from the brains of mice can restore some walking ability in laboratory rats with spinal-cord damage, Canadian scientists reported on Tuesday.
Posted: Tue March 28, 2006 5:19 PM ET
By Lisa Richwine
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Stem cells harvested from the brains of mice can restore some walking ability in laboratory rats with spinal-cord damage, Canadian scientists reported on Tuesday.
Transplanted mice cells ease rat paralysis
Source: Associated Press
Date: March 28, 2006
MALCOLM RITTER
Associated Press
NEW YORK - Scientists eased the paralysis of rats with spinal cord injury by transplanting cells taken from the brains of adult mice, an encouraging sign for developing a human treatment, researchers reported.
Date: March 28, 2006
MALCOLM RITTER
Associated Press
NEW YORK - Scientists eased the paralysis of rats with spinal cord injury by transplanting cells taken from the brains of adult mice, an encouraging sign for developing a human treatment, researchers reported.
Protein Sorting In Pigment Cells Sheds Light On Melanoma, Alzheimer's Disease
Source: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Posted: March 28, 2006
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered how a protein called Pmel17 is sorted by pigment cells in the skin and eye to make a fiber matrix that eventually sequesters melanin, the dark pigment found in skin, hair, and eyes. Understanding the molecular steps prior to fiber formation – and when this process goes awry – may lead to a better understanding of melanoma and Alzheimer’s disease.
Posted: March 28, 2006
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have discovered how a protein called Pmel17 is sorted by pigment cells in the skin and eye to make a fiber matrix that eventually sequesters melanin, the dark pigment found in skin, hair, and eyes. Understanding the molecular steps prior to fiber formation – and when this process goes awry – may lead to a better understanding of melanoma and Alzheimer’s disease.
Pressure for success often lures researchers to fudge truth
Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Date: March 19, 2006
Here is a feature about how the enticement, and pressure, for success can lead researchers to bend the truth.
Date: March 19, 2006
Here is a feature about how the enticement, and pressure, for success can lead researchers to bend the truth.
Minimal Cocktail For Growing Human Embryonic Stem Cells Established
Source: Yale University
Posted: March 28, 2006
Researchers have established the minimal nutritional requirements for growing and maintaining human embryonic stem cells, a recipe that is critical for clinical application and for developmental studies. They documented a simple mix they call hESC cocktail, or HESCO, that contains only purified recombinant, chemically-synthesized, or purified human factors to support the cell growth.
Posted: March 28, 2006
Researchers have established the minimal nutritional requirements for growing and maintaining human embryonic stem cells, a recipe that is critical for clinical application and for developmental studies. They documented a simple mix they call hESC cocktail, or HESCO, that contains only purified recombinant, chemically-synthesized, or purified human factors to support the cell growth.
Monday, March 27, 2006
Diabetes patients gain hope from vaccine tests
Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Date: March 28, 2006
By Jennifer Bails
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Based on successful experiments with mice, the federal government yesterday approved the launch of an early-stage clinical trial to test the safety of a vaccine that could reverse the course of type 1 diabetes or even prevent onset of the disease. The vaccine is designed to work by using a patient's genetically modified immune cells to prevent the body from further destroying its insulin-producing cells.
Date: March 28, 2006
By Jennifer Bails
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Based on successful experiments with mice, the federal government yesterday approved the launch of an early-stage clinical trial to test the safety of a vaccine that could reverse the course of type 1 diabetes or even prevent onset of the disease. The vaccine is designed to work by using a patient's genetically modified immune cells to prevent the body from further destroying its insulin-producing cells.
Rice Bioengineers Pioneer Techniques For Knee Repair
Source: Rice University
Posted: March 28, 2006
A breakthrough self-assembly technique for growing replacement cartilage offers the first hope of replacing the entire articular surface of knees damaged by arthritis. The technique, developed at Rice University's Musculoskeletal Bioengineering Laboratory, is described in this month's issue of the journal Tissue Engineering.
Posted: March 28, 2006
A breakthrough self-assembly technique for growing replacement cartilage offers the first hope of replacing the entire articular surface of knees damaged by arthritis. The technique, developed at Rice University's Musculoskeletal Bioengineering Laboratory, is described in this month's issue of the journal Tissue Engineering.
Researchers Reverse Juvenile Diabetes In Animal Model; Clinical Trial FDA Approved
Source: Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
Posted: March 27, 2006
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center researchers observed significant improvement of mice with diabetesl by a novel treatment strategy involving specific modification of the animal's own dendritic cells, thereby reversing diabetes in animal studies. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the start of a clinical trial to evaluate the safety and feasibility of the treatment (Phase 1 trial).
Posted: March 27, 2006
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of University of Pittsburgh Medical Center researchers observed significant improvement of mice with diabetesl by a novel treatment strategy involving specific modification of the animal's own dendritic cells, thereby reversing diabetes in animal studies. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the start of a clinical trial to evaluate the safety and feasibility of the treatment (Phase 1 trial).
Powerful New Tool for Studying Brain Development
Source: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital via PR Newswire
Date: March 27, 2006
The mouse Brain Gene Expression Map at St. Jude shows where and when genes influence development of the brain and helps researchers study links between gene mutations and cancers
MEMPHIS, Tenn., March 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have given investigators around the world free access to a powerful tool for studying brain development. The Internet-based tool, called the mouse Brain Gene Expression Map (BGEM), is one of the largest gene expression maps of an organ ever developed, according to the St. Jude researchers. They say the map will likely help scientists discover the genetic origins of brain cancers, which could speed development of novel drugs to treat them.
Date: March 27, 2006
The mouse Brain Gene Expression Map at St. Jude shows where and when genes influence development of the brain and helps researchers study links between gene mutations and cancers
MEMPHIS, Tenn., March 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have given investigators around the world free access to a powerful tool for studying brain development. The Internet-based tool, called the mouse Brain Gene Expression Map (BGEM), is one of the largest gene expression maps of an organ ever developed, according to the St. Jude researchers. They say the map will likely help scientists discover the genetic origins of brain cancers, which could speed development of novel drugs to treat them.
Efforts To Replicate Controversial Diabetes Therapy Bring Partial Success
Source: University of Chicago Medical Center
Posted: March 26, 2006
An effort by researchers at the University of Chicago to confirm the results of a high-profile study that brought extraordinary hope to diabetes researchers and patients worldwide has met with considerable, but not complete, success. The researchers were able to reverse type-1 diabetes in one-third of mice but were unable to find any evidence of insulin-producing beta cells derived from donated spleen cells, initially thought to be a crucial component of the therapy.
Posted: March 26, 2006
An effort by researchers at the University of Chicago to confirm the results of a high-profile study that brought extraordinary hope to diabetes researchers and patients worldwide has met with considerable, but not complete, success. The researchers were able to reverse type-1 diabetes in one-third of mice but were unable to find any evidence of insulin-producing beta cells derived from donated spleen cells, initially thought to be a crucial component of the therapy.
PrimeGen Biotech Successfully Derives Human Heart, Brain, Bone and Cartilage Cells from Stem Cells Found in Adult Male Testes
Source: PrimeGen Biotech LLC
Date: March 27, 2006
In a breakthrough for stem cell research and cellular replacement therapies, PrimeGen Biotech LLC (www.primegenbiotech.com) today announced that its researchers have successfully developed the first human adult therapeutic germ stem cell. Derived from adult stem cells but with the advantageous genetic characteristics of embryonic stem cells, PrimeCells have successfully been transformed into human heart, brain, bone and cartilage cells -- cardio, neuro, osteo and chondrocytes.
Date: March 27, 2006
In a breakthrough for stem cell research and cellular replacement therapies, PrimeGen Biotech LLC (www.primegenbiotech.com) today announced that its researchers have successfully developed the first human adult therapeutic germ stem cell. Derived from adult stem cells but with the advantageous genetic characteristics of embryonic stem cells, PrimeCells have successfully been transformed into human heart, brain, bone and cartilage cells -- cardio, neuro, osteo and chondrocytes.
Neuroscientists Discover New Cell Type That May Help Brain Maintain Memories Of Smells
Source: Case Western Reserve University
Posted: March 19, 2006
Neuroscientists have discovered a new cell type in the part of the brain that processes our sense of smell. This new cell type, the Blanes cell, is a member of a group of previously unstudied brain cells described by the Spanish neuroanatomist Blanes (pronounced blon - es) in the late 1800s. Blanes cells have unusual properties which may help the brain maintain memories of smells and also opens a new approach to understanding the basis of memory impairments in Alzheimer's disease. Their paper appears in the March 16 issue of the journal Neuron.
Posted: March 19, 2006
Neuroscientists have discovered a new cell type in the part of the brain that processes our sense of smell. This new cell type, the Blanes cell, is a member of a group of previously unstudied brain cells described by the Spanish neuroanatomist Blanes (pronounced blon - es) in the late 1800s. Blanes cells have unusual properties which may help the brain maintain memories of smells and also opens a new approach to understanding the basis of memory impairments in Alzheimer's disease. Their paper appears in the March 16 issue of the journal Neuron.
Potent Stem Cells From Sperm
Source: Science Magazine
Date: March 24, 2006
A team of German scientists reported that it has succeeded in turning stem cells that become sperm in mice into cells with many of the characteristics of embryonic stem (ES) cells. If the same feat can be done with human sperm stem cells, scientists say the technique could offer a much-sought alternative to destroying human embryos for acquiring ES-like cells.
Date: March 24, 2006
A team of German scientists reported that it has succeeded in turning stem cells that become sperm in mice into cells with many of the characteristics of embryonic stem (ES) cells. If the same feat can be done with human sperm stem cells, scientists say the technique could offer a much-sought alternative to destroying human embryos for acquiring ES-like cells.
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Nanotechnology could fix nerve, brain damage
Source: Boston Globe / San Francisco Chronicle
Date: March 26, 2006
Summary:
The Boston Globe reports on an advance in nanotechnology that could heal brain damage:
"In work that might hold promise for victims of spinal cord and brain injuries, researchers report that they have managed to restore sight to blinded hamsters using a process they call nanoknitting. The work represents the first time that nanotechnology -- engineering on an ultra-tiny scale -- has been used to fix brain damage, said Rutledge Ellis-Behnke, a neuroscientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the lead researcher on the paper."
Date: March 26, 2006
Summary:
The Boston Globe reports on an advance in nanotechnology that could heal brain damage:
"In work that might hold promise for victims of spinal cord and brain injuries, researchers report that they have managed to restore sight to blinded hamsters using a process they call nanoknitting. The work represents the first time that nanotechnology -- engineering on an ultra-tiny scale -- has been used to fix brain damage, said Rutledge Ellis-Behnke, a neuroscientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the lead researcher on the paper."
Democrats counting on stem-cell stance in November
Source: Chicago Tribune
Posted: March 26, 2006
Democrats around the country are counting on the stem cell issue to give them a boost in November's congressional elections. They plan to push the issue especially hard in districts that are home to large medical or biotechnology industries, as well as politically moderate areas where a Republican officeholder has played a large role in opposing stem cell research.
Posted: March 26, 2006
Democrats around the country are counting on the stem cell issue to give them a boost in November's congressional elections. They plan to push the issue especially hard in districts that are home to large medical or biotechnology industries, as well as politically moderate areas where a Republican officeholder has played a large role in opposing stem cell research.
Infused Spleen Cells Found Not To Impact Islet Recovery And Reversal Of Type 1 Diabetes In Mice
Source: Joslin Diabetes Center
Date: March 26, 2006
Researchers from Joslin Diabetes Center have published in the March, 2006, issue of the journal Science a significant study about islet cell recovery and reversal of type 1 diabetes in mice.
Date: March 26, 2006
Researchers from Joslin Diabetes Center have published in the March, 2006, issue of the journal Science a significant study about islet cell recovery and reversal of type 1 diabetes in mice.
Spinal-cord injury research shows promise
Source: Knight Ridder News Service
Date: March 26, 2006
Here is an article about spinal cord injury research.
Date: March 26, 2006
Here is an article about spinal cord injury research.
It's in the bag, say stem cell scientists
Source: The Sydney Morning Herald
Date: March 27, 2006
By Deborah Smith Science Editor
HUMAN testes could be a source of embryonic-like stem cells, providing a way to grow tissue to repair the body without having to destroy or create embryos. Researchers have discovered that cells from the testes of adult mice that normally turn into sperm can be transformed into different types of tissue, including liver, heart, muscle, skin, pancreas and nerve cells.
Date: March 27, 2006
By Deborah Smith Science Editor
HUMAN testes could be a source of embryonic-like stem cells, providing a way to grow tissue to repair the body without having to destroy or create embryos. Researchers have discovered that cells from the testes of adult mice that normally turn into sperm can be transformed into different types of tissue, including liver, heart, muscle, skin, pancreas and nerve cells.
Scientists cultivate new stem cell source
Source: Tribune News Services
Date: March 26, 2006
GERMANY -- Scientists retrieved easily obtained cells from the testes of male mice and transformed them into what appear to be embryonic stem cells, the versatile and medically promising biological building blocks that can morph into all kinds of living tissues. If similar cells exist in the testes of men, then it may not be difficult to grow them into new tissues and transplant those tissues into the ailing organs of men who donated the cells.
Date: March 26, 2006
GERMANY -- Scientists retrieved easily obtained cells from the testes of male mice and transformed them into what appear to be embryonic stem cells, the versatile and medically promising biological building blocks that can morph into all kinds of living tissues. If similar cells exist in the testes of men, then it may not be difficult to grow them into new tissues and transplant those tissues into the ailing organs of men who donated the cells.
Saturday, March 25, 2006
VCU scientists to study stem cells: U.S.-approved lines to be used in research on how cancer forms
Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch
Date: March 18, 2006
Scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University are planning to study federally-approved human embryonic stem cells in their laboratories to learn more about their genetic stability -- how much they might change from their original form -- and how proliferating cells become cancerous.
Date: March 18, 2006
Scientists at Virginia Commonwealth University are planning to study federally-approved human embryonic stem cells in their laboratories to learn more about their genetic stability -- how much they might change from their original form -- and how proliferating cells become cancerous.
Researchers find stem-cell hope in testes of mice
Source: Associated Press
Date: March 25, 2006
German scientists say cells from the testes of mice can behave like embryonic stem cells. If the same holds true in humans, it could provide a controversy-free source of versatile cells for use in treating disease. Lab tests found that the mouse cells closely mimicked the behavior of embryonic stem cells.
Date: March 25, 2006
German scientists say cells from the testes of mice can behave like embryonic stem cells. If the same holds true in humans, it could provide a controversy-free source of versatile cells for use in treating disease. Lab tests found that the mouse cells closely mimicked the behavior of embryonic stem cells.
Stem cell variation harvested from mice
Source: Bloomberg News
Date: March 25, 2006
Cells from the testicles of adult mice may have the same potential as embryonic stem cells to cure conditions such as diabetes and Parkinson's disease, possibly sidestepping ethical questions on the research, a study says. German researchers said the cells from the mice testicles have the same ability to grow into many different cell types found in the body.
Date: March 25, 2006
Cells from the testicles of adult mice may have the same potential as embryonic stem cells to cure conditions such as diabetes and Parkinson's disease, possibly sidestepping ethical questions on the research, a study says. German researchers said the cells from the mice testicles have the same ability to grow into many different cell types found in the body.
Germans announce stem cell advance: Technique avoids use of embryos
Source: Boston Globe
Date: March 25, 2006
By Gareth Cook, Globe Staff | March 25, 2006
Scientists have created cells similar to embryonic stem cells without using embryos, suggesting a way that stem cell research might advance without the controversy that has surrounded it. The team of scientists removed sperm-producing stem cells from mice and transformed them into cells that appear to be identical to embryonic stem cells, which can become any type of cell in the body and which lead to new treatments for a variety of diseases.
Date: March 25, 2006
By Gareth Cook, Globe Staff | March 25, 2006
Scientists have created cells similar to embryonic stem cells without using embryos, suggesting a way that stem cell research might advance without the controversy that has surrounded it. The team of scientists removed sperm-producing stem cells from mice and transformed them into cells that appear to be identical to embryonic stem cells, which can become any type of cell in the body and which lead to new treatments for a variety of diseases.
Friday, March 24, 2006
Stem cells found in adult mouse testes: Procedure could yield an ethically sound source of stem cells.
Source: Nature
Date: March 24, 2006
Researchers in Germany have identified a potential source of reprogrammable cells in adults that could be used for regenerative therapy. The cells would be taken directly from the testis and cultured. No cloning or destruction of embryos would be necessary. The discovery opens up the possibility, at least for men, of having an endless source of fresh stem cells tailored to one's genetic makeup, which could be turned into any kind of body tissue and used for treatment.
Date: March 24, 2006
Researchers in Germany have identified a potential source of reprogrammable cells in adults that could be used for regenerative therapy. The cells would be taken directly from the testis and cultured. No cloning or destruction of embryos would be necessary. The discovery opens up the possibility, at least for men, of having an endless source of fresh stem cells tailored to one's genetic makeup, which could be turned into any kind of body tissue and used for treatment.
Testicle cells may aid research
Source: BBC News
Date: March 25, 2006
Scientists believe the human testicle may provide a less controversial source of cells for stem cell research. A German team describe how they isolated cells from mice testes that seem equally useful. The researchers believe similar cells could also be extracted from humans.
Date: March 25, 2006
Scientists believe the human testicle may provide a less controversial source of cells for stem cell research. A German team describe how they isolated cells from mice testes that seem equally useful. The researchers believe similar cells could also be extracted from humans.
Embryonic Stem Cell Success: In Mouse Experiment, Cells From Testes Are Transformed
Souce: Washington Post
Date: March 25, 2006
By Rick Weiss
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, March 25, 2006; Page A11
Scientists in Germany said yesterday that they had retrieved easily obtained cells from the testes of male mice and transformed them into what appear to be embryonic stem cells, the versatile and medically promising biological building blocks that can morph into all kinds of living tissues.
Date: March 25, 2006
By Rick Weiss
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, March 25, 2006; Page A11
Scientists in Germany said yesterday that they had retrieved easily obtained cells from the testes of male mice and transformed them into what appear to be embryonic stem cells, the versatile and medically promising biological building blocks that can morph into all kinds of living tissues.
Testicles could be stem-cell source
Source: United Press International
Date: March 24, 2006
GOETTINGEN, Germany, March 24 (UPI) -- German researchers said they have isolated cells from adult mouse testicles that have properties of embryonic stem cells. If the finding holds true in humans, the cells could provide an alternative source of embryonic stem cells, which would avoid the ethical controversy over the destruction of embryos that is now required to obtain stem cells.
Date: March 24, 2006
GOETTINGEN, Germany, March 24 (UPI) -- German researchers said they have isolated cells from adult mouse testicles that have properties of embryonic stem cells. If the finding holds true in humans, the cells could provide an alternative source of embryonic stem cells, which would avoid the ethical controversy over the destruction of embryos that is now required to obtain stem cells.
Testicles may provide a better kind of stem cell
Source: The Times
Date: March 25, 2006
Scientists have successfully isolated a new kind of stem cell from the testes of adult mice that can grow into a full range of tissue types, offering a possible alternative to embryonic stem (ES) cells for medical therapies. If the findings are repeated in people, it could become possible to harvest the cells from testicles and grow them into specialised tissues for treating conditions such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and paralysis.
Date: March 25, 2006
Scientists have successfully isolated a new kind of stem cell from the testes of adult mice that can grow into a full range of tissue types, offering a possible alternative to embryonic stem (ES) cells for medical therapies. If the findings are repeated in people, it could become possible to harvest the cells from testicles and grow them into specialised tissues for treating conditions such as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and paralysis.
Mice testicles yield 'ethical' stem cells
Source: New Scientist
Posted: 24 March 2006 16:22
Summary:
New Scientist reports on a discovery by German scientist of stem cells in mice testicles that might possess properties of embryonic stem cells:
"Men’s testicles may provide an “ethical” source of embryonic stem cells (ESCs), suggest new experiments in mice. A team in Germany has successfully grown mouse ESC-like cells from spermatagonial stem cells which normally turn into sperm. The ESC-like cells can be grown into all tissues of the mouse body, suggesting that if the same could be done in men, it would provide patients with a source of tissue-matched cells for repairing any damaged organs or tissue."
Posted: 24 March 2006 16:22
Summary:
New Scientist reports on a discovery by German scientist of stem cells in mice testicles that might possess properties of embryonic stem cells:
"Men’s testicles may provide an “ethical” source of embryonic stem cells (ESCs), suggest new experiments in mice. A team in Germany has successfully grown mouse ESC-like cells from spermatagonial stem cells which normally turn into sperm. The ESC-like cells can be grown into all tissues of the mouse body, suggesting that if the same could be done in men, it would provide patients with a source of tissue-matched cells for repairing any damaged organs or tissue."
Testicles could be stem-cell source
Source: United Press International
Date: March 24, 2006
Summary:
German researchers said they have isolated cells from adult mouse testicles that have properties of embryonic stem cells.
If the finding holds true in humans, the cells could provide an alternative source of embryonic stem cells, which would avoid the ethical controversy over the destruction of embryos that is now required to obtain stem cells.
Date: March 24, 2006
Summary:
German researchers said they have isolated cells from adult mouse testicles that have properties of embryonic stem cells.
If the finding holds true in humans, the cells could provide an alternative source of embryonic stem cells, which would avoid the ethical controversy over the destruction of embryos that is now required to obtain stem cells.
Adult cells in mice shown to mimic embryonic stem cells
Source: Reuters
Posted: March 24, 2006
LONDON (Reuters) - German scientists said on Friday they had isolated sperm-producing stem cells that have similar properties to embryonic stem cells from adult mice. If it is possible to isolate the cells in humans and show that they work it would give scientists another source of stem cells for research and remove the ethical dilemma associated with stem cells derived from human embryos.
Posted: March 24, 2006
LONDON (Reuters) - German scientists said on Friday they had isolated sperm-producing stem cells that have similar properties to embryonic stem cells from adult mice. If it is possible to isolate the cells in humans and show that they work it would give scientists another source of stem cells for research and remove the ethical dilemma associated with stem cells derived from human embryos.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Mouse study advances transplant-free approach to Type 1 diabetes
By Eric Hand
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Thursday, Mar. 23 2006
Washington University researchers have reaffirmed a simple approach to curing Type 1 diabetes in mice: stop the immune system before it kills off all the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. The study advances a transplant-free approach to curing Type 1 diabetes with a simple, short and cheap regimen of drugs. But the researchers, who also added adult stem cells from the spleen into the mouse pancreas, did not find spleen cells morphing into a new source of new pancreatic cells, as was claimed by Harvard University researchers three years ago.
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Thursday, Mar. 23 2006
Washington University researchers have reaffirmed a simple approach to curing Type 1 diabetes in mice: stop the immune system before it kills off all the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. The study advances a transplant-free approach to curing Type 1 diabetes with a simple, short and cheap regimen of drugs. But the researchers, who also added adult stem cells from the spleen into the mouse pancreas, did not find spleen cells morphing into a new source of new pancreatic cells, as was claimed by Harvard University researchers three years ago.
Protein That Regulates Quiescent Blood Stem Cells May Enhance Recovery From Radiation And Chemo
Source: Cancer Cell
Posted: March 18, 2006
Scientists have uncovered new information about what orchestrates the complex balance between blood stem cells and mature blood cells, a relationship that is often disrupted in leukemia. The results will lead to a better understanding of the behavior of leukemic cells and may have vital clinical applications for patients recovering from chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or bone marrow transplantation.
Posted: March 18, 2006
Scientists have uncovered new information about what orchestrates the complex balance between blood stem cells and mature blood cells, a relationship that is often disrupted in leukemia. The results will lead to a better understanding of the behavior of leukemic cells and may have vital clinical applications for patients recovering from chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or bone marrow transplantation.
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
New Promise on the Horizon for Treating Orthopaedic Conditions. Experts Discuss Advanced Stem Cell, Gene Therapy and Allograft Applications
Source: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Date: March 22, 2006
CHICAGO, March 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Recent advances in gene therapy, stem cells and other promising applications are offering new hope for patients and helping orthopaedic surgeons provide state-of-the-art treatment for various frame-related conditions.
Date: March 22, 2006
CHICAGO, March 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Recent advances in gene therapy, stem cells and other promising applications are offering new hope for patients and helping orthopaedic surgeons provide state-of-the-art treatment for various frame-related conditions.
Cell Therapy Slows Progression Of An Inherited Neurological Disease; Improves Motor Skills In Mice
Source: Society for Neuroscience
Posted: March 22, 2006
Scientists have demonstrated that the progression of a type of genetic brain disease is slowed and symptoms are improved in mice that received cell transplants. The new study may have implications for developing new therapies for metachromatic leukodystrophy, or MLD.
Posted: March 22, 2006
Scientists have demonstrated that the progression of a type of genetic brain disease is slowed and symptoms are improved in mice that received cell transplants. The new study may have implications for developing new therapies for metachromatic leukodystrophy, or MLD.
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Moraga Biotechnology Corp. Discovers a Primitive Embryonic-like Stem Cell in Adult Tissues
Source: Moraga Biotechnology Corporation
Posted: March 21, 2006
Biotech Company Discovers Primitive Stem Cells
LOS ANGELES, March 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Moraga Biotechnology Corporation, an adult stem cell company based in Los Angeles, California, announces thediscovery in adult tissues of a very primitive stem cell with properties thatare similar to embryonic cells.
Posted: March 21, 2006
Biotech Company Discovers Primitive Stem Cells
LOS ANGELES, March 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Moraga Biotechnology Corporation, an adult stem cell company based in Los Angeles, California, announces thediscovery in adult tissues of a very primitive stem cell with properties thatare similar to embryonic cells.
A New Focus For The Mechanism Of Nerve Growth
Source: Yale University
Posted: March 20, 2006
New Haven, Conn. -- Researchers at Yale shed new light on the mechanism of nerve cell growth by identifying novel functions for a molecular "motor" protein, myosin-II. This study implicates the molecular motor, myosin II, as a key part of the process of recycling the actin networks and ultimately sensing and directing nerve growth. The team is now investigating the implications of these findings for control of nerve growth, with particular interest in repair of spinal cord nerves after injury.
Posted: March 20, 2006
New Haven, Conn. -- Researchers at Yale shed new light on the mechanism of nerve cell growth by identifying novel functions for a molecular "motor" protein, myosin-II. This study implicates the molecular motor, myosin II, as a key part of the process of recycling the actin networks and ultimately sensing and directing nerve growth. The team is now investigating the implications of these findings for control of nerve growth, with particular interest in repair of spinal cord nerves after injury.
Samaritan's Adult Stem Cell Drug Displays Money-Making Signs
Source: Business Wire
Date: March 21, 2006
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 20, 2006--Samaritan Pharmaceuticals Inc. (AMEX:LIV), a developer of innovative drugs, announced today its Alzheimer's adult stem cell drug SP-sc04, which induces dormant brain neuronal stem cells to differentiate rapidly into adult neuron cells, is progressing through preclinical studies with promising results.
Date: March 21, 2006
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 20, 2006--Samaritan Pharmaceuticals Inc. (AMEX:LIV), a developer of innovative drugs, announced today its Alzheimer's adult stem cell drug SP-sc04, which induces dormant brain neuronal stem cells to differentiate rapidly into adult neuron cells, is progressing through preclinical studies with promising results.
Monday, March 20, 2006
New 'Stars' In Formation Of Nerve Cell Insulation
Source: Cell Press
Posted: March 21, 2006
The insulating myelin sheath enwrapping the cable-like axons of nerve cells is the major target of attack of the immune system in multiple sclerosis. Such attack causes neural short-circuits that give rise to the muscle weakness, loss of coordination, and speech and visual loss in the disease.
Researchers at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development have reported that supporting cells called astrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS) promote myelination by releasing an immune system molecule that triggers myelin-forming cells to action. The finding, they say, "may offer new approaches to treating demyelinating diseases."
Posted: March 21, 2006
The insulating myelin sheath enwrapping the cable-like axons of nerve cells is the major target of attack of the immune system in multiple sclerosis. Such attack causes neural short-circuits that give rise to the muscle weakness, loss of coordination, and speech and visual loss in the disease.
Researchers at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development have reported that supporting cells called astrocytes in the central nervous system (CNS) promote myelination by releasing an immune system molecule that triggers myelin-forming cells to action. The finding, they say, "may offer new approaches to treating demyelinating diseases."
Moraga discovers flexible stem cell in adult tissue
Source: Pharmaceutical Business Review
Date: 20th March 2006
By Staff Writer
Moraga Biotechnology has discovered a very primitive stem cell in adult tissue with properties that the company says are similar to embryonic cells. The finding could help to negotiate ethical concerns about the use of embryonic stem cells in developing new treatments.
Date: 20th March 2006
By Staff Writer
Moraga Biotechnology has discovered a very primitive stem cell in adult tissue with properties that the company says are similar to embryonic cells. The finding could help to negotiate ethical concerns about the use of embryonic stem cells in developing new treatments.
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Growth-factor Therapy Improves Endothelial Cell Production And Mobility In Arterial Disease
Source: Emory University Health Sciences Center
Posted: March 13, 2006
Using a growth factor to stimulate production of circulating endothelial progenitor cells increases the numbers of these vascular regenerative cells, improves mobility, and potentially could improve blood vessel function in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
Posted: March 13, 2006
Using a growth factor to stimulate production of circulating endothelial progenitor cells increases the numbers of these vascular regenerative cells, improves mobility, and potentially could improve blood vessel function in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD).
Potential Heart Benefit Found In Stem Cells
Source: American College of Cardiology
Date: March 18, 2006
Research on the efficacy of stem cell therapy for heart repair has shown benefit from mesenchymal stem cells (often found in bone marrow), but mostly because assist in the growth of new blood vessels. In two studies presented from Japanese researchers, new sources from menstrual blood-derived endometrial cells and umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal cells show significant promise in this function.
Date: March 18, 2006
Research on the efficacy of stem cell therapy for heart repair has shown benefit from mesenchymal stem cells (often found in bone marrow), but mostly because assist in the growth of new blood vessels. In two studies presented from Japanese researchers, new sources from menstrual blood-derived endometrial cells and umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal cells show significant promise in this function.
Old Man, Look at Your Life
Source: Reuters / Wired
Date: March 15, 2006
Modern medicine is redefining old age and may soon allow people to live regularly beyond the current upper limit of 120 years. It used to be thought there was some built-in limit on lifespan, but a group of scientists consigned that idea to the dustbin.
Date: March 15, 2006
Modern medicine is redefining old age and may soon allow people to live regularly beyond the current upper limit of 120 years. It used to be thought there was some built-in limit on lifespan, but a group of scientists consigned that idea to the dustbin.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp. Reports Positive Results of Phase I Clinical Trial
Source: Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp. via CNW Group
March 16, 2006
CALGARY, March 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp. has reported positive results from its Phase I clinical trial in support of its lead therapeutic program for stroke, NTx(TM)-265. The trial demonstrated that, for the two drugs administered to healthy volunteers, no drug related adverse events were encountered and both drugs were detected in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) following intramuscular administration.
March 16, 2006
CALGARY, March 16 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp. has reported positive results from its Phase I clinical trial in support of its lead therapeutic program for stroke, NTx(TM)-265. The trial demonstrated that, for the two drugs administered to healthy volunteers, no drug related adverse events were encountered and both drugs were detected in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) following intramuscular administration.
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