Source: BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.
Date: July 7, 2008
Summary:
In an official company news release, BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc., a biotechnology company in the field of adult stem cell research, announced the completion of a preclinical study to treat spinal cord injuries in animals using adult neural stem cells:
" BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc., a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies and therapeutics, has completed a preclinical study in collaboration with the W.M. Keck Center for Collaborative Neuroscience at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. The study conducted at the Keck Center was an effort to repair spinal cord injuries in animals through the transplantation of Brainstorm’s neurotrophic factor (NTF) adult stem cells. The results showed a positive trend of the NTF cells in the male animals."
Monday, July 07, 2008
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Statins Have Unexpected Effect on Pool of Powerful Brain Cells
Source: University of Rochester Medical Center
Date: July 3, 2008
Summary:
Cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins have a profound effect on an elite group of cells important to brain health as we age, scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center have found. The new findings shed light on a long-debated potential role for statins in the area of dementia. Neuroscientists found that statins, one of the most widely prescribed classes of medication ever used, have an unexpected effect on brain cells. Researchers looked at the effects of statins on glial progenitor cells, which help the brain stay healthy by serving as a crucial reservoir of cells that the brain can customize depending on its needs. The team found that the compounds spur the cells, which are very similar to stem cells, to shed their flexibility and become one particular type of cell.
Date: July 3, 2008
Summary:
Cholesterol-lowering drugs known as statins have a profound effect on an elite group of cells important to brain health as we age, scientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center have found. The new findings shed light on a long-debated potential role for statins in the area of dementia. Neuroscientists found that statins, one of the most widely prescribed classes of medication ever used, have an unexpected effect on brain cells. Researchers looked at the effects of statins on glial progenitor cells, which help the brain stay healthy by serving as a crucial reservoir of cells that the brain can customize depending on its needs. The team found that the compounds spur the cells, which are very similar to stem cells, to shed their flexibility and become one particular type of cell.
Bone Marrow Alternative: Stem Cells From Umbilical Cord May Be Used To Treat Hepatic Diseases
Source: Universidad de Granada
Date: July 3, 2008
Summary:
Researchers from the Universities of Granada and Leon have shown that mononuclear blood cells from human umbilical cord can be an effective alternative to bone marrow. This work, to be published in the journal Cell Transplantation, could potentially mean a great advance in regenerative hepatic medicine.
Date: July 3, 2008
Summary:
Researchers from the Universities of Granada and Leon have shown that mononuclear blood cells from human umbilical cord can be an effective alternative to bone marrow. This work, to be published in the journal Cell Transplantation, could potentially mean a great advance in regenerative hepatic medicine.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Gene directs stem cells to build the heart
Source: Washington University School of Medicine
Date: July 2, 2008
Summary:
Researchers have shown that they can put mouse embryonic stem cells to work building the heart, potentially moving medical science a significant step closer to a new generation of heart disease treatments that use human stem cells. Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report in Cell Stem Cell that the Mesp1 gene locks mouse embryonic stem cells into becoming heart parts and gets them moving to the area where the heart forms. Researchers are now testing if stem cells exposed to Mesp1 can help fix damaged mouse hearts.
Date: July 2, 2008
Summary:
Researchers have shown that they can put mouse embryonic stem cells to work building the heart, potentially moving medical science a significant step closer to a new generation of heart disease treatments that use human stem cells. Scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report in Cell Stem Cell that the Mesp1 gene locks mouse embryonic stem cells into becoming heart parts and gets them moving to the area where the heart forms. Researchers are now testing if stem cells exposed to Mesp1 can help fix damaged mouse hearts.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Small protein may have big role in making more bone and less fat
Source: Medical College of Georgia
Date: July 1, 2008
Summary:
A small protein may have a big role in helping you make more bone and less fat, researchers say. "The pathways are parallel, and the idea is if you can somehow disrupt the fat production pathway, you will get more bone," says Dr. Xingming Shi, bone biologist at the Medical College of Georgia Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics. He's found the short-acting protein GILZ appears to make this desirable shift and wants to better understand how it does it with the long-term goal of targeted therapies for osteoporosis, obesity and maybe more.
Date: July 1, 2008
Summary:
A small protein may have a big role in helping you make more bone and less fat, researchers say. "The pathways are parallel, and the idea is if you can somehow disrupt the fat production pathway, you will get more bone," says Dr. Xingming Shi, bone biologist at the Medical College of Georgia Institute of Molecular Medicine and Genetics. He's found the short-acting protein GILZ appears to make this desirable shift and wants to better understand how it does it with the long-term goal of targeted therapies for osteoporosis, obesity and maybe more.
New technique produces genetically identical stem cells
Source: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
Date: July 1, 2008
Summary:
Adult cells of mice created from genetically reprogrammed cells—so-called induced pluripotent stem (IPS) stem cells—can be triggered via drug to enter an embryonic-stem-cell-like state, without the need for further genetic alteration. The discovery, which promises to bring new efficiencies to embryonic stem cell research, is reported in the July 1, 2008, online issue of Nature Biotechnology.
The authors explain the scientific implications of this finding:
"This technical advancement will allow thousands of identical reprogrammed cells to be used in experiments," says Marius Wernig, one of the paper's two lead authors and a postdoctoral researcher in Whitehead Member Rudolf Jaenisch's lab.
The study also points out potential therapeutic applications of this research:
"Using these cells could help define the milestones of how cells are reprogrammed and screen for drug-like molecules that replace the potentially cancer-causing viruses used for reprogramming," adds Christopher Lengner, the other lead author and also a postdoctoral researcher in the Jaenisch's lab.
Date: July 1, 2008
Summary:
Adult cells of mice created from genetically reprogrammed cells—so-called induced pluripotent stem (IPS) stem cells—can be triggered via drug to enter an embryonic-stem-cell-like state, without the need for further genetic alteration. The discovery, which promises to bring new efficiencies to embryonic stem cell research, is reported in the July 1, 2008, online issue of Nature Biotechnology.
The authors explain the scientific implications of this finding:
"This technical advancement will allow thousands of identical reprogrammed cells to be used in experiments," says Marius Wernig, one of the paper's two lead authors and a postdoctoral researcher in Whitehead Member Rudolf Jaenisch's lab.
The study also points out potential therapeutic applications of this research:
"Using these cells could help define the milestones of how cells are reprogrammed and screen for drug-like molecules that replace the potentially cancer-causing viruses used for reprogramming," adds Christopher Lengner, the other lead author and also a postdoctoral researcher in the Jaenisch's lab.
Reprogramming Adult Stem Cells in the Brain
Source: Salk Institute
Date: July 1, 2008
Summary:
In recent years, stem cell researchers have become very adept at manipulating the fate of adult stem cells cultured in the lab. Now, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies achieved the same feat with adult neural stem cells still in place in the brain. They successfully coaxed mouse brain stem cells bound to join the neuronal network to differentiate into support cells instead. The discovery, which is published ahead of print on Nature Neuroscience's website, not only attests to the versatility of neural stem cells but also opens up new directions for the treatment of neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, stroke and epilepsy that not only affect neuronal cells but also disrupt the functioning of glial support cells.
Date: July 1, 2008
Summary:
In recent years, stem cell researchers have become very adept at manipulating the fate of adult stem cells cultured in the lab. Now, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies achieved the same feat with adult neural stem cells still in place in the brain. They successfully coaxed mouse brain stem cells bound to join the neuronal network to differentiate into support cells instead. The discovery, which is published ahead of print on Nature Neuroscience's website, not only attests to the versatility of neural stem cells but also opens up new directions for the treatment of neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis, stroke and epilepsy that not only affect neuronal cells but also disrupt the functioning of glial support cells.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Researchers Link Early Stem Cell Mutation to Autism
Source: Burnham Institute for Medical Research
Date: june 30, 2008
Summary:
In a breakthrough scientific study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research have shown that neural stem cell development may be linked to Autism. The study demonstrated that mice lacking the myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C) protein in neural stem cells had smaller brains, fewer nerve cells and showed behaviors similar to those seen in humans with a form of autism known as Rett Syndrome. This work represents the first direct link between a developmental disorder of neural stem cells and the subsequent onset of autism.
Date: june 30, 2008
Summary:
In a breakthrough scientific study published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research have shown that neural stem cell development may be linked to Autism. The study demonstrated that mice lacking the myocyte enhancer factor 2C (MEF2C) protein in neural stem cells had smaller brains, fewer nerve cells and showed behaviors similar to those seen in humans with a form of autism known as Rett Syndrome. This work represents the first direct link between a developmental disorder of neural stem cells and the subsequent onset of autism.
Study identifies toxic key to Alzheimer’s disease memory loss
Source: University College Dublin
Date: June 30, 2008
Summary:
Using new scientific techniques, scientists have unlocked the cascade of molecular events that lead to Alzheimer’s disease. The scientific findings published in the latest edition of Nature Medicine suggest a potential new target for the development of drug therapies to fight the irreversible and degenerative disease. The team of Irish and international researchers have identified that the accumulation of a particular protein (called amyloid ß-protein - Aß) in the brain initiates Alzheimer’s disease and that it directly alters the structure and function of brain cells. The findings place a significant emphasis on the development of new therapeutic strategies targeted at the reduction of the formation of Aß as opposed to the reduction of the plaque burden associated with the disease.
Date: June 30, 2008
Summary:
Using new scientific techniques, scientists have unlocked the cascade of molecular events that lead to Alzheimer’s disease. The scientific findings published in the latest edition of Nature Medicine suggest a potential new target for the development of drug therapies to fight the irreversible and degenerative disease. The team of Irish and international researchers have identified that the accumulation of a particular protein (called amyloid ß-protein - Aß) in the brain initiates Alzheimer’s disease and that it directly alters the structure and function of brain cells. The findings place a significant emphasis on the development of new therapeutic strategies targeted at the reduction of the formation of Aß as opposed to the reduction of the plaque burden associated with the disease.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Scientists discover how an injured embryo can regenerate itself: Keep its organs in relative proportion
Source: Weizmann Institute of Science
Date: June 26, 2008
Summary:
Scientists have developed a mathematical model to describe interactions that occur within genetic networks of an embryo, answering the age-old question of how half embryos are able to maintain their tissues and organs in the correct proportions despite being smaller than a normal sized embryo. Understanding the processes that govern embryonic cell development, may lead, in the future, to scientists being able to repair injured tissues.
Date: June 26, 2008
Summary:
Scientists have developed a mathematical model to describe interactions that occur within genetic networks of an embryo, answering the age-old question of how half embryos are able to maintain their tissues and organs in the correct proportions despite being smaller than a normal sized embryo. Understanding the processes that govern embryonic cell development, may lead, in the future, to scientists being able to repair injured tissues.
Ronin an alternate control for embryonic stem cells
Source: Baylor College of Medicine
Date: June 26, 2008
Summary:
Like the masterless samurai for whom it is named, the protein Ronin chooses an independent path, maintaining embryonic stem cells in their undifferentiated state and playing essential roles in genesis of embryos and their development, said Baylor College of Medicine researchers who reported on this novel cellular regulator in the current issue of the journal Cell.
Date: June 26, 2008
Summary:
Like the masterless samurai for whom it is named, the protein Ronin chooses an independent path, maintaining embryonic stem cells in their undifferentiated state and playing essential roles in genesis of embryos and their development, said Baylor College of Medicine researchers who reported on this novel cellular regulator in the current issue of the journal Cell.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Repairing damage to brain may be nearer: Study gets stem cells to function in mice
Source: San Diego Union-Tribune
Date: June 25, 2008
Summary:
The San Diego Union-Tribune reports researchers at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research successfully turned embryonic stem cells into nerve cells in mice:
"A team of San Diego scientists has moved embryonic stem cell research a step closer to helping repair the brains of stroke victims and people with diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. The team, led by the Burnham Institute's Stuart Lipton, figured out how to coax the embryonic stem cells of mice to become nerve cells that, when transplanted into a mouse brain damaged by stroke, link themselves to the existing network of neurons."
Date: June 25, 2008
Summary:
The San Diego Union-Tribune reports researchers at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research successfully turned embryonic stem cells into nerve cells in mice:
"A team of San Diego scientists has moved embryonic stem cell research a step closer to helping repair the brains of stroke victims and people with diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. The team, led by the Burnham Institute's Stuart Lipton, figured out how to coax the embryonic stem cells of mice to become nerve cells that, when transplanted into a mouse brain damaged by stroke, link themselves to the existing network of neurons."
Nerve Cells Derived From Stem Cells And Transplanted Into Mice May Lead To Improved Brain Treatments
Source: Burnham Institute for Medical Research
Date: June 25, 2008
Summary:
Scientists at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research have, for the first time, genetically programmed embryonic stem (ES) cells to become nerve cells when transplanted into the brain, according to a study published today in The Journal of Neuroscience. The research, an important step toward developing new treatments for stroke, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other neurological conditions showed that mice afflicted by stroke showed tangible therapeutic improvement following transplantation of these cells. None of the mice formed tumors, which had been a major setback in prior attempts at stem cell transplantation.
Date: June 25, 2008
Summary:
Scientists at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research have, for the first time, genetically programmed embryonic stem (ES) cells to become nerve cells when transplanted into the brain, according to a study published today in The Journal of Neuroscience. The research, an important step toward developing new treatments for stroke, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and other neurological conditions showed that mice afflicted by stroke showed tangible therapeutic improvement following transplantation of these cells. None of the mice formed tumors, which had been a major setback in prior attempts at stem cell transplantation.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
New Source Of Heart Stem Cells Discovered
Source: Children's Hospital Boston
Date: June 22, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston are continuing to document the heart's earliest origins. Now, they have pinpointed a new, previously unrecognized group of stem cells that give rise to cardiomyocytes, or heart muscle cells. These stem cells, located in the surface of the heart, or epicardium, advance the hope of being able to regenerate injured heart tissue. This finding, published online by the journal Nature on June 22, comes on the heels of parallel cardiac stem cell discoveries in 2006, at both Children's and Massachusetts General Hospital. Then, the Children's team found that a specific stem cell or progenitor, marked by expression of a gene called Nkx2-5, forms many components of the heart: heart muscle cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, and the endothelial cells lining blood vessels in the heart's left-sided chambers. The team at MGH found a related progenitor, marked by expression of the Isl1 gene, that produces these same cell-types in the right-sided heart chambers. Now, researchers at Children's have shown that heart muscle cells can also be derived from a third type of cardiac progenitor, located within the epicardium and identifiable through its expression of a gene called Wt1.
Date: June 22, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston are continuing to document the heart's earliest origins. Now, they have pinpointed a new, previously unrecognized group of stem cells that give rise to cardiomyocytes, or heart muscle cells. These stem cells, located in the surface of the heart, or epicardium, advance the hope of being able to regenerate injured heart tissue. This finding, published online by the journal Nature on June 22, comes on the heels of parallel cardiac stem cell discoveries in 2006, at both Children's and Massachusetts General Hospital. Then, the Children's team found that a specific stem cell or progenitor, marked by expression of a gene called Nkx2-5, forms many components of the heart: heart muscle cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, and the endothelial cells lining blood vessels in the heart's left-sided chambers. The team at MGH found a related progenitor, marked by expression of the Isl1 gene, that produces these same cell-types in the right-sided heart chambers. Now, researchers at Children's have shown that heart muscle cells can also be derived from a third type of cardiac progenitor, located within the epicardium and identifiable through its expression of a gene called Wt1.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Scientists use 'biological alchemy' to convert one cell type into another
Source: Daily Telegraph - UK
Posted: 18 June 2008 6:01pm BST
Summary:
Scientists converted specialist "pancreatic exocrine cells" that secrete digestive enzymes, into beta cells, which make the hormone insulin to control blood sugar levels. This was achieved by locating genes that control how the genetic code is interpreted by cells to turn them into brain, bone, heart and other human cell types. The scientists discovered nine so called transcription factor genes were important for beta cell production. Using a standard method of genetic modification where a virus is used to introduced a gene, they injected the viruses into the pancreases of lab mice and found that some of the pancreatic exocrine cells turned into fully functional beta cells and produced insulin.
Posted: 18 June 2008 6:01pm BST
Summary:
Scientists converted specialist "pancreatic exocrine cells" that secrete digestive enzymes, into beta cells, which make the hormone insulin to control blood sugar levels. This was achieved by locating genes that control how the genetic code is interpreted by cells to turn them into brain, bone, heart and other human cell types. The scientists discovered nine so called transcription factor genes were important for beta cell production. Using a standard method of genetic modification where a virus is used to introduced a gene, they injected the viruses into the pancreases of lab mice and found that some of the pancreatic exocrine cells turned into fully functional beta cells and produced insulin.
Patient's own infection-fighting T cells put late-stage melanoma into long-term remission — without chemotherapy or radiation
Source: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Date: June 18, 2008
Summary:
Researchers describe the first successful use of a human patient's cloned infection-fighting T cells as the sole therapy to put an advanced solid-tumor cancer into long-term remission. A team led by Cassian Yee, M.D., an associate member of the Clinical Research Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, reports these findings in the June 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Date: June 18, 2008
Summary:
Researchers describe the first successful use of a human patient's cloned infection-fighting T cells as the sole therapy to put an advanced solid-tumor cancer into long-term remission. A team led by Cassian Yee, M.D., an associate member of the Clinical Research Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, reports these findings in the June 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Stem Cells Might Treat Tough Fractures
Source: HealthDay News
Date: June 17, 2008
Summary:
HealthDay News reports on a study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill using adult stem cells to improve healing of bone fractures:
"The UNC team used adult stem cells to heal fractures of the tibia (the long bone of the leg) in mice. The bone marrow-derived stem cells were engineered to express insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which help bones grow in strength and size. The transplanted stem cells migrated to the site of the fracture and improved healing by increasing the bone and cartilage that bridged the break."
The story continues to describe the procedure implemented in and results obtained from the study:
"The UNC team used adult stem cells to heal fractures of the tibia (the long bone of the leg) in mice. The bone marrow-derived stem cells were engineered to express insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which help bones grow in strength and size. The transplanted stem cells migrated to the site of the fracture and improved healing by increasing the bone and cartilage that bridged the break. The bone at the fracture site of the mice that received stem cell transplants was three time stronger than healed fractures in untreated mice, the team reported."
Date: June 17, 2008
Summary:
HealthDay News reports on a study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill using adult stem cells to improve healing of bone fractures:
"The UNC team used adult stem cells to heal fractures of the tibia (the long bone of the leg) in mice. The bone marrow-derived stem cells were engineered to express insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which help bones grow in strength and size. The transplanted stem cells migrated to the site of the fracture and improved healing by increasing the bone and cartilage that bridged the break."
The story continues to describe the procedure implemented in and results obtained from the study:
"The UNC team used adult stem cells to heal fractures of the tibia (the long bone of the leg) in mice. The bone marrow-derived stem cells were engineered to express insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which help bones grow in strength and size. The transplanted stem cells migrated to the site of the fracture and improved healing by increasing the bone and cartilage that bridged the break. The bone at the fracture site of the mice that received stem cell transplants was three time stronger than healed fractures in untreated mice, the team reported."
Stem cells may help heal broken bones
Source: Raleigh News & Observer
Published: June 17, 2008 12:30 AM Modified: June 17, 2008 05:23 AM
Summary:
The Raleigh News & Observer reports researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have made progress in using adult bone marrow stem cells to heal broken bones and bone fractures:
"Medical researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill announced Monday that they have made strides in the technology to rebuild damaged bone tissue using stem cells. The research team, led by Dr. Anna Spagnoli, an associate professor of pediatrics at UNC-CH, derived the stem cells from bone marrow samples to locate and repair broken bones in mice. Now the work is poised to move to humans."
Published: June 17, 2008 12:30 AM Modified: June 17, 2008 05:23 AM
Summary:
The Raleigh News & Observer reports researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have made progress in using adult bone marrow stem cells to heal broken bones and bone fractures:
"Medical researchers at UNC-Chapel Hill announced Monday that they have made strides in the technology to rebuild damaged bone tissue using stem cells. The research team, led by Dr. Anna Spagnoli, an associate professor of pediatrics at UNC-CH, derived the stem cells from bone marrow samples to locate and repair broken bones in mice. Now the work is poised to move to humans."
Stem Cells to Fight Muscle Aging
Source: Ivanhoe Newswire
Date: June 17, 2008
Summary:
Ivanhoe Newswire reports on a study in which adult stem cells were shown to stop the effects of aging, including muscle degeneration, in neuromuscular and neurodegenerative diseases:
"A recent study on mice shows stem cells may be able to stop the effects of aging on muscles, which could prevent conditions like muscle atrophy and Parkinson’s disease. Adult stem cells in muscles have a receptor called Notch that, when activated, tells them to grow and divide. As the body ages, this receptor’s activity is inhibited by the activity of another receptor for the protein TGF-beta. These two pathways -- one an aging pathway, one a youthful pathway -- compete for control of stem cell growth and division."
Date: June 17, 2008
Summary:
Ivanhoe Newswire reports on a study in which adult stem cells were shown to stop the effects of aging, including muscle degeneration, in neuromuscular and neurodegenerative diseases:
"A recent study on mice shows stem cells may be able to stop the effects of aging on muscles, which could prevent conditions like muscle atrophy and Parkinson’s disease. Adult stem cells in muscles have a receptor called Notch that, when activated, tells them to grow and divide. As the body ages, this receptor’s activity is inhibited by the activity of another receptor for the protein TGF-beta. These two pathways -- one an aging pathway, one a youthful pathway -- compete for control of stem cell growth and division."
Researchers find key developmental pathway activates lung stem cells
Source: University of Pennsylvania
Date: June 17, 2008
Summary:
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that the activation of a molecular pathway important in stem cell and developmental biology leads to an increase in lung stem cells. Harnessing this knowledge could help develop therapies for lung-tissue repair after injury or disease. The investigators published their findings online last week in advance of print publication in Nature Genetics.
Date: June 17, 2008
Summary:
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that the activation of a molecular pathway important in stem cell and developmental biology leads to an increase in lung stem cells. Harnessing this knowledge could help develop therapies for lung-tissue repair after injury or disease. The investigators published their findings online last week in advance of print publication in Nature Genetics.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Lou Gehrig's protein found throughout brain, suggesting effects beyond motor neurons
Source: University of Pennsylvania
Date: June 16, 2008
Summary:
Two years ago researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine discovered that misfolded proteins called TDP-43 accumulated in the motor areas of the brains of patients with amyotropic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease. Now, the same group has shown that TDP-43 accumulates throughout the brain, suggesting ALS has broader neurological effects than previously appreciated and treatments need to take into account more than motor neuron areas. Their article appeared in last month's issue of the Archives of Neurology.
Date: June 16, 2008
Summary:
Two years ago researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine discovered that misfolded proteins called TDP-43 accumulated in the motor areas of the brains of patients with amyotropic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's disease. Now, the same group has shown that TDP-43 accumulates throughout the brain, suggesting ALS has broader neurological effects than previously appreciated and treatments need to take into account more than motor neuron areas. Their article appeared in last month's issue of the Archives of Neurology.
Adult Stem Cells Aid Fracture Healing; Study Lays Groundwork for Potential Treatments
Source: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
Date: June 16, 2008
Summary:
In an approach that could become a new treatment for the 10 to 20 percent of people whose broken bones fail to heal, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have shown that transplantation of adult stem cells can improve healing of fractures. Researchers have used adult stem cells in a few cases to improve fracture healing, but further studies were needed to show that this method was truly effective and safe before it can be pursued as a new treatment. Now scientists at UNC have provided the scientific foundation for future clinical trials of this approach by demonstrating in animal models that these cells can be used to repair broken bones.
Date: June 16, 2008
Summary:
In an approach that could become a new treatment for the 10 to 20 percent of people whose broken bones fail to heal, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have shown that transplantation of adult stem cells can improve healing of fractures. Researchers have used adult stem cells in a few cases to improve fracture healing, but further studies were needed to show that this method was truly effective and safe before it can be pursued as a new treatment. Now scientists at UNC have provided the scientific foundation for future clinical trials of this approach by demonstrating in animal models that these cells can be used to repair broken bones.
Old muscle gets new pep in UC Berkeley stem cell study
Source: University of California - Berkeley
Date: June 16, 2008
Summary:
Old muscle got a shot of youthful vigor in a stem cell experiment by bioengineers at the University of California, Berkeley, setting the path for research on new treatments for age-related degenerative conditions such as muscle atrophy or Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. In a new study published June 15 in an advanced online issue of the journal Nature, researchers identified two key regulatory pathways that control how well adult stem cells repair and replace damaged tissue. They then tweaked how those stem cells reacted to those biochemical signals to revive the ability of muscle tissue in old mice to repair itself nearly as well as the muscle in the mice's much younger counterparts.
Date: June 16, 2008
Summary:
Old muscle got a shot of youthful vigor in a stem cell experiment by bioengineers at the University of California, Berkeley, setting the path for research on new treatments for age-related degenerative conditions such as muscle atrophy or Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. In a new study published June 15 in an advanced online issue of the journal Nature, researchers identified two key regulatory pathways that control how well adult stem cells repair and replace damaged tissue. They then tweaked how those stem cells reacted to those biochemical signals to revive the ability of muscle tissue in old mice to repair itself nearly as well as the muscle in the mice's much younger counterparts.
Research illuminates how stem cells may work
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
Date: June 16, 2008
Summary:
The San Francisco Chronicle reports researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have gained new insight into how stem cells might function:
"UC Berkeley scientists are a step closer to understanding how a series of molecular switches can turn on or off the regenerative power of stem cells that normally build new muscle tissue after it has been damaged. The research, conducted on laboratory mice, is years away from practical therapies for human beings. Nevertheless, this latest work, published online Sunday by the journal Nature, provides insight into how scientists are dissecting, step-by-step, the processes that govern how stem cells work. A goal of such research is to find ways to intervene and control these molecular switches - to improve healing and perhaps slow the effects of aging."
Date: June 16, 2008
Summary:
The San Francisco Chronicle reports researchers at the University of California, Berkeley have gained new insight into how stem cells might function:
"UC Berkeley scientists are a step closer to understanding how a series of molecular switches can turn on or off the regenerative power of stem cells that normally build new muscle tissue after it has been damaged. The research, conducted on laboratory mice, is years away from practical therapies for human beings. Nevertheless, this latest work, published online Sunday by the journal Nature, provides insight into how scientists are dissecting, step-by-step, the processes that govern how stem cells work. A goal of such research is to find ways to intervene and control these molecular switches - to improve healing and perhaps slow the effects of aging."
Ability to track stem cells in tumors could advance cancer treatments
Source: Society of Nuclear Medicine
Date: June 16, 2008
Summary:
NEW ORLEANS, La.—Using noninvasive molecular imaging technology, a method has been developed to track the location and activity of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the tumors of living organisms, according to researchers at SNM's 55th Annual Meeting. This ability could lead to major advances in the use of stem cell therapies to treat cancer.
Date: June 16, 2008
Summary:
NEW ORLEANS, La.—Using noninvasive molecular imaging technology, a method has been developed to track the location and activity of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in the tumors of living organisms, according to researchers at SNM's 55th Annual Meeting. This ability could lead to major advances in the use of stem cell therapies to treat cancer.
Stem cell researchers give old muscle new pep
Source: University of California - Berkeley
Date: June 16, 2008
Summary;
Old muscle got a shot of youthful vigor in a stem cell experiment by bioengineers at the University of California, Berkeley, setting the path for research on new treatments for age-related degenerative conditions such as muscle atrophy or Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. In a new study to be published June 15 in an advanced online issue of the journal Nature, researchers identified two key regulatory pathways that control how well adult stem cells repair and replace damaged tissue. They then tweaked how those stem cells reacted to those biochemical signals to revive the ability of muscle tissue in old mice to repair itself nearly as well as the muscle in the mice's much younger counterparts.
Date: June 16, 2008
Summary;
Old muscle got a shot of youthful vigor in a stem cell experiment by bioengineers at the University of California, Berkeley, setting the path for research on new treatments for age-related degenerative conditions such as muscle atrophy or Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. In a new study to be published June 15 in an advanced online issue of the journal Nature, researchers identified two key regulatory pathways that control how well adult stem cells repair and replace damaged tissue. They then tweaked how those stem cells reacted to those biochemical signals to revive the ability of muscle tissue in old mice to repair itself nearly as well as the muscle in the mice's much younger counterparts.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Researchers create molecule that nudges nerve stem cells to mature
Source: UT Southwestern Medical Center
Date: June 15, 2008
Summary:
Inspired by a chance discovery during another experiment, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have created a small molecule that stimulates nerve stem cells to begin maturing into nerve cells in culture. This finding might someday allow a person's own nerve stem cells to be grown outside the body, stimulated into maturity, and then re-implanted as working nerve cells to treat various diseases, the researchers said.
Date: June 15, 2008
Summary:
Inspired by a chance discovery during another experiment, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have created a small molecule that stimulates nerve stem cells to begin maturing into nerve cells in culture. This finding might someday allow a person's own nerve stem cells to be grown outside the body, stimulated into maturity, and then re-implanted as working nerve cells to treat various diseases, the researchers said.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Stem cell method improved
Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Date: June 14, 2008
Summary:
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports researchers have found a method to improve reprogramming adult stem cells into an emnbryonic stem cell-like state:
"One of the two stem cell scientists who achieved a major breakthrough last November by reprogramming human skin cells back to an embryonic state has found a way to boost the efficiency of the procedure, though he told more than 2,000 fellow researchers that challenges remain. Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University and the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease — who pioneered the reprogramming method in mice in 2006, then shared the breakthrough in human cells with James Thomson at the University of Wisconsin-Madison — said that he had achieved better results by combining his method with Thomson’s."
Date: June 14, 2008
Summary:
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports researchers have found a method to improve reprogramming adult stem cells into an emnbryonic stem cell-like state:
"One of the two stem cell scientists who achieved a major breakthrough last November by reprogramming human skin cells back to an embryonic state has found a way to boost the efficiency of the procedure, though he told more than 2,000 fellow researchers that challenges remain. Shinya Yamanaka of Kyoto University and the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease — who pioneered the reprogramming method in mice in 2006, then shared the breakthrough in human cells with James Thomson at the University of Wisconsin-Madison — said that he had achieved better results by combining his method with Thomson’s."
Friday, June 13, 2008
Wealth of genomic hotspots discovered in embryonic stem cells
Source: Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Date: June 13, 2008
Summary:
In a paper published in Cell on June 13, 2008, Singapore scientists at the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) unveil an atlas that showing the location of "genomic hotspots" of essential protein "switches" (transcription factors) that are critical for maintaining the embryonic stem (ES) cell state. Using advanced high throughput sequencing technology, the scientists discovered over 3,000 hotspots. These findings could improve understanding of the unique properties of stem cells that enable them to maintain their intriguing ability to grow and differentiate to virtually any cell type.
Date: June 13, 2008
Summary:
In a paper published in Cell on June 13, 2008, Singapore scientists at the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) unveil an atlas that showing the location of "genomic hotspots" of essential protein "switches" (transcription factors) that are critical for maintaining the embryonic stem (ES) cell state. Using advanced high throughput sequencing technology, the scientists discovered over 3,000 hotspots. These findings could improve understanding of the unique properties of stem cells that enable them to maintain their intriguing ability to grow and differentiate to virtually any cell type.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Geron's Embryonic Stem Cell Therapy for Heart Failure Evades Direct Attack by Immune System
Source: Geron Corporation
Date: June 12, 2008
Summary:
In an official company news release, Geron Corporation, a biotechnology company in the field of stem cell research, reported its embryonic stem cell therapy to treat heart failure evaded attack by the immune system:
"Geron Corporation announced the presentation of research studies indicating that GRNCM1, the company's human embryonic stem cell (hESC)–based therapeutic for the treatment of heart failure, evades direct attack by the human immune system in vitro. The data presented at the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) Annual Meeting indicate that, unlike whole organ transplants, cell therapies derived from hESCs may provoke only minimal immune reactions suggesting that rejection may be controlled or prevented by short courses of low–dose immunosuppressive drugs. The work also suggests that patient–specific hESC lines may not be needed to prevent immune rejection."
Date: June 12, 2008
Summary:
In an official company news release, Geron Corporation, a biotechnology company in the field of stem cell research, reported its embryonic stem cell therapy to treat heart failure evaded attack by the immune system:
"Geron Corporation announced the presentation of research studies indicating that GRNCM1, the company's human embryonic stem cell (hESC)–based therapeutic for the treatment of heart failure, evades direct attack by the human immune system in vitro. The data presented at the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) Annual Meeting indicate that, unlike whole organ transplants, cell therapies derived from hESCs may provoke only minimal immune reactions suggesting that rejection may be controlled or prevented by short courses of low–dose immunosuppressive drugs. The work also suggests that patient–specific hESC lines may not be needed to prevent immune rejection."
Monday, June 09, 2008
A tiny key to lock blood cells' fate
Source: Broad Institute
Date: June 9, 2008
Summary:
Scientists have wondered for decades how two very different types of blood cells —platelets and red blood cells — arise from the exact same precursor cell. In work described in the June issue of Developmental Cell, a team of Boston area researchers has unearthed a tiny and unexpected answer: a small snippet of nucleic acid called microRNA-150. This new methodology, called plate-based capture, allows researchers to analyze microRNAs by capturing and immobilizing them in a small plastic dish. Lu and his colleagues used this technique to monitor how microRNA levels change as MEPs mature. They observed the most dramatic change in the levels of miR-150, a surprising result because miR-150 was previously thought to be unique to immune cells. Nevertheless, the researchers’ data pointed to an important role for miR-150 in this stage of blood cell development.
Date: June 9, 2008
Summary:
Scientists have wondered for decades how two very different types of blood cells —platelets and red blood cells — arise from the exact same precursor cell. In work described in the June issue of Developmental Cell, a team of Boston area researchers has unearthed a tiny and unexpected answer: a small snippet of nucleic acid called microRNA-150. This new methodology, called plate-based capture, allows researchers to analyze microRNAs by capturing and immobilizing them in a small plastic dish. Lu and his colleagues used this technique to monitor how microRNA levels change as MEPs mature. They observed the most dramatic change in the levels of miR-150, a surprising result because miR-150 was previously thought to be unique to immune cells. Nevertheless, the researchers’ data pointed to an important role for miR-150 in this stage of blood cell development.
Stem cell discovery sheds light on placenta development
Source: University of Florida
Date: June 9, 2008
Summary:
Researchers studying embryonic stem cells have explored the first fork in the developmental road, getting a new look at what happens when fertilized eggs differentiate to build either an embryo or a placenta. By manipulating a specific gene in a mouse blastocyst — the structure that develops from a fertilized egg but is not yet an actual embryo — scientists with the University of Florida's McKnight Brain Institute and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute caused cells destined to build an embryo to instead change direction and build the cell mass that leads to the placenta.
Date: June 9, 2008
Summary:
Researchers studying embryonic stem cells have explored the first fork in the developmental road, getting a new look at what happens when fertilized eggs differentiate to build either an embryo or a placenta. By manipulating a specific gene in a mouse blastocyst — the structure that develops from a fertilized egg but is not yet an actual embryo — scientists with the University of Florida's McKnight Brain Institute and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute caused cells destined to build an embryo to instead change direction and build the cell mass that leads to the placenta.
Human cells used to cure brain disease in mice
Source: Nature
Published online 4 June 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.875
Corrected online: 9 June 2008
Summary:
Nature reports injections of human brain cells have treated abnormal brain development in mice with fatal brain disorders:
"Human brain cells have been used to correct abnormal brain development in mice with fatal brain disorders, offering hope for treating a range of neurological disorders including some deadly childhood genetic diseases. Those behind the new treatment hope that human clinical trials could be just a few years away. The treatment uses human glial progenitor cells — cells that can differentiate into the glial cells that, among other things, make up myelin. Myelin, a protein that insulates the long 'arms' of nerve cells, called axons, helps the conduction of neural signals throughout the nervous system."
Published online 4 June 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.875
Corrected online: 9 June 2008
Summary:
Nature reports injections of human brain cells have treated abnormal brain development in mice with fatal brain disorders:
"Human brain cells have been used to correct abnormal brain development in mice with fatal brain disorders, offering hope for treating a range of neurological disorders including some deadly childhood genetic diseases. Those behind the new treatment hope that human clinical trials could be just a few years away. The treatment uses human glial progenitor cells — cells that can differentiate into the glial cells that, among other things, make up myelin. Myelin, a protein that insulates the long 'arms' of nerve cells, called axons, helps the conduction of neural signals throughout the nervous system."
Sunday, June 08, 2008
Caution On Stem Cell Therapy: Single Organs May Contain Several Types Of Adult Stem Cells
Source: University of Utah Health Sciences
Date: June 9, 2008
Summary:
A single organ may contain more than one type of adult stem cell -- a discovery that complicates prospects for using the versatile cells to replace damaged tissue as a treatment for disease, according to a new study from the laboratory of geneticist Mario Capecchi, the University of Utah's Nobel Laureate.
Date: June 9, 2008
Summary:
A single organ may contain more than one type of adult stem cell -- a discovery that complicates prospects for using the versatile cells to replace damaged tissue as a treatment for disease, according to a new study from the laboratory of geneticist Mario Capecchi, the University of Utah's Nobel Laureate.
Friday, June 06, 2008
Brain Stem Cells Can Be Awakened, Say Scientists
Source: Schepens Eye Research Institute
Date: June 6, 2008
Summary:
Scientists at Schepens Eye Research Institute have identified specific molecules in the brain that are responsible for awakening and putting to sleep brain stem cells, which, when activated, can transform into neurons (nerve cells) and repair damaged brain tissue. Their findings were recently published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS).
Date: June 6, 2008
Summary:
Scientists at Schepens Eye Research Institute have identified specific molecules in the brain that are responsible for awakening and putting to sleep brain stem cells, which, when activated, can transform into neurons (nerve cells) and repair damaged brain tissue. Their findings were recently published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS).
Adult stem cell findings offer new hope for Parkinson's cure
Source: Griffith University / Research Australia
Date: June 6, 2008
Summary:
Research released today provides evidence that a cure for Parkinson's disease could lie just inside the nose of patients themselves. The Griffith University study published today in the journal Stem Cells found that adult stem cells harvested from the noses of Parkinson's patients gave rise to dopamine-producing brain cells when transplanted into the brain of a rat.
Date: June 6, 2008
Summary:
Research released today provides evidence that a cure for Parkinson's disease could lie just inside the nose of patients themselves. The Griffith University study published today in the journal Stem Cells found that adult stem cells harvested from the noses of Parkinson's patients gave rise to dopamine-producing brain cells when transplanted into the brain of a rat.
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Human Stem Cells Cure Fatal Myelin Deficiency In Mice And Could One Day Help Children
Source: Medical News Today
Article Date: 5 June 2008 - 12:00 PDT
Summary
Medical News Today reports researchers have used human adult neural stem cell to grow myelin in mice:
"Scientists in the US have used human cells that behave like stem cells to help "shiverer" mice grow myelin around their nerve fibres and thereby avoid an inevitable early death and poor quality of life; the researchers hope their finding will one day lead to treatments for similar neurological conditions in humans, and children especially."
Article Date: 5 June 2008 - 12:00 PDT
Summary
Medical News Today reports researchers have used human adult neural stem cell to grow myelin in mice:
"Scientists in the US have used human cells that behave like stem cells to help "shiverer" mice grow myelin around their nerve fibres and thereby avoid an inevitable early death and poor quality of life; the researchers hope their finding will one day lead to treatments for similar neurological conditions in humans, and children especially."
Brain Stem Cells Reverse Myelin Deficiency in Mice
Source: HealthDay News
Date: June 5, 2008
Summary:
HealthDay News reports researchers treated a congenital brain disorder in mice with neural stem cells:
"Researchers report they have used neural stem cells to correct a congenital brain disorder in mice. Dr. Steven Goldman, of the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York, and his colleagues used a type of neural stem cell called "glial progenitor cells" (GPCs), derived from human fetuses, to correct both behavioral and physiological abnormalities in a mouse model of a myelin-deficiency disorder."
Date: June 5, 2008
Summary:
HealthDay News reports researchers treated a congenital brain disorder in mice with neural stem cells:
"Researchers report they have used neural stem cells to correct a congenital brain disorder in mice. Dr. Steven Goldman, of the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York, and his colleagues used a type of neural stem cell called "glial progenitor cells" (GPCs), derived from human fetuses, to correct both behavioral and physiological abnormalities in a mouse model of a myelin-deficiency disorder."
New technology enhances therapeutic potential of cord blood stem cells
Source: Rush University Medical Center
Date: June 5, 2008
Summary:
A CD26 Inhibitor increases the efficiency and responsiveness of umbilical cord blood for bone marrow transplants and may improve care for blood cancer patients according to research from Rush University Medical Center being presented at the 6th Annual International Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation Symposium, June 6-7 in Los Angeles. Kent W. Christopherson II, PhD, assistant professor of medicine and researcher in the Sections of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation at Rush, is researching a CD26 Inhibitor, a small molecule enzyme inhibitor that enhances directional homing of stem cells to the bone marrow by increasing the responsiveness of donor stem cells to a natural homing signal. Homing is the process by which the donor stem cells find their way to the bone marrow. It is the first and essential step in stem cell transplantation.
Date: June 5, 2008
Summary:
A CD26 Inhibitor increases the efficiency and responsiveness of umbilical cord blood for bone marrow transplants and may improve care for blood cancer patients according to research from Rush University Medical Center being presented at the 6th Annual International Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation Symposium, June 6-7 in Los Angeles. Kent W. Christopherson II, PhD, assistant professor of medicine and researcher in the Sections of Hematology and Stem Cell Transplantation at Rush, is researching a CD26 Inhibitor, a small molecule enzyme inhibitor that enhances directional homing of stem cells to the bone marrow by increasing the responsiveness of donor stem cells to a natural homing signal. Homing is the process by which the donor stem cells find their way to the bone marrow. It is the first and essential step in stem cell transplantation.
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Human stem cells help brain-impaired mice
Source: Reuters
Posted: June 4, 2008 5:46 PM ET
Summary:
Reuters reports researchers treated mice with brain injuries using human neural stem cells:
"Injecting human stem cells into the brains of mice helped them recover almost fully from a neurological condition similar to a group of childhood diseases in people, researchers said on Wednesday. Some, but not all, of the mice in the study made major improvements after a one-time injection of stem cells, leading the scientists to express hope that the same approach might be tried in children within just a couple of years. The treatment, in essence, fixed defective wiring throughout the brain and spinal cord, the researchers said."
Posted: June 4, 2008 5:46 PM ET
Summary:
Reuters reports researchers treated mice with brain injuries using human neural stem cells:
"Injecting human stem cells into the brains of mice helped them recover almost fully from a neurological condition similar to a group of childhood diseases in people, researchers said on Wednesday. Some, but not all, of the mice in the study made major improvements after a one-time injection of stem cells, leading the scientists to express hope that the same approach might be tried in children within just a couple of years. The treatment, in essence, fixed defective wiring throughout the brain and spinal cord, the researchers said."
Human Stem Cell Transplant Helps Brain-Impaired Mice
Source: HealthDay News
Date: June 4, 2008
Summary:
HealthDay News reports human neural stem cell transplants improved functioning in mice with multiple sclerosis:
"Mice with a congenital brain disorder improved after receiving human neural stem cell transplants, a U.S. study finds. The mice lacked myelin, a substance that plays a critical role in the transmission of electrical signals between nerve cells. When myelin is missing or damaged, electrical signals aren't properly transmitted. These "shiverer" mice typically die within months of birth."
The study compared previous research using cell transplants to restore destroyed myelin with results found in the current study:
"Previous research has examined the use of cell transplantation for restoring absent or lost myelin to diseased nerve fibers. But, until now, no transplantation of human neural stem cells or of their derivatives (glial progenitor cells) had been successful in test animals. In this new study, researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center and a number of other universities (Cornell, UCLA and Baylor) created a new method for harvesting and purification of human fetal glial progenitor cells. They also developed a new cell delivery strategy that uses multiple injection sites to encourage widespread and dense take-up of the transplanted cells through the central nervous system. When the researchers used these new approaches, the transplanted cells took hold throughout the brain and spinal cord, and the mice showed robust, efficient and functional myelination. Some of the mice showed neurological improvement and a fraction of them were save by the procedure."
Date: June 4, 2008
Summary:
HealthDay News reports human neural stem cell transplants improved functioning in mice with multiple sclerosis:
"Mice with a congenital brain disorder improved after receiving human neural stem cell transplants, a U.S. study finds. The mice lacked myelin, a substance that plays a critical role in the transmission of electrical signals between nerve cells. When myelin is missing or damaged, electrical signals aren't properly transmitted. These "shiverer" mice typically die within months of birth."
The study compared previous research using cell transplants to restore destroyed myelin with results found in the current study:
"Previous research has examined the use of cell transplantation for restoring absent or lost myelin to diseased nerve fibers. But, until now, no transplantation of human neural stem cells or of their derivatives (glial progenitor cells) had been successful in test animals. In this new study, researchers from the University of Rochester Medical Center and a number of other universities (Cornell, UCLA and Baylor) created a new method for harvesting and purification of human fetal glial progenitor cells. They also developed a new cell delivery strategy that uses multiple injection sites to encourage widespread and dense take-up of the transplanted cells through the central nervous system. When the researchers used these new approaches, the transplanted cells took hold throughout the brain and spinal cord, and the mice showed robust, efficient and functional myelination. Some of the mice showed neurological improvement and a fraction of them were save by the procedure."
Researchers Discover Synthetic Chemicals that Create Pluripotent Stem Cells from Adult Cells
Source: The Scripps Research Institute
Date: June 4, 2008
Summary:
LA JOLLA, CA, June 4, 2008—Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute report that they have significantly improved upon a revolutionary technique that uses genes to turn skin cells from an adult back into pluripotent stem cells. In the June 5, 2008 issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell, investigators describe for the first time how they identified and used small, drug-like chemicals to help coax mouse brain cells back into pluripotent stem cells in a way that reduced some of the major drawbacks of the technique developed two years ago by Japanese researcher Shinya Yamanaka to produce pluripotent stem cells, once derived only from embryos, from adult cells. The new findings provide a safer, more efficient method to reprogram cells, paving the way for clinical testing of reprogrammed stem cells.
Date: June 4, 2008
Summary:
LA JOLLA, CA, June 4, 2008—Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute report that they have significantly improved upon a revolutionary technique that uses genes to turn skin cells from an adult back into pluripotent stem cells. In the June 5, 2008 issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell, investigators describe for the first time how they identified and used small, drug-like chemicals to help coax mouse brain cells back into pluripotent stem cells in a way that reduced some of the major drawbacks of the technique developed two years ago by Japanese researcher Shinya Yamanaka to produce pluripotent stem cells, once derived only from embryos, from adult cells. The new findings provide a safer, more efficient method to reprogram cells, paving the way for clinical testing of reprogrammed stem cells.
Neurologically Impaired Mice Improve After Receiving Human Stem Cells
Source: Cell Press / Cell Stem Cell
Date: June 4, 2008
Summary:
Scientists report a dramatic success in what may be the first documented rescue of a congenital brain disorder by transplantation of human neural stem cells. The research, published by Cell Press in the June issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell, may lead the way to new strategies for treating certain hereditary and perinatal neurological disorders.
The researchers found that the new transplant procedure resulted in infiltration of human glial progenitor cells throughout the brain and spinal cord. The engrafted mice exhibited robust, efficient and functional myelination. Most notably, many of the mice displayed progressive, neurological improvement and a fraction of the mice were actually rescued by the procedure. "The neurological recovery and survival of the mice receiving transplants was in sharp contrast to the fate of their untreated controls, which uniformly died by five months," explains Dr. Goldman. Upon histological examination well over a year after the procedure, the white matter of the surviving mice had been essentially re-myelinated by human cells.
Date: June 4, 2008
Summary:
Scientists report a dramatic success in what may be the first documented rescue of a congenital brain disorder by transplantation of human neural stem cells. The research, published by Cell Press in the June issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell, may lead the way to new strategies for treating certain hereditary and perinatal neurological disorders.
The researchers found that the new transplant procedure resulted in infiltration of human glial progenitor cells throughout the brain and spinal cord. The engrafted mice exhibited robust, efficient and functional myelination. Most notably, many of the mice displayed progressive, neurological improvement and a fraction of the mice were actually rescued by the procedure. "The neurological recovery and survival of the mice receiving transplants was in sharp contrast to the fate of their untreated controls, which uniformly died by five months," explains Dr. Goldman. Upon histological examination well over a year after the procedure, the white matter of the surviving mice had been essentially re-myelinated by human cells.
Human Stem Cells Show Promise Against Fatal Children's Diseases
Source: University of Rochester Medical Center
Date: June 4, 2008
Summary:
Scientists have used human stem cells to dramatically improve the condition of mice with a neurological condition similar to a set of diseases in children that are invariably fatal, according to an article in the June issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell. With a one-time injection of stem cells just after birth, scientists were able to repair defective wiring throughout the brain and spinal cord – the entire central nervous system – of mutant “shiverer mice,” so called because of the way they shake and wobble. The work marks an important step toward the day when stem cells become an option for the treatment of neurological diseases in people.
Neuroscientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center injected a type of fetal human stem cell known as glial stem cells into newborn mice born with a condition that normally claims their lives within about 20 weeks of birth, after a lifetime of seizures and other serious consequences. While most of the 26 mice that received transplanted glial stem cells still died, a group of six lived far beyond their usual lifespan, and four appeared to be completely cured – a first for shiverer mice. The scientists plan to gather more evidence before trying the approach in sick children.
Date: June 4, 2008
Summary:
Scientists have used human stem cells to dramatically improve the condition of mice with a neurological condition similar to a set of diseases in children that are invariably fatal, according to an article in the June issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell. With a one-time injection of stem cells just after birth, scientists were able to repair defective wiring throughout the brain and spinal cord – the entire central nervous system – of mutant “shiverer mice,” so called because of the way they shake and wobble. The work marks an important step toward the day when stem cells become an option for the treatment of neurological diseases in people.
Neuroscientists at the University of Rochester Medical Center injected a type of fetal human stem cell known as glial stem cells into newborn mice born with a condition that normally claims their lives within about 20 weeks of birth, after a lifetime of seizures and other serious consequences. While most of the 26 mice that received transplanted glial stem cells still died, a group of six lived far beyond their usual lifespan, and four appeared to be completely cured – a first for shiverer mice. The scientists plan to gather more evidence before trying the approach in sick children.
Enzyme plays key role in cell fate
Source: Baylor College of Medicine
Date: June 4, 2008
Summary:
The road to death or differentiation follows a similar course in embryonic stem cells, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston in a report that appears online today in the journal Cell Stem Cell. Dr. Thomas Zwaka, assistant professor in the Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Center (STaR) at BCM, and his colleagues at BCM found an “overlap between the pathways that drive cell death and cell differentiation” in a group of enzymes called caspases.
Date: June 4, 2008
Summary:
The road to death or differentiation follows a similar course in embryonic stem cells, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston in a report that appears online today in the journal Cell Stem Cell. Dr. Thomas Zwaka, assistant professor in the Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine Center (STaR) at BCM, and his colleagues at BCM found an “overlap between the pathways that drive cell death and cell differentiation” in a group of enzymes called caspases.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Finding clues for nerve cell repair
Source: Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital
Date: June 3, 2008
Summary:
A new study at the Montreal Neurological Institute at McGill University identifies a key mechanism for the normal development of motor nerve cells (motor neurons) - cells that control muscles. This finding is crucial to understanding and treating a range of conditions involving nerve cell loss or damage, from spinal cord injury to neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The study, published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides invaluable insight into these vital processes by understanding the mechanisms involved in normal development of selected types of spinal cord motor nerve cells.
Date: June 3, 2008
Summary:
A new study at the Montreal Neurological Institute at McGill University identifies a key mechanism for the normal development of motor nerve cells (motor neurons) - cells that control muscles. This finding is crucial to understanding and treating a range of conditions involving nerve cell loss or damage, from spinal cord injury to neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. The study, published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides invaluable insight into these vital processes by understanding the mechanisms involved in normal development of selected types of spinal cord motor nerve cells.
Damaged brains helped by stem cell therapy
Source: United Press International
Posted: June 3, 2008 at 2:10 PM EDT
Summary:
United Press International reports researchers have discovered how neural stem cells might be able to repair damaged brains:
U.S. medical scientists say they have found a way in which neuronal stem cells in the adult brain might be used in treating brain injuries. According to some experts, newly born adult neuronal brain stem cells could help repair brain injuries, but first a way must be found to regulate the manner in which they are created -- a process known as neurogenesis.
The study also found that hypothermia can control the growth of new nerve cells:
"According to the study, neurogenesis can be regulated through induced hypothermia. In rat subjects, a mild decrease in body temperature was found to substantially decrease the proliferation of newly-born neurons, the researchers said."
Posted: June 3, 2008 at 2:10 PM EDT
Summary:
United Press International reports researchers have discovered how neural stem cells might be able to repair damaged brains:
U.S. medical scientists say they have found a way in which neuronal stem cells in the adult brain might be used in treating brain injuries. According to some experts, newly born adult neuronal brain stem cells could help repair brain injuries, but first a way must be found to regulate the manner in which they are created -- a process known as neurogenesis.
The study also found that hypothermia can control the growth of new nerve cells:
"According to the study, neurogenesis can be regulated through induced hypothermia. In rat subjects, a mild decrease in body temperature was found to substantially decrease the proliferation of newly-born neurons, the researchers said."
Stem Cells Correct Defect in Child’s Fatal Skin Disease
Source: Columbia University Medical Center
Date: June 3, 2008
Summary;
Researchers and clinicians have paved the way toward a cure for a young boy's genetic and fatal skin disease, recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB), by using a cord blood and bone marrow transplant.
Date: June 3, 2008
Summary;
Researchers and clinicians have paved the way toward a cure for a young boy's genetic and fatal skin disease, recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB), by using a cord blood and bone marrow transplant.
Researchers identify gene that regulates glucose levels
Source: University of Southern California
Date: June 3, 2008
Summary:
In an effort to understand how genes work, a collaborative study which includes the University of Southern California (USC) has identified a gene that regulates glucose levels. The results, which will be published in the July issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation and is currently available online, may provide further understanding of the underlying causes of diabetes.
Date: June 3, 2008
Summary:
In an effort to understand how genes work, a collaborative study which includes the University of Southern California (USC) has identified a gene that regulates glucose levels. The results, which will be published in the July issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation and is currently available online, may provide further understanding of the underlying causes of diabetes.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
New stem cell therapy may aid the repair of damaged brains
Source: Wiley-Blackwell
Date: May 31, 2008
Summary:
According to some experts, newly born neuronal stem cells in the adult brain may provide a therapy for brain injury. But if these stem cells are to be utilized in this way, the process by which they are created, neurogenesis, must be regulated. A new study, led by Laurence Katz, Co-Director of the Carolina Resuscitation Research Group at the University of the North Carolina School of Medicine, suggests a way in which this might be achieved. According to the research, neurogenesis can be regulated through induced hypothermia. In rat subjects, a mild decrease in body temperature was found to substantially decrease the proliferation of newly-born neurons, a discovery that marks a major step forward for the development of neuronal stem cell-based brain therapies.
Date: May 31, 2008
Summary:
According to some experts, newly born neuronal stem cells in the adult brain may provide a therapy for brain injury. But if these stem cells are to be utilized in this way, the process by which they are created, neurogenesis, must be regulated. A new study, led by Laurence Katz, Co-Director of the Carolina Resuscitation Research Group at the University of the North Carolina School of Medicine, suggests a way in which this might be achieved. According to the research, neurogenesis can be regulated through induced hypothermia. In rat subjects, a mild decrease in body temperature was found to substantially decrease the proliferation of newly-born neurons, a discovery that marks a major step forward for the development of neuronal stem cell-based brain therapies.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Skin Morphed Into Stem Cells, Now With Sickle Cell Mutations
Source: Bloomberg News
Date: May 29, 2008
Summary:
Bloomberg News reports researchers have created stem cells with a genetic mutation for sickle cell anemia:
" Researchers for the first time say they've made stem cells with a disease-causing mutation -- in this case, sickle cell anemia, a genetic blood disorder that affects mostly people of African descent. ...Scientists from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine used a two-year-old method for giving adult skin cells the unlimited potential of those from a human embryo. To create the mutation, they modified the technique by adding an extra gene to a four-gene combination that reprogrammed the cells to their more primitive state. The extra gene boosted the efficiency of the process as much as 70-fold, making more stem cells in less time."
Date: May 29, 2008
Summary:
Bloomberg News reports researchers have created stem cells with a genetic mutation for sickle cell anemia:
" Researchers for the first time say they've made stem cells with a disease-causing mutation -- in this case, sickle cell anemia, a genetic blood disorder that affects mostly people of African descent. ...Scientists from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine used a two-year-old method for giving adult skin cells the unlimited potential of those from a human embryo. To create the mutation, they modified the technique by adding an extra gene to a four-gene combination that reprogrammed the cells to their more primitive state. The extra gene boosted the efficiency of the process as much as 70-fold, making more stem cells in less time."
Researchers develop human stem cell line containing sickle cell anemia mutation
Source: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Date: May 29, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have established a human cell-based system for studying sickle cell anemia by reprogramming somatic cells to an embryonic stem cell like state. Researchers at Johns Hopkins have established a human cell-based system for studying sickle cell anemia by reprogramming somatic cells to an embryonic stem cell like state. Publishing online in Stem Cells on May 29, the team describes a faster and more efficient method of reprogramming cells that might speed the development of stem cell therapies.
Date: May 29, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at Johns Hopkins have established a human cell-based system for studying sickle cell anemia by reprogramming somatic cells to an embryonic stem cell like state. Researchers at Johns Hopkins have established a human cell-based system for studying sickle cell anemia by reprogramming somatic cells to an embryonic stem cell like state. Publishing online in Stem Cells on May 29, the team describes a faster and more efficient method of reprogramming cells that might speed the development of stem cell therapies.
Researchers Develop Stem Line With Sickle Cell Mutation
Source: HealthDay News
Date: May 29, 2008
Summary:
HealthDay News reports researchers at John Hopkins University have developed a stem cell line with a sickle cell anemia mutation containing cells with properties of embryonic stem cells:
"Using a faster and more efficient method of reprogramming adult stem cells to an embryonic stem cell-like state, Johns Hopkins researchers developed a human stem cell line containing the mutation associated with sickle cell anemia... Using this new method, the researchers created embryonic-like stem cells that contained the mutation that causes sickle cell anemia."
Date: May 29, 2008
Summary:
HealthDay News reports researchers at John Hopkins University have developed a stem cell line with a sickle cell anemia mutation containing cells with properties of embryonic stem cells:
"Using a faster and more efficient method of reprogramming adult stem cells to an embryonic stem cell-like state, Johns Hopkins researchers developed a human stem cell line containing the mutation associated with sickle cell anemia... Using this new method, the researchers created embryonic-like stem cells that contained the mutation that causes sickle cell anemia."
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
New insights into cellular reprogramming revealed by genomic analysis
Source: Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
Date: May 28, 2008
Summary:
The ability to drive somatic, or fully differentiated, human cells back to a pluripotent or “stem cell” state would overcome many of the significant scientific and social challenges to the use of embryo-derived stem cells and help realize the promise of regenerative medicine. Recent research with mouse and human cells has demonstrated that such a transformation (“reprogramming”) is possible, although the current process is inefficient and, when it does work, poorly understood. But now, thanks to the application of powerful new integrative genomic tools, a cross-disciplinary research team from Harvard University, Whitehead Institute, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard has uncovered significant new information about the molecular changes that underlie the direct reprogramming process. Their findings are published online in the journal Nature.
Date: May 28, 2008
Summary:
The ability to drive somatic, or fully differentiated, human cells back to a pluripotent or “stem cell” state would overcome many of the significant scientific and social challenges to the use of embryo-derived stem cells and help realize the promise of regenerative medicine. Recent research with mouse and human cells has demonstrated that such a transformation (“reprogramming”) is possible, although the current process is inefficient and, when it does work, poorly understood. But now, thanks to the application of powerful new integrative genomic tools, a cross-disciplinary research team from Harvard University, Whitehead Institute, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard has uncovered significant new information about the molecular changes that underlie the direct reprogramming process. Their findings are published online in the journal Nature.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Team identifies new cancer stem cell driving metastatic tumors
Source: Weill Cornell Medical College / New York- Presbyterian Hospital
Date: May 27, 2008
Summary:
The molecular profile of cancer stem cells that initiate metastatic colon tumors is significantly different from those responsible for primary tumors, according to new research from a team at Weill Cornell Medical College. Cancer researchers have long believed that a protein called CD133 identifies a population of cancer stem cells (so-called CD133+ cells), the only subset of cells that are responsible for tumor initiation. But in the experiment, in which immunocompromised mice were injected with human metastatic colon cancer, the Weill Cornell team discovered that cancer cells that do not express CD133 can also spur metastatic disease. The findings were released as a special "highlighted" article in the May 22 online edition of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Date: May 27, 2008
Summary:
The molecular profile of cancer stem cells that initiate metastatic colon tumors is significantly different from those responsible for primary tumors, according to new research from a team at Weill Cornell Medical College. Cancer researchers have long believed that a protein called CD133 identifies a population of cancer stem cells (so-called CD133+ cells), the only subset of cells that are responsible for tumor initiation. But in the experiment, in which immunocompromised mice were injected with human metastatic colon cancer, the Weill Cornell team discovered that cancer cells that do not express CD133 can also spur metastatic disease. The findings were released as a special "highlighted" article in the May 22 online edition of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Monday, May 26, 2008
VANCOUVER RESEARCHERS PIONEER SAFE PATHWAY TO SLOW ALS USING STEM CELLS
Source: The University of British Columbia
Date: May 26, 2008
Summary:
A unique pilot study has established a safe pathway for using bone-marrow stem cells to slow down and potentially treat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disease without cure. The study, published in the journal, Muscle & Nerve and led by Dr. Neil Cashman, professor of neurology at The University of British Columbia and director of the ALS program at Vancouver Coastal Health and VCH Research Institute, tested the use of a growth factor stimulant in ALS patients and found that bone-marrow stem cells became activated with no adverse effects to patients.
Date: May 26, 2008
Summary:
A unique pilot study has established a safe pathway for using bone-marrow stem cells to slow down and potentially treat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disease without cure. The study, published in the journal, Muscle & Nerve and led by Dr. Neil Cashman, professor of neurology at The University of British Columbia and director of the ALS program at Vancouver Coastal Health and VCH Research Institute, tested the use of a growth factor stimulant in ALS patients and found that bone-marrow stem cells became activated with no adverse effects to patients.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Transfusable blood from a stem cell
Source: Riken Research
Date: May 23, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the RIKEN BioResource Center in Tsukuba have established several cell lines that produce functional red blood cells (RBCs) from mouse embryonic stem cells1. The technique may pave the way for production of human donor red blood cells in vitro, lessening the need for blood donation.
Date: May 23, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the RIKEN BioResource Center in Tsukuba have established several cell lines that produce functional red blood cells (RBCs) from mouse embryonic stem cells1. The technique may pave the way for production of human donor red blood cells in vitro, lessening the need for blood donation.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Researchers discover mechanism that turns normal blood cells to cancerous ones
Source: University of California - Los Angeles
Date: May 22, 2008
Summary:
Stem cell researchers at UCLA have identified a type of leukemia stem cell and uncovered the molecular and genetic mechanisms that cause normal blood cells to become cancerous. The discovery may lead to the development of new therapies that target these leukemia stem cells, attacking the disease at its very root and killing the early cells that give rise to mature cancer cells. The study appears in the May 22, 2008 issue of the journal Nature.
Date: May 22, 2008
Summary:
Stem cell researchers at UCLA have identified a type of leukemia stem cell and uncovered the molecular and genetic mechanisms that cause normal blood cells to become cancerous. The discovery may lead to the development of new therapies that target these leukemia stem cells, attacking the disease at its very root and killing the early cells that give rise to mature cancer cells. The study appears in the May 22, 2008 issue of the journal Nature.
Embryonic stem cells are self-sufficient
Source: Medical Research Council
Date: 22 May 2008
Summary:
Scientists have shown for the first time that embryonic stem (ES) cells are able to self-renew without the natural chemicals that scientists have so far used to maintain them and grow stem cell lines. This discovery contradicts previously held views and could have wide-ranging implications for stem cell research. It is hoped the findings, from the Cambridge team lead by Medical Research Council Professor Austin Smith and published in Nature, will lead to a better biological understanding of ES cells and more straightforward translation to the human system of detailed work done only in mouse ES cells to date.
Date: 22 May 2008
Summary:
Scientists have shown for the first time that embryonic stem (ES) cells are able to self-renew without the natural chemicals that scientists have so far used to maintain them and grow stem cell lines. This discovery contradicts previously held views and could have wide-ranging implications for stem cell research. It is hoped the findings, from the Cambridge team lead by Medical Research Council Professor Austin Smith and published in Nature, will lead to a better biological understanding of ES cells and more straightforward translation to the human system of detailed work done only in mouse ES cells to date.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Neural Cell Transplants May Help Those With Parkinson's Disease
Source: Cell Transplantation Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair
Date: May 21, 2008
Summary:
Researchers publishing their studies in CELL TRANSPLANTATION are seeking new ways to treat Parkinson's disease using cell transplantation in animal models. Recent studies are aimed at finding ways to track the progress of transplanted cells and monitor motor and behavioral changes in test animals. The survival of transplanted cells in the microenvironment to which they are directed, and their ability to be efficacious in the presence of tracking tools, is of prime importance.
Date: May 21, 2008
Summary:
Researchers publishing their studies in CELL TRANSPLANTATION are seeking new ways to treat Parkinson's disease using cell transplantation in animal models. Recent studies are aimed at finding ways to track the progress of transplanted cells and monitor motor and behavioral changes in test animals. The survival of transplanted cells in the microenvironment to which they are directed, and their ability to be efficacious in the presence of tracking tools, is of prime importance.
Stem Cell Study Sheds New Light on Cell Mechanism
Source: University of Southern California
Date: May 21, 2008
Summary:
Research from the University of Southern California (USC) has discovered a new mechanism to allow embryonic stem cells to divide indefinitely and remain undifferentiated. The study, which will be published in the May 22 issue of the journal Nature, also reveals how embryonic stem cell multiplication is regulated, which may be important in understanding how to control tumor cell growth.
Date: May 21, 2008
Summary:
Research from the University of Southern California (USC) has discovered a new mechanism to allow embryonic stem cells to divide indefinitely and remain undifferentiated. The study, which will be published in the May 22 issue of the journal Nature, also reveals how embryonic stem cell multiplication is regulated, which may be important in understanding how to control tumor cell growth.
Many paths, few destinations: How stem cells decide what they'll be
Source: Children's Hospital Boston
Date: May 21, 2008
Summary:
How does a stem cell decide what specialized identity to adopt – or simply to remain a stem cell? A new study suggests that the conventional view, which assumes that cells are “instructed” to progress along prescribed signaling pathways, is too simplistic. Instead, it supports the idea that cells differentiate through the collective behavior of multiple genes in a network that ultimately leads to just a few endpoints – just as a marble on a hilltop can travel a nearly infinite number of downward paths, only to arrive in the same valley. The findings, published in the May 22 issue of Nature, give a glimpse into how that collective behavior works, and show that cell populations maintain a built-in variability that nature can harness for change under the right conditions. The findings also help explain why the process of differentiating stem cells into specific lineages in the laboratory has been highly inefficient.
Date: May 21, 2008
Summary:
How does a stem cell decide what specialized identity to adopt – or simply to remain a stem cell? A new study suggests that the conventional view, which assumes that cells are “instructed” to progress along prescribed signaling pathways, is too simplistic. Instead, it supports the idea that cells differentiate through the collective behavior of multiple genes in a network that ultimately leads to just a few endpoints – just as a marble on a hilltop can travel a nearly infinite number of downward paths, only to arrive in the same valley. The findings, published in the May 22 issue of Nature, give a glimpse into how that collective behavior works, and show that cell populations maintain a built-in variability that nature can harness for change under the right conditions. The findings also help explain why the process of differentiating stem cells into specific lineages in the laboratory has been highly inefficient.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Stem Cells Might Contribute To Vascular Disease
Source: Weill Cornell Medical Center/Weill Cornell Medical College
Date: May 20, 2008
Summary:
Physician-scientists believe that stem cells might play a harmful role in the body's reaction to trauma following common vascular surgery, like angioplasty. They are currently studying how stem cells implant themselves in the wall of arteries and grow out of control.
Date: May 20, 2008
Summary:
Physician-scientists believe that stem cells might play a harmful role in the body's reaction to trauma following common vascular surgery, like angioplasty. They are currently studying how stem cells implant themselves in the wall of arteries and grow out of control.
Nonsignaling glial cells can direct synapse formation in the forging of neural networks
Source: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: May 20, 2008
Summary:
Brain cells known as neurons process information by joining into complex networks, transmitting signals to each other across junctions called synapses. But “neurons don’t just connect to other neurons,” emphasizes Z. Josh Huang, Ph.D., “in a lot of cases, they connect to very specific partners, at particular spots.” Dr. Huang, a professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), leads a team that has identified molecules guiding this highly specific neuronal targeting in the developing brains of mice. The researchers report in PLoS Biology that in some cases, these molecular guides -- non-signaling brain cells known as glia -- form a kind of scaffold. This scaffold, in turn, directs the growth of nerve fibers and their connections between specific types of neurons.
Date: May 20, 2008
Summary:
Brain cells known as neurons process information by joining into complex networks, transmitting signals to each other across junctions called synapses. But “neurons don’t just connect to other neurons,” emphasizes Z. Josh Huang, Ph.D., “in a lot of cases, they connect to very specific partners, at particular spots.” Dr. Huang, a professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL), leads a team that has identified molecules guiding this highly specific neuronal targeting in the developing brains of mice. The researchers report in PLoS Biology that in some cases, these molecular guides -- non-signaling brain cells known as glia -- form a kind of scaffold. This scaffold, in turn, directs the growth of nerve fibers and their connections between specific types of neurons.
Protein key to neuro-regeneration
Source: The Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry
Date: May 20, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the Peninsula Medical School in the South West of England, University College London, the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan and Cancer Research UK, have for the first time identified a protein that is key to the regeneration of damage in the peripheral nervous system and which could with further research lead to understanding diseases of our peripheral nervous systems and provide clues to methods of repairing damage in the central nervous system, according to a paper published this week in the Journal of Cell Biology.
Date: May 20, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the Peninsula Medical School in the South West of England, University College London, the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan and Cancer Research UK, have for the first time identified a protein that is key to the regeneration of damage in the peripheral nervous system and which could with further research lead to understanding diseases of our peripheral nervous systems and provide clues to methods of repairing damage in the central nervous system, according to a paper published this week in the Journal of Cell Biology.
Scientists discover a molecular scaffold that guides connections between brain cells
Source: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: May 20, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have identified molecules guiding this highly specific neuronal targeting in the developing brains of mice. The researchers report in PLoS Biology that in some cases, these molecular guides -- non-signaling brain cells known as glia -- form a kind of scaffold. This scaffold, in turn, directs the growth of nerve fibers and their connections between specific types of neurons. As they learn through research like this how the brain develops its complex wiring, the scientists hope they can clarify what goes wrong in disorders like autism.
Date: May 20, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) have identified molecules guiding this highly specific neuronal targeting in the developing brains of mice. The researchers report in PLoS Biology that in some cases, these molecular guides -- non-signaling brain cells known as glia -- form a kind of scaffold. This scaffold, in turn, directs the growth of nerve fibers and their connections between specific types of neurons. As they learn through research like this how the brain develops its complex wiring, the scientists hope they can clarify what goes wrong in disorders like autism.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Working bladders grown from progenitor cells
Source: Reuters
Posted: May 19, 2008 2:35pm EDT
Summary:
Reuters reports researchers have created bladders from progenitor cells:
"Months after being implanted into research animals, "neo-bladders" created from progenitor cells appear to function much like natural bladders, researchers have shown. Stem cells become progenitor cells on the way to becoming specialized cells forming particular types of tissue. Neo-bladders are created by removing bladder progenitor cells during bladder biopsies, growing the cells in culture and then seeding them onto a biodegradable bladder-shaped scaffold made out of collagen or other material."
Posted: May 19, 2008 2:35pm EDT
Summary:
Reuters reports researchers have created bladders from progenitor cells:
"Months after being implanted into research animals, "neo-bladders" created from progenitor cells appear to function much like natural bladders, researchers have shown. Stem cells become progenitor cells on the way to becoming specialized cells forming particular types of tissue. Neo-bladders are created by removing bladder progenitor cells during bladder biopsies, growing the cells in culture and then seeding them onto a biodegradable bladder-shaped scaffold made out of collagen or other material."
Neural cell transplants may help those with Parkinson's disease
Source: Cell Transplantation Center of Excellence for Aging and Brain Repair
Date: May 19, 2008
Summary:
The current issue of CELL TRANSPLANTATION (Vol. 17:4) features a number of publications by researchers seeking new ways to treat Parkinson’s disease (PD), a neurological disease characterized by muscle rigidity, tremor and slowed physical movements related to insufficient levels of dopamine (DA) in the basal ganglia of the brain, by using primate models to examine the potential therapy role of transplanted cells.
Date: May 19, 2008
Summary:
The current issue of CELL TRANSPLANTATION (Vol. 17:4) features a number of publications by researchers seeking new ways to treat Parkinson’s disease (PD), a neurological disease characterized by muscle rigidity, tremor and slowed physical movements related to insufficient levels of dopamine (DA) in the basal ganglia of the brain, by using primate models to examine the potential therapy role of transplanted cells.
Preclinical Data Demonstrate Ability to Regenerate an Entire Bladder with Tengion Neo-Bladder Replacement™
Source: Tengion, Inc.
Date: May 19, 2008
Summary:
Tengion, Inc., a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on the development of neo-organs and neo-vessels, presented preclinical efficacy data for its Tengion Neo-Bladder Replacement™ at the Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) in Orlando, Florida on May 18, 2008.
Date: May 19, 2008
Summary:
Tengion, Inc., a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on the development of neo-organs and neo-vessels, presented preclinical efficacy data for its Tengion Neo-Bladder Replacement™ at the Annual Meeting of the American Urological Association (AUA) in Orlando, Florida on May 18, 2008.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Stem cell find linked to memory
Source: Sydney Morning Herald
Date: May 17, 2008
Summary:
The Sydney Morning Herald reports researchers at the Queensland Brain Institute in Brisbane, Australia have found brain stem cells that are critical to learning and memory:
"AUSTRALIAN researchers have discovered stem cells in the brain that are vital for learning and memory. They have also worked out how to activate the cells so they produce new neurons, a discovery that could eventually lead to better treatments for degenerative brain conditions of ageing, such as dementia."
Date: May 17, 2008
Summary:
The Sydney Morning Herald reports researchers at the Queensland Brain Institute in Brisbane, Australia have found brain stem cells that are critical to learning and memory:
"AUSTRALIAN researchers have discovered stem cells in the brain that are vital for learning and memory. They have also worked out how to activate the cells so they produce new neurons, a discovery that could eventually lead to better treatments for degenerative brain conditions of ageing, such as dementia."
Friday, May 16, 2008
Researchers Expand Natural Killer Cells In Cord Blood To Fight Leukemia
Source: University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
Date: May 16, 2008
Summary:
Researchers from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have found a therapy that effectively kills human leukemia cells in mice using natural killer (NK) cells from umbilical cord blood.
Date: May 16, 2008
Summary:
Researchers from The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center have found a therapy that effectively kills human leukemia cells in mice using natural killer (NK) cells from umbilical cord blood.
Researchers identify proteins that help develop mammalian hearts
Source: Medical College of Wisconsin
Date: May 16, 2008
Summary:
The absence of two proteins in mammalian embryos prevents the development of a healthy heart, a new study by researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, has found. This is the first study that has successfully identified the factors responsible for the onset of heart formation in the mammalian embryo. Until now, no single mutation had been identified that was thought to be responsible for blocking proper development of the heart in mammalian embryos. The identification of these major developmental switches will allow researchers to unravel the fundamental mechanisms that define heart cell formation.
Date: May 16, 2008
Summary:
The absence of two proteins in mammalian embryos prevents the development of a healthy heart, a new study by researchers at the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, has found. This is the first study that has successfully identified the factors responsible for the onset of heart formation in the mammalian embryo. Until now, no single mutation had been identified that was thought to be responsible for blocking proper development of the heart in mammalian embryos. The identification of these major developmental switches will allow researchers to unravel the fundamental mechanisms that define heart cell formation.
How nerve cells are shaped: Discovery of molecules that sculpt nerve shape will assist in understanding nerve cell function and neurological disease
Source: Riken Research
Date: 16 May 2008
Summary:
Molecular biologists at RIKEN’s Brain Science Institute in Wako have unraveled details of the genetic controls that determine the distinctive shapes of four classes of sensory nerve cells in the fruit fly, Drosophila. Nerve cell shapes vary according to the number, branching and disposition of their projections or dendrites, collectively known as arborization. This determines their capacity for interacting with their environment and with other nerve cells or neurons, hence their computational ability and roles. Knowing how such shapes are determined is important for understanding nerve cell function and neurological disease.
Date: 16 May 2008
Summary:
Molecular biologists at RIKEN’s Brain Science Institute in Wako have unraveled details of the genetic controls that determine the distinctive shapes of four classes of sensory nerve cells in the fruit fly, Drosophila. Nerve cell shapes vary according to the number, branching and disposition of their projections or dendrites, collectively known as arborization. This determines their capacity for interacting with their environment and with other nerve cells or neurons, hence their computational ability and roles. Knowing how such shapes are determined is important for understanding nerve cell function and neurological disease.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Adult Cells Steal Trick from Cancer to Become Stem Cell-Like
Source: Scientific American
Date: May 15, 2008
Summary:
In a boon to cancer treatment and regenerative medicine, scientists have discovered that a trick used by tumor cells that allows them to migrate around the body can cause normal, adult cells to revert into stem cell like cells.
Date: May 15, 2008
Summary:
In a boon to cancer treatment and regenerative medicine, scientists have discovered that a trick used by tumor cells that allows them to migrate around the body can cause normal, adult cells to revert into stem cell like cells.
Embryonic pathway delivers stem cell traits
Source: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
Date: May 15, 2008
Summary:
Studies of how cancer cells spread have led to a surprising discovery about the creation of cells with adult stem cell characteristics, offering potentially major implications for regenerative medicine and for cancer treatment. Some cancer cells acquire the ability to migrate through the body by re-activating biological programs that have lain dormant since the embryo stage, as the lab of Whitehead Member Robert Weinberg has helped to demonstrate in recent years. Now scientists in the Weinberg lab have shown that both normal and cancer cells that are induced to follow one of these pathways may gain properties of adult stem cells, including the ability to self-renew.
Date: May 15, 2008
Summary:
Studies of how cancer cells spread have led to a surprising discovery about the creation of cells with adult stem cell characteristics, offering potentially major implications for regenerative medicine and for cancer treatment. Some cancer cells acquire the ability to migrate through the body by re-activating biological programs that have lain dormant since the embryo stage, as the lab of Whitehead Member Robert Weinberg has helped to demonstrate in recent years. Now scientists in the Weinberg lab have shown that both normal and cancer cells that are induced to follow one of these pathways may gain properties of adult stem cells, including the ability to self-renew.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Geron stem cell trial delayed by FDA
Source: San Jose Mercury News
Posted: May 14, 2008 02:43:24 PM PDT
Summary:
The San Jose Mercury News reports the Food and Drug Administration put a proposed human clinical trial by Geron Corporation, a biotechnology company in the field of stem cell research, using embryonic stem cells to attempt to treat spinal cord injuries on hold:
"Geron suffered a setback Wednesday when regulators put the brakes to its quest to become the first company to test people with a treatment developed from human embryonic stem cells. Executives with the Menlo Park biotech company said they received word from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that the agency had placed a so-called clinical hold on their proposed test of the treatment for people with spinal injuries."
Posted: May 14, 2008 02:43:24 PM PDT
Summary:
The San Jose Mercury News reports the Food and Drug Administration put a proposed human clinical trial by Geron Corporation, a biotechnology company in the field of stem cell research, using embryonic stem cells to attempt to treat spinal cord injuries on hold:
"Geron suffered a setback Wednesday when regulators put the brakes to its quest to become the first company to test people with a treatment developed from human embryonic stem cells. Executives with the Menlo Park biotech company said they received word from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that the agency had placed a so-called clinical hold on their proposed test of the treatment for people with spinal injuries."
Pioneering induction of bone formation using embryonic stem cells
Source: University of Twente
Date: May 14, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the University of Twente break new ground by successfully creating bone tissue “in vivo”, using embryonic stem cells. They imitated bone formation in embryos and children, which uses cartilage as a template. This new approach appears to be a promising way of repairing bone defects. This week, the researchers’ findings are presented in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Date: May 14, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the University of Twente break new ground by successfully creating bone tissue “in vivo”, using embryonic stem cells. They imitated bone formation in embryos and children, which uses cartilage as a template. This new approach appears to be a promising way of repairing bone defects. This week, the researchers’ findings are presented in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
Discovery Of Cell Linked To Learning And Memory
Source: University of Queensland
Date: May 14, 2008
Summary:
Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) neuroscientists at The University of Queensland have discovered a fundamental component of the process that regulates memory formation. The discovery explains, for the first time, how new nerve cells form in an area of the brain associated with learning and memory – which is known to deteriorate in people with stroke and dementia.
Date: May 14, 2008
Summary:
Queensland Brain Institute (QBI) neuroscientists at The University of Queensland have discovered a fundamental component of the process that regulates memory formation. The discovery explains, for the first time, how new nerve cells form in an area of the brain associated with learning and memory – which is known to deteriorate in people with stroke and dementia.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Gene Therapy Slows Progression of Fatal Neurodegenerative Disease in Children
Source: Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News
Date: May 13, 2008
Summary:
Gene therapy to replace the faulty CLN2 gene, which causes Late Infantile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (LINCL), a genetic neurodegenerative disease that is fatal by age 8-12 years, was able to slow significantly the rate of neurologic decline in treated children, according to a paper published online ahead of print in the May 2008 issue (Vol. 19 No. 5) of Human Gene Therapy. Late Infantile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (LINCL) is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder that causes degeneration of the central nervous system. It is a form of Batten disease, a group of lysosomal storage disease in which a lipofuscin-like material is not broken down and accumulates in neurons, causing cognitive impairment, visual failure, seizures, and progressive deterioration of motor function.
Date: May 13, 2008
Summary:
Gene therapy to replace the faulty CLN2 gene, which causes Late Infantile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (LINCL), a genetic neurodegenerative disease that is fatal by age 8-12 years, was able to slow significantly the rate of neurologic decline in treated children, according to a paper published online ahead of print in the May 2008 issue (Vol. 19 No. 5) of Human Gene Therapy. Late Infantile Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (LINCL) is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder that causes degeneration of the central nervous system. It is a form of Batten disease, a group of lysosomal storage disease in which a lipofuscin-like material is not broken down and accumulates in neurons, causing cognitive impairment, visual failure, seizures, and progressive deterioration of motor function.
Researchers uncover mechanism of action of antibiotic able to reduce neuronal cell death in brain
Source: Virginia Commonwealth University
Date: May 13, 2008
Summary:
Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have discovered how an antibiotic works to modulate the activity of a neurotransmitter that regulates brain functions, which eventually could lead to therapies to treat Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, epilepsy, stroke, dementia and malignant gliomas.
Date: May 13, 2008
Summary:
Virginia Commonwealth University researchers have discovered how an antibiotic works to modulate the activity of a neurotransmitter that regulates brain functions, which eventually could lead to therapies to treat Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease, epilepsy, stroke, dementia and malignant gliomas.
Novel mechanisms controlling insulin release and fat deposition discovered
Source: Karolinska Institutet
Date: May 13, 2008
Summary
Scientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have in two recent studies shown that a receptor called ALK7 plays important roles in the regulation of body fat deposition as well as the release of insulin from beta-cells in the pancreas. These findings have implications for the development of treatments against diabetes and obesity.
Date: May 13, 2008
Summary
Scientists at the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet have in two recent studies shown that a receptor called ALK7 plays important roles in the regulation of body fat deposition as well as the release of insulin from beta-cells in the pancreas. These findings have implications for the development of treatments against diabetes and obesity.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Got sugar? Skeletal muscle development responds to nutrient availability
Source: Cell Press
Date: May 12, 2008
Summary:
A new study finds that restricted nutrient availability prevents muscle stem cells from growing into mature muscle cells. The research, published by Cell Press in the May issue of the journal Developmental Cell, provides exciting new information about how developing muscle cells sense and respond to nutrient levels. The study adds a new twist to ongoing research into the effects of caloric restriction on physiology and aging and may lead to new therapeutic avenues for muscle wasting.
Date: May 12, 2008
Summary:
A new study finds that restricted nutrient availability prevents muscle stem cells from growing into mature muscle cells. The research, published by Cell Press in the May issue of the journal Developmental Cell, provides exciting new information about how developing muscle cells sense and respond to nutrient levels. The study adds a new twist to ongoing research into the effects of caloric restriction on physiology and aging and may lead to new therapeutic avenues for muscle wasting.
How Embryonic Stem Cells Develop Into Tissue-specific Cells Demonstrated
Source: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Date: May 12, 2008
Summary:
While it has long been known that embryonic stem cells have the ability to develop into any kind of tissue-specific cells, the exact mechanism as to how this occurs has heretofore not been demonstrated. Now, researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and elsewhere have succeeded in graphically revealing this process, resolving a long-standing question as to whether the stem cells achieve their development through selective activation or selective repression of genes.
Date: May 12, 2008
Summary:
While it has long been known that embryonic stem cells have the ability to develop into any kind of tissue-specific cells, the exact mechanism as to how this occurs has heretofore not been demonstrated. Now, researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and elsewhere have succeeded in graphically revealing this process, resolving a long-standing question as to whether the stem cells achieve their development through selective activation or selective repression of genes.
Friday, May 09, 2008
Naturally-occurring Protein May Be Effective In Limiting Heart Attack Injury & Restoring Function
Source: Medical College of Wisconsin
Date: May 9, 2008
Summary:
Medical College of Wisconsin researchers in Milwaukee have shown for the first time that thrombopoietin (TPO), a naturally occurring protein being developed as a pharmaceutical to increase platelet count in cancer patients during chemotherapy, can also protect the heart against injury during a heart attack.
Date: May 9, 2008
Summary:
Medical College of Wisconsin researchers in Milwaukee have shown for the first time that thrombopoietin (TPO), a naturally occurring protein being developed as a pharmaceutical to increase platelet count in cancer patients during chemotherapy, can also protect the heart against injury during a heart attack.
Diabetes beater? Final trials are underway
Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press
Posted: May 9, 2008 10:29:09 AM CDT
Summary:
The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports researchers at the University of Minnesota announced the final round of clinical trials of a pancreatic islet cell transplant procedure that can reverse type 1 diabetes:
"An experimental islet transplant that can reverse type 1 diabetes is entering a final round of clinical trials at the University of Minnesota. Researchers at the U announced the start of two trials Thursday, hoping to prove that transplants of donated human islets — insulin-producing cell clusters — are safe and effective for diabetics. Favorable results would persuade the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve the transplants for mainstream medicine."
Posted: May 9, 2008 10:29:09 AM CDT
Summary:
The St. Paul Pioneer Press reports researchers at the University of Minnesota announced the final round of clinical trials of a pancreatic islet cell transplant procedure that can reverse type 1 diabetes:
"An experimental islet transplant that can reverse type 1 diabetes is entering a final round of clinical trials at the University of Minnesota. Researchers at the U announced the start of two trials Thursday, hoping to prove that transplants of donated human islets — insulin-producing cell clusters — are safe and effective for diabetics. Favorable results would persuade the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to approve the transplants for mainstream medicine."
Thursday, May 08, 2008
U of M Begins Clinical Trials for Type 1 Diabetes
Source: University of Minnesota
Date: May 8, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the University of Minnesota’s Diabetes Institute for Immunology and Transplantation announce the start of new clinical trials for people with type 1 diabetes. The University is one of only seven sites in the United States funded by the National Institutes of Health as part of the Clinical Islet Transplantation Consortium, the goal of which is to determine whether islet transplantation becomes an FDA-approved treatment for people with difficult-to-manage type 1 diabetes.
Date: May 8, 2008
Summary:
Researchers at the University of Minnesota’s Diabetes Institute for Immunology and Transplantation announce the start of new clinical trials for people with type 1 diabetes. The University is one of only seven sites in the United States funded by the National Institutes of Health as part of the Clinical Islet Transplantation Consortium, the goal of which is to determine whether islet transplantation becomes an FDA-approved treatment for people with difficult-to-manage type 1 diabetes.
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
New target for Alzheimer's disease identified
Source: Gladstone Institutes
Date: May 7, 2008
Summary:
In a new study, published in today’s Journal of Neuroscience, researchers in the laboratory of Lennart Mucke, MD, director of the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease (GIND), have determined in mouse models that modulating the activity of enkephalin peptides in the brain might reduce the cognitive deficits seen in Alzheimer’s disease.
Date: May 7, 2008
Summary:
In a new study, published in today’s Journal of Neuroscience, researchers in the laboratory of Lennart Mucke, MD, director of the Gladstone Institute of Neurological Disease (GIND), have determined in mouse models that modulating the activity of enkephalin peptides in the brain might reduce the cognitive deficits seen in Alzheimer’s disease.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
Researchers demonstrate safety of gene therapy using adult stem cells
Source: University of California - Davis
Date: May 6, 2008
Summary:
A new study by UC Davis researchers provides evidence that methods using human bone marrow-derived stem cells to deliver gene therapy to cure diseases of the blood, bone marrow and certain types of cancer do not cause the development of tumors or leukemia. The study was published online in the May 6, 2008 issue of Molecular Therapy.
Date: May 6, 2008
Summary:
A new study by UC Davis researchers provides evidence that methods using human bone marrow-derived stem cells to deliver gene therapy to cure diseases of the blood, bone marrow and certain types of cancer do not cause the development of tumors or leukemia. The study was published online in the May 6, 2008 issue of Molecular Therapy.
Bone marrow treatments restore nerves, expert says
Source: Reuters
Posted: May 6, 2008 2:37pm EDT
Summary:
Reuters reports patients with Multiple Sclerosis experienced remission of their symptoms after receiving bone marrow transplants:
"An experiment that went wrong may provide a new way to treat multiple sclerosis, a Canadian researcher said... Patients who got bone marrow stem-cell transplants -- similar to those given to leukemia patients -- have enjoyed a mysterious remission of their disease. Researchers had thought that destroying the bone marrow would improve symptoms within a year. After all, MS is believed to be an autoimmune disease, in which immune system cells mistakenly attack the fatty myelin sheath that protects nerve strands. Patients lose the ability to move as the thin strands that connect one nerve cell to another wither. Instead, improvements began two years after treatment."
Posted: May 6, 2008 2:37pm EDT
Summary:
Reuters reports patients with Multiple Sclerosis experienced remission of their symptoms after receiving bone marrow transplants:
"An experiment that went wrong may provide a new way to treat multiple sclerosis, a Canadian researcher said... Patients who got bone marrow stem-cell transplants -- similar to those given to leukemia patients -- have enjoyed a mysterious remission of their disease. Researchers had thought that destroying the bone marrow would improve symptoms within a year. After all, MS is believed to be an autoimmune disease, in which immune system cells mistakenly attack the fatty myelin sheath that protects nerve strands. Patients lose the ability to move as the thin strands that connect one nerve cell to another wither. Instead, improvements began two years after treatment."
New Technology Tests Maturity Of Stem Cells
Source: Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft
Date: May 6, 2008
Summary:
Stem cells can differentiate into 220 different types of body cell. The development of these cells can now be systematically observed and investigated with the aid of two new machines that imitate the conditions in the human body with unprecedented accuracy. Biologists and medical scientists plan to make use of this differentiation ability to selectively harvest cardiac, skin or nerve cells for the treatment of different diseases.
Date: May 6, 2008
Summary:
Stem cells can differentiate into 220 different types of body cell. The development of these cells can now be systematically observed and investigated with the aid of two new machines that imitate the conditions in the human body with unprecedented accuracy. Biologists and medical scientists plan to make use of this differentiation ability to selectively harvest cardiac, skin or nerve cells for the treatment of different diseases.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
Findings indicate how gene transcription is controlled in embroyonic stem cells
Source: Baylor College of Medicine
Date: May 4, 2008
Summary:
Association determines fate in embryonic stem cells, said Baylor College of Medicine researchers in a report that appears in the current issue of the journal Nature Cell Biology. “These findings provide models of how the embryonic stem cell is maintained in its flexible state,” said Dr. Zhou Songyang, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at BCM and senior author of the report. “It provides another hint as to how gene transcription is controlled in embryonic stem cells.”
Date: May 4, 2008
Summary:
Association determines fate in embryonic stem cells, said Baylor College of Medicine researchers in a report that appears in the current issue of the journal Nature Cell Biology. “These findings provide models of how the embryonic stem cell is maintained in its flexible state,” said Dr. Zhou Songyang, professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at BCM and senior author of the report. “It provides another hint as to how gene transcription is controlled in embryonic stem cells.”
Thursday, May 01, 2008
Research team's breakthrough turns stem cells into heart cells
Source: Canwest News Service
Date: May 1, 2008
Summary:
Canwest News Service reports researchers turned embryonic stem cells into heart cells:
"An international research team, led by a Canadian stem-cell scientist, has successfully turned human embryonic stem cells into three types of heart cells. The breakthrough, said Dr. Gordon Keller, director of the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine at University Health Network in Toronto, marks a significant step towards the test-tube creation of functioning heart tissue and in the future could lead to new strategies for repairing damaged hearts following a heart attack."
Date: May 1, 2008
Summary:
Canwest News Service reports researchers turned embryonic stem cells into heart cells:
"An international research team, led by a Canadian stem-cell scientist, has successfully turned human embryonic stem cells into three types of heart cells. The breakthrough, said Dr. Gordon Keller, director of the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine at University Health Network in Toronto, marks a significant step towards the test-tube creation of functioning heart tissue and in the future could lead to new strategies for repairing damaged hearts following a heart attack."
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
New type of stem cells coaxed into heart tissue
Source: Reuters
Posted: April 30, 2008 4:07pm EDT
Summary:
Reuters reports researchers successfully converted skin stem cells into heart and blood cells:
"A new type of powerful stem cell made from ordinary skin cells has been coaxed into becoming three different types of heart and blood cells in mice, U.S. researchers reported... They said they had made heart and blood cells from so-called induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells -- which are transformed skin cells that mimic the powers of embryonic stem cells. They said their finding, published in the journal Stem Cells Express, brings one step closer the possibility of using the cells to treat heart disease in humans."
Posted: April 30, 2008 4:07pm EDT
Summary:
Reuters reports researchers successfully converted skin stem cells into heart and blood cells:
"A new type of powerful stem cell made from ordinary skin cells has been coaxed into becoming three different types of heart and blood cells in mice, U.S. researchers reported... They said they had made heart and blood cells from so-called induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells -- which are transformed skin cells that mimic the powers of embryonic stem cells. They said their finding, published in the journal Stem Cells Express, brings one step closer the possibility of using the cells to treat heart disease in humans."
USC researcher reveals new model for embryonic limb development
Source: University of Southern California
Date: April 30, 2008
Summary:
A study led by a researcher at the University of Southern California has found a new model to explain how signals between cells in the embryo control limb development. The study, which will be published in the May issue of the journal Nature and now available online, found that secreted growth factors at the distal tip of the embryonic limb act as instructive molecules that control the pattern of bones along the length of the limb in an animal model.
Date: April 30, 2008
Summary:
A study led by a researcher at the University of Southern California has found a new model to explain how signals between cells in the embryo control limb development. The study, which will be published in the May issue of the journal Nature and now available online, found that secreted growth factors at the distal tip of the embryonic limb act as instructive molecules that control the pattern of bones along the length of the limb in an animal model.
Rresearchers create heart and blood cells from reprogrammed skin cells
Source: University of California - Los Angeles
Date: April 30, 2008
Summary:
Stem cell researchers at UCLA were able to grow functioning cardiac cells using mouse skin cells that had been reprogrammed into cells with the same unlimited properties as embryonic stem cells. The finding is the first to show that induced pluripotent stem cells or iPS cells, which don’t involve the use of embryos or eggs, can be differentiated into the three types of cardiovascular cells needed to repair the heart and blood vessels.
Date: April 30, 2008
Summary:
Stem cell researchers at UCLA were able to grow functioning cardiac cells using mouse skin cells that had been reprogrammed into cells with the same unlimited properties as embryonic stem cells. The finding is the first to show that induced pluripotent stem cells or iPS cells, which don’t involve the use of embryos or eggs, can be differentiated into the three types of cardiovascular cells needed to repair the heart and blood vessels.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Stem cells at root of antlers' branching
Source: Public Library of Science
Date: April 29, 2008
Summary:
The ability to regenerate lost body parts is unevenly distributed among higher organisms. Among vertebrates, some amphibians are able to replace lost limbs completely, while mammals are unable to regenerate complex appendages. The only exception to this rule is the annual replacement of deer antlers. The annual regrowth of these structures is the only example of regeneration of a complete, anatomically complex appendage in a mammal, and antlers are therefore of high interest to regeneration biologists.
The epimorphic regeneration of appendages may involve progenitor cells created through reprogramming of differentiated cells or through the activation of resident stem cells. Reporting in this week’s PLoS ONE in a study funded by the German Research Society, Hans J. Rolf and colleagues from the University of Goettingen and University of Hildesheim (Germany) emphasize that deer antler growth and regeneration might be reduced to a stem cell-based process.
Date: April 29, 2008
Summary:
The ability to regenerate lost body parts is unevenly distributed among higher organisms. Among vertebrates, some amphibians are able to replace lost limbs completely, while mammals are unable to regenerate complex appendages. The only exception to this rule is the annual replacement of deer antlers. The annual regrowth of these structures is the only example of regeneration of a complete, anatomically complex appendage in a mammal, and antlers are therefore of high interest to regeneration biologists.
The epimorphic regeneration of appendages may involve progenitor cells created through reprogramming of differentiated cells or through the activation of resident stem cells. Reporting in this week’s PLoS ONE in a study funded by the German Research Society, Hans J. Rolf and colleagues from the University of Goettingen and University of Hildesheim (Germany) emphasize that deer antler growth and regeneration might be reduced to a stem cell-based process.
Stem Cell-Like Cancer Cells Resistant To Standard Therapy, Responsive To Targeted Therapy
Source: Journal of the National Cancer Institute
Date: April 30, 2008
Summary:
A comparison of breast cancer biopsies before and after treatment show that a subset of cells, which have stem cell-like properties, are resistant to standard chemotherapy. Tumors treated with lapatinib, which inhibits a pathway important for self-renewal, retained a smaller fraction of these tumorigenic cells after therapy.
Date: April 30, 2008
Summary:
A comparison of breast cancer biopsies before and after treatment show that a subset of cells, which have stem cell-like properties, are resistant to standard chemotherapy. Tumors treated with lapatinib, which inhibits a pathway important for self-renewal, retained a smaller fraction of these tumorigenic cells after therapy.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Breakthrough techniqute restores light sensitivity in damaged retinas
Source: Novartis Research Foundation / Friedrich Miescher Institute
Date: 28 April 2008
Summary:
The Friedrich Miescher Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (FMI) today announced a novel technique that restores light sensitivity to previously unresponsive retinas in blind mice and, remarkably, produces light-induced behavioral change in mice with retinal damage. A study on the technique, published in Nature Neuroscience, indicates that the approach could be an alternative to surgical transplantation of electrode arrays.
Date: 28 April 2008
Summary:
The Friedrich Miescher Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation (FMI) today announced a novel technique that restores light sensitivity to previously unresponsive retinas in blind mice and, remarkably, produces light-induced behavioral change in mice with retinal damage. A study on the technique, published in Nature Neuroscience, indicates that the approach could be an alternative to surgical transplantation of electrode arrays.
Scientists find stem cells for the first time in the pituitary
Source: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: April 28, 2008
Summary:
A team of researchers led by scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have for the first time identified stem cells that allow the pituitary glands of mice to grow even after birth. They found that, in contrast to most adult stem cells, these cells are distinct from those that fuel the initial growth of this important organ. The results suggest a novel way that the hormone-secreting gland may adapt, even in adolescents and adults, to traumatic stress or to normal life changes like pregnancy.
Date: April 28, 2008
Summary:
A team of researchers led by scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory have for the first time identified stem cells that allow the pituitary glands of mice to grow even after birth. They found that, in contrast to most adult stem cells, these cells are distinct from those that fuel the initial growth of this important organ. The results suggest a novel way that the hormone-secreting gland may adapt, even in adolescents and adults, to traumatic stress or to normal life changes like pregnancy.
Eye Cell Implants Improve Parkinson's Symptoms
Source: HealthDay News
Date: April 28, 2008
Summary:
HealthDay News reports implanting specialized eye cells into brains of patients affected by Parkinson's Disease reduced symptoms of the disease and improved quality of life:
"By implanting specialized cells found in the human eye into areas of the brain damaged by Parkinson's disease, researchers were able to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life in people with moderate to severe Parkinson's. The new treatment, dubbed Spheramine, reduced symptoms experienced when people were off their Parkinson's medications by 44 percent for as long as four years of follow-up. Quality-of-life measurements were up about 23 percent, according to the study..."
Date: April 28, 2008
Summary:
HealthDay News reports implanting specialized eye cells into brains of patients affected by Parkinson's Disease reduced symptoms of the disease and improved quality of life:
"By implanting specialized cells found in the human eye into areas of the brain damaged by Parkinson's disease, researchers were able to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life in people with moderate to severe Parkinson's. The new treatment, dubbed Spheramine, reduced symptoms experienced when people were off their Parkinson's medications by 44 percent for as long as four years of follow-up. Quality-of-life measurements were up about 23 percent, according to the study..."
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