Source: University of Calgary
Posted: March 17, 2006
Freedom from insulin injections and the myriad of health problems related to type 1 diabetes is closer to becoming reality. University of Calgary researchers are developing the first bioreactor procedures to grow pancreatic cells in their laboratory. This opens the door to the possibility of providing a steady supply of insulin-producing cells that can be transplanted into patients affected by this serious disease.
Friday, March 17, 2006
Thursday, March 16, 2006
Study To Test Drug's Potential To Preserve Insulin Production In Newly Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetics
Source: Indiana University
Posted: March 16, 2006
A drug used to treat lymphoma, rheumatoid arthritis and other immune disorders may enable newly-diagnosed type 1 diabetics to save some of their pancreas function and thereby reduce their susceptibility to long-term complications.
Posted: March 16, 2006
A drug used to treat lymphoma, rheumatoid arthritis and other immune disorders may enable newly-diagnosed type 1 diabetics to save some of their pancreas function and thereby reduce their susceptibility to long-term complications.
Montgomery Advertiser, 1/7/06: "Editorial: Stem-cell policy has long reach"
Here's a recent editorial about the current federal stem cell research restrictions in the United States being partially responsible for the recent cloning fraud in South Korea:
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Uncovering How Bone Marrow Stomal Cells Can Potentially Regenerate Brain Tissue
Source: Society of Nuclear Medicine
Posted: March 16, 2006
Japanese researchers have found a piece of the “missing link” about how adult bone marrow stromal cells restore lost neurologic function when transplanted into animals exhibiting central nervous system disorders. The cells may provide a safe, ethical source for replacing brain cells lost to neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Studies have shown that cells taken from adult human bone marrow may possibly be converted into neural cells that could then be transplanted into the brain.
Posted: March 16, 2006
Japanese researchers have found a piece of the “missing link” about how adult bone marrow stromal cells restore lost neurologic function when transplanted into animals exhibiting central nervous system disorders. The cells may provide a safe, ethical source for replacing brain cells lost to neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Studies have shown that cells taken from adult human bone marrow may possibly be converted into neural cells that could then be transplanted into the brain.
Stem cell heart treatment: Baxter machine for separating cells is key to an attempt to counter disease in clinical trial
Source: Chicago Tribune
By Bruce Japsen
Tribune staff reporter
Published March 7, 2006
A treatment that uses adult stem cells to rebuild failing hearts--once believed to be impossible--will undergo a pivotal test starting this week in a 150-patient clinical trial under the watch of Baxter International Inc.
By Bruce Japsen
Tribune staff reporter
Published March 7, 2006
A treatment that uses adult stem cells to rebuild failing hearts--once believed to be impossible--will undergo a pivotal test starting this week in a 150-patient clinical trial under the watch of Baxter International Inc.
Adult Stem Cells Improve Cardiac Function and Blood Flow in Patients With Heart Disease, New Study Finds
Source: Cordis Corporation via PR Newswire
March 15, 2006
ATLANTA, March 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Bone marrow-derived adult stem cells administered within the heart (intramyocardial) and coronary artery (intracoronary) tissues of heart disease patients improved patients' heart function and blood flow, according to a pilot study presented at the 2006 American College of Cardiology Scientific Session. The study also found that patients who received more stem cells experienced a higher degree of cardiac improvement. The results of this study may lead to treatments for for patients who suffer from serious coronary heart disease. Additional clinical investigation is necessary to confirm the findings.
March 15, 2006
ATLANTA, March 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Bone marrow-derived adult stem cells administered within the heart (intramyocardial) and coronary artery (intracoronary) tissues of heart disease patients improved patients' heart function and blood flow, according to a pilot study presented at the 2006 American College of Cardiology Scientific Session. The study also found that patients who received more stem cells experienced a higher degree of cardiac improvement. The results of this study may lead to treatments for for patients who suffer from serious coronary heart disease. Additional clinical investigation is necessary to confirm the findings.
Alzheimer's Study First To Explain Death Of Brain Cells
Source: Children's Hospital & Research Center at Oakland
Posted: March 14, 2006
Researchers at Children's Hospital & Research Center at Oakland (CHRCO) have published a new study that is the first to explain how brain cells die in patients with Alzheimer's Disease. This discovery is an important first step to helping researchers devise ways to slow, prevent and eventually cure the disease.
Posted: March 14, 2006
Researchers at Children's Hospital & Research Center at Oakland (CHRCO) have published a new study that is the first to explain how brain cells die in patients with Alzheimer's Disease. This discovery is an important first step to helping researchers devise ways to slow, prevent and eventually cure the disease.
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
Menstrual blood yields stem cells
Source: Reuters
Posted: March 14, 2006
Summary:
Reuters reports Japanese researchers have obtained stem cells from menstrual blood:
"Japanese researchers have harvested stem cells from human menstrual blood, a medical conference has heard. The researchers say these stem cells could be coaxed into forming specialised heart cells, which might one-day be used to treat failing or damaged hearts. They were able to obtain about 30 times more stem cells from menstrual blood than from bone marrow. The stem cells were then cultured in a way to induce them to become heart cells."
Posted: March 14, 2006
Summary:
Reuters reports Japanese researchers have obtained stem cells from menstrual blood:
"Japanese researchers have harvested stem cells from human menstrual blood, a medical conference has heard. The researchers say these stem cells could be coaxed into forming specialised heart cells, which might one-day be used to treat failing or damaged hearts. They were able to obtain about 30 times more stem cells from menstrual blood than from bone marrow. The stem cells were then cultured in a way to induce them to become heart cells."
First Lung Stem Cells Discovered: May lead to the early detection of lung cancer
Source: Technology Review
March/April 2006
Scientists at MIT's Center for Cancer Research have discovered stem cells -- cells that do not yet have a specific function -- in the lung. Not only is this the first time anyone has found stem cells in the lung, but the team claims that these cells could be the precursor for lung cancer, the cancer that causes the greatest number of deaths in the U.S. each year. In the future, locating the cells could be a new approach to identifying the disease at its earliest stage.
March/April 2006
Scientists at MIT's Center for Cancer Research have discovered stem cells -- cells that do not yet have a specific function -- in the lung. Not only is this the first time anyone has found stem cells in the lung, but the team claims that these cells could be the precursor for lung cancer, the cancer that causes the greatest number of deaths in the U.S. each year. In the future, locating the cells could be a new approach to identifying the disease at its earliest stage.
Brain-Healing Nanotechnology: A ground-breaking treatment could restore lost abilities to stroke victims and others.
Source: Technology Review
Date: March 14, 2006
Summary:
Although victims of stroke and traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries sometimes recover through rehabilitation, they often have permanent disabilities, in part, because scar tissue and regulatory chemicals in the brain slow nerve growth, preventing nerve tissue from repairing itself. Now a treatment that has restored lost vision in lab animals appears to overcome these obstacles, allowing a mass of nerve cells to regrow after being cut.
Date: March 14, 2006
Summary:
Although victims of stroke and traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries sometimes recover through rehabilitation, they often have permanent disabilities, in part, because scar tissue and regulatory chemicals in the brain slow nerve growth, preventing nerve tissue from repairing itself. Now a treatment that has restored lost vision in lab animals appears to overcome these obstacles, allowing a mass of nerve cells to regrow after being cut.
Monday, March 13, 2006
Eye cell implants may ease Parkinson’s
Source: MSNBC / Reuters
CHICAGO - People with Parkinson’s disease showed marked improvement after surgeons implanted in their brains chemical-producing cells taken from the eye of a dead donor.
CHICAGO - People with Parkinson’s disease showed marked improvement after surgeons implanted in their brains chemical-producing cells taken from the eye of a dead donor.
Progenitor Cells Stem Damage After Heart Attack: Study found infusions doubled the improvement in heart pumping function
Source: HealthDay News
By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Nov. 14 (HealthDay News) -- A type of stem cell therapy may offer hope to heart attack survivors who face the prospect of continued heart damage, new research shows. When infused with progenitor bone marrow cells, these patients showed almost double the improvement in the heart's ability to pump blood as did patients who were given a placebo.
By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Nov. 14 (HealthDay News) -- A type of stem cell therapy may offer hope to heart attack survivors who face the prospect of continued heart damage, new research shows. When infused with progenitor bone marrow cells, these patients showed almost double the improvement in the heart's ability to pump blood as did patients who were given a placebo.
Stem Cell Research Holds Promise for Victims of Spinal Cord Ischemia
Source: University of California - San Diego
Date: March 13, 2006
Summary:
Dr. Martin Marsala, an associate professor in the department of anesthesiology, hopes his research with stem cells will one day soon allow people who are suffering from spinal ischemic injury to improve their motor function. His research focuses on is developing cell-replacement therapies aimed at re-populating pools of inhibitory neurons lost when blood supply to the spinal cord is blocked during surgery. While Marsala's research to date has been with rats and mini-pigs, his work is moving towards human trials within the next one to two years, with the goal of promoting motor recovery after spinal cord ischemia.
Date: March 13, 2006
Summary:
Dr. Martin Marsala, an associate professor in the department of anesthesiology, hopes his research with stem cells will one day soon allow people who are suffering from spinal ischemic injury to improve their motor function. His research focuses on is developing cell-replacement therapies aimed at re-populating pools of inhibitory neurons lost when blood supply to the spinal cord is blocked during surgery. While Marsala's research to date has been with rats and mini-pigs, his work is moving towards human trials within the next one to two years, with the goal of promoting motor recovery after spinal cord ischemia.
Living Taste Cells Produced Outside The Body
Source: Monell Chemical Senses Center
Posted: February 24, 2006
Researchers have succeeded in growing mature taste receptor cells outside the body and for the first time have been able to successfully keep the cells alive for a prolonged period of time. The establishment of a viable long-term model opens a range of new opportunities to increase scientists' understanding of the sense of taste and how it functions in nutrition, health and disease. "We have an important new tool to help discover molecules that can enhance or block different kinds of tastes," explains principle investigator Nancy Rawson, PhD, a cellular biologist. "In addition, the success of this technique may provide hope for people who have lost their sense of taste due to radiation therapy or tissue damage, who typically lose weight and become malnourished. This system gives us a way to test for drugs that can promote recovery."
Posted: February 24, 2006
Researchers have succeeded in growing mature taste receptor cells outside the body and for the first time have been able to successfully keep the cells alive for a prolonged period of time. The establishment of a viable long-term model opens a range of new opportunities to increase scientists' understanding of the sense of taste and how it functions in nutrition, health and disease. "We have an important new tool to help discover molecules that can enhance or block different kinds of tastes," explains principle investigator Nancy Rawson, PhD, a cellular biologist. "In addition, the success of this technique may provide hope for people who have lost their sense of taste due to radiation therapy or tissue damage, who typically lose weight and become malnourished. This system gives us a way to test for drugs that can promote recovery."
Liquid crystal mixture might aid stem-cell research
Source: Wisconsin State Journal
DAVID WAHLBERG
March 6, 2006
Liquid crystals, which help display information on cell phones and laptops, could also prove handy in growing stem cells, UW-Madison researchers say. The crystals could offer a new way to monitor differentiation - the process by which blank-slate stem cells evolve into other cell types, such as skin, muscle, kidney or brain.
DAVID WAHLBERG
March 6, 2006
Liquid crystals, which help display information on cell phones and laptops, could also prove handy in growing stem cells, UW-Madison researchers say. The crystals could offer a new way to monitor differentiation - the process by which blank-slate stem cells evolve into other cell types, such as skin, muscle, kidney or brain.
Stem cells studied as heart-attack treatment
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
Date: March 1, 2006
BY JIM RITTER Health Reporter
In a new approach to treating heart disease, researchers are trying to reverse the damage by growing new heart muscle with stem cells.
Date: March 1, 2006
BY JIM RITTER Health Reporter
In a new approach to treating heart disease, researchers are trying to reverse the damage by growing new heart muscle with stem cells.
Study makes adult stem cells more usable
Source: United Press International
Date: January 30, 2006
By ASTARA MARCH
WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- The discovery of several new growth hormones has allowed American scientists to expand colonies of adult mouse stem cells, which usually don't grow in the laboratory, to volumes large enough for use in medical treatments. If the technology also works in human stem cells, researchers say, the technique would pave the way for a host of new therapies and research.
Date: January 30, 2006
By ASTARA MARCH
WASHINGTON, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- The discovery of several new growth hormones has allowed American scientists to expand colonies of adult mouse stem cells, which usually don't grow in the laboratory, to volumes large enough for use in medical treatments. If the technology also works in human stem cells, researchers say, the technique would pave the way for a host of new therapies and research.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Geron's protocol enhances stem-cell yield
Source: United Press International
Date: January 27, 2006
Summary:
Geron said Friday it had developed a protocol to generate islet cells from human embryonic stem cells that could enable the scalable production of treatments for diabetes.
Date: January 27, 2006
Summary:
Geron said Friday it had developed a protocol to generate islet cells from human embryonic stem cells that could enable the scalable production of treatments for diabetes.
GERON ANNOUNCES IMPROVED PRODUCTION METHOD FOR HUMAN EMBRYONIC STEM CELL-DERIVED ISLET CELLS
Source: Geron Corporation
Menlo Park, CA — January 27, 2006 -- Geron Corporation announced the presentation of a new production protocol to differentiate islet cells from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) for the treatment of diabetes.
Menlo Park, CA — January 27, 2006 -- Geron Corporation announced the presentation of a new production protocol to differentiate islet cells from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) for the treatment of diabetes.
Human Embryonic Stem Cell Line Produced Without Use Of Animal Products
Source: University of New South Wales
Posted: Janauary 6, 2006
A UNSW researcher based at the Diabetes Transplant Unit at the Prince of Wales Hospital has produced a human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line without the use of any animal products. The breakthrough eliminates the risk of animal-to-human contamination in potential stem cell therapy treatments.
Posted: Janauary 6, 2006
A UNSW researcher based at the Diabetes Transplant Unit at the Prince of Wales Hospital has produced a human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line without the use of any animal products. The breakthrough eliminates the risk of animal-to-human contamination in potential stem cell therapy treatments.
Scientists advancing stem cell therapies
Source: Australian Associated Press / Sydney Morning Herald
Date: 23 January 2006
Australian scientists believe they have moved a step closer to developing human embryonic stem cells capable of treating disease. The researchers at Sydney's Prince of Wales Hospital have produced a continuously growing population of human embryonic stem cells in a culture devoid of animal products, eliminating the risk of animal-to-human contamination in potential therapies. Eliminating the need for animal products is seen by scientists as overcoming a major hurdle in developing safe and effective treatments for human diseases using embryonic stem cells.
Date: 23 January 2006
Australian scientists believe they have moved a step closer to developing human embryonic stem cells capable of treating disease. The researchers at Sydney's Prince of Wales Hospital have produced a continuously growing population of human embryonic stem cells in a culture devoid of animal products, eliminating the risk of animal-to-human contamination in potential therapies. Eliminating the need for animal products is seen by scientists as overcoming a major hurdle in developing safe and effective treatments for human diseases using embryonic stem cells.
Immune Cells May Help Maintain Cognition And Brain Cell Renewal
Source: American Committee for the Weizmann Institute of Science
Posted: January 16, 2006
A team of scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science, led by Prof. Michal Schwartz of the Neurobiology Department, has come up with new findings that may have implications in delaying and slowing down cognitive deterioration in old age. The basis for these developments is Schwartz's team's observations that immune cells contribute to maintaining the brain's ability to maintain cognitive ability and cell renewal throughout life.
Posted: January 16, 2006
A team of scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science, led by Prof. Michal Schwartz of the Neurobiology Department, has come up with new findings that may have implications in delaying and slowing down cognitive deterioration in old age. The basis for these developments is Schwartz's team's observations that immune cells contribute to maintaining the brain's ability to maintain cognitive ability and cell renewal throughout life.
Study Finds Cloned Stem Cells Safe: Results reassure those who worried lines created without fertilized embryo might go awry
Source: HealthDay News
Date: January 16, 2006
By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Jan. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Stem cells taken from cloned embryos are likely to be safe when used for therapeutic purposes, a new study finds. Although the work, which appears online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was done in mice, there is hope the findings will translate to humans.
Date: January 16, 2006
By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Jan. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Stem cells taken from cloned embryos are likely to be safe when used for therapeutic purposes, a new study finds. Although the work, which appears online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, was done in mice, there is hope the findings will translate to humans.
Administering Stem Cells To Patients With Myocardial Infarction Leads To A Reduction Of The Infarct
Source: VIB, Flanders Interuniversity Institute of Biotechnology
Posted: January 16, 2006
Doctors at the Catholic University of Leuven, connected with the University Hospital - Gasthuisberg, the Stem Cell Institute Leuven (SCIL), and the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), recently publishing a major breakthrough in the treatment of patients with acute myocardial infarction. Their research shows that the administration of a patient's own stem cells has a significant positive effect on the heart's recovery: in the patients studied, the size of the infarct was clearly reduced. This study is a world-first − its exciting results are being published in the prominent medical journal The Lancet.
Posted: January 16, 2006
Doctors at the Catholic University of Leuven, connected with the University Hospital - Gasthuisberg, the Stem Cell Institute Leuven (SCIL), and the Flanders Interuniversity Institute for Biotechnology (VIB), recently publishing a major breakthrough in the treatment of patients with acute myocardial infarction. Their research shows that the administration of a patient's own stem cells has a significant positive effect on the heart's recovery: in the patients studied, the size of the infarct was clearly reduced. This study is a world-first − its exciting results are being published in the prominent medical journal The Lancet.
Deer Antlers Hold Clues To Stem Cell Research
Source: Medical News Today
Date: 15 Jan 2006
New research carried out by veterinary scientists at the Royal Veterinary College reveals that deer antler regeneration may use stem cells and involves similar mechanisms to those used in limb development. The research could take us towards a ‘holy grail' in human medicine: the ability to restore organs damaged through trauma, disease, cancer or excision.
Date: 15 Jan 2006
New research carried out by veterinary scientists at the Royal Veterinary College reveals that deer antler regeneration may use stem cells and involves similar mechanisms to those used in limb development. The research could take us towards a ‘holy grail' in human medicine: the ability to restore organs damaged through trauma, disease, cancer or excision.
Hope of clone cure for sickle cell anaemia: Researchers manage to treat mice for condition that affects five million people
Source: The Times
Date: January 10, 2006
Scientists have successfully treated sickle cell anaemia in mice by transplanting embryonic stem (ES) cells that have been genetically altered to correct the mutation that causes the blood condition.
Date: January 10, 2006
Scientists have successfully treated sickle cell anaemia in mice by transplanting embryonic stem (ES) cells that have been genetically altered to correct the mutation that causes the blood condition.
Human Hair Follicle Stem Cells
Source: Medical News Today
Date: 06 Jan 2006
In a study appearing in the January 4, 2006 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Jonathan Vogel and colleagues from the National Cancer Institute successfully isolated and characterized genes expressed by human hair follicle stem cells. The isolation, cultivation, and propagation of these stem cells are important for tissue-engineering approaches to treating disorders of the hair and skin.
Date: 06 Jan 2006
In a study appearing in the January 4, 2006 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, Jonathan Vogel and colleagues from the National Cancer Institute successfully isolated and characterized genes expressed by human hair follicle stem cells. The isolation, cultivation, and propagation of these stem cells are important for tissue-engineering approaches to treating disorders of the hair and skin.
Stem cell therapy sparks hope in ailing hearts: Experimental procedure uses patient's own cells to regenerate tissue
Source: Reuters / MSNBC
Date: January 8, 2006
A Bangkok hospital is trying a novel therapy that involves injecting stem cells culled from the patient’s own blood into the heart to try to regenerate ailing heart muscle. The two-hour procedure, which involves a patient’s own adult stem cells, skirts the risk of rejection by the body and thorny ethical issues surrounding the use of embryonic stem cells posed by some who equate using embryos with destroying human life.
Date: January 8, 2006
A Bangkok hospital is trying a novel therapy that involves injecting stem cells culled from the patient’s own blood into the heart to try to regenerate ailing heart muscle. The two-hour procedure, which involves a patient’s own adult stem cells, skirts the risk of rejection by the body and thorny ethical issues surrounding the use of embryonic stem cells posed by some who equate using embryos with destroying human life.
New stem-cell medium seems safer -- study
Source: United Press International
Date: January 3, 2006
By ASTARA MARCH
WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- A new culture medium for growing human stem cells -- that contains no animal products -- is offering researchers a cleaner and therefore safer environment for performing the cutting-edge technology. The discovery means that stem cells developed for therapeutic use can be transferred directly to human subjects, said researchers.
Date: January 3, 2006
By ASTARA MARCH
WASHINGTON, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- A new culture medium for growing human stem cells -- that contains no animal products -- is offering researchers a cleaner and therefore safer environment for performing the cutting-edge technology. The discovery means that stem cells developed for therapeutic use can be transferred directly to human subjects, said researchers.
Scientists grow stem-cell lines in new medium
Source: Boston Globe / Reuters
By Joanne Morrison, Reuters | January 2, 2006
WASHINGTON -- Scientists at a laboratory affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a stem cell culture medium free of animal cells and used it to derive two new human embryonic stem cell lines.
The new work, reported in the journal Nature Biotechnology, is a crucial step in stem cell research because it will allow growth of these cells without using animal products that can harbor viruses and other potential sources of problems.
By Joanne Morrison, Reuters | January 2, 2006
WASHINGTON -- Scientists at a laboratory affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison have developed a stem cell culture medium free of animal cells and used it to derive two new human embryonic stem cell lines.
The new work, reported in the journal Nature Biotechnology, is a crucial step in stem cell research because it will allow growth of these cells without using animal products that can harbor viruses and other potential sources of problems.
Wisconsin Scientists Grow Two New Stem Cell Lines In Animal Cell-free Culture
Source: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Posted: January 1, 2006
Scientists working at the WiCell Research Institute, a private laboratory affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, have developed a precisely defined stem cell culture system free of animal cells and used it to derived two new human embryonic stem cell lines.
Posted: January 1, 2006
Scientists working at the WiCell Research Institute, a private laboratory affiliated with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, have developed a precisely defined stem cell culture system free of animal cells and used it to derived two new human embryonic stem cell lines.
UW scientists reveal stem-cell advance
Source: Wisconsin State Journal
Date: January 1, 2006
UW-Madison scientists have created two new embryonic stem-cell lines, the first grown without animal products, officials say, removing a major obstacle to their potential use as cell therapies in people.
Date: January 1, 2006
UW-Madison scientists have created two new embryonic stem-cell lines, the first grown without animal products, officials say, removing a major obstacle to their potential use as cell therapies in people.
Saturday, March 11, 2006
Japanese scientists discover fast-growing stem cell
Source: The Yomiuri Shimbun
A team of researchers has succeeded in engineering stem cells taken from tooth germ to quickly develop into liver or bone tissue, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology's Research Institute (AIST) for Cell Engineering said.
(Mar. 11, 2006)
A team of researchers has succeeded in engineering stem cells taken from tooth germ to quickly develop into liver or bone tissue, the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology's Research Institute (AIST) for Cell Engineering said.
(Mar. 11, 2006)
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Embryonic stem cells made to produce cancer-fighting cells
Source: University of Minnesota
By Sara Buss
From M, winter 2006
Stem cell researchers at the University of Minnesota have coaxed human embryonic stem cells to create cancer-killing cells in the laboratory, paving the way for future treatments for various types of cancers (or tumors).
By Sara Buss
From M, winter 2006
Stem cell researchers at the University of Minnesota have coaxed human embryonic stem cells to create cancer-killing cells in the laboratory, paving the way for future treatments for various types of cancers (or tumors).
Researchers to Begin Brain Stem Cell Trial
Source: Associated Press
By WILLIAM McCALL
The Associated Press
Thursday, March 9, 2006; 8:22 PM
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Oregon researchers are set to begin the first clinical trial in the nation using fetal stem cells to treat infants and children suffering from a rare and fatal brain disease.
By WILLIAM McCALL
The Associated Press
Thursday, March 9, 2006; 8:22 PM
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Oregon researchers are set to begin the first clinical trial in the nation using fetal stem cells to treat infants and children suffering from a rare and fatal brain disease.
Researchers set to begin brain stem cell trial: Experiment aimed at halting progression of fatal genetic disease in kids
Source: The Associated Press
Updated: 8:56 p.m. ET March 9, 2006
Summary:
PORTLAND, Ore. - Oregon researchers are set to begin the first clinical trial in the nation using fetal stem cells to treat infants and children suffering from a rare and fatal brain disease. The stem cells will be injected into the brain in an effort to halt the progress of the genetic disorder called Batten disease that leaves its victims blind, speechless and paralyzed before they die. Researchers note the cells are taken from fetal tissue -- not from developing embryos.
Updated: 8:56 p.m. ET March 9, 2006
Summary:
PORTLAND, Ore. - Oregon researchers are set to begin the first clinical trial in the nation using fetal stem cells to treat infants and children suffering from a rare and fatal brain disease. The stem cells will be injected into the brain in an effort to halt the progress of the genetic disorder called Batten disease that leaves its victims blind, speechless and paralyzed before they die. Researchers note the cells are taken from fetal tissue -- not from developing embryos.
Researchers To Study Effectiveness Of Stem Cell Transplant In Human Brain
Source: Oregon Health & Science University
Date: March 9, 2006
Summary:
Researchers will begin a Phase I clinical trial using stem cells in infants and children with a rare neurodegenerative disorder that affects infants and children. The groundbreaking trial will test whether a proprietary human central nervous stem cell product developed by StemCells, Inc. is safe, and whether it can slow the progression of two forms of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL), a devastating disease that is always fatal. NCL is part of a group of disorders often referred to as Batten disease.
Date: March 9, 2006
Summary:
Researchers will begin a Phase I clinical trial using stem cells in infants and children with a rare neurodegenerative disorder that affects infants and children. The groundbreaking trial will test whether a proprietary human central nervous stem cell product developed by StemCells, Inc. is safe, and whether it can slow the progression of two forms of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL), a devastating disease that is always fatal. NCL is part of a group of disorders often referred to as Batten disease.
Stem cell transplants offer hope against lupus
Source: New Scientist
21:00 31 January 2006
NewScientist.com news service
Roxanne Khamsi
Scientists claim that they have achieved landmark success with an experimental approach, using a patient’s own stem cells, to fight the life-threatening autoimmune disease lupus.
21:00 31 January 2006
NewScientist.com news service
Roxanne Khamsi
Scientists claim that they have achieved landmark success with an experimental approach, using a patient’s own stem cells, to fight the life-threatening autoimmune disease lupus.
Stem Cell Transplant Fights Lupus: It's a last resort for patients who aren't helped by other treatments
Source: HealthDay News
Posted: January 31, 2006
By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Jan. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors say they have helped people with lupus, a disease in which the immune system attacks the body's own tissue and organs, by using stem cell transplants to give them a new, less harmful, immune system.
Posted: January 31, 2006
By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, Jan. 31 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors say they have helped people with lupus, a disease in which the immune system attacks the body's own tissue and organs, by using stem cell transplants to give them a new, less harmful, immune system.
Stem cell treatment shows promise for lupus. Study: Procedure can reverse effects of inflammatory disease
MSNBC.com
Source: Reuters
Reuters
Updated: 4:14 p.m. ET Jan. 31, 2006
CHICAGO - Stem cells from the bone marrow of patients with severe cases of lupus can help reverse the course of the chronic inflammatory disease when transplanted back into the same patients.
Source: Reuters
Reuters
Updated: 4:14 p.m. ET Jan. 31, 2006
CHICAGO - Stem cells from the bone marrow of patients with severe cases of lupus can help reverse the course of the chronic inflammatory disease when transplanted back into the same patients.
Researchers Identify Major Source Of Muscle Repair Cells; Implications For Treating Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy
Source: University of Utah Health Sciences Center
Posted: January 31, 2006
In a surprising discovery with implications for treating muscular dystrophy, researchers at the University of Utah School of Medicine and other institutions have identified a major source of origin for two groups of adult cells that regulate muscle repair.
Posted: January 31, 2006
In a surprising discovery with implications for treating muscular dystrophy, researchers at the University of Utah School of Medicine and other institutions have identified a major source of origin for two groups of adult cells that regulate muscle repair.
Scientists Spot Mad Cow Protein's 'Good Side': It's essential to the creation of new blood cells, research shows
Source: HealthDay News
Date: Janauary 30, 2006
MONDAY, Jan. 30 (HealthDay News) -- The same protein that causes mad cow disease and its human equivalent also plays an important role in helping certain kinds of adult stem cells maintain themselves, a new study finds.
Date: Janauary 30, 2006
MONDAY, Jan. 30 (HealthDay News) -- The same protein that causes mad cow disease and its human equivalent also plays an important role in helping certain kinds of adult stem cells maintain themselves, a new study finds.
Stem Cells From Muscles Can Repair Cartilage
Source: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Posted: January 30, 2006
Tissue engineering involving the delivery of therapeutic proteins to the injured site is a promising new approach to repairing articular cartilage. Studies have suggested that muscles contain stem cells that can develop in various ways, including into cells that lead to the formation of bone. In a study published in the February 2006 issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism (http://www.interscience.wiley.com/journal/arthritis), researchers designed a study using muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs) genetically engineered with a therapeutic protein in an effort to repair articular cartilage defects in rats.
Posted: January 30, 2006
Tissue engineering involving the delivery of therapeutic proteins to the injured site is a promising new approach to repairing articular cartilage. Studies have suggested that muscles contain stem cells that can develop in various ways, including into cells that lead to the formation of bone. In a study published in the February 2006 issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism (http://www.interscience.wiley.com/journal/arthritis), researchers designed a study using muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs) genetically engineered with a therapeutic protein in an effort to repair articular cartilage defects in rats.
Muscle Stem Cells Transformed Into Cartilage: Could be potential treatment for joint damage caused by arthritis, study suggests
Source: HealthDay News
Date: January 30, 2006
By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Jan. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers say they have turned adult muscle stem cells into cartilage, and used them in animals to heal the kind of damage caused by arthritis.
Date: January 30, 2006
By Ed Edelson
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Jan. 30 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers say they have turned adult muscle stem cells into cartilage, and used them in animals to heal the kind of damage caused by arthritis.
Bones From Blood: Scientists Aim To Break New Ground On Fractures
Source: University of York
Posted: January 30, 2006
Scientists at the University of York have launched a new research project which aims to develop ways of making bones from blood. Researchers from the University’s Department of Biology are heading the EC-backed project to create bone structures from cord blood stem cells for use in the repair of bone defects and fractures.
Posted: January 30, 2006
Scientists at the University of York have launched a new research project which aims to develop ways of making bones from blood. Researchers from the University’s Department of Biology are heading the EC-backed project to create bone structures from cord blood stem cells for use in the repair of bone defects and fractures.
Discoveries May Advance Stem Cell Therapy For Parkinson's, Cancer Patients
Source: Cell Press
Posted: January 27, 2006
Studies in the Jan. 27, 2006 Cell have yielded evidence that could aid stem cell therapies aimed at patients with Parkinson's disease and those with compromised immune systems due to intensive cancer therapy or autoimmune disease, according to researchers.
Posted: January 27, 2006
Studies in the Jan. 27, 2006 Cell have yielded evidence that could aid stem cell therapies aimed at patients with Parkinson's disease and those with compromised immune systems due to intensive cancer therapy or autoimmune disease, according to researchers.
Advances move stem cells closer to clinic
Source: United Press International
Date: Janauary 26, 2006
HEALTH BUSINESS
By STEVE MITCHELL
UPI Senior Medical Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Two new studies make significant advances in stem-cell research and could help progress efforts to turn both adult and embryonic stem cells into cures and therapies, particularly for patients with Parkinson's disease or immune-system disorders.
Date: Janauary 26, 2006
HEALTH BUSINESS
By STEVE MITCHELL
UPI Senior Medical Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Two new studies make significant advances in stem-cell research and could help progress efforts to turn both adult and embryonic stem cells into cures and therapies, particularly for patients with Parkinson's disease or immune-system disorders.
'Cocktail' Helps Adult Stem Cells Thrive in Lab: Discovery could aid bone marrow transplants, gene therapy, researchers say
Source: Health Day News
Date: January 23, 2006
By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Jan. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists have discovered a "cocktail" of growth factors that expands the number of stem cells they can grow in the laboratory at least 10 times beyond what anyone has been able to do before.
Date: January 23, 2006
By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, Jan. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Scientists have discovered a "cocktail" of growth factors that expands the number of stem cells they can grow in the laboratory at least 10 times beyond what anyone has been able to do before.
Powerful Technique For Multiplying Adult Stem Cells May Aid Therapies
Source: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
Posted: January 23, 2006
Researchers in the lab of Whitehead Institute Member and MIT professor of biology Harvey Lodish have discovered a way to multiply an adult stem cell 30-fold, an expansion that offers tremendous promise for treatments such as bone marrow transplants and perhaps even gene therapy.
Posted: January 23, 2006
Researchers in the lab of Whitehead Institute Member and MIT professor of biology Harvey Lodish have discovered a way to multiply an adult stem cell 30-fold, an expansion that offers tremendous promise for treatments such as bone marrow transplants and perhaps even gene therapy.
Biologists cite way to multiply blood stem cells: Cambridge research may aid bone marrow transplants
Source: Boston Globe
By Gareth Cook, Globe Staff | January 23, 2006
Biologists announced yesterday a way to dramatically expand populations of blood stem cells, a discovery that could improve bone marrow transplants and make them available to more patients. The new technique, discovered in mouse experiments by biologists at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, uses a cocktail of growth factors to multiply the stem cells up to thirtyfold.
By Gareth Cook, Globe Staff | January 23, 2006
Biologists announced yesterday a way to dramatically expand populations of blood stem cells, a discovery that could improve bone marrow transplants and make them available to more patients. The new technique, discovered in mouse experiments by biologists at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge, uses a cocktail of growth factors to multiply the stem cells up to thirtyfold.
Cloned Stem Cells Prove Identical To Fertilized Stem Cells
Source: Whitehead Institute For Biomedical Research
Posted: January 17, 2006
After analyzing the complete gene-expression profiles of both cloned and fertilization-derived stem cells in mice, scientists at Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research now have concluded that the two are, in fact, indistinguishable.
Posted: January 17, 2006
After analyzing the complete gene-expression profiles of both cloned and fertilization-derived stem cells in mice, scientists at Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research now have concluded that the two are, in fact, indistinguishable.
Turning Stem Cells into Tissues: Scientists are learning how to control the two unique properties of stem cells.
Source: Technology Review
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
By Emily Singer
The most eagerly anticipated therapeutic use for stem cells is regenerative medicine. Biologists dream of the day they can take a stem cell and create any of the body's cell types, producing pancreas or liver tissue that doctors could use to aid a failing organ.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
By Emily Singer
The most eagerly anticipated therapeutic use for stem cells is regenerative medicine. Biologists dream of the day they can take a stem cell and create any of the body's cell types, producing pancreas or liver tissue that doctors could use to aid a failing organ.
Insight into mystery of antlers
Source: BBC News
Published: 2006/01/12 20:00:39 GMT
Stem cells play a key role in the deer's remarkable ability to grow new antlers, according to research.
The deer is unique among mammals in being able to regenerate a complete body part - in this case a set of bone antlers covered in velvety skin. Experts at the Royal Veterinary College hope the work could one day lead to new ways to repair damaged human tissues.
Published: 2006/01/12 20:00:39 GMT
Stem cells play a key role in the deer's remarkable ability to grow new antlers, according to research.
The deer is unique among mammals in being able to regenerate a complete body part - in this case a set of bone antlers covered in velvety skin. Experts at the Royal Veterinary College hope the work could one day lead to new ways to repair damaged human tissues.
Animal eggs 'to grow stem cells'
Published: 2006/01/12 15:14:25 GMT
Source: BBC News
Stem cell researchers in the UK are looking to use animal eggs as "hosts" to grow human cells. A Chinese team has already claimed to have created human embryonic stem cells using rabbit eggs which had had their genetic material removed.
Source: BBC News
Stem cell researchers in the UK are looking to use animal eggs as "hosts" to grow human cells. A Chinese team has already claimed to have created human embryonic stem cells using rabbit eggs which had had their genetic material removed.
Boosting Stem Cells to Treat Diabetes: A NYSTAR grant is helping Emmanuel Tzanakakis discover ways to boost the number of stem cells produced in the l
Source: University at Buffalo, The State University of New York
Date: January 9, 2006
Summary:
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- For diabetes patients, human stem cell-based transplants that produce insulin would be a major breakthrough. Emmanuel (Manolis) Tzanakakis, Ph.D., is striving to boost the numbers of stem cells produced in the laboratory, expanding the pool of cells that eventually can be differentiated into insulin-producing cells.
Date: January 9, 2006
Summary:
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- For diabetes patients, human stem cell-based transplants that produce insulin would be a major breakthrough. Emmanuel (Manolis) Tzanakakis, Ph.D., is striving to boost the numbers of stem cells produced in the laboratory, expanding the pool of cells that eventually can be differentiated into insulin-producing cells.
Sickle cell mutation corrected in mice: Research may have implications for humans suffering from the disease
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Posted: Jan. 9, 2006
From the Jan. 10, 2006 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
By KAWANZA NEWSON
knewson@journalsentinel.com
Scientists have used embryonic stem cells to correct the mutation that causes sickle cell disease in mice, a preliminary finding that may lead to treatment options for people with the painful and debilitating disease. Although it is unknown if the technique will ultimately work in humans, the research suggests the technique could allow people born with this genetic defect to live with few or no complications from their illness.
Posted: Jan. 9, 2006
From the Jan. 10, 2006 editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
By KAWANZA NEWSON
knewson@journalsentinel.com
Scientists have used embryonic stem cells to correct the mutation that causes sickle cell disease in mice, a preliminary finding that may lead to treatment options for people with the painful and debilitating disease. Although it is unknown if the technique will ultimately work in humans, the research suggests the technique could allow people born with this genetic defect to live with few or no complications from their illness.
Researchers Use Embryonic Model To Reprogram Malignant Melanoma
Source: Northwestern University
Posted: February 28, 2006
Scientists at Northwestern University and the Stowers Institute for Medical Research have reprogrammed malignant melanoma cells to become normal melanocytes, or pigment cells, a development that may hold promise in treating of one of the deadliest forms of cancer.
Posted: February 28, 2006
Scientists at Northwestern University and the Stowers Institute for Medical Research have reprogrammed malignant melanoma cells to become normal melanocytes, or pigment cells, a development that may hold promise in treating of one of the deadliest forms of cancer.
Study Ties 'New' Cell-death Mechanism To Developmental And Degenerative Brain Disorders
Source: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Posted: February 28, 2006
An international research team has provided the first conclusive evidence that neurodevelopmental disorders such as mental retardation and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and ataxias can be caused, at least in part, by specific gene defects that interfere with the electrical impulses of rapid-firing brain nerve cells called bursting neurons.
Posted: February 28, 2006
An international research team has provided the first conclusive evidence that neurodevelopmental disorders such as mental retardation and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and ataxias can be caused, at least in part, by specific gene defects that interfere with the electrical impulses of rapid-firing brain nerve cells called bursting neurons.
Find weeds out cancerous stem cells
Source: The Australian
Dan Box
February 27, 2006
AUSTRALIAN scientists have overcome a hurdle in the evolution of embryonic stem cell technology by devising a means of weeding out cells that are potentially cancerous. The research, published in the March edition of Nature magazine, represents a breakthrough for the technology. The discovery would allow scientists to identify which stem cells were beginning to develop the abnormalities that preceded the cell becoming cancerous.
Dan Box
February 27, 2006
AUSTRALIAN scientists have overcome a hurdle in the evolution of embryonic stem cell technology by devising a means of weeding out cells that are potentially cancerous. The research, published in the March edition of Nature magazine, represents a breakthrough for the technology. The discovery would allow scientists to identify which stem cells were beginning to develop the abnormalities that preceded the cell becoming cancerous.
Porcine Islets Offer Promise For Human Diabetic Patients
Source: Emory University Health Sciences Center
Posted: February 27, 2006
Islet cell xenotransplantation presents a promising near-term solution to the critically low islet cell supply for humans suffering from type 1 diabetes, according to researchers from the Emory Transplant Center, the Yerkes National Primate Research Center of Emory University and the University of Alberta, Canada. The Emory/Yerkes researchers successfully transplanted and engrafted insulin-producing neonatal porcine islet cells harvested by the University of Alberta researchers into diabetic rhesus macaque monkeys, restoring the monkeys' glucose control and resulting in sustained insulin independence.
Posted: February 27, 2006
Islet cell xenotransplantation presents a promising near-term solution to the critically low islet cell supply for humans suffering from type 1 diabetes, according to researchers from the Emory Transplant Center, the Yerkes National Primate Research Center of Emory University and the University of Alberta, Canada. The Emory/Yerkes researchers successfully transplanted and engrafted insulin-producing neonatal porcine islet cells harvested by the University of Alberta researchers into diabetic rhesus macaque monkeys, restoring the monkeys' glucose control and resulting in sustained insulin independence.
Cells from baby pigs to treat diabetes
Source: The Times
February 27, 2006
By Mark Henderson, Science Correspondent
TRANSPLANTS of piglet cells could be used to treat diabetes patients within three years after successful experiments in monkeys, scientists said. Two new studies have shown that insulin-producing islet cells from the pancreases of newborn pigs can reverse type 1 diabetes in primates. The findings, from teams in Canada and the US, pave the way for human clinical trials.
If the trials are successful, millions of people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes could eventually benefit from treatment with piglet cells.
February 27, 2006
By Mark Henderson, Science Correspondent
TRANSPLANTS of piglet cells could be used to treat diabetes patients within three years after successful experiments in monkeys, scientists said. Two new studies have shown that insulin-producing islet cells from the pancreases of newborn pigs can reverse type 1 diabetes in primates. The findings, from teams in Canada and the US, pave the way for human clinical trials.
If the trials are successful, millions of people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes could eventually benefit from treatment with piglet cells.
Stem Cells May Be Key to Cancer
Source: The New York Times
Date: February 21, 2006
By NICHOLAS WADE
Correction Appended
Stem cells are the source of at least some, and perhaps all, cancers. At the heart of every tumor, some researchers believe, lie a handful of aberrant stem cells that maintain the malignant tissue. The idea, if right, could explain why tumors often regenerate even after being almost destroyed by anticancer drugs.
Date: February 21, 2006
By NICHOLAS WADE
Correction Appended
Stem cells are the source of at least some, and perhaps all, cancers. At the heart of every tumor, some researchers believe, lie a handful of aberrant stem cells that maintain the malignant tissue. The idea, if right, could explain why tumors often regenerate even after being almost destroyed by anticancer drugs.
U research holds hope for diabetics: A new study raises the potential for an endless supply of insulin-producing cells to cure the disease that affect
Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune
Last update: February 19, 2006 – 11:03 PM
Maura Lerner, Star Tribune
Researchers at the University of Minnesota announced Sunday that they were able to reverse diabetes in monkeys by transplanting insulin-producing cells from pigs. Some are calling it a milestone that could eventually transform the lives of millions of people. If the research pans out, it could provide an endless supply of healthy cells to replace the ones that don't work in diabetics. In the study, diabetic monkeys were injected with pig islet cells, which make insulin, and survived without insulin shots for up to six months. The results were published online by the journal Nature Medicine.
Last update: February 19, 2006 – 11:03 PM
Maura Lerner, Star Tribune
Researchers at the University of Minnesota announced Sunday that they were able to reverse diabetes in monkeys by transplanting insulin-producing cells from pigs. Some are calling it a milestone that could eventually transform the lives of millions of people. If the research pans out, it could provide an endless supply of healthy cells to replace the ones that don't work in diabetics. In the study, diabetic monkeys were injected with pig islet cells, which make insulin, and survived without insulin shots for up to six months. The results were published online by the journal Nature Medicine.
Research Offers Hope To Increase Islet Supply To Cure Type 1 Diabetes
Source: University of Minnesota
Posted: February 21, 2006
Researchers have successfully reversed diabetes in monkeys using transplanted islet cells from pigs. They have already had success reversing type 1 diabetes in humans through islet transplantation, however, the demand for islet cells grossly outweighs the supply. In order to make islet transplantation a viable solution for the tens of thousands of people with difficult-to-manage diabetes, a safe and reliable source of islet cells must be found.
Posted: February 21, 2006
Researchers have successfully reversed diabetes in monkeys using transplanted islet cells from pigs. They have already had success reversing type 1 diabetes in humans through islet transplantation, however, the demand for islet cells grossly outweighs the supply. In order to make islet transplantation a viable solution for the tens of thousands of people with difficult-to-manage diabetes, a safe and reliable source of islet cells must be found.
Researchers Unlock How Cells Determine Their Functions
Source: University of California - Riverside
Posted: February 27, 2006
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have discovered a molecular mechanism that directs the fate and function of cells during animal development. The findings could hold promise for the advancement of cancer and stem-cell research.
Posted: February 27, 2006
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have discovered a molecular mechanism that directs the fate and function of cells during animal development. The findings could hold promise for the advancement of cancer and stem-cell research.
Adult pancreas stem cells can make insulin
Source: United Press International
Date: February 20, 2006
SAN DIEGO, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Researchers said this week that adult stem cells in the pancreas can be transformed into insulin-producing cells. This newfound ability of endocrine progenitor stem cells in the adult human pancreas provides a major key to developing new treatments for diabetes, researchers said.
Date: February 20, 2006
SAN DIEGO, Feb. 20 (UPI) -- Researchers said this week that adult stem cells in the pancreas can be transformed into insulin-producing cells. This newfound ability of endocrine progenitor stem cells in the adult human pancreas provides a major key to developing new treatments for diabetes, researchers said.
Wednesday, March 08, 2006
Engineering Nerve Jumper Cables For Spinal Cord Repair In Animal Model
Source: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Posted: February 19, 2006
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have created -- in a rodent model -- a completely new way to engineer nerve structures, or constructs, in culture. This proof-of-principle research has implications for eventually becoming a new method to repair spinal cord injury in humans. The work appears in the latest issue of Tissue Engineering.
Posted: February 19, 2006
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have created -- in a rodent model -- a completely new way to engineer nerve structures, or constructs, in culture. This proof-of-principle research has implications for eventually becoming a new method to repair spinal cord injury in humans. The work appears in the latest issue of Tissue Engineering.
Stem cell scaffolds repair rodent spinal cord damage
Source: NewScientist.com news service
Date: 11:32 18 February 2006
Roxanne Khamsi, St Louis
Synthetic structures seeded with neuron-producing human stem cells can help rodents with severe spinal cord damage to regain mobility, early results from animal tests suggest. Researchers hope that the approach might one day help to heal nervous system injury in humans.
Date: 11:32 18 February 2006
Roxanne Khamsi, St Louis
Synthetic structures seeded with neuron-producing human stem cells can help rodents with severe spinal cord damage to regain mobility, early results from animal tests suggest. Researchers hope that the approach might one day help to heal nervous system injury in humans.
Researchers Discover Key Factor For Survival Of Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Source: University of California - Irvine
Posted: February 17, 2006
Scientists at UC Irvine have discovered a way to keep large quantities of these cells alive, a finding that could potentially lead to mass production of hES cells for therapeutic use at lower cost.
Researchers found that molecules known as neurotrophins have a significant effect on whether hES cells survive in the laboratory. Although stem cells have the ability to self-renew and to differentiate into any cell in the body, it has been a challenge to keep them alive as single cells in an undifferentiated state.
Commentary: Hopefully this finding will enable research to progress at a more rapid pace, as scientists can now create mass quantities of stem cells in order to conduct a greater number of studies, experiments and clinical trials.
Posted: February 17, 2006
Scientists at UC Irvine have discovered a way to keep large quantities of these cells alive, a finding that could potentially lead to mass production of hES cells for therapeutic use at lower cost.
Researchers found that molecules known as neurotrophins have a significant effect on whether hES cells survive in the laboratory. Although stem cells have the ability to self-renew and to differentiate into any cell in the body, it has been a challenge to keep them alive as single cells in an undifferentiated state.
Commentary: Hopefully this finding will enable research to progress at a more rapid pace, as scientists can now create mass quantities of stem cells in order to conduct a greater number of studies, experiments and clinical trials.
New Cord Blood Stem Cell Identified: Discovery Suggests Potential Treatment For Regenerating Nerve Tissue After Stroke
Source: University of Minnesota
Posted: February 16, 2006
Researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School have discovered a new population of cells in human umbilical cord blood that have properties of primitive stem cells. The new findings identify a small population of cord blood cells with the characteristics of more primitive stem cells that have the potential to produce a greater variety of cell types.
This research was published in the latest issue of the journal Stem Cells and Development.
Transplantation of these human cord blood stem cells into laboratory rodents with experimental strokes resulted in significant reductions in the size of brain lesion, and improved these animals' use of their limbs. Some of the transplanted stem cells developed into "neuron-like" cells that are typically found in the brain.
Stroke is a neurological disorder that affects nearly 750,000 people in the United States each year. It can occur because of clots that form in blood vessels in the brain, or because of blood vessel rupture.
Commentary: Hopefully these findings willl lead to improved treatments for strokes and neurological disorders.
Posted: February 16, 2006
Researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School have discovered a new population of cells in human umbilical cord blood that have properties of primitive stem cells. The new findings identify a small population of cord blood cells with the characteristics of more primitive stem cells that have the potential to produce a greater variety of cell types.
This research was published in the latest issue of the journal Stem Cells and Development.
Transplantation of these human cord blood stem cells into laboratory rodents with experimental strokes resulted in significant reductions in the size of brain lesion, and improved these animals' use of their limbs. Some of the transplanted stem cells developed into "neuron-like" cells that are typically found in the brain.
Stroke is a neurological disorder that affects nearly 750,000 people in the United States each year. It can occur because of clots that form in blood vessels in the brain, or because of blood vessel rupture.
Commentary: Hopefully these findings willl lead to improved treatments for strokes and neurological disorders.
The Real Stem Cell Hope: Cloned stem cells could offer a clearer window on diseases.
Source: Technology Review
Date: Thursday, February 09, 2006
By Emily Singer
This is a story about the potential of cloned cells matched patients to treat diseases. See the link for the full story.
Date: Thursday, February 09, 2006
By Emily Singer
This is a story about the potential of cloned cells matched patients to treat diseases. See the link for the full story.
Edinburgh Scientists Identify A Key Player In Making Specialised Cells From Embryonic Stem Cells
Source: Nature Cell Biology
Posted: 08 February 2006
Scientists from the University of Edinburgh have shown that the protein Mbd3 plays a crucial role in the process by which embryonic stem cells become specialised cells, such as brain or skin cells. These findings make significant advances in understanding how embryonic stem cells can be made to become all the different types of cell in the body, ultimately to be used in replacement therapies for specific diseases and injuries. This research is published online this week in the leading scientific journal Nature Cell Biology.
Posted: 08 February 2006
Scientists from the University of Edinburgh have shown that the protein Mbd3 plays a crucial role in the process by which embryonic stem cells become specialised cells, such as brain or skin cells. These findings make significant advances in understanding how embryonic stem cells can be made to become all the different types of cell in the body, ultimately to be used in replacement therapies for specific diseases and injuries. This research is published online this week in the leading scientific journal Nature Cell Biology.
Stem Cell Procedure May Help Ease Lupus
Source: Los Angeles Times
By Jia-Rui Chong
Times Staff Writer
Transplants of stem cells harvested from bone marrow have provided the first successful treatment for lupus patients who have not responded to other therapies, Chicago researchers reported Tuesday.
The study, which enrolled 50 people with the incurable autoimmune disease, found that half had no signs of the disease after five years. Those patients no longer required drugs to keep their immune systems from attacking their tissues, according to the study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Assn.
By Jia-Rui Chong
Times Staff Writer
Transplants of stem cells harvested from bone marrow have provided the first successful treatment for lupus patients who have not responded to other therapies, Chicago researchers reported Tuesday.
The study, which enrolled 50 people with the incurable autoimmune disease, found that half had no signs of the disease after five years. Those patients no longer required drugs to keep their immune systems from attacking their tissues, according to the study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Assn.
Stem cells studied as heart-attack treatment
Source: Chicago Sun-Times
Date: March 1, 2006
BY JIM RITTER Health Reporter
The heart is seldom the same after a heart attack.
After a blood clot shuts off blood flow in a coronary artery, heart muscle dies. Many survivors wind up with irregular heartbeats, congestive heart failure or repeat heart attacks.
In a new approach to treating heart disease, researchers are trying to reverse the damage by growing new heart muscle with stem cells.
Date: March 1, 2006
BY JIM RITTER Health Reporter
The heart is seldom the same after a heart attack.
After a blood clot shuts off blood flow in a coronary artery, heart muscle dies. Many survivors wind up with irregular heartbeats, congestive heart failure or repeat heart attacks.
In a new approach to treating heart disease, researchers are trying to reverse the damage by growing new heart muscle with stem cells.
Liquid Crystals Show Promise In Controlling Embryonic Stem Cells
Source: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Date: March 8, 2006
Summary:
Liquid crystals, the same phase-shifting materials used to display information on cell phones, monitors and other electronic equipment, can also be used to report in real time on the differentiation of embryonic stem cells. University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers at the NSF-funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) have shown that by straining mechanically the cells as they grow, it is possible to reduce significantly and almost eliminate the uncontrolled differentiation of stem cells.
Date: March 8, 2006
Summary:
Liquid crystals, the same phase-shifting materials used to display information on cell phones, monitors and other electronic equipment, can also be used to report in real time on the differentiation of embryonic stem cells. University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers at the NSF-funded Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) have shown that by straining mechanically the cells as they grow, it is possible to reduce significantly and almost eliminate the uncontrolled differentiation of stem cells.
Stem-cell research at U of L 'major step': Nerve-repair work offers hope for treating array of disorders
Source: The Courier-Journal
Date: March 8, 2006
Summary:
A laboratory rat unable to use its right front paw because of a spinal cord injury struggles to walk across a rope, loses its footing and falls. Then a rat that had the same injury scurries across the rope without a problem, just weeks after an injection containing adult stem cells from a human nose that were transformed into nerve cells. The rats are part of a line of groundbreaking research at the University of Louisville that could lead to treatments for spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and other nerve disorders.
Date: March 8, 2006
Summary:
A laboratory rat unable to use its right front paw because of a spinal cord injury struggles to walk across a rope, loses its footing and falls. Then a rat that had the same injury scurries across the rope without a problem, just weeks after an injection containing adult stem cells from a human nose that were transformed into nerve cells. The rats are part of a line of groundbreaking research at the University of Louisville that could lead to treatments for spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease and other nerve disorders.
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Multiple Sclerosis Research Into Reparative Cells Offers New Avenue For Fighting Disease
Source: UT Southwestern Medical Center
Posted: March 7, 2006
Summary:
Plaques that form around the nerve cells of people with multiple sclerosis are apparently what disable people with the disease. But partly developed reparative cells within the plaques provide hope for a treatment, a UT Southwestern physician reports in the New England Journal of Medicine. Even though the oligodendrocytes are damaged, there exists a reservoir of oligodendrocyte precursor cell, or OPCs, left over from development that could be activated to repair the damage, he said. The problem is how to trigger them to grow.
Posted: March 7, 2006
Summary:
Plaques that form around the nerve cells of people with multiple sclerosis are apparently what disable people with the disease. But partly developed reparative cells within the plaques provide hope for a treatment, a UT Southwestern physician reports in the New England Journal of Medicine. Even though the oligodendrocytes are damaged, there exists a reservoir of oligodendrocyte precursor cell, or OPCs, left over from development that could be activated to repair the damage, he said. The problem is how to trigger them to grow.
Friday, March 03, 2006
Newly Discovered Killer Cell Fights Cancer
Source: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Posted: March 3, 2006
Summary:
A mouse immune cell that plays dual roles as both assassin and messenger, normally the job of two separate cells, has been discovered by an international team of researchers from the United States and France. The discovery has triggered a race among scientists to find a human equivalent of the multitasking cell, which could one day be a target for therapies that seek out and destroy cancer.
Posted: March 3, 2006
Summary:
A mouse immune cell that plays dual roles as both assassin and messenger, normally the job of two separate cells, has been discovered by an international team of researchers from the United States and France. The discovery has triggered a race among scientists to find a human equivalent of the multitasking cell, which could one day be a target for therapies that seek out and destroy cancer.
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Bone Marrow Cells Can Become Functional Gut Lining Cells
Source: Yale University
Date: March 2, 2006
Summary:
Researchers report the discovery that cells used in bone marrow transplantation can develop into new cells lining the gut, according to a study by Yale School of Medicine in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study showed that bone marrow derived cells can differentiate into functional gastrointestinal epithelial cells after bone marrow transplantation.
Date: March 2, 2006
Summary:
Researchers report the discovery that cells used in bone marrow transplantation can develop into new cells lining the gut, according to a study by Yale School of Medicine in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study showed that bone marrow derived cells can differentiate into functional gastrointestinal epithelial cells after bone marrow transplantation.
Transplanted cells regenerate muscles
Source: Havard University Gazette / Harvard News Office
Date: March 2, 2006
Summary:
A new approach for transplanting cells shows promise for regenerating injured and diseased tissues and whole organs. Such biological engineering, which once excited the medical community, has been fraught with the difficulties of keeping transplanted cells alive and getting them to integrate with a host's body. Researchers at Harvard University's Department of Engineering and Applied Science may have solved these problems. The strategy successfully heals lacerated muscles in mice, but the potential exists for applying it to a wide variety of situations in humans, including treatment of muscular dystrophy, heart disease, and some brain disorders, and to regenerate bone.
Date: March 2, 2006
Summary:
A new approach for transplanting cells shows promise for regenerating injured and diseased tissues and whole organs. Such biological engineering, which once excited the medical community, has been fraught with the difficulties of keeping transplanted cells alive and getting them to integrate with a host's body. Researchers at Harvard University's Department of Engineering and Applied Science may have solved these problems. The strategy successfully heals lacerated muscles in mice, but the potential exists for applying it to a wide variety of situations in humans, including treatment of muscular dystrophy, heart disease, and some brain disorders, and to regenerate bone.
Stem cells might mend heart
Source: Courier-Post
Date: March 2, 2006
Summary:
A $300,000 New Jersey state grant to the Coriell Institute is going to bring to Camden stem-cell research that could help doctors improve the recovery of a heart. The results could eventually give doctors options that would allow them to repair human hearts, rather than replace them. The research will focus on determining how stem cells drawn from blood in umbilical cords aid the recovery of damaged heart muscle cells, and could potentially be used to treat cardiovascular disease.
Date: March 2, 2006
Summary:
A $300,000 New Jersey state grant to the Coriell Institute is going to bring to Camden stem-cell research that could help doctors improve the recovery of a heart. The results could eventually give doctors options that would allow them to repair human hearts, rather than replace them. The research will focus on determining how stem cells drawn from blood in umbilical cords aid the recovery of damaged heart muscle cells, and could potentially be used to treat cardiovascular disease.
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
Marrow-derived Stem Cells Deliver New Cytokine To Kill Brain Tumor Cells, Offer Protection
Source: Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Posted: March 1, 2006
Summary:
Attaching a recently discovered cytokine to neural stem cells derived from bone marrow, researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute have developed a tool to track and kill malignant brain tumor cells and provide long-term protection against their return. Results of an animal study are published in the March 1, 2006 issue of Cancer Research, and the researchers are now applying to regulatory agencies to translate their work into human clinical trials. This study provides the first documentation that the marrow-derived stem cells possess the same tumor-tracking capability of other neural stem cells. It also includes the first report on the use of the cytokine interleukin-23 (IL-23) as a potential gene-delivered therapy against glioma.
Posted: March 1, 2006
Summary:
Attaching a recently discovered cytokine to neural stem cells derived from bone marrow, researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Maxine Dunitz Neurosurgical Institute have developed a tool to track and kill malignant brain tumor cells and provide long-term protection against their return. Results of an animal study are published in the March 1, 2006 issue of Cancer Research, and the researchers are now applying to regulatory agencies to translate their work into human clinical trials. This study provides the first documentation that the marrow-derived stem cells possess the same tumor-tracking capability of other neural stem cells. It also includes the first report on the use of the cytokine interleukin-23 (IL-23) as a potential gene-delivered therapy against glioma.
Monday, February 27, 2006
Stem Cell Therapy Helps Huntington's: Researchers Say Stem Cell Transplant May Offer Several Years of Improvement
Source:WebMD
Date: February 27, 2006
Summary:
Stem cell transplants may provide benefits in treating Huntington's disease, according to a new study. Researchers found the benefits of experimental stem cell therapy in reducing symptoms -- such as muscle stiffness and memory loss -- peaked after two years and then faded four to six years after the procedure in people with Huntington's disease.
Date: February 27, 2006
Summary:
Stem cell transplants may provide benefits in treating Huntington's disease, according to a new study. Researchers found the benefits of experimental stem cell therapy in reducing symptoms -- such as muscle stiffness and memory loss -- peaked after two years and then faded four to six years after the procedure in people with Huntington's disease.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
Stem Cells Might Fight Circulatory Disorder Peripheral artery disease can lead to leg ulcers, amputation
Source: HealthDay News
Date: February 23, 2006
Summary:
Stem cell injections might someday be used to treat a debilitating cardiovascular condition called peripheral arterial disease (PAD), researchers say.
Date: February 23, 2006
Summary:
Stem cell injections might someday be used to treat a debilitating cardiovascular condition called peripheral arterial disease (PAD), researchers say.
Thursday, February 16, 2006
Johns Hopkins Scientists Map Brain Area That May Aid Hunt For Human Brain Stem Cells
Source: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Posted: February 16, 2006
Summary:
A study led by a Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon has provided the first comprehensive map of a part of the adult human brain containing astrocytes, cells known to produce growth factors critical to the regeneration of damaged neural tissue and that potentially serve as brain stem cells.
Posted: February 16, 2006
Summary:
A study led by a Johns Hopkins neurosurgeon has provided the first comprehensive map of a part of the adult human brain containing astrocytes, cells known to produce growth factors critical to the regeneration of damaged neural tissue and that potentially serve as brain stem cells.
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
Rebuilding a damaged heart
Source: The Washington Times
Date: February 14, 2006
Summary:
Rsearchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and its Heart Institute in Baltimore are hoping that dying hearts can be made new. Because of recent research, many doctors believe the heart has regenerative capacity. The study's lead researcher has been enrolling heart attack patients in a trial to see if mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow can regenerate a damaged heart. He previously performed trials with pig hearts.
Date: February 14, 2006
Summary:
Rsearchers at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and its Heart Institute in Baltimore are hoping that dying hearts can be made new. Because of recent research, many doctors believe the heart has regenerative capacity. The study's lead researcher has been enrolling heart attack patients in a trial to see if mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow can regenerate a damaged heart. He previously performed trials with pig hearts.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Stem Cell Breakthrough Helps 85% Of Type 2 Diabetes Patients
Source: Foundation Don Roberto Fernández Viña via Medical News Today
Date: 07 Feb 2006
Summary:
A study carried out in Argentina by a team of researchers from a Not-For-Profit Organization called ‘Don Roberto Fernandez Viña Foundation' (San Nicolas- Buenos Aires, Argentina) demonstrated that stem cells implanted into type 2 diabetes patients, in direct form into the pancreas, improve the production of Endogenous Insulin, increase the levels of “C Peptide”, decrease blood glucose levels and glycated hemoglobin levels faster than other treatments. 84% of the patients that had received the autologuous bone marrow cells could also abandon the drugs that stimulate insulin production or the insulin that they had been receiving previously. There were no complications at all, demonstrating the safety of the technique, since the extraction, the cellular implants and evolution of the patients. The most likely reason of this improvement is that the implanted autologuous stem cells regenerate the destroyed Beta Cells in the Islets of Langherhams in the pancreas of diabetes patients. It is also possible that they originate new Beta cells which produce the new Insulin.
Date: 07 Feb 2006
Summary:
A study carried out in Argentina by a team of researchers from a Not-For-Profit Organization called ‘Don Roberto Fernandez Viña Foundation' (San Nicolas- Buenos Aires, Argentina) demonstrated that stem cells implanted into type 2 diabetes patients, in direct form into the pancreas, improve the production of Endogenous Insulin, increase the levels of “C Peptide”, decrease blood glucose levels and glycated hemoglobin levels faster than other treatments. 84% of the patients that had received the autologuous bone marrow cells could also abandon the drugs that stimulate insulin production or the insulin that they had been receiving previously. There were no complications at all, demonstrating the safety of the technique, since the extraction, the cellular implants and evolution of the patients. The most likely reason of this improvement is that the implanted autologuous stem cells regenerate the destroyed Beta Cells in the Islets of Langherhams in the pancreas of diabetes patients. It is also possible that they originate new Beta cells which produce the new Insulin.
Friday, February 03, 2006
Life-threatening Lupus Responds To Stem Cell Transplant Therapy
Source: Northwestern Memorial Hospital
Posted: February 3, 2006
Summary:
Transplanting patients with blood stem cells that originate from their own bone marrow can induce the remission of life-threatening, treatment-resistant lupus, according to a study that took place at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Researchers found that 50 percent of the 50 patients in the study had disease-free survival at five years with an overall five-year survival rate of 84 percent. The study is published in the February 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Posted: February 3, 2006
Summary:
Transplanting patients with blood stem cells that originate from their own bone marrow can induce the remission of life-threatening, treatment-resistant lupus, according to a study that took place at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago. Researchers found that 50 percent of the 50 patients in the study had disease-free survival at five years with an overall five-year survival rate of 84 percent. The study is published in the February 1 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Stem Cells May Ease Severe Lupus: Treatment Is a Last Resort but Not a Cure, Researchers Note
Source: WebMD
Date: January 31, 2006
Summary:
WebMD reports on a new study using bone marrow stem cells to attempt to treat lupus:
"When people with severe lupus have failed other treatment options, their stem cells may help save their lives. The finding, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, doesn't amount to a cure for lupus, a disease of the immune system. However, half of the study's 48 patients who got the procedure lived five more years without lupus, and even more (84%) survived for at least five years even if they didn't have complete remission."
Date: January 31, 2006
Summary:
WebMD reports on a new study using bone marrow stem cells to attempt to treat lupus:
"When people with severe lupus have failed other treatment options, their stem cells may help save their lives. The finding, published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, doesn't amount to a cure for lupus, a disease of the immune system. However, half of the study's 48 patients who got the procedure lived five more years without lupus, and even more (84%) survived for at least five years even if they didn't have complete remission."
Monday, January 30, 2006
Prions may hold key to stem cell function
Source: New Scientist
Posted: 22:00 30 January 2006
Summary:
The curative properties of stem cells may rely on prions, a special class of protein that can change the shape and function of other proteins around them, a new study suggests, the type of protein made infamous by mad cow disease. Prions are a special class of protein that can change the shape and function of other proteins around them. While these are found throughout any mammal’s body, the understanding of their biological role is limited. What is known is that prions that become misshapen, through some unknown process, can result in BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) – mad cow disease – and its equivalents in other animals. Researchers at the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, have now found that adult stem cells in bone marrow gradually lose their ability to regenerate without their normal complement of membrane-bound prions.
Posted: 22:00 30 January 2006
Summary:
The curative properties of stem cells may rely on prions, a special class of protein that can change the shape and function of other proteins around them, a new study suggests, the type of protein made infamous by mad cow disease. Prions are a special class of protein that can change the shape and function of other proteins around them. While these are found throughout any mammal’s body, the understanding of their biological role is limited. What is known is that prions that become misshapen, through some unknown process, can result in BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) – mad cow disease – and its equivalents in other animals. Researchers at the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge, Massachusetts, US, have now found that adult stem cells in bone marrow gradually lose their ability to regenerate without their normal complement of membrane-bound prions.
Friday, January 27, 2006
Role Of The Nervous System In Regulating Stem Cells Discovered
Source: Medical News Today
Date: January 27, 20006
Summary:
Study led by Mount Sinai School of Medicine may provide new hope for cancer patients and others with compromised immune systems. New study by Mount Sinai researchers may lead to improved stem cell therapies for patients with compromised immune systems due to intensive cancer therapy or autoimmune disease. The study is published in this week's issue of Cell.
Date: January 27, 20006
Summary:
Study led by Mount Sinai School of Medicine may provide new hope for cancer patients and others with compromised immune systems. New study by Mount Sinai researchers may lead to improved stem cell therapies for patients with compromised immune systems due to intensive cancer therapy or autoimmune disease. The study is published in this week's issue of Cell.
Monday, January 23, 2006
Stem Cell Study Seeks To Prevent Heart Failure
Source: University of Rochester Medical Center
Date: January 23, 2006
Summary:
University of Rochester Medical Center researchers today announced the launch of a study that will examine whether transplanted stem cells can be safely used to treat damaged heart muscle in patients just after their first heart attack. The first-of-its-kind study in heart attack patients will seek to demonstrate the safety, and roughly measure efficacy, of three intravenous doses of adult human stem cells versus placebo in lessening damage to heart muscle within ten days of first heart attack.
Date: January 23, 2006
Summary:
University of Rochester Medical Center researchers today announced the launch of a study that will examine whether transplanted stem cells can be safely used to treat damaged heart muscle in patients just after their first heart attack. The first-of-its-kind study in heart attack patients will seek to demonstrate the safety, and roughly measure efficacy, of three intravenous doses of adult human stem cells versus placebo in lessening damage to heart muscle within ten days of first heart attack.
Friday, January 20, 2006
Stroke Brain Fix
Source: ScienCentral News
Date: January 20, 2006
Summary:
Brain researchers may have found a way to make stroke-damaged nerve cells re-grow, spurring strotke recovery by blocking a natural inhibitor of nerve cell re-growth.
Date: January 20, 2006
Summary:
Brain researchers may have found a way to make stroke-damaged nerve cells re-grow, spurring strotke recovery by blocking a natural inhibitor of nerve cell re-growth.
Growing Nerve Cells
Source: ScenCentral News
Date: January 20, 2006
Summary:
Researchers have been looking at stem cells as a way help the body repair itself, even with injuries that are now often considered permanent, such as brain, spinal cord or nerve injuries. Embryonic stem cells have been shown to be very useful, but many object to their use on ethical grounds.
Date: January 20, 2006
Summary:
Researchers have been looking at stem cells as a way help the body repair itself, even with injuries that are now often considered permanent, such as brain, spinal cord or nerve injuries. Embryonic stem cells have been shown to be very useful, but many object to their use on ethical grounds.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Custom-Made Microbes, at Your Service
Source: New York Times
Date: January 17, 2006
Summary:
There are bacteria that blink on and off like Christmas tree lights and bacteria that form multicolored patterns of concentric circles resembling an archery target. Yet others can reproduce photographic images. While much of the early work has consisted of eye-catching, if useless, stunts like the blinking bacteria, the emerging field could one day have a major impact on medicine and industry. For instance, Christina D. Smolke, an assistant professor at the California Institute of Technology, is trying to develop circuits of biological parts to sit in the body's cells and guard against cancer. If they detected a cancer-causing mechanism had been activated, they would switch on a gene to have the cell self-destruct.
Date: January 17, 2006
Summary:
There are bacteria that blink on and off like Christmas tree lights and bacteria that form multicolored patterns of concentric circles resembling an archery target. Yet others can reproduce photographic images. While much of the early work has consisted of eye-catching, if useless, stunts like the blinking bacteria, the emerging field could one day have a major impact on medicine and industry. For instance, Christina D. Smolke, an assistant professor at the California Institute of Technology, is trying to develop circuits of biological parts to sit in the body's cells and guard against cancer. If they detected a cancer-causing mechanism had been activated, they would switch on a gene to have the cell self-destruct.
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Scientists identify gene needed for brain, cord connections
Source: Stanford Report
Date: January 11, 2006
Summary:
A team of Stanford researchers has identified a specific gene that is necessary for the development of connections between the brain and the spinal cord. The findings could be critical for understanding the development of the human brain and treating spinal cord injuries.
Date: January 11, 2006
Summary:
A team of Stanford researchers has identified a specific gene that is necessary for the development of connections between the brain and the spinal cord. The findings could be critical for understanding the development of the human brain and treating spinal cord injuries.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
Eye Cell Implants Improve Motor Symptoms For Parkinson Patients
Source: JAMA and Archives Journals
Date: January 10, 2006
Summary:
A preliminary study suggests that implants of cells from the human retina improved motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson disease, and they appear to be safe and well tolerated, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Date: January 10, 2006
Summary:
A preliminary study suggests that implants of cells from the human retina improved motor symptoms in patients with Parkinson disease, and they appear to be safe and well tolerated, according to a report in the December issue of Archives of Neurology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Stem cell may drive breast cancer
Source: BBC News
Posted: January 5, 2006 08:53 GMT
Summary:
BBC News reports on a new discovery of rare stem cells that may at the root of breast and other cancers"
"Scientists believe recurring breast cancer could be caused by newly discovered rare stem cells transformed into a "tumour factory" by genetic errors. Researchers believe that as well as driving all breast development, the cells may have a key role in cancer."
Posted: January 5, 2006 08:53 GMT
Summary:
BBC News reports on a new discovery of rare stem cells that may at the root of breast and other cancers"
"Scientists believe recurring breast cancer could be caused by newly discovered rare stem cells transformed into a "tumour factory" by genetic errors. Researchers believe that as well as driving all breast development, the cells may have a key role in cancer."
Monday, January 02, 2006
How Plants Regulate How Many Stem Cells They Have
Source: Max Planck Society
Posted: January 2, 2006
Summary:
Totipotent stem cells allow plants to build new organs throughout their whole life. But it has been unclear how hormones and genetic factors work together to prevent plants from having growth that is either stunted, or uncontrolled and tumor-like. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology have now uncovered a feedback mechanism, involving a growth-enhancing hormone and a regulatory protein, which controls the number of stem cells the plant produces. (Nature, December 22, 2005). The results are of great importance for all of stem cell research.
Posted: January 2, 2006
Summary:
Totipotent stem cells allow plants to build new organs throughout their whole life. But it has been unclear how hormones and genetic factors work together to prevent plants from having growth that is either stunted, or uncontrolled and tumor-like. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology have now uncovered a feedback mechanism, involving a growth-enhancing hormone and a regulatory protein, which controls the number of stem cells the plant produces. (Nature, December 22, 2005). The results are of great importance for all of stem cell research.
Stem cell breakthrough raises hope of new treatments
Source: Guardian Unlimited - UK
Date: January 2, 2006
Summary:
Scientists have created human stem cell cultures without using any animal cells for the first time. The breakthrough will bring possible treatments for diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's a step closer.
Date: January 2, 2006
Summary:
Scientists have created human stem cell cultures without using any animal cells for the first time. The breakthrough will bring possible treatments for diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's a step closer.
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