Source: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: September 26, 2011
Summary:
Cold Spring Harbor, NY – Scientists at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) and the University of Southern California (USC) have uncovered intriguing new evidence helping to explain one of the ways in which a stem cell's fate can be determined. The new data show how the "marking" of DNA sequences by groups of methyl molecules – a process called methylation – can influence the type of cell a stem cell will become. The cellular maturation process, called differentiation, has long been thought to be affected by methylation. Subtle changes in methylation patterns within subsets of a particular cell type have now been observed and closely scrutinized, and they reveal some intriguing mechanisms at work in the process. The study, which will appear in print October 7 in the journal Molecular Cell, generated some surprising findings that challenge currently held theories about how methylation operates.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Mice stem cells guided into myelinating cells by the trillions
Source: Case Western Reserve University
Date: September 26, 2011
Summary:
Scientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine found a way to rapidly produce pure populations of cells that grow into the protective myelin coating on nerves in mice. Their process opens a door to research and potential treatments for multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and other demyelinating diseases afflicting millions of people worldwide. The findings were published in the online issue of Nature Methods, Sunday, Sept. 25.
With this new discovery, scientists are now able to direct mouse stem cells into populations of myelinating cells, called oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, or OPCs. in just 10 days. The team’s success relied upon guiding the cells through specific stages that match those that occur during normal embryonic development.
First, stem cells in a petri dish are treated with molecules to direct them to become the most primitive cells in the nervous system. These cells then organize into structures called neural rosettes reminiscent of the developing brain and spinal cord. To produce OPCs, the neural rosettes are then treated with a defined set of signaling proteins previously known to be important for generation of OPCs in the developing spinal cord.
After this 10 day protocol, the researchers were able to maintain the OPCs in the lab for more than a month by growing them on a specific protein surface called laminin and adding growth factors associated with OPC development. The OPCs were nearly homogenous and could be multiplied to obtain more than a trillion cells. The OPCs were treated with thyroid hormone, which is key to regulating the transition of the OPCs to oligodendrocytes. The result was the OPCs stopped proliferating and turned into oligodendrocytes within four days. Testing on nerves lacking myelin, both on the lab bench and in diseased mouse models, showed the OPCs derived from the process flourished into oligodendrocytes and restored normal myelin within days, demonstrating their potential use in therapeutic transplants.
Date: September 26, 2011
Summary:
Scientists at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine found a way to rapidly produce pure populations of cells that grow into the protective myelin coating on nerves in mice. Their process opens a door to research and potential treatments for multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy and other demyelinating diseases afflicting millions of people worldwide. The findings were published in the online issue of Nature Methods, Sunday, Sept. 25.
With this new discovery, scientists are now able to direct mouse stem cells into populations of myelinating cells, called oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, or OPCs. in just 10 days. The team’s success relied upon guiding the cells through specific stages that match those that occur during normal embryonic development.
First, stem cells in a petri dish are treated with molecules to direct them to become the most primitive cells in the nervous system. These cells then organize into structures called neural rosettes reminiscent of the developing brain and spinal cord. To produce OPCs, the neural rosettes are then treated with a defined set of signaling proteins previously known to be important for generation of OPCs in the developing spinal cord.
After this 10 day protocol, the researchers were able to maintain the OPCs in the lab for more than a month by growing them on a specific protein surface called laminin and adding growth factors associated with OPC development. The OPCs were nearly homogenous and could be multiplied to obtain more than a trillion cells. The OPCs were treated with thyroid hormone, which is key to regulating the transition of the OPCs to oligodendrocytes. The result was the OPCs stopped proliferating and turned into oligodendrocytes within four days. Testing on nerves lacking myelin, both on the lab bench and in diseased mouse models, showed the OPCs derived from the process flourished into oligodendrocytes and restored normal myelin within days, demonstrating their potential use in therapeutic transplants.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Important Step in Sperm Reprogramming Identified
Source: University of North Carolina School of Medicine
Date: September 22, 2011
Summary:
A study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine has illuminated a key step of demethylation, giving stem cell researchers critical information as they try to reprogram adult cells to mimic the curative and self-renewing properties of stem cells. Previous research had shown that the methyl tags on sperm DNA are converted to their chemical cousin, hydroxymethyl, before disappearing completely. The current finding, published online in the Sept. 22, 2011, issue of Science (ScienceExpress), suggests that the disappearance of these chemical tags in the later steps of demethylation is not an active process catalyzed by an enzyme but is rather a passive process.
Date: September 22, 2011
Summary:
A study from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine has illuminated a key step of demethylation, giving stem cell researchers critical information as they try to reprogram adult cells to mimic the curative and self-renewing properties of stem cells. Previous research had shown that the methyl tags on sperm DNA are converted to their chemical cousin, hydroxymethyl, before disappearing completely. The current finding, published online in the Sept. 22, 2011, issue of Science (ScienceExpress), suggests that the disappearance of these chemical tags in the later steps of demethylation is not an active process catalyzed by an enzyme but is rather a passive process.
ACT Receives Approval for First Human Embryonic Stem Cell Trial in Europe
Source: Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.
Date: September 22, 2011
Summary:
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today that it has received clearance from the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to begin treating patients as part of a Phase 1/2 clinical trial for Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy (SMD) using retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). ACT received similar approval from the the Gene Therapy Advisory Committee (GTAC), which has responsibility for the ethical oversight of proposals to conduct clinical trials involving gene or stem cell therapies in the U.K. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) previously granted Orphan Drug designation for the company's RPE cell product for use in treating SMD.
Date: September 22, 2011
Summary:
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today that it has received clearance from the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to begin treating patients as part of a Phase 1/2 clinical trial for Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy (SMD) using retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). ACT received similar approval from the the Gene Therapy Advisory Committee (GTAC), which has responsibility for the ethical oversight of proposals to conduct clinical trials involving gene or stem cell therapies in the U.K. The European Medicines Agency (EMA) previously granted Orphan Drug designation for the company's RPE cell product for use in treating SMD.
StemCells, Inc. Announces World's First Neural Stem Cell Transplant in Spinal Cord Injury Patient
Source: StemCells, Inc.
Date: September 22, 2011
Summary:
StemCells, Inc. announced today that the first patient in the Company's breakthrough Phase I/II clinical trial in chronic spinal cord injury was successfully transplanted with the Company's proprietary HuCNS-SC(R) adult neural stem cells. The stem cells were administered yesterday at Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, a world leading medical center for spinal cord injury and rehabilitation. The transplant surgery was performed by a team of surgeons led by Dr. Raphael Guzman, a visiting staff neurosurgeon also on faculty at Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, and Dr. K. Min, an orthopedic surgeon at Balgrist University Hospital.
Date: September 22, 2011
Summary:
StemCells, Inc. announced today that the first patient in the Company's breakthrough Phase I/II clinical trial in chronic spinal cord injury was successfully transplanted with the Company's proprietary HuCNS-SC(R) adult neural stem cells. The stem cells were administered yesterday at Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich, a world leading medical center for spinal cord injury and rehabilitation. The transplant surgery was performed by a team of surgeons led by Dr. Raphael Guzman, a visiting staff neurosurgeon also on faculty at Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, and Dr. K. Min, an orthopedic surgeon at Balgrist University Hospital.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Additional News Coverage of Stanford University Embryonic Stem Cell Trial For Spinal Cord Injury
Below are summaries of additional coverage on the announcement yesterday by Stanford University that a researcher has begun the first test of an embryonic stem cell therapy on the West Coast from the San Jose Mercury News and San Francisco Chronicle:
From the San Jose Mercury News, September 21, 2011:
From the San Francisco Chronicle, September 21, 2011:
From the San Jose Mercury News, September 21, 2011:
A Stanford researcher has injected 2 million human embryonic stem cells into the spinal cord of a paralyzed patient at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, marking the first West Coast effort to test the potential therapy. The experiment, announced Tuesday, is designed only to test safety, but doctors will also note whether it improves sensation or helps the patient regain movement.
From the San Francisco Chronicle, September 21, 2011:
A Bay Area patient who recently suffered a serious spinal cord injury and is now paralyzed from the waist down joined the world's first-ever embryonic stem cell study in humans last week, when Stanford doctors injected 2 million cells designed to replace damaged neurons in the patient's spine.
The patient, who is not being identified, is the fourth person to be enrolled in the clinical trial being run by Menlo Park's Geron Corp. and the first person in California. The patient, whose participation in the trial was revealed Tuesday, received the stem cell injection Saturday at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and is now at the rehabilitation center there.
The study is not meant to determine whether the stem cells can cure or even improve the patients' condition, but to find out if the treatment itself is safe. Researchers will be monitoring patients over the following months and years to look for side effects, including possible benign tumor growth if the stem cells start to replicate, or adverse immune reactions.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Embryonic stem cell therapy for paralysis given to first patient in western United States
Source: Stanford University School of Medicine
Date: September 20, 2011
Summary:
The Stanford University School of Medicine and Santa Clara Valley Medical Center have enrolled the fourth participant in the nation’s first trial of cells derived from human embryonic stem cells. The phase-1, FDA-approved trial is meant to test the safety of the cells in up to 10 people with recent spinal cord injuries at seven trial sites across the United States.
The most recent patient was treated Sept. 17 at the Rehabilitation Trauma Center at SCVMC with cells prepared for injection at Stanford. Stanford neurosurgeon Gary Steinberg, MD, PhD, implanted the cells. Three other patients have previously received the surgically delivered cells: two at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta beginning in October of last year, and one at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago in May 2011. The Stanford/SCVMC patient is the first person to receive the therapy west of the Mississippi.
The Palo Alto Weekly and San Francisco Business Times carried news stories on this development today.
Date: September 20, 2011
Summary:
The Stanford University School of Medicine and Santa Clara Valley Medical Center have enrolled the fourth participant in the nation’s first trial of cells derived from human embryonic stem cells. The phase-1, FDA-approved trial is meant to test the safety of the cells in up to 10 people with recent spinal cord injuries at seven trial sites across the United States.
The most recent patient was treated Sept. 17 at the Rehabilitation Trauma Center at SCVMC with cells prepared for injection at Stanford. Stanford neurosurgeon Gary Steinberg, MD, PhD, implanted the cells. Three other patients have previously received the surgically delivered cells: two at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta beginning in October of last year, and one at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago in May 2011. The Stanford/SCVMC patient is the first person to receive the therapy west of the Mississippi.
The Palo Alto Weekly and San Francisco Business Times carried news stories on this development today.
Using Bone Marrow to Protect the Brain: Stem Cell Technology Begins Clinical Trial for Lou Gehrig's Disease
Source: American Friends of Tel Aviv University
Date: September 20, 2011
Summary:
Through a clinical product called NurOwn, researchers at Tel Aviv University are turning bone marrow stem cells into astrocyte-like cells which are responsible for the well-being of the brain's neurons. Trials for the technology, which has the potential to treat a broad range of neurodegenerative conditions, are now planned for Massachusetts General Hospital.
the technology is now a patent-pending process that takes stem cells from a patient's own bone marrow and causes them to differentiate into astrocyte-like cells, which are responsible for the well-being of the brain's neurons. The cells release neurotrophic factors, or neuroprotectants, which have been shown to play a key role in reducing the progress of ALS, a debilitating disease characterized by the progressive degeneration of motor neurons, resulting in paralysis of a patient's limbs and organ function.
The research has appeared in the Journal of Stem Cells Reviews and Reports and a number of other publications.
Date: September 20, 2011
Summary:
Through a clinical product called NurOwn, researchers at Tel Aviv University are turning bone marrow stem cells into astrocyte-like cells which are responsible for the well-being of the brain's neurons. Trials for the technology, which has the potential to treat a broad range of neurodegenerative conditions, are now planned for Massachusetts General Hospital.
the technology is now a patent-pending process that takes stem cells from a patient's own bone marrow and causes them to differentiate into astrocyte-like cells, which are responsible for the well-being of the brain's neurons. The cells release neurotrophic factors, or neuroprotectants, which have been shown to play a key role in reducing the progress of ALS, a debilitating disease characterized by the progressive degeneration of motor neurons, resulting in paralysis of a patient's limbs and organ function.
The research has appeared in the Journal of Stem Cells Reviews and Reports and a number of other publications.
Stem Cells Are Potential Source of Cancer-Fighting T Cells
Source: Penn State College of Medicine
Date: September 20, 2011
Summary:
Adult stem cells from mice converted to antigen-specific T cells -- the immune cells that fight cancer tumor cells -- show promise in cancer immunotherapy and may lead to a simpler, more efficient way to use the body's immune system to fight cancer, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.
By inserting DNA, researchers change the mouse iPS cells into immune cells and inject them into mice with tumors. After 50 days, 100 percent of the mice in the study were still alive, compared to 55 percent of control mice, which received tumor-reactive immune cells isolated from donors. Researchers reported their results and were featured as the cover story in a recent issue of the journal Cancer Research.
Date: September 20, 2011
Summary:
Adult stem cells from mice converted to antigen-specific T cells -- the immune cells that fight cancer tumor cells -- show promise in cancer immunotherapy and may lead to a simpler, more efficient way to use the body's immune system to fight cancer, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers.
By inserting DNA, researchers change the mouse iPS cells into immune cells and inject them into mice with tumors. After 50 days, 100 percent of the mice in the study were still alive, compared to 55 percent of control mice, which received tumor-reactive immune cells isolated from donors. Researchers reported their results and were featured as the cover story in a recent issue of the journal Cancer Research.
Scientists Turn Back the Clock On Adult Stem Cells Aging
Source: Georgia Institute of Technology
Date: September 20, 2011
Summary:
Atlanta, GA - Researchers have shown they can reverse the aging process for human adult stem cells, which are responsible for helping old or damaged tissues regenerate. The findings could lead to medical treatments that may repair a host of ailments that occur because of tissue damage as people age. A research group led by the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and the Georgia Institute of Technology conducted the study in cell culture, which appears in the September 1, 2011 edition of the journal Cell Cycle.
The regenerative power of tissues and organs declines as we age. The modern day stem cell hypothesis of aging suggests that living organisms are as old as are its tissue specific or adult stem cells. Therefore, an understanding of the molecules and processes that enable human adult stem cells to initiate self-renewal and to divide, proliferate and then differentiate in order to rejuvenate damaged tissue might be the key to regenerative medicine and an eventual cure for many age-related diseases. A research group led by the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in collaboration with the Georgia Institute of Technology, conducted the study that pinpoints what is going wrong with the biological clock underlying the limited division of human adult stem cells as they age.
Date: September 20, 2011
Summary:
Atlanta, GA - Researchers have shown they can reverse the aging process for human adult stem cells, which are responsible for helping old or damaged tissues regenerate. The findings could lead to medical treatments that may repair a host of ailments that occur because of tissue damage as people age. A research group led by the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and the Georgia Institute of Technology conducted the study in cell culture, which appears in the September 1, 2011 edition of the journal Cell Cycle.
The regenerative power of tissues and organs declines as we age. The modern day stem cell hypothesis of aging suggests that living organisms are as old as are its tissue specific or adult stem cells. Therefore, an understanding of the molecules and processes that enable human adult stem cells to initiate self-renewal and to divide, proliferate and then differentiate in order to rejuvenate damaged tissue might be the key to regenerative medicine and an eventual cure for many age-related diseases. A research group led by the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in collaboration with the Georgia Institute of Technology, conducted the study that pinpoints what is going wrong with the biological clock underlying the limited division of human adult stem cells as they age.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Scientists Turn Back the Clock on Adult Stem Cells Aging
Source: Buck Institute for Research on Aging
Date: September 19, 2011
Summary:
Researchers have shown they can reverse the aging process for human adult stem cells, which are responsible for helping old or damaged tissues regenerate. The findings could lead to medical treatments that may repair a host of ailments that occur because of tissue damage as people age. A research group led by the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and the Georgia Institute of Technology conducted the study in cell culture, which appears in the September 1, 2011 edition of the journal Cell Cycle.
The regenerative power of tissues and organs declines as we age. The modern day stem cell hypothesis of aging suggests that living organisms are as old as are its tissue specific or adult stem cells. Therefore, an understanding of the molecules and processes that enable human adult stem cells to initiate self-renewal and to divide, proliferate and then differentiate in order to rejuvenate damaged tissue might be the key to regenerative medicine and an eventual cure for many age-related diseases A research group led by the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in collaboration with the Georgia Institute of Technology, conducted the study that pinpoints what is going wrong with the biological clock underlying the limited division of human adult stem cells as they age.
Date: September 19, 2011
Summary:
Researchers have shown they can reverse the aging process for human adult stem cells, which are responsible for helping old or damaged tissues regenerate. The findings could lead to medical treatments that may repair a host of ailments that occur because of tissue damage as people age. A research group led by the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and the Georgia Institute of Technology conducted the study in cell culture, which appears in the September 1, 2011 edition of the journal Cell Cycle.
The regenerative power of tissues and organs declines as we age. The modern day stem cell hypothesis of aging suggests that living organisms are as old as are its tissue specific or adult stem cells. Therefore, an understanding of the molecules and processes that enable human adult stem cells to initiate self-renewal and to divide, proliferate and then differentiate in order to rejuvenate damaged tissue might be the key to regenerative medicine and an eventual cure for many age-related diseases A research group led by the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in collaboration with the Georgia Institute of Technology, conducted the study that pinpoints what is going wrong with the biological clock underlying the limited division of human adult stem cells as they age.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Researchers discover a switch that controls stem cell pluripotency
Source: University of Toronto
Date: September 15, 2011
Summary:
Toronto—Scientists at the University of Toronto have found a control switch that regulates stem cell “pluripotency,” the capacity of stem cells to develop into any type of cell in the human body. The discovery reveals that pluripotency is regulated by a single event in a process called alternative splicing.
Alternative splicing allows one gene to generate many different genetic messages and protein products. The researchers found that in genetic messages of a gene called FOXP1, the switch was active in embryonic stem cells but silent in “adult” cells—those that had become the specialized cells that comprise organs and perform functions.
The findings were published in the current online edition of the scientific journal Cell.
Date: September 15, 2011
Summary:
Toronto—Scientists at the University of Toronto have found a control switch that regulates stem cell “pluripotency,” the capacity of stem cells to develop into any type of cell in the human body. The discovery reveals that pluripotency is regulated by a single event in a process called alternative splicing.
Alternative splicing allows one gene to generate many different genetic messages and protein products. The researchers found that in genetic messages of a gene called FOXP1, the switch was active in embryonic stem cells but silent in “adult” cells—those that had become the specialized cells that comprise organs and perform functions.
The findings were published in the current online edition of the scientific journal Cell.
NEW CLASS OF STEM CELL-LIKE CELLS DISCOVERED IN SPINAL CORD OFFERS POSSIBILITIES FOR SPINAL CORD REPAIR
Source: The Allen Institute for Brain Science
Date: September 15, 2011
Summary:
The Allen Institute for Brain Science announced today the discovery of a new class of cells in the spinal cord that act like neural stem cells, offering a fresh avenue in the search for therapies to treat spinal cord injury and disease. The published collaborative study, authored by scientists from the University of British Columbia, the Allen Institute for Brain Science and The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital at McGill University and titled “Adult Spinal Cord Radial Glia Display a Unique Progenitor Phenotype,” appears in the open access journal PLoS One.
Date: September 15, 2011
Summary:
The Allen Institute for Brain Science announced today the discovery of a new class of cells in the spinal cord that act like neural stem cells, offering a fresh avenue in the search for therapies to treat spinal cord injury and disease. The published collaborative study, authored by scientists from the University of British Columbia, the Allen Institute for Brain Science and The Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital at McGill University and titled “Adult Spinal Cord Radial Glia Display a Unique Progenitor Phenotype,” appears in the open access journal PLoS One.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Researchers Use Uterine Stem Cells to Treat Diabetes
Source: Yale University
Date: September 14, 2011
Summary:
New Haven, Conn. — Controlling diabetes may someday involve mining stem cells from the lining of the uterus, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in a new study published in the journal Molecular Therapy. The team treated diabetes in mice by converting cells from the uterine lining into insulin-producing cells. The endometrium or uterine lining, is a source of adult stem cells. These cells generate uterine tissue each month as part of the menstrual cycle. Like other stem cells, however, they can divide to form other kinds of cells. The Yale team's findings suggest that endometrial stem cells could be used to develop insulin-producing islet cells, which are found in the pancreas. These islet cells could then be used to advance the study of islet cell transplantation to treat people with diabetes.
Date: September 14, 2011
Summary:
New Haven, Conn. — Controlling diabetes may someday involve mining stem cells from the lining of the uterus, Yale School of Medicine researchers report in a new study published in the journal Molecular Therapy. The team treated diabetes in mice by converting cells from the uterine lining into insulin-producing cells. The endometrium or uterine lining, is a source of adult stem cells. These cells generate uterine tissue each month as part of the menstrual cycle. Like other stem cells, however, they can divide to form other kinds of cells. The Yale team's findings suggest that endometrial stem cells could be used to develop insulin-producing islet cells, which are found in the pancreas. These islet cells could then be used to advance the study of islet cell transplantation to treat people with diabetes.
Tuesday, September 06, 2011
NEUROSURGEONS USE ADULT STEM CELLS TO GROW NECK VERTEBRAE
Source: University of California - Davis Health System
Date: September 6, 2011
Summary:
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — Neurosurgery researchers at UC Davis Health System have used a new, leading-edge stem cell therapy to promote the growth of bone tissue following the removal of cervical discs -- the cushions between the bones in the neck -- to relieve chronic, debilitating pain. The procedure used bone marrow-derived adult stem cells to promote the growth of the bone tissue essential for spinal fusion following surgery, as part of a nationwide, multicenter clinical trial of the therapy.
Date: September 6, 2011
Summary:
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — Neurosurgery researchers at UC Davis Health System have used a new, leading-edge stem cell therapy to promote the growth of bone tissue following the removal of cervical discs -- the cushions between the bones in the neck -- to relieve chronic, debilitating pain. The procedure used bone marrow-derived adult stem cells to promote the growth of the bone tissue essential for spinal fusion following surgery, as part of a nationwide, multicenter clinical trial of the therapy.
Fetal Tissue Plays Pivotal Role in Formation of Insulin-Producing Cells
Source: University of California - San Francisco
Date: September 6, 2011
Summary:
A somewhat mysterious soft tissue found in the fetus during early development in the womb plays a pivotal role in the formation of mature beta cells the sole source of the body’s insulin. This discovery, made by scientists at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Texas A&M University, may lead to new ways of addressing Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
As reported today in the journal PLoS Biology, during the late stages of development in mice, this fetal tissue -- called the mesenchyme -- secretes chemicals. Those chemicals enable insulin-producing beta cells to mature and expand. Remove this mesenchyme tissue, the researchers found, and the mice do not grow their full complement of beta cells.
This work provides researchers with an immediate tool for research and drug discovery. By identifying the chemicals that this tissue secretes, scientists may be able to create new beta cells in the body or in the test tube -- something currently beyond the reach of medical science.
Date: September 6, 2011
Summary:
A somewhat mysterious soft tissue found in the fetus during early development in the womb plays a pivotal role in the formation of mature beta cells the sole source of the body’s insulin. This discovery, made by scientists at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and Texas A&M University, may lead to new ways of addressing Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
As reported today in the journal PLoS Biology, during the late stages of development in mice, this fetal tissue -- called the mesenchyme -- secretes chemicals. Those chemicals enable insulin-producing beta cells to mature and expand. Remove this mesenchyme tissue, the researchers found, and the mice do not grow their full complement of beta cells.
This work provides researchers with an immediate tool for research and drug discovery. By identifying the chemicals that this tissue secretes, scientists may be able to create new beta cells in the body or in the test tube -- something currently beyond the reach of medical science.
Monday, September 05, 2011
Human Intestinal Stem Cell Breakthrough for Regenerative Medicine
Source: Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona)
Date: 4 September 2011
Summary:
Human colon stem cells have been identified and grown in a petri dish in the lab for the first time. This achievement, made by researchers of the Colorectal Cancer Lab at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) and published in Nature Medicine, is a crucial advance towards regenerative medicine.
Throughout life, stem cells of the colon regenerate the inner layer of our large intestine in a weekly basis. For decades scientists had evidences of the existence of these cells yet their identity remained elusive. Scientists led by the ICREA Professor and researcher at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) Eduard Batlle discovered the precise location of the stem cells in the human colon and worked out a method that allows their isolation and in vitro expansion, that is their propagation in lab-plates (petri dishes).
Date: 4 September 2011
Summary:
Human colon stem cells have been identified and grown in a petri dish in the lab for the first time. This achievement, made by researchers of the Colorectal Cancer Lab at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) and published in Nature Medicine, is a crucial advance towards regenerative medicine.
Throughout life, stem cells of the colon regenerate the inner layer of our large intestine in a weekly basis. For decades scientists had evidences of the existence of these cells yet their identity remained elusive. Scientists led by the ICREA Professor and researcher at the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) Eduard Batlle discovered the precise location of the stem cells in the human colon and worked out a method that allows their isolation and in vitro expansion, that is their propagation in lab-plates (petri dishes).
Thursday, September 01, 2011
Researchers Successfully Perform First Injection of Cultured Red Blood Cells in Human Donor
Source: American Society of Hematology
Date: September 1, 2011
Summary:
For the first time, researchers have successfully injected cultured red blood cells (cRBCs) created from human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) into a human donor, according to study results published today in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH). As the global need for blood continues to increase while the number of blood donors is decreasing, these study results provide hope that one day patients in need of a blood transfusion might become their own donors.
Date: September 1, 2011
Summary:
For the first time, researchers have successfully injected cultured red blood cells (cRBCs) created from human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) into a human donor, according to study results published today in Blood, the Journal of the American Society of Hematology (ASH). As the global need for blood continues to increase while the number of blood donors is decreasing, these study results provide hope that one day patients in need of a blood transfusion might become their own donors.
Scientists Find Stem Cells That Tell Hair It’s Time to Grow
Source: Yale University
Date: September 1, 2011
Summary:
New Haven, Conn. — Yale researchers have discovered the source of signals that trigger hair growth, an insight that may lead to new treatments for baldness. The researchers identified stem cells within the skin's fatty layer and showed that molecular signals from these cells were necessary to spur hair growth in mice, according to research published in the Sept. 2 issue of the journal Cell.
Date: September 1, 2011
Summary:
New Haven, Conn. — Yale researchers have discovered the source of signals that trigger hair growth, an insight that may lead to new treatments for baldness. The researchers identified stem cells within the skin's fatty layer and showed that molecular signals from these cells were necessary to spur hair growth in mice, according to research published in the Sept. 2 issue of the journal Cell.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Scientists discover blood factors that appear to cause aging in brains of mice
Source: Stanford University School of Medicine
Date: August 31, 2011
Summary:
In a study to be published Sept. 1 in Nature, Stanford University School of Medicine scientists have found substances in the blood of old mice that makes young brains act older. These substances, whose levels rise with increasing age, appear to inhibit the brain's ability to produce new nerve cells critical to memory and learning. The scientists believe the findings raise the question of whether it might be possible to shield the brain from aging by eliminating or mitigating the effects of these apparently detrimental blood-borne substances, or perhaps by identifying other blood-borne substances that exert rejuvenating effects on the brain but whose levels decline with age,
Date: August 31, 2011
Summary:
In a study to be published Sept. 1 in Nature, Stanford University School of Medicine scientists have found substances in the blood of old mice that makes young brains act older. These substances, whose levels rise with increasing age, appear to inhibit the brain's ability to produce new nerve cells critical to memory and learning. The scientists believe the findings raise the question of whether it might be possible to shield the brain from aging by eliminating or mitigating the effects of these apparently detrimental blood-borne substances, or perhaps by identifying other blood-borne substances that exert rejuvenating effects on the brain but whose levels decline with age,
Bone Marrow Stem Cell Therapy Safe For Acute Stroke
Source: University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Date: August 31, 2011
Summary:
Using a patient’s own bone marrow stem cells to treat acute stroke is feasible and safe, according to the results of a ground-breaking Phase I trial at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). The trial was the first ever to harvest an acute stroke patient’s own stem cells from the iliac crest of the leg, separate them and inject them back into the patient intravenously. The first patient was enrolled in March 2009 at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center. This research, with additional funding from the National Institutes of Health, has been expanded to a larger trial to study safety.
The study’s findings were published in a recent issue of the Annals of Neurology. Of the 10 patients enrolled in the study, there were no study-related severe adverse events. Although the study was not intended to address efficacy, the investigators compared the study group with historical control patients, who admitted to the stroke service at Memorial Hermann-TMC before the trial began. In that comparison, the study team found a number of patients who did better compared with controls. However, Savitz said that type of analysis has limitations.
Date: August 31, 2011
Summary:
Using a patient’s own bone marrow stem cells to treat acute stroke is feasible and safe, according to the results of a ground-breaking Phase I trial at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). The trial was the first ever to harvest an acute stroke patient’s own stem cells from the iliac crest of the leg, separate them and inject them back into the patient intravenously. The first patient was enrolled in March 2009 at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center. This research, with additional funding from the National Institutes of Health, has been expanded to a larger trial to study safety.
The study’s findings were published in a recent issue of the Annals of Neurology. Of the 10 patients enrolled in the study, there were no study-related severe adverse events. Although the study was not intended to address efficacy, the investigators compared the study group with historical control patients, who admitted to the stroke service at Memorial Hermann-TMC before the trial began. In that comparison, the study team found a number of patients who did better compared with controls. However, Savitz said that type of analysis has limitations.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Uterine stem cells used to treat diabetes in mice NIH-funded researchers convert cells from uterine lining into insulin-producing cells
Source: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Date: August 30, 2011
Summary:
Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have converted stem cells from the human endometrium into insulin-producing cells and transplanted them into mice to control the animals’ diabetes. The endometrium, or uterine lining, is a source of adult stem cells. Normally, these cells generate uterine tissue each month as part of the menstrual cycle. Like other stem cells, however, they can divide to form other kinds of cells.
The study’s findings suggest the possibility that endometrial stem cells could be used to develop insulin-producing islet cells. These islet cells could then be used to advance the study of islet cells transplantation as a treatment for people with diabetes. If the transplantation of islet cells derived from endometrial cells is perfected, the study authors write that women with diabetes could provide their own endometrial tissue for such a transplant, sidestepping the chance of rejection posed by tissue from another person. Endometrial stem cells are readily available and can be collected easily during a simple outpatient procedure. Endometrial tissue could also be collected after hysterectomy, the surgical removal of the uterus.
Date: August 30, 2011
Summary:
Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have converted stem cells from the human endometrium into insulin-producing cells and transplanted them into mice to control the animals’ diabetes. The endometrium, or uterine lining, is a source of adult stem cells. Normally, these cells generate uterine tissue each month as part of the menstrual cycle. Like other stem cells, however, they can divide to form other kinds of cells.
The study’s findings suggest the possibility that endometrial stem cells could be used to develop insulin-producing islet cells. These islet cells could then be used to advance the study of islet cells transplantation as a treatment for people with diabetes. If the transplantation of islet cells derived from endometrial cells is perfected, the study authors write that women with diabetes could provide their own endometrial tissue for such a transplant, sidestepping the chance of rejection posed by tissue from another person. Endometrial stem cells are readily available and can be collected easily during a simple outpatient procedure. Endometrial tissue could also be collected after hysterectomy, the surgical removal of the uterus.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Clinical Importance of Leukemia Stem Cells Validated by New Study
Source: University Health Network
Date: August 28, 2011
Summary:
Toronto––Cancer scientists have long debated whether all cells within a tumour are equal or whether some cancer cells are more potent - a question that has been highly investigated in experimental models in the last decade. Research published today in Nature Medicine (10.1038/nm.2415) focuses on patients and shows that acute myeloid leukemia (AML) contains rare cells with stem cell properties, called leukemia stem cells (LSC), that are better at predicting clinical outcome than the majority of AML cells, showing for the first time that LSCs are significant not just in experimental models but also in patients.
Date: August 28, 2011
Summary:
Toronto––Cancer scientists have long debated whether all cells within a tumour are equal or whether some cancer cells are more potent - a question that has been highly investigated in experimental models in the last decade. Research published today in Nature Medicine (10.1038/nm.2415) focuses on patients and shows that acute myeloid leukemia (AML) contains rare cells with stem cell properties, called leukemia stem cells (LSC), that are better at predicting clinical outcome than the majority of AML cells, showing for the first time that LSCs are significant not just in experimental models but also in patients.
Friday, August 26, 2011
From skin cells to motor neurons Researchers find success with direct cellular reprogramming
Source: Harvard University
Date: August 26, 2011
Summary:
A team of Harvard stem cell researchers has succeeded in reprogramming adult mouse skin cells directly into the type of motor neurons damaged in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), best known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). These new cells, which researchers are calling induced motor neurons (iMNs), can be used to study the development of the paralyzing diseases and to develop treatments for them. In a paper given “Immediate Early Publication” online by Cell Stem Cell, the team reports that the cells they are calling iMNs appear to be fully functional.
Date: August 26, 2011
Summary:
A team of Harvard stem cell researchers has succeeded in reprogramming adult mouse skin cells directly into the type of motor neurons damaged in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), best known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). These new cells, which researchers are calling induced motor neurons (iMNs), can be used to study the development of the paralyzing diseases and to develop treatments for them. In a paper given “Immediate Early Publication” online by Cell Stem Cell, the team reports that the cells they are calling iMNs appear to be fully functional.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Study sheds light on stem cell role in regenerating fingers, toes
Source: Stanford University School of Medicine
Date: August 23, 2011
Summary:
Tissue-specific adult stem cells are responsible for the ability of mammals to re-grow the tips of fingers or toes lost to trauma or surgery, say researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The finding discredits a popular theory that holds that previously specialized cells regress, or dedifferentiate, in response to injury to form a pluripotent repair structure called a blastema. The study is published Aug. 24 in Nature.
Date: August 23, 2011
Summary:
Tissue-specific adult stem cells are responsible for the ability of mammals to re-grow the tips of fingers or toes lost to trauma or surgery, say researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The finding discredits a popular theory that holds that previously specialized cells regress, or dedifferentiate, in response to injury to form a pluripotent repair structure called a blastema. The study is published Aug. 24 in Nature.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
"Open Wide" for New Stem Cell Potential
Source: American Friends of Tel Aviv University
Date: August 23, 2011
Summary:
Scientists at American Friends of Tel Aviv University have successfully collected cells from oral mucosa and manipulated them into stem cells almost as easy to manipulate as those from embryos. This breakthrough, , which has been published in the journal Stem Cell Studies, opens a new door to stem cell research and potential therapies for neurodegenerative, heart, and autoimmune diseases, as well as diabetes.
Date: August 23, 2011
Summary:
Scientists at American Friends of Tel Aviv University have successfully collected cells from oral mucosa and manipulated them into stem cells almost as easy to manipulate as those from embryos. This breakthrough, , which has been published in the journal Stem Cell Studies, opens a new door to stem cell research and potential therapies for neurodegenerative, heart, and autoimmune diseases, as well as diabetes.
Stem Cell Study Offers Hope for Parkinson's Patients
Source: University of Edinburgh
Date: August 23, 2011
Summary:
Scientists at the University of Edinburgh have for the first time generated stem cells from one of the most rapidly progressing forms of Parkinson's disease. The development will help research into the condition as it will enable scientists to model the disease in the laboratory to shed light on why certain nerve cells die.
The research, led by the University of Edinburgh in collaboration with UCL (University College London), then used these skin cells to generate brain nerve cells affected by the disease. The ability to generate these nerve cells will make it easier to monitor the effectiveness of potential new drugs that could slow or halt progress of the condition. The aim would be to find drugs that can prevent the death of these key cells -- known as neurons -- which break down as a result of Parkinson's. The research was published in the journal Nature Communications.
Date: August 23, 2011
Summary:
Scientists at the University of Edinburgh have for the first time generated stem cells from one of the most rapidly progressing forms of Parkinson's disease. The development will help research into the condition as it will enable scientists to model the disease in the laboratory to shed light on why certain nerve cells die.
The research, led by the University of Edinburgh in collaboration with UCL (University College London), then used these skin cells to generate brain nerve cells affected by the disease. The ability to generate these nerve cells will make it easier to monitor the effectiveness of potential new drugs that could slow or halt progress of the condition. The aim would be to find drugs that can prevent the death of these key cells -- known as neurons -- which break down as a result of Parkinson's. The research was published in the journal Nature Communications.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Scientists Offer New Insight into the Regulation of Stem Cells and Cancer Cells
Source: Gladstone Institutes
Date: August 14, 2011
Summary:
Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have gained new insight into the delicate relationship between two proteins that, when out of balance, can prevent the normal development of stem cells in the heart and may also be important in some types of cancer.
The news, being announced in a paper published online today in Nature Cell Biology, adds to the understanding of the role of stem cells in embryonic heart development, and how that process could be manipulated to create new heart muscle in the future. This paper also provides another example of how the same signals controlling stem cells in the embryo are those that can cause human cancers, providing new insight into treating this devastating disease.
Date: August 14, 2011
Summary:
Scientists at the Gladstone Institutes have gained new insight into the delicate relationship between two proteins that, when out of balance, can prevent the normal development of stem cells in the heart and may also be important in some types of cancer.
The news, being announced in a paper published online today in Nature Cell Biology, adds to the understanding of the role of stem cells in embryonic heart development, and how that process could be manipulated to create new heart muscle in the future. This paper also provides another example of how the same signals controlling stem cells in the embryo are those that can cause human cancers, providing new insight into treating this devastating disease.
Discovery may eliminate potentially lethal side effect of stem cell therapy
Source: Stanford University Medical Center
Date: August 14, 2011
Summary:
Like fine chefs, scientists are seemingly approaching a day when they will be able to make nearly any type of tissue from human embryonic stem cells. You need nerves or pancreas, bone or skin? With the right combination of growth factors, skill and patience, a laboratory tissue culture dish promises to yield therapeutic wonders. But within these batches of newly generated cells lurks a big potential problem: Any remaining embryonic stem cells -- those that haven't differentiated into the desired tissue -- can go on to become dangerous tumors called teratomas when transplanted into patients.
Now researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have developed a way to remove these pluripotent human embryonic stem cells from their progeny before the differentiated cells are used in humans. ("Pluripotent" describes cells that are able to become all types of adult tissue.)
The scientists believe the technique could also be used to remove residual tumor-initiating cells from populations of cells derived from induced pluripotent stem, or iPS, cells. These cells may also be useful for therapy but, unlike embryonic stem cells, iPS cells are created in the laboratory from adult tissue.
The research will be published online Aug. 14 in Nature Biotechnology.
Date: August 14, 2011
Summary:
Like fine chefs, scientists are seemingly approaching a day when they will be able to make nearly any type of tissue from human embryonic stem cells. You need nerves or pancreas, bone or skin? With the right combination of growth factors, skill and patience, a laboratory tissue culture dish promises to yield therapeutic wonders. But within these batches of newly generated cells lurks a big potential problem: Any remaining embryonic stem cells -- those that haven't differentiated into the desired tissue -- can go on to become dangerous tumors called teratomas when transplanted into patients.
Now researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have developed a way to remove these pluripotent human embryonic stem cells from their progeny before the differentiated cells are used in humans. ("Pluripotent" describes cells that are able to become all types of adult tissue.)
The scientists believe the technique could also be used to remove residual tumor-initiating cells from populations of cells derived from induced pluripotent stem, or iPS, cells. These cells may also be useful for therapy but, unlike embryonic stem cells, iPS cells are created in the laboratory from adult tissue.
The research will be published online Aug. 14 in Nature Biotechnology.
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
Researchers Use Human Cells to Engineer Functional Sphincters in Lab
Source: Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
Date: August 9, 2011
Summary:
Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have built the first functional anal sphincters in the laboratory, suggesting a potential future treatment for both fecal and urinary incontinence. Made from muscle and nerve cells, the sphincters developed a blood supply and maintained function when implanted in mice. The results are reported in the medical journal Gastroenterology.
Date: August 9, 2011
Summary:
Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have built the first functional anal sphincters in the laboratory, suggesting a potential future treatment for both fecal and urinary incontinence. Made from muscle and nerve cells, the sphincters developed a blood supply and maintained function when implanted in mice. The results are reported in the medical journal Gastroenterology.
Thursday, August 04, 2011
Human Skin Cells Converted Directly into Functional Neurons
Source: Columbia University Medical Center
Date: August 4, 2011
Summary:
(NEW YORK, NY) – Columbia University Medical Center researchers have for the first time directly converted human skin cells into functional forebrain neurons, without the need for stem cells of any kind. The findings offer a new and potentially more direct way to produce replacement cell therapies for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. Such cells may prove especially useful for testing new therapeutic leads. The study was published in the August 4 online issue of the journal Cell.
Date: August 4, 2011
Summary:
(NEW YORK, NY) – Columbia University Medical Center researchers have for the first time directly converted human skin cells into functional forebrain neurons, without the need for stem cells of any kind. The findings offer a new and potentially more direct way to produce replacement cell therapies for Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. Such cells may prove especially useful for testing new therapeutic leads. The study was published in the August 4 online issue of the journal Cell.
A Patient's Own Skin Cells May One Day Treat Multiple Diseases
Source: University of California - Davis Health System
Date: August 4, 2011
Summary:
The possibility of developing stem cells from a patient's own skin and using them to treat conditions as diverse as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and cancer has generated tremendous excitement in the stem cell research community in recent years. Such therapies would avoid the controversial need for using stem cells derived from human embryos, and in theory, also bypass immunological problems inherent in using cells from one person to treat another.
A roadmap for finding solutions to the problems identified with iPSCs, written by researchers at UC Davis, is available online and will be published in the Aug. 5 issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell. The publication suggests research strategies to advance the field more rapidly toward applications for human diseases.
Date: August 4, 2011
Summary:
The possibility of developing stem cells from a patient's own skin and using them to treat conditions as diverse as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and cancer has generated tremendous excitement in the stem cell research community in recent years. Such therapies would avoid the controversial need for using stem cells derived from human embryos, and in theory, also bypass immunological problems inherent in using cells from one person to treat another.
A roadmap for finding solutions to the problems identified with iPSCs, written by researchers at UC Davis, is available online and will be published in the Aug. 5 issue of the journal Cell Stem Cell. The publication suggests research strategies to advance the field more rapidly toward applications for human diseases.
Tuesday, August 02, 2011
Regrowing Blood Vessels With a Potent Molecule: Researcher’s method of delivering growth factors could lead to revolutionary heart disease treatment
Source: University of Pittsburgh
Date: August 2, 2011
Summary:
University of Pittsburgh researchers have developed a minimally invasive method of delivering growth factor to regrow blood vessels. The research, published this week in the Aug. 1 issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could be used to treat heart disease, the most common cause of death in the Western world.
When the researchers injected their growth factor compound under the skin of mice, they saw something amazing: New blood vessels grew, and large ones, not just tiny capillaries. Moreover, the structures stuck around. At least a month later, after only one injection of the growth factor complex, the new blood vessels were still there.
Date: August 2, 2011
Summary:
University of Pittsburgh researchers have developed a minimally invasive method of delivering growth factor to regrow blood vessels. The research, published this week in the Aug. 1 issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could be used to treat heart disease, the most common cause of death in the Western world.
When the researchers injected their growth factor compound under the skin of mice, they saw something amazing: New blood vessels grew, and large ones, not just tiny capillaries. Moreover, the structures stuck around. At least a month later, after only one injection of the growth factor complex, the new blood vessels were still there.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Scientist Converts Human Skin Cells into Functional Brain Cells
Source: Gladstone Institutes
Date: July 28, 2011
Summary:
A scientist at the Gladstone Institutes has discovered a novel way to convert human skin cells into brain cells, advancing medicine and human health by offering new hope for regenerative medicine and personalized drug discovery and development.
In a paper being published online today in the scientific journal Cell Stem Cell, Sheng Ding, PhD, reveals efficient and robust methods for transforming adult skin cells into neurons that are capable of transmitting brain signals, marking one of the first documented experiments for transforming an adult human's skin cells into functioning brain cells.
Date: July 28, 2011
Summary:
A scientist at the Gladstone Institutes has discovered a novel way to convert human skin cells into brain cells, advancing medicine and human health by offering new hope for regenerative medicine and personalized drug discovery and development.
In a paper being published online today in the scientific journal Cell Stem Cell, Sheng Ding, PhD, reveals efficient and robust methods for transforming adult skin cells into neurons that are capable of transmitting brain signals, marking one of the first documented experiments for transforming an adult human's skin cells into functioning brain cells.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Cystic fibrosis-associated changes in lung stem cells may contribute to disease progression
Source: University of Iowa
Date: July 25, 2011
Summary:
Researchers at the University of Iowa's Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine have discovered that in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, the airway glands are depleted of a specific population of airway stem cells that participate in airway repair following injury. Their results are published in the July 18 issue of Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Date: July 25, 2011
Summary:
Researchers at the University of Iowa's Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine have discovered that in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients, the airway glands are depleted of a specific population of airway stem cells that participate in airway repair following injury. Their results are published in the July 18 issue of Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Scientists Complete First Mapping of Molecule Found in Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Source: University of California - Los Angeles
Date: July 22, 2011
Summary:
Stem cell researchers at UCLA have generated the first genome-wide mapping of a DNA modification called 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) in embryonic stem cells, and discovered that it is predominantly found in genes that are turned on, or active. The finding by researchers with the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA may prove to be important in controlling diseases like cancer, where the regulation of certain genes plays a role in disease development. The study appears in the July issue of the journal Genome Biology.
Date: July 22, 2011
Summary:
Stem cell researchers at UCLA have generated the first genome-wide mapping of a DNA modification called 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) in embryonic stem cells, and discovered that it is predominantly found in genes that are turned on, or active. The finding by researchers with the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA may prove to be important in controlling diseases like cancer, where the regulation of certain genes plays a role in disease development. The study appears in the July issue of the journal Genome Biology.
Monday, July 18, 2011
USC Research: Cancer Cells and Stem Cells Share Same Origin
Source: University of Southern California
Date: July 18, 2011
Summary:
Oncogenes are generally thought to be genes that, when mutated, change healthy cells into cancerous tumor cells. Scientists at the Keck School of Medicine of USC have proven that those genes also can change normal cells into stem-like cells, paving the way to a safer and more practical approach to treating diseases like multiple sclerosis and cancer with stem cell therapy.
Zhong and colleagues at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) in California and Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in New York successfully converted human skin cells into brain cells by suppressing the expression of p53, a protein encoded by a widely studied oncogene. This suggests that p53 mutation helps determine cell fate — good or bad — rather than only the outcome of cancer.
The study is slated to appear in the online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, the week of July 18, 2011.
Date: July 18, 2011
Summary:
Oncogenes are generally thought to be genes that, when mutated, change healthy cells into cancerous tumor cells. Scientists at the Keck School of Medicine of USC have proven that those genes also can change normal cells into stem-like cells, paving the way to a safer and more practical approach to treating diseases like multiple sclerosis and cancer with stem cell therapy.
Zhong and colleagues at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) in California and Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in New York successfully converted human skin cells into brain cells by suppressing the expression of p53, a protein encoded by a widely studied oncogene. This suggests that p53 mutation helps determine cell fate — good or bad — rather than only the outcome of cancer.
The study is slated to appear in the online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a peer-reviewed scientific journal, the week of July 18, 2011.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
New technique boosts efficiency of blood cell production from human stem cells
Source: Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Date: July 14, 2011
Summary:
Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have developed an improved technique for generating large numbers of blood cells from a patient's own cells. The new technique will be immediately useful in further stem cell studies, and when perfected, could be used in stem cell therapies for a wide variety of conditions including cancers and immune ailments. The report is published in the July edition of the journal Stem Cells.
Date: July 14, 2011
Summary:
Scientists at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies have developed an improved technique for generating large numbers of blood cells from a patient's own cells. The new technique will be immediately useful in further stem cell studies, and when perfected, could be used in stem cell therapies for a wide variety of conditions including cancers and immune ailments. The report is published in the July edition of the journal Stem Cells.
First patients treated in new human embryonic stem cell study
Source: Washington Post
Posted: July 14, 2011 08:30 AM ET
Summary:
The Washington Post reports researchers have treated the first two patients in the second government-authorized attempt to evaluate a therapy created using human embryonic stem cells to treat Stargardt Macular Dystrophy, a progressive form of blindness:
Posted: July 14, 2011 08:30 AM ET
Summary:
The Washington Post reports researchers have treated the first two patients in the second government-authorized attempt to evaluate a therapy created using human embryonic stem cells to treat Stargardt Macular Dystrophy, a progressive form of blindness:
Researchers have treated the first two patients in the second government-authorized attempt to evaluate a therapy created using human embryonic stem cells in the United States. A team led by Steven Schwartz at UCLA administered about 50,000 cells Tuesday into one eye of a volunteer suffering from Stargardt Macular Dystrophy, a progressive form of blindness that usually begins in childhood, and another with Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in the developed world, Advanced Cell Technology, which is sponsoring the study, announced Thursday.
ACT Announces First Patients Undergo Embryonic Stem Cell Transplantation Treatment for Stargardt's Disease and Macular Degeneration
Source: Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.
Date: July 14, 2011
Summary:
MARLBOROUGH, Mass. -- Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, today announced the dosing of the first patients in each of its two Phase 1/2 clinical trials for Stargardt's macular dystrophy and dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD) using retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). The patients were treated Tuesday (July 12) by Steven Schwartz, M.D., Ahmanson Professor of Ophthalmology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and retina division chief at UCLA's Jules Stein Eye Institute. Robert Lanza, M.D., chief scientific officer of ACT, attended the procedures. Both patients successfully underwent the outpatient transplantation surgeries and are recovering uneventfully.
Date: July 14, 2011
Summary:
MARLBOROUGH, Mass. -- Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, today announced the dosing of the first patients in each of its two Phase 1/2 clinical trials for Stargardt's macular dystrophy and dry age-related macular degeneration (dry AMD) using retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). The patients were treated Tuesday (July 12) by Steven Schwartz, M.D., Ahmanson Professor of Ophthalmology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and retina division chief at UCLA's Jules Stein Eye Institute. Robert Lanza, M.D., chief scientific officer of ACT, attended the procedures. Both patients successfully underwent the outpatient transplantation surgeries and are recovering uneventfully.
Hope for millions of Alzheimer's sufferers as scientists make brain cells from human skin
Source: The Independent
Date: 14 July 2011
The Independent reports researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine have converted adult skin cells directly into mature nerve cells:
Date: 14 July 2011
The Independent reports researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine have converted adult skin cells directly into mature nerve cells:
Skin cells from a 30-year-old woman have been turned directly into mature nerve cells similar to those found in the brain using a procedure that promises to revolutionise the emerging field of regenerative medicine. Scientists said they were astonished to discover that they could convert a person's skin tissue into functioning nerve cells – bypassing an intermediate stem-cell stage – by the relatively simple procedure of adding a few short strands of RNA, a genetic molecule similar to DNA. The breakthrough could soon lead to the generation of different types of human brain cells in a test tube which could be used to study a range of neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Efficient process using microRNA converts human skin cells into neurons, study shows
Source: Stanford University
Date: July 13, 2011
Summary:
The addition of two particular gene snippets to a skin cell’s usual genetic material is enough to turn that cell into a fully functional neuron, report researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine. The finding, published online July 13 in Nature, is one of just a few recent reports of ways to create human neurons in a lab dish. The new capability to essentially grow neurons from scratch is a big step for neuroscience research, which has been stymied by the lack of human neurons for study.
Date: July 13, 2011
Summary:
The addition of two particular gene snippets to a skin cell’s usual genetic material is enough to turn that cell into a fully functional neuron, report researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine. The finding, published online July 13 in Nature, is one of just a few recent reports of ways to create human neurons in a lab dish. The new capability to essentially grow neurons from scratch is a big step for neuroscience research, which has been stymied by the lack of human neurons for study.
Stem cells restore cognitive abilities impaired by brain cancer treatment
Source: University of California - Irvine
Date: July 13, 2011
Summary:
— Irvine, Calif. — Human neural stem cells are capable of helping people regain learning and memory abilities lost due to radiation treatment for brain tumors, a UC Irvine study suggests. Research with rats found that stem cells transplanted two days after cranial irradiation restored cognitive function, as measured in one- and four-month assessments. In contrast, irradiated rats not treated with stem cells showed no cognitive improvement. Study results appear in the July 15 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
The Orange County Register published a news story about this finding today.
Date: July 13, 2011
Summary:
— Irvine, Calif. — Human neural stem cells are capable of helping people regain learning and memory abilities lost due to radiation treatment for brain tumors, a UC Irvine study suggests. Research with rats found that stem cells transplanted two days after cranial irradiation restored cognitive function, as measured in one- and four-month assessments. In contrast, irradiated rats not treated with stem cells showed no cognitive improvement. Study results appear in the July 15 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.
The Orange County Register published a news story about this finding today.
Researchers Demystify a Fountain of Youth in the Adult Brain
Source: Duke University Medical Center
Date: July 13, 2011
Summary:
Duke University Medical Center researchers have found that a “fountain of youth” that sustains the production of new neurons in the brains of rodents is also believed to be present in the human brain. The existence of a vital support system of cells around stem cells in the brain explains why stem cells by themselves can’t generate neurons in a lab dish, a major roadblock in using these stem cells for injury repair. The study is the cover story in the July issue of Neuron, published online July 14.
Date: July 13, 2011
Summary:
Duke University Medical Center researchers have found that a “fountain of youth” that sustains the production of new neurons in the brains of rodents is also believed to be present in the human brain. The existence of a vital support system of cells around stem cells in the brain explains why stem cells by themselves can’t generate neurons in a lab dish, a major roadblock in using these stem cells for injury repair. The study is the cover story in the July issue of Neuron, published online July 14.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Protein Switch Controls How Stem Cells Turn Into New Heart Tissue
Source: University of Oxford
Date: 12 July 2011
Summary:
Oxford University researchers have identified a protein that can direct stem cells to become either new heart muscle or blood vessels. The research, which was carried out in zebrafish, offers insight into how it might be possible one day to generate tissues to repair the human heart after damage inflicted by a heart attack.
The scientists, based at the MRC Molecular Haematology Unit at the University of Oxford, identified a protein called 'fibroblast growth factor' (Fgf) as the controlling factor which determines whether developing heart cells become heart muscle or blood vessels. They showed that manipulating levels of Fgf in zebrafish embryos could determine how much of each cell type was made.
The research, funded by the Medical Research Council and British Heart Foundation, is published in the journal Development.
Date: 12 July 2011
Summary:
Oxford University researchers have identified a protein that can direct stem cells to become either new heart muscle or blood vessels. The research, which was carried out in zebrafish, offers insight into how it might be possible one day to generate tissues to repair the human heart after damage inflicted by a heart attack.
The scientists, based at the MRC Molecular Haematology Unit at the University of Oxford, identified a protein called 'fibroblast growth factor' (Fgf) as the controlling factor which determines whether developing heart cells become heart muscle or blood vessels. They showed that manipulating levels of Fgf in zebrafish embryos could determine how much of each cell type was made.
The research, funded by the Medical Research Council and British Heart Foundation, is published in the journal Development.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Hutchinson Center to lead a $20 million research project to explore a potential cure for HIV infection
Source: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Date: July 11, 2011
Summary:
SEATTLE — Whether a stem cell transplant using an HIV-infected person’s own genetically modified immune cells can become a cure for the disease is the focus of a new $20 million, five-year research grant award announced today by the National Institutes of Health to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Hutchinson Center researchers will use the grant to lead a multifaceted team of scientists and institutions to study whether a person’s own stem cells can be engineered to deny HIV entry into the body’s blood cells. The researchers also will work to develop tools to eradicate existing reservoirs of infection in the body.
Date: July 11, 2011
Summary:
SEATTLE — Whether a stem cell transplant using an HIV-infected person’s own genetically modified immune cells can become a cure for the disease is the focus of a new $20 million, five-year research grant award announced today by the National Institutes of Health to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Hutchinson Center researchers will use the grant to lead a multifaceted team of scientists and institutions to study whether a person’s own stem cells can be engineered to deny HIV entry into the body’s blood cells. The researchers also will work to develop tools to eradicate existing reservoirs of infection in the body.
Key Protein Reveals Secret of Stem Cell Pluripotency
Source: RIKEN
Date: July 11, 2011
Summary:
A protein that helps maintain mouse stem cell pluripotency has been identified by researchers at the RIKEN Omics Science Center. The finding, published in the August issue of Stem Cells (first published online July 26, 2011), points the way to advances in regenerative medicine and more effective culturing techniques for human pluripotent stem cells.
Date: July 11, 2011
Summary:
A protein that helps maintain mouse stem cell pluripotency has been identified by researchers at the RIKEN Omics Science Center. The finding, published in the August issue of Stem Cells (first published online July 26, 2011), points the way to advances in regenerative medicine and more effective culturing techniques for human pluripotent stem cells.
Friday, July 08, 2011
A Change of Heart: Researchers Reprogram Brain Cells to Become Heart Cells
Source: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Date: July 8, 2011
Summary:
PHILADELPHIA — For the past decade, researchers have tried to reprogram the identity of all kinds of cell types. Heart cells are one of the most sought-after cells in regenerative medicine because researchers anticipate that they may help to repair injured hearts by replacing lost tissue. Now, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania are the first to demonstrate the direct conversion of a non-heart cell type into a heart cell by RNA transfer. Working on the idea that the signature of a cell is defined by molecules called messenger RNAs (mRNAs), which contain the chemical blueprint for how to make a protein, the investigators changed two different cell types, an astrocyte (a star-shaped brain cell) and a fibroblast (a skin cell), into a heart cell, using mRNAs. The researchers reported the findings online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This approach offers the possibility for cell-based therapy for cardiovascular diseases.
Date: July 8, 2011
Summary:
PHILADELPHIA — For the past decade, researchers have tried to reprogram the identity of all kinds of cell types. Heart cells are one of the most sought-after cells in regenerative medicine because researchers anticipate that they may help to repair injured hearts by replacing lost tissue. Now, researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania are the first to demonstrate the direct conversion of a non-heart cell type into a heart cell by RNA transfer. Working on the idea that the signature of a cell is defined by molecules called messenger RNAs (mRNAs), which contain the chemical blueprint for how to make a protein, the investigators changed two different cell types, an astrocyte (a star-shaped brain cell) and a fibroblast (a skin cell), into a heart cell, using mRNAs. The researchers reported the findings online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. This approach offers the possibility for cell-based therapy for cardiovascular diseases.
Thursday, July 07, 2011
First Successful Transplantation of a Synthetic Tissue Engineered Windpipe
Source: Karolinska University Hospital
Date: July 7, 2011
Summary:
For the first time in history, a patient has been given a new trachea made from a synthetic scaffold seeded with his own stem cells. The operation was performed on June 9th 2011 at Karolinska University Hospital in Huddinge, Stockholm, by Professor Paolo Macchiarini, of Karolinska University Hospital and Karolinska Institutet, and colleagues.
The patient, a 36-year old man, is well on the way to full recovery from the recent operation in Sweden and is now being discharged from the hospital. Researchers produced a specifically designed bioreactor used to seed the scaffold with the patient's own stem cells. The cells were grown on the scaffold inside the bioreactor for two days before transplantation to the patient. Because the cells used to regenerate the trachea were the patient's own, there has been no rejection of the transplant and the patient is not taking immunosuppressive drugs.
The successful transplantation of tissue engineered synthetic organs, referred to as regenerative medicine, could open new and very promising therapeutic possibilities for the thousands of patients who suffer from tracheal cancer or other conditions that destroy, block or constrict the airway.
Date: July 7, 2011
Summary:
For the first time in history, a patient has been given a new trachea made from a synthetic scaffold seeded with his own stem cells. The operation was performed on June 9th 2011 at Karolinska University Hospital in Huddinge, Stockholm, by Professor Paolo Macchiarini, of Karolinska University Hospital and Karolinska Institutet, and colleagues.
The patient, a 36-year old man, is well on the way to full recovery from the recent operation in Sweden and is now being discharged from the hospital. Researchers produced a specifically designed bioreactor used to seed the scaffold with the patient's own stem cells. The cells were grown on the scaffold inside the bioreactor for two days before transplantation to the patient. Because the cells used to regenerate the trachea were the patient's own, there has been no rejection of the transplant and the patient is not taking immunosuppressive drugs.
The successful transplantation of tissue engineered synthetic organs, referred to as regenerative medicine, could open new and very promising therapeutic possibilities for the thousands of patients who suffer from tracheal cancer or other conditions that destroy, block or constrict the airway.
'Pure' human blood stem-cell discovery opens door to expanding cells for more clinical use
Source: University Health Network
Date: July 7, 2011
Summary:
For the first time since stem cells were discovered here 50 years ago, University Health Network scientists have isolated a human blood stem cell in its purest form – as a single stem cell capable of regenerating the entire blood system. This breakthrough opens the door to harnessing the power of these life-producing cells to treat cancer and other debilitating diseases more effectively. The research is published today in Science.
Date: July 7, 2011
Summary:
For the first time since stem cells were discovered here 50 years ago, University Health Network scientists have isolated a human blood stem cell in its purest form – as a single stem cell capable of regenerating the entire blood system. This breakthrough opens the door to harnessing the power of these life-producing cells to treat cancer and other debilitating diseases more effectively. The research is published today in Science.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
NERVOUS SYSTEM STEM CELLS CAN REPLACE THEMSELVES, GIVE RISE TO VARIETY OF CELL TYPES, EVEN AMPLIFY
Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine
Date: June 29, 2011
Summary:
A Johns Hopkins team has discovered in young adult mice that a lone brain stem cell is capable not only of replacing itself and giving rise to specialized neurons and glia – important types of brain cells – but also of taking a wholly unexpected path: generating two new brain stem cells. A report on their study appears June 24 in Cell.
Although it was known that the brain has the capacity to generate both neurons, which send and receive signals, and the glial cells that surround them, it was unclear whether these various cell types came from a single source. In addition to demonstrating that a single radial glia-like (RGL) brain cell is able to generate two very different functional cell types, the Hopkins researchers, by following the fates of single cells over time, found that a single brain stem cell can even produce two stem cells like itself.
Date: June 29, 2011
Summary:
A Johns Hopkins team has discovered in young adult mice that a lone brain stem cell is capable not only of replacing itself and giving rise to specialized neurons and glia – important types of brain cells – but also of taking a wholly unexpected path: generating two new brain stem cells. A report on their study appears June 24 in Cell.
Although it was known that the brain has the capacity to generate both neurons, which send and receive signals, and the glial cells that surround them, it was unclear whether these various cell types came from a single source. In addition to demonstrating that a single radial glia-like (RGL) brain cell is able to generate two very different functional cell types, the Hopkins researchers, by following the fates of single cells over time, found that a single brain stem cell can even produce two stem cells like itself.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Scientists Discover How To Control Fate of Stem Cells
Source: Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Date: June 24, 2011
Summary:
Scientists from the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), an institute of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), in collaboration with the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI), have discovered how the body uses a single communication system to decide the fate of stem cells. The study, published in the scientific journal PLoS Genetics on 23rd June 2011, paves the way for the development of new methods of stem cell therapy with fewer side effects.
Date: June 24, 2011
Summary:
Scientists from the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), an institute of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), in collaboration with the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore (CSI), have discovered how the body uses a single communication system to decide the fate of stem cells. The study, published in the scientific journal PLoS Genetics on 23rd June 2011, paves the way for the development of new methods of stem cell therapy with fewer side effects.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Signaling Pathway Is “Executive Software” of Airway Stem Cells
Source: Duke University
Date: June 16, 2011
Summary:
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have found out how mouse basal cells that line airways “decide” to become one of two types of cells that assist in airway-clearing duties. The findings could help provide new therapies for either blocked or thinned airways.
“Our work has identified the Notch signaling pathway as a central regulatory ‘switch’ that controls the differentiation of airway basal stem cells,” said Jason Rock, PhD, lead author and postdoctoral researcher in Brigid Hogan's cell biology laboratory.
“Studies like ours will enhance efforts to develop effective genetic, cellular, and molecular therapies for airway diseases -- a leading cause of death worldwide.”
The work was published in Cell Stem Cell on June 3.
Together with the current findings, recent studies suggest that the Notch signaling pathway represents a potential therapeutic target for airway remodeling and lung disease, he said.
Date: June 16, 2011
Summary:
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center have found out how mouse basal cells that line airways “decide” to become one of two types of cells that assist in airway-clearing duties. The findings could help provide new therapies for either blocked or thinned airways.
“Our work has identified the Notch signaling pathway as a central regulatory ‘switch’ that controls the differentiation of airway basal stem cells,” said Jason Rock, PhD, lead author and postdoctoral researcher in Brigid Hogan's cell biology laboratory.
“Studies like ours will enhance efforts to develop effective genetic, cellular, and molecular therapies for airway diseases -- a leading cause of death worldwide.”
The work was published in Cell Stem Cell on June 3.
Together with the current findings, recent studies suggest that the Notch signaling pathway represents a potential therapeutic target for airway remodeling and lung disease, he said.
ACT Announces First Patients Enrolled in Two Clinical Trials Using Embryonic Stem Cells to Treat Stargardt's Disease and Dry Age-Related Macular Degen
Source: Advanced Cell Technology, Inc.
Date: June 16, 2011
Summary:
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today the enrollment of the first patients in its two Phase 1/2 clinical trials for Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy (SMD) and Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (Dry AMD) using retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). The patients were enrolled at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
The Phase 1/2 trials are prospective, open-label studies primarily designed to determine the safety and tolerability of the RPE cells following sub-retinal transplantation into patients with SMD and Dry AMD. Each study will enroll 12 patients with cohorts of three patients in an ascending dosage format. The primary endpoint of both studies is to determine the safety and tolerability of hESC-derived RPE cells at 12 months.
Date: June 16, 2011
Summary:
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today the enrollment of the first patients in its two Phase 1/2 clinical trials for Stargardt's Macular Dystrophy (SMD) and Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration (Dry AMD) using retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). The patients were enrolled at the Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
The Phase 1/2 trials are prospective, open-label studies primarily designed to determine the safety and tolerability of the RPE cells following sub-retinal transplantation into patients with SMD and Dry AMD. Each study will enroll 12 patients with cohorts of three patients in an ascending dosage format. The primary endpoint of both studies is to determine the safety and tolerability of hESC-derived RPE cells at 12 months.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Stem Cells from Patients Make 'Early Retina in a Dish'
Source: University of Wisconsin - Madison
Date: June 15, 2011
Summary:
Soon, some treatments for blinding eye diseases might be developed and tested using retina-like tissues produced from the patient's own skin, thanks to a series of discoveries reported by a team of University of Wisconsin-Madison stem cell researchers.
The team, led by stem cell scientist and ophthalmologist Dr. David Gamm of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health and former UW scientist Dr. Jason Meyer, used human embryonic stem (ES) cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to generate three-dimensional structures that are similar to those present at the earliest stages of retinal development. The research is published online in the journal Stem Cells.
Date: June 15, 2011
Summary:
Soon, some treatments for blinding eye diseases might be developed and tested using retina-like tissues produced from the patient's own skin, thanks to a series of discoveries reported by a team of University of Wisconsin-Madison stem cell researchers.
The team, led by stem cell scientist and ophthalmologist Dr. David Gamm of the UW School of Medicine and Public Health and former UW scientist Dr. Jason Meyer, used human embryonic stem (ES) cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to generate three-dimensional structures that are similar to those present at the earliest stages of retinal development. The research is published online in the journal Stem Cells.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Sniffing out a New Source of Stem Cells
Source: Journal of Clinical Investigation
Date: June 14, 2011
Summary:
New research in mice published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation suggests that adult stem cells from immune system tissue in the smell-sensing region of the human nose (human olfactory ecto--mesenchymal stem cells [OE-MSCs]) could provide a source of cells to treat brain disorders in which nerve cells are lost or irreparably damaged.
A team of researchers, led by Emmanuel Nivet, now at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, has generated data in mice that suggest that adult stem cells from immune system tissue in the smell-sensing region of the human nose (human olfactory ecto-mesenchymal stem cells [OE-MSCs]) could provide a source of cells to treat brain disorders in which nerve cells are lost or irreparably damaged.
Date: June 14, 2011
Summary:
New research in mice published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation suggests that adult stem cells from immune system tissue in the smell-sensing region of the human nose (human olfactory ecto--mesenchymal stem cells [OE-MSCs]) could provide a source of cells to treat brain disorders in which nerve cells are lost or irreparably damaged.
A team of researchers, led by Emmanuel Nivet, now at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, has generated data in mice that suggest that adult stem cells from immune system tissue in the smell-sensing region of the human nose (human olfactory ecto-mesenchymal stem cells [OE-MSCs]) could provide a source of cells to treat brain disorders in which nerve cells are lost or irreparably damaged.
UC DAVIS RESEARCHERS DISCOVER TARGET MOLECULE TO REPAIR INJURED NERVE CELLS
University of California - Davis
Date: June 14, 2011
Summary:
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — A team of investigators at UC Davis and Shriners Hospital have discovered that a factor in the embryonic development of brain cells is an important target for developing new drugs and stem cell therapies to treat patients who have lost function from multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, stroke and other “demyelinating” diseases and injuries. The study, which was conducted in mice, appears online today in Scientific Reports, a new primary research, open-access journal from the publishers of Nature.
Date: June 14, 2011
Summary:
(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — A team of investigators at UC Davis and Shriners Hospital have discovered that a factor in the embryonic development of brain cells is an important target for developing new drugs and stem cell therapies to treat patients who have lost function from multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, stroke and other “demyelinating” diseases and injuries. The study, which was conducted in mice, appears online today in Scientific Reports, a new primary research, open-access journal from the publishers of Nature.
New Research Provides Clues on Why Hair Turns Gray Communication Between Hair Follicles and Melanocyte Stem Cells Key to Mystery
Source: NYU Langone Medical Center / New York University School of Medicine
Date: June 14, 2011
Summary:
A new study by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center has shown that, for the first time, Wnt signaling, already known to control many biological processes, between hair follicles and melanocyte stem cells can dictate hair pigmentation. The study was published in the June 11, 2011 issue of the journal Cell. Using genetic mouse models, researchers were able to examine how Wnt signaling pathways enabled both hair follicle stem cells and melanocyte stem cells to work together to generate hair growth and produce hair color. Research also showed the depletion (or inhibition or abnormal) Wnt signaling in hair follicle stem cells not only inhibits hair re-growth but also prevents melanocytes stem cell activation required for producing hair color. The lack of Wnt activation in melanocyte stem cells leads to depigmented or gray hair.
Date: June 14, 2011
Summary:
A new study by researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center has shown that, for the first time, Wnt signaling, already known to control many biological processes, between hair follicles and melanocyte stem cells can dictate hair pigmentation. The study was published in the June 11, 2011 issue of the journal Cell. Using genetic mouse models, researchers were able to examine how Wnt signaling pathways enabled both hair follicle stem cells and melanocyte stem cells to work together to generate hair growth and produce hair color. Research also showed the depletion (or inhibition or abnormal) Wnt signaling in hair follicle stem cells not only inhibits hair re-growth but also prevents melanocytes stem cell activation required for producing hair color. The lack of Wnt activation in melanocyte stem cells leads to depigmented or gray hair.
Thursday, June 09, 2011
Researchers work to turn back the clock on bone-producing stem cells
Source: Georgia Health Sciences University
Date: June 9, 2011
Summary:
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Researchers want to turn back the clock on aging stem cells so they’ll make better bone. Bone-weakening osteoporosis results in a fracture every three seconds worldwide, according to the International Osteoporosis Foundation. The right nutrients resulting in the right signals could help aging stem cells act more youthful, producing stronger bones longer and reducing the death and disability associated with a frail framework, Georgia Health Sciences University researchers say.
Date: June 9, 2011
Summary:
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Researchers want to turn back the clock on aging stem cells so they’ll make better bone. Bone-weakening osteoporosis results in a fracture every three seconds worldwide, according to the International Osteoporosis Foundation. The right nutrients resulting in the right signals could help aging stem cells act more youthful, producing stronger bones longer and reducing the death and disability associated with a frail framework, Georgia Health Sciences University researchers say.
NEW GENETIC TECHNIQUE CONVERTS SKIN CELLS INTO BRAIN CELLS
Source: Lund University
Date: 09 June 2011
Summary:
research breakthrough has proven that it is possible to reprogram mature cells from human skin directly into brain cells, without passing through the stem cell stage. The unexpectedly simple technique involves activating three genes in the skin cells; genes which are already known to be active in the formation of brain cells at the fetal stage.
The new technique avoids many of the ethical dilemmas that stem cell research has faced.
For the first time, a research group at Lund University in Sweden has succeeded in creating specific types of nerve cells from human skin. By reprogramming connective tissue cells, called fibroblasts, directly into nerve cells, a new field has been opened up with the potential to take research on cell transplants to the next level. The discovery represents a fundamental change in the view of the function and capacity of mature cells. By taking mature cells as their starting point instead of stem cells, the Lund researchers also avoid the ethical issues linked to research on embryonic stem cells.
The research is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Date: 09 June 2011
Summary:
research breakthrough has proven that it is possible to reprogram mature cells from human skin directly into brain cells, without passing through the stem cell stage. The unexpectedly simple technique involves activating three genes in the skin cells; genes which are already known to be active in the formation of brain cells at the fetal stage.
The new technique avoids many of the ethical dilemmas that stem cell research has faced.
For the first time, a research group at Lund University in Sweden has succeeded in creating specific types of nerve cells from human skin. By reprogramming connective tissue cells, called fibroblasts, directly into nerve cells, a new field has been opened up with the potential to take research on cell transplants to the next level. The discovery represents a fundamental change in the view of the function and capacity of mature cells. By taking mature cells as their starting point instead of stem cells, the Lund researchers also avoid the ethical issues linked to research on embryonic stem cells.
The research is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Blood Simpler: Researchers Parse the Origins of Hematopoietic Stem Cells
Source: University of California - San Diego
Date: June 8, 2011
Summary:
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified a gene and a novel signaling pathway, both critical for making the first hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in developing vertebrate embryos. The discovery has implications for developing stem cell-based therapies for diseases like leukemia and congenital blood disorders.
HSCs are multipotent stem cells that give rise to all blood cell types, including red blood and immune cells. Existing medical treatments using HSCs are hampered by cell shortages and finding compatible matches between donors and recipients. Currently, it is not possible to create HSCs from converted embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells -- pluripotent cells artificially derived from non-pluripotent cells, such as skin cells.
"What we need is the ability to generate self-renewing HSCs from patients for treatments," said David Traver, PhD, an associate professor in UCSD's Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine. "But accomplishing this goal means first understanding the mechanisms involved in creating HSCs during embryonic development."
One of those mechanisms is described for the first time in a paper published by Traver and colleagues in the June 9 issue of the journal Nature.
Date: June 8, 2011
Summary:
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have identified a gene and a novel signaling pathway, both critical for making the first hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in developing vertebrate embryos. The discovery has implications for developing stem cell-based therapies for diseases like leukemia and congenital blood disorders.
HSCs are multipotent stem cells that give rise to all blood cell types, including red blood and immune cells. Existing medical treatments using HSCs are hampered by cell shortages and finding compatible matches between donors and recipients. Currently, it is not possible to create HSCs from converted embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells -- pluripotent cells artificially derived from non-pluripotent cells, such as skin cells.
"What we need is the ability to generate self-renewing HSCs from patients for treatments," said David Traver, PhD, an associate professor in UCSD's Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine. "But accomplishing this goal means first understanding the mechanisms involved in creating HSCs during embryonic development."
One of those mechanisms is described for the first time in a paper published by Traver and colleagues in the June 9 issue of the journal Nature.
Scientists find gene vital to nerve cell development
Source: Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis
Date: June 8, 2011
Summary:
The body’s ability to perform simple tasks like flex muscles or feel heat, cold and pain depends, in large part, on myelin, an insulating layer of fats and proteins that speeds the propagation of nerve cell signals. Now, scientists have identified a gene in mice that controls whether certain cells in the peripheral nervous system can make myelin. Called Gpr126, the gene encodes a cellular receptor that could play a role in diseases affecting peripheral nerves, says Kelly R. Monk, PhD, assistant professor of developmental biology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The work is currently available online and will be published in the July 1 issue of the journal Development.
Date: June 8, 2011
Summary:
The body’s ability to perform simple tasks like flex muscles or feel heat, cold and pain depends, in large part, on myelin, an insulating layer of fats and proteins that speeds the propagation of nerve cell signals. Now, scientists have identified a gene in mice that controls whether certain cells in the peripheral nervous system can make myelin. Called Gpr126, the gene encodes a cellular receptor that could play a role in diseases affecting peripheral nerves, says Kelly R. Monk, PhD, assistant professor of developmental biology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The work is currently available online and will be published in the July 1 issue of the journal Development.
Monday, June 06, 2011
Stony Brook Pathology Team Demonstrates Breakthrough Method Of Stem Cell Expansion
Source: Stony Brook University School of Medicine
Date: June 6, 2011
Summary:
Researchers in the Department of Pathology at Stony Brook University School of Medicine have discovered a laboratory method to expand adult hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) using the SALL4 gene. Professor Yupo Ma, M.D., Ph.D., Lead Author, and colleagues used this method to produce a more than 10,000-fold increase in HSCs derived from normal human bone marrow. Their findings define a new mechanism of stem cell self-renewal, providing a means to produce large numbers of HSCs that could be used to treat hematological malignancies and other blood disorders. Their results are reported in the early online edition of Blood.
Date: June 6, 2011
Summary:
Researchers in the Department of Pathology at Stony Brook University School of Medicine have discovered a laboratory method to expand adult hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) using the SALL4 gene. Professor Yupo Ma, M.D., Ph.D., Lead Author, and colleagues used this method to produce a more than 10,000-fold increase in HSCs derived from normal human bone marrow. Their findings define a new mechanism of stem cell self-renewal, providing a means to produce large numbers of HSCs that could be used to treat hematological malignancies and other blood disorders. Their results are reported in the early online edition of Blood.
Stem cell treatment may offer option for broken bones that don’t heal
Source: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine
Date: June 6, 2011
Summary:
CHAPEL HILL, NC — Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine have shown in an animal study that transplantation of adult stem cells enriched with a bone-regenerating hormone can help mend bone fractures that are not healing properly.
The UNC study team led by Anna Spagnoli, MD, associate professor of pediatrics and biomedical engineering, demonstrated that stem cells manufactured with the regenerative hormone insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) become bone cells and also help the cells within broken bones repair the fracture, thereby speeding the healing. The new findings were presented Sunday, June 5, 2011 at The Endocrine Society’s 93rd Annual Meeting in Boston, Mass.
Date: June 6, 2011
Summary:
CHAPEL HILL, NC — Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine have shown in an animal study that transplantation of adult stem cells enriched with a bone-regenerating hormone can help mend bone fractures that are not healing properly.
The UNC study team led by Anna Spagnoli, MD, associate professor of pediatrics and biomedical engineering, demonstrated that stem cells manufactured with the regenerative hormone insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) become bone cells and also help the cells within broken bones repair the fracture, thereby speeding the healing. The new findings were presented Sunday, June 5, 2011 at The Endocrine Society’s 93rd Annual Meeting in Boston, Mass.
Sunday, June 05, 2011
Stem cell treatment to prevent leukaemia returning is a step closer
Source: King's College London
Date: 6 June 2011
Summary:
Cancer Research UK-funded researchers at King’s College London have identified a way of eliminating leukaemic stem cells, which could in the future lead to new treatments that may enable complete remission for leukaemia patients. An early study in mice has shown that leukaemic stem cells can be abolished by suppressing two proteins found in the body.
Leukaemic stem cells sustain the disease and are likely to be responsible for relapse, so elimination of these cells is believed to be key for achieving complete remission. These encouraging findings highlight the two proteins as potential therapeutic targets to prevent the most aggressive forms of leukaemia returning. The study, funded by Cancer Research UK and Leukaemia Lymphoma Research, is published today in the journal Cell Stem Cell.
Date: 6 June 2011
Summary:
Cancer Research UK-funded researchers at King’s College London have identified a way of eliminating leukaemic stem cells, which could in the future lead to new treatments that may enable complete remission for leukaemia patients. An early study in mice has shown that leukaemic stem cells can be abolished by suppressing two proteins found in the body.
Leukaemic stem cells sustain the disease and are likely to be responsible for relapse, so elimination of these cells is believed to be key for achieving complete remission. These encouraging findings highlight the two proteins as potential therapeutic targets to prevent the most aggressive forms of leukaemia returning. The study, funded by Cancer Research UK and Leukaemia Lymphoma Research, is published today in the journal Cell Stem Cell.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Key Molecule for Stem Cell Pluripotency Discovered
Source: Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres
Date: May 27, 2011
Summary:
Researchers of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch have discovered what enables embryonic stem cells to differentiate into diverse cell types and thus to be pluripotent. This pluripotency depends on a specific molecule -- E-cadherin -- hitherto primarily known for its role in mediating cell-cell adhesion as a kind of "intracellular glue." If E-cadherin is absent, the stem cells lose their pluripotency. The molecule also plays a crucial role in the reprogramming of somatic cells (body cells) into pluripotent stem cells. The research is published online in EMBO reports.
Date: May 27, 2011
Summary:
Researchers of the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC) Berlin-Buch have discovered what enables embryonic stem cells to differentiate into diverse cell types and thus to be pluripotent. This pluripotency depends on a specific molecule -- E-cadherin -- hitherto primarily known for its role in mediating cell-cell adhesion as a kind of "intracellular glue." If E-cadherin is absent, the stem cells lose their pluripotency. The molecule also plays a crucial role in the reprogramming of somatic cells (body cells) into pluripotent stem cells. The research is published online in EMBO reports.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Scientists turn human skin cells directly into neurons, skipping iPS stage
Source: Stanford University School of Medicine
Date: May 26, 2011
Summary;
Human skin cells can be converted directly into functional neurons in a period of four to five weeks with the addition of just four proteins, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The finding is significant because it bypasses the need to first create induced pluripotent stem cells, and may make it much easier to generate patient- or disease-specific neurons for study in a laboratory dish.It may also circumvent a recently reported potential problem with iPS cells, in which laboratory mice rejected genetically identical iPS cells — seemingly on the basis of the proteins used to render them pluripotent. The research is published online May 26 in Nature.
Nature and BBC News also posted news stories about this discovery today.
Date: May 26, 2011
Summary;
Human skin cells can be converted directly into functional neurons in a period of four to five weeks with the addition of just four proteins, according to a study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The finding is significant because it bypasses the need to first create induced pluripotent stem cells, and may make it much easier to generate patient- or disease-specific neurons for study in a laboratory dish.It may also circumvent a recently reported potential problem with iPS cells, in which laboratory mice rejected genetically identical iPS cells — seemingly on the basis of the proteins used to render them pluripotent. The research is published online May 26 in Nature.
Nature and BBC News also posted news stories about this discovery today.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Study of stem cell diseases advanced by new Stanford technique
Source: Stanford University Medical Center
Date: May 22, 2011
Summary:
STANFORD, Calif. — A rare genetic disease called dyskeratosis congenita, caused by the rapid shortening of telomeres (protective caps on the ends of chromosomes), can be mimicked through the study of undifferentiated induced pluripotent stem cells, according to new findings from the Stanford University School of Medicine. Although dyskeratosis affects only about one in a million people, the scientists' findings could greatly facilitate research into this and other diseases caused by stem cell malfunctions, including some bone marrow failure syndromes and, perhaps, pulmonary fibrosis.
The study, which used iPS cells created from the cells of patients with dyskeratosis, explains why sufferers experience a wide variety in the types and severity of symptoms, ranging from abnormal skin pigmentation and nail growth to lung scarring, bone marrow failure and cancer. The key lies in the activity of telomerase, an enzyme critical to aging and cell renewal. The study will be published online May 22 in Nature.
Date: May 22, 2011
Summary:
STANFORD, Calif. — A rare genetic disease called dyskeratosis congenita, caused by the rapid shortening of telomeres (protective caps on the ends of chromosomes), can be mimicked through the study of undifferentiated induced pluripotent stem cells, according to new findings from the Stanford University School of Medicine. Although dyskeratosis affects only about one in a million people, the scientists' findings could greatly facilitate research into this and other diseases caused by stem cell malfunctions, including some bone marrow failure syndromes and, perhaps, pulmonary fibrosis.
The study, which used iPS cells created from the cells of patients with dyskeratosis, explains why sufferers experience a wide variety in the types and severity of symptoms, ranging from abnormal skin pigmentation and nail growth to lung scarring, bone marrow failure and cancer. The key lies in the activity of telomerase, an enzyme critical to aging and cell renewal. The study will be published online May 22 in Nature.
Human brain’s most ubiquitous cell cultivated in lab dish
Source: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Date: May 22, 2011
Summary:
Long considered to be little more than putty in the brain and spinal cord, the star-shaped astrocyte has found new respect among neuroscientists who have begun to recognize its many functions in the brain, not to mention its role in a range of disorders of the central nervous system. Now, writing in the current (Sunday, May 22) issue of the journal Nature Biotechnology, a group led by University of Wisconsin-Madison stem cell researcher Su-Chun Zhang reports it has been able to direct embryonic and induced human stem cells to become astrocytes in the lab dish.
The ability to make large, uniform batches of astrocytes, explains Zhang, opens a new avenue to more fully understanding the functional roles of the brain's most commonplace cell, as well as its involvement in a host of central nervous system disorders ranging from headaches to dementia. What's more, the ability to culture the cells gives researchers a powerful tool to devise new therapies and drugs for neurological disorders.
Date: May 22, 2011
Summary:
Long considered to be little more than putty in the brain and spinal cord, the star-shaped astrocyte has found new respect among neuroscientists who have begun to recognize its many functions in the brain, not to mention its role in a range of disorders of the central nervous system. Now, writing in the current (Sunday, May 22) issue of the journal Nature Biotechnology, a group led by University of Wisconsin-Madison stem cell researcher Su-Chun Zhang reports it has been able to direct embryonic and induced human stem cells to become astrocytes in the lab dish.
The ability to make large, uniform batches of astrocytes, explains Zhang, opens a new avenue to more fully understanding the functional roles of the brain's most commonplace cell, as well as its involvement in a host of central nervous system disorders ranging from headaches to dementia. What's more, the ability to culture the cells gives researchers a powerful tool to devise new therapies and drugs for neurological disorders.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Predicting the Fate of Personalized Cells Next Step Towards New Therapies, Penn Study Suggests
Source: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Date: May 19, 2011
Summary:
PHILADELPHIA – Discovering the step-by-step details of the path embryonic cells take to develop into their final tissue type is the clinical goal of many stem cell biologists. To that end, Kenneth S. Zaret, PhD, professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and associate director of the Penn Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and Cheng-Ran Xu, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the Zaret laboratory, looked at immature cells called progenitors and found a way to potentially predict their fate. They base this on how the protein spools around which DNA winds -- called histones -- are marked by other proteins. This study appeared this week in Science.
Date: May 19, 2011
Summary:
PHILADELPHIA – Discovering the step-by-step details of the path embryonic cells take to develop into their final tissue type is the clinical goal of many stem cell biologists. To that end, Kenneth S. Zaret, PhD, professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and associate director of the Penn Institute for Regenerative Medicine, and Cheng-Ran Xu, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in the Zaret laboratory, looked at immature cells called progenitors and found a way to potentially predict their fate. They base this on how the protein spools around which DNA winds -- called histones -- are marked by other proteins. This study appeared this week in Science.
Editing scrambled genes in human stem cells may help realize the promise of stem cell-gene therapy
Source: Salk Institute for Biological Studies
Date: May 19, 2011
Summary:
In principle, genetic engineering is simple, but in practice, replacing a faulty gene with a healthy copy is anything but. Using mutated versions of the lamin A gene as an example to demonstrate the versatility of their virus-based approach, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies successfully edited a diseased gene in patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells as well as adult stem cells.
The study, which will be published in the June 3, 2011 issue of Cell Stem Cell but are already available online, demonstrates that the gene-editing approach developed by Salk professor Juan Carlos Izpisúa Belmonte, Ph.D., and his team provides an efficient and safe tool for cell engineering and opens the way for gene editing-based stem cell therapies suitable for clinical applications.
Date: May 19, 2011
Summary:
In principle, genetic engineering is simple, but in practice, replacing a faulty gene with a healthy copy is anything but. Using mutated versions of the lamin A gene as an example to demonstrate the versatility of their virus-based approach, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies successfully edited a diseased gene in patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells as well as adult stem cells.
The study, which will be published in the June 3, 2011 issue of Cell Stem Cell but are already available online, demonstrates that the gene-editing approach developed by Salk professor Juan Carlos Izpisúa Belmonte, Ph.D., and his team provides an efficient and safe tool for cell engineering and opens the way for gene editing-based stem cell therapies suitable for clinical applications.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Scientists Discover Switch To Speed Up Stem Cell Production To Facilitate Development Of Treatments For Diseases
Source: Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)
Date: May 18, 2011
Summary:
A team of scientists from Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) have shown how proteins involved in controlling genes work together to carry out their functions in stem cells and demonstrated for the very first time, how they can change interaction partners to make other types of cells. The work highlighted the collaborative nature of modern biology in which techniques and knowledge from bioinformatics analysis, structural biology, biochemistry and stem cell molecular biology were used together to find the specific amino acid within the protein that facilitated the molecular switch between stem cells and other types of cells. This discovery, published in the journal Stem Cells, has implications for generating stem cells more efficiently for biomedical applications and could help facilitate the development of treatments for diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease.
Date: May 18, 2011
Summary:
A team of scientists from Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) have shown how proteins involved in controlling genes work together to carry out their functions in stem cells and demonstrated for the very first time, how they can change interaction partners to make other types of cells. The work highlighted the collaborative nature of modern biology in which techniques and knowledge from bioinformatics analysis, structural biology, biochemistry and stem cell molecular biology were used together to find the specific amino acid within the protein that facilitated the molecular switch between stem cells and other types of cells. This discovery, published in the journal Stem Cells, has implications for generating stem cells more efficiently for biomedical applications and could help facilitate the development of treatments for diseases such as diabetes, Parkinson's disease, and Huntington's disease.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Israel Ministry of Health Approves BrainStorm’s NurOwn™ for the First Clinical Trial of Adult Stem Cell Therapy for ALS
Source: BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics
Date: May 17, 2011
Summary;
BrainStorm Inc., a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies and therapeutics, and Hadasit, the technology transfer company of the Hadassah Medical Organization, announced today that Israel's Ministry of Health (MOH) has approved the Phase I/II clinical trial of NurOwn™, BrainStorm’s autologous stem cell therapy for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (often referred to as ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease). BrainStorm is the first company to receive approval from the MOH for a differentiated stem cell-based therapy.
About the Trial
The Phase I/II clinical trial will be conducted by a joint team headed by the principal investigator Prof. Dimitrios Karussis, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Center for Multiple Sclerosis in the Department of Neurology at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, and a scientific team from BrainStorm headed by Prof. Eldad Melamed. The initial phase of the study is designed to establish the safety of NurOwn™ and will later be expanded to assess efficacy.
Patients will be transplanted with stem cells derived from their own bone marrow and treated with Brainstorm's NurOwn™ stem cell technology. The trial will include a total of 24 patients, twelve in an advanced stage of the disease and twelve in an early stage. The patients will be examined at regular intervals and followed for six months post transplantation. Additional information regarding the Phase I/II clinical trial is provided by the Hadassah Medical Center at ClinicalTrials.gov.
Reuters published a news story about the trial today. The lead follows below:
May 17, 2011 8:00am EDT
Date: May 17, 2011
Summary;
BrainStorm Inc., a leading developer of adult stem cell technologies and therapeutics, and Hadasit, the technology transfer company of the Hadassah Medical Organization, announced today that Israel's Ministry of Health (MOH) has approved the Phase I/II clinical trial of NurOwn™, BrainStorm’s autologous stem cell therapy for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (often referred to as ALS or Lou Gehrig's Disease). BrainStorm is the first company to receive approval from the MOH for a differentiated stem cell-based therapy.
About the Trial
The Phase I/II clinical trial will be conducted by a joint team headed by the principal investigator Prof. Dimitrios Karussis, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Center for Multiple Sclerosis in the Department of Neurology at the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem, and a scientific team from BrainStorm headed by Prof. Eldad Melamed. The initial phase of the study is designed to establish the safety of NurOwn™ and will later be expanded to assess efficacy.
Patients will be transplanted with stem cells derived from their own bone marrow and treated with Brainstorm's NurOwn™ stem cell technology. The trial will include a total of 24 patients, twelve in an advanced stage of the disease and twelve in an early stage. The patients will be examined at regular intervals and followed for six months post transplantation. Additional information regarding the Phase I/II clinical trial is provided by the Hadassah Medical Center at ClinicalTrials.gov.
Reuters published a news story about the trial today. The lead follows below:
May 17, 2011 8:00am EDT
BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.received approval from Israel's Health Ministry for a clinical trial of its adult stem cell therapy for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ...BrainStorm expects to begin treating patients in the coming weeks and will work with Jerusalem's Hadassah Medical Center.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Stem Cells Reverse Disease in a Model of Parkinson's Disease
Source: Journal of Clinical Investigation
Date: May 16, 2011
Summary:
A team of researchers -- led by Sang-Hun Lee, at Hanyang University, Republic of Korea, and Kwang-Soo Kim, at Harvard Medical School, Belmont, -- has now compared the ability of cells derived from different types of human stem cell to reverse disease in a rat model of Parkinson disease and identified a stem cell population that they believe could be clinically relevant.
The researchers found several problems with cells derived from virus-based human iPS cells that precluded their use in the Parkinson disease model but found that nerve cells derived from protein-based human iPS cells reversed disease when transplanted into the brain of rats modeling Parkinson disease. They therefore conclude that protein-based human iPS cells could be used in the treatment of individuals with Parkinson disease.
The study is published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Date: May 16, 2011
Summary:
A team of researchers -- led by Sang-Hun Lee, at Hanyang University, Republic of Korea, and Kwang-Soo Kim, at Harvard Medical School, Belmont, -- has now compared the ability of cells derived from different types of human stem cell to reverse disease in a rat model of Parkinson disease and identified a stem cell population that they believe could be clinically relevant.
The researchers found several problems with cells derived from virus-based human iPS cells that precluded their use in the Parkinson disease model but found that nerve cells derived from protein-based human iPS cells reversed disease when transplanted into the brain of rats modeling Parkinson disease. They therefore conclude that protein-based human iPS cells could be used in the treatment of individuals with Parkinson disease.
The study is published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Sections of Retinas Regenerated and Visual Function Increased With Stem Cells from Skin
Source: Schepens Eye Research Institute
Date: May 16, 2011
Summary:
Boston, MA— Scientists from Schepens Eye Research Institute are the first to regenerate large areas of damaged retinas and improve visual function using IPS cells (induced pluripotent stem cells) derived from skin. The results of their study, which is published in PLoS ONE this month, hold great promise for future treatments and cures for diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, diabetic retinopathy and other retinal diseases that affect millions worldwide.
Date: May 16, 2011
Summary:
Boston, MA— Scientists from Schepens Eye Research Institute are the first to regenerate large areas of damaged retinas and improve visual function using IPS cells (induced pluripotent stem cells) derived from skin. The results of their study, which is published in PLoS ONE this month, hold great promise for future treatments and cures for diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, diabetic retinopathy and other retinal diseases that affect millions worldwide.
Stem cell study could pave the way to treatment for age-related muscle wasting
Source: Monash University
Date: 16 May 2011
Summary:
A team led by Monash University developmental biologist Professor Christophe Marcelle has nailed the mechanism that causes stem cells in the embryo to differentiate into specialised cells that form the skeletal muscles of animals’ bodies. The scientists published their results in the British journal Nature on Monday (May 16).
The researchers analysed the differentiation of muscle stem cells in chicken embryos. The mechanisms in birds are identical to those in mammals, so the chick is a good model species for understanding the mechanisms in humans.
The scientists investigated the effect of a known signalling pathway called NOTCH on muscle differentiation. They found that differentiation of stem cells to muscle was initiated when NOTCH signalling proteins touched some of the cells. These proteins were carried by passing cells migrating from a different tissue–the neural crest–the progenitor tissue of sensory nerve cells. Muscle formation in the target stem cells occurred only when the NOTCH pathway was triggered briefly by the migrating neural crest cells.
Date: 16 May 2011
Summary:
A team led by Monash University developmental biologist Professor Christophe Marcelle has nailed the mechanism that causes stem cells in the embryo to differentiate into specialised cells that form the skeletal muscles of animals’ bodies. The scientists published their results in the British journal Nature on Monday (May 16).
The researchers analysed the differentiation of muscle stem cells in chicken embryos. The mechanisms in birds are identical to those in mammals, so the chick is a good model species for understanding the mechanisms in humans.
The scientists investigated the effect of a known signalling pathway called NOTCH on muscle differentiation. They found that differentiation of stem cells to muscle was initiated when NOTCH signalling proteins touched some of the cells. These proteins were carried by passing cells migrating from a different tissue–the neural crest–the progenitor tissue of sensory nerve cells. Muscle formation in the target stem cells occurred only when the NOTCH pathway was triggered briefly by the migrating neural crest cells.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Winding Back the Clock With Kidney Stem Cells
Source: Monash University
Date: 15 May 2011
Summary:
For the first time, scientists at Monash University's Immunology and Stem Cell Laboratories (MISCL) have shown that they can make human stem cells from healthy adult kidneys without working on human embryos, circumventing ethical concerns around this research. For the challenging project, which was published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, the Monash researchers started with healthy adult kidney cells, which they reprogrammed back to an embryonic-like state, then compared these kidney stem cells with off-the-shelf embryonic stem cells, and showed that both could form different embryonic tissue types, with their genetic features preserved.
Date: 15 May 2011
Summary:
For the first time, scientists at Monash University's Immunology and Stem Cell Laboratories (MISCL) have shown that they can make human stem cells from healthy adult kidneys without working on human embryos, circumventing ethical concerns around this research. For the challenging project, which was published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, the Monash researchers started with healthy adult kidney cells, which they reprogrammed back to an embryonic-like state, then compared these kidney stem cells with off-the-shelf embryonic stem cells, and showed that both could form different embryonic tissue types, with their genetic features preserved.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Study Finds Therapies Using Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Could Encounter Immune Rejection Problems
Source: University of California - San Diego
Date: May 13, 2011
Summary:
Biologists at UC San Diego have discovered that an important class of stem cells known as “induced pluripotent stem cells,” or iPSCs, derived from an individual’s own cells, could face immune rejection problems if they are used in future stem cell therapies. In today’s advance online issue of the journal Nature, the researchers report the first clear evidence of immune system rejection of cells derived from autologous iPSCs that can be differentiated into a wide variety of cell types.
Because iPSCs are not derived from embryonic tissue and are not subject to the federal restrictions that limit the use of embryonic stem cells, researchers regard them as a promising means to develop stem cell therapies. And because iPSCs are derived from an individual’s own cells, many scientists had assumed that these stem cells would not be recognized by the immune system. As a consequence, the immune system would not try to mount an attack to purge them from the body.
In fact, scientists regarded iPSCs as particularly attractive candidates for clinical use because cells derived from embryonic stem cells will induce immune system rejection that requires physicians to administer immune suppressant medications that can compromise a person’s overall health. But the UCSD biologists found that iPSCs are subject to some of the same problems of immune system rejection as embryonic stem cells.
The New York Times and Nature published news stories about this finding today.
Date: May 13, 2011
Summary:
Biologists at UC San Diego have discovered that an important class of stem cells known as “induced pluripotent stem cells,” or iPSCs, derived from an individual’s own cells, could face immune rejection problems if they are used in future stem cell therapies. In today’s advance online issue of the journal Nature, the researchers report the first clear evidence of immune system rejection of cells derived from autologous iPSCs that can be differentiated into a wide variety of cell types.
Because iPSCs are not derived from embryonic tissue and are not subject to the federal restrictions that limit the use of embryonic stem cells, researchers regard them as a promising means to develop stem cell therapies. And because iPSCs are derived from an individual’s own cells, many scientists had assumed that these stem cells would not be recognized by the immune system. As a consequence, the immune system would not try to mount an attack to purge them from the body.
In fact, scientists regarded iPSCs as particularly attractive candidates for clinical use because cells derived from embryonic stem cells will induce immune system rejection that requires physicians to administer immune suppressant medications that can compromise a person’s overall health. But the UCSD biologists found that iPSCs are subject to some of the same problems of immune system rejection as embryonic stem cells.
The New York Times and Nature published news stories about this finding today.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
A new program for neural stem cells
Source: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
Date: May 12, 2011
Summary:
Neural stem cells can do a lot, but not everything. For example, brain and spinal cord cells are not usually generated by neural stem cells of the peripheral nervous system, and it is not possible to produce cells of the peripheral nervous system from the stem cells of the brain. However, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt and the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg have now succeeded in producing central nervous system cells from neural stem cells of the peripheral nervous system. They found that if peripheral stem cells are maintained under defined growth conditions, they generate oligodendrocytes, which form the myelin layer that surrounds the neurons found in the brain and spinal cord. The research is published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
Date: May 12, 2011
Summary:
Neural stem cells can do a lot, but not everything. For example, brain and spinal cord cells are not usually generated by neural stem cells of the peripheral nervous system, and it is not possible to produce cells of the peripheral nervous system from the stem cells of the brain. However, researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt and the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg have now succeeded in producing central nervous system cells from neural stem cells of the peripheral nervous system. They found that if peripheral stem cells are maintained under defined growth conditions, they generate oligodendrocytes, which form the myelin layer that surrounds the neurons found in the brain and spinal cord. The research is published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
Pluripotent adult stem cells power planarian regeneration
Source: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
Date: May 12, 2011
Summary:
Researchers at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research have determined that the planarian flatworm regenerates missing tissues by using pluripotent adult stem cells. Until now, scientists could not determine whether the dividing cells in planarians, called neoblasts, are a mixture of specialized stem cells that each regenerates specific tissues, or if individual neoblasts are pluripotent and able to regenerate all tissues. Using complementary methods, the researchers demonstrated that adult planarians not only possess pluripotent stem cells -- known as clonogenic neoblasts (cNeoblasts) -- but that a single such cell is capable of regenerating an entire animal. Their results are published in the May 13 issue of Science.
Date: May 12, 2011
Summary:
Researchers at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research have determined that the planarian flatworm regenerates missing tissues by using pluripotent adult stem cells. Until now, scientists could not determine whether the dividing cells in planarians, called neoblasts, are a mixture of specialized stem cells that each regenerates specific tissues, or if individual neoblasts are pluripotent and able to regenerate all tissues. Using complementary methods, the researchers demonstrated that adult planarians not only possess pluripotent stem cells -- known as clonogenic neoblasts (cNeoblasts) -- but that a single such cell is capable of regenerating an entire animal. Their results are published in the May 13 issue of Science.
Scientists Regenerate Sections of Retinas, Increase Visual Function with Skin Stem Cells
Source: Schepens Eye Research Institute
Date: May 12, 2011
Summary:
Boston, MA— Scientists from Schepens Eye Research Institute are the first to regenerate large areas of damaged retinas and improve visual function using IPS cells (induced pluripotent stem cells) derived from skin. The results of their study, which is published in PLoS ONE this month, hold great promise for future treatments and cures for diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, diabetic retinopathy and other retinal diseases that affect millions worldwide.
Date: May 12, 2011
Summary:
Boston, MA— Scientists from Schepens Eye Research Institute are the first to regenerate large areas of damaged retinas and improve visual function using IPS cells (induced pluripotent stem cells) derived from skin. The results of their study, which is published in PLoS ONE this month, hold great promise for future treatments and cures for diseases such as age-related macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, diabetic retinopathy and other retinal diseases that affect millions worldwide.
Study finds lung stem cells, likely to generate debate Has potential to lead to ways to fix damage
Below is a summary of media coverage of the announcement by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital of the identification of a human lung stem cell that is self-renewing and capable of forming and integrating multiple biological structures of the lung:
Boston Globe, May 12, 2011: "Study finds lung stem cells, likely to generate debate. Has potential to lead to ways to fix damage":
Agence France Press (AFP), May 11, 2011, 5:04 pm ET: "US researchers identify first human lung stem cell":
Associated Press, May 11, 2011: "Scientists identify possible human lung stem cell":
HealthDay News, May 11, 2011: "Discovery of Lung Stem Cells May Herald New Treatments: But the research is preliminary, so human benefits won't come any time soon":
Boston Globe, May 12, 2011: "Study finds lung stem cells, likely to generate debate. Has potential to lead to ways to fix damage":
In a provocative new finding, researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital report they have discovered human lung stem cells, which they say can give rise to the many different types of cells in the lung and ultimately may hold the potential to regenerate and repair damaged lung tissue in patients.
The results, published yesterday in the New England Journal of Medicine, challenge the current understanding of how the lung develops and will probably generate significant debate and skepticism within the field. Many scientists did not expect that a single human lung stem cell would give rise to all the many cell types found in the lung.
Agence France Press (AFP), May 11, 2011, 5:04 pm ET: "US researchers identify first human lung stem cell":
WASHINGTON — US researchers said Wednesday they have identified for the first time human lung stem cells that are self-renewing and could offer important clues for treating chronic lung diseases. Previous studies have shown researchers were able to create lung cells using human embryonic stem cells, but this lung stem cell was isolated using surgical samples of adult human lung tissue.
Associated Press, May 11, 2011: "Scientists identify possible human lung stem cell":
"Scientists believe they've discovered stem cells in the lung that can make a wide variety of the organ's tissues, a finding that might open new doors for treating emphysema and other diseases."
...The researchers found the cells in donated surgical samples of adult tissue. The same cells appeared in tissue donated from nine fetuses that had died, giving evidence that the cells are present before birth and perhaps participate in lung development. To study the cells' behavior, researchers injured lungs of mice and then injected six doses of about 20,000 cells apiece.
Within 10 to 14 days, the injected cells had formed airways, blood vessels and air sacs. "We had a very large amount of regeneration" involving millions of new cells, researchers reported.
The new tissue showed "seamless" connection to the rest of the lung, and researchers believe it would work, although that wasn't tested, Loscalzo said. The results appeared in all 29 mice tested.
HealthDay News, May 11, 2011: "Discovery of Lung Stem Cells May Herald New Treatments: But the research is preliminary, so human benefits won't come any time soon":
Contrary to current scientific thinking, human lungs do harbor stem cells capable of forming different parts of the lung, including blood vessels, a new study says. The findings, reported May 12 in the New England Journal of Medicine, may open the door to eventual bioengineered lung tissue repair and replacement.
...The findings could potentially offer a new avenue of treatment for patients suffering from respiratory conditions, such as emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or pulmonary hypertension, that currently have only limited treatment options.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
First U.S. patient enrolled in stem cell transplantation/cardiac bypass study aimed at improving heart failure
Source: Methodist Hospital
Date: May 11, 2011
Summary:
Houston, TX - A 59-year-old Houston man became the first individual in the United States to enroll in a study using stem cell transplantation during cardiac bypass to treat severe heart failure. Clinician-researchers at the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center are investigating whether stem cell infusion, delivered during bypass surgery, will generate new blood vessels and improve heart function more than what is accomplished through bypass surgery alone. The individual underwent a four-hour procedure Tuesday afternoon but because he is enrolled in a single-blind research study, he will not know if he received his own stem cells until study results are released.
Date: May 11, 2011
Summary:
Houston, TX - A 59-year-old Houston man became the first individual in the United States to enroll in a study using stem cell transplantation during cardiac bypass to treat severe heart failure. Clinician-researchers at the Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center are investigating whether stem cell infusion, delivered during bypass surgery, will generate new blood vessels and improve heart function more than what is accomplished through bypass surgery alone. The individual underwent a four-hour procedure Tuesday afternoon but because he is enrolled in a single-blind research study, he will not know if he received his own stem cells until study results are released.
Adult Stem Cells Take Root in Livers and Repair Damage
Source: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions
Date: May 11, 2011
Summary:
Johns Hopkins researchers have demonstrated that human liver cells derived from adult cells coaxed into an embryonic state can engraft and begin regenerating liver tissue in mice with chronic liver damage. The work, published in the May 11 issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine, suggests that liver cells derived from so-called "induced-pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)" could one day be used as an alternative to liver transplant in patients with serious liver diseases, bypassing long waiting lists for organs and concerns about immune system rejection of donated tissue.
Date: May 11, 2011
Summary:
Johns Hopkins researchers have demonstrated that human liver cells derived from adult cells coaxed into an embryonic state can engraft and begin regenerating liver tissue in mice with chronic liver damage. The work, published in the May 11 issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine, suggests that liver cells derived from so-called "induced-pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs)" could one day be used as an alternative to liver transplant in patients with serious liver diseases, bypassing long waiting lists for organs and concerns about immune system rejection of donated tissue.
Human Lung Stem Cell Discovered
Source: Brigham and Women's Hospital
Date: May 11, 2011
Summary:
For the first time, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have identified a human lung stem cell that is self-renewing and capable of forming and integrating multiple biological structures of the lung including bronchioles, alveoli and pulmonary vessels. This research is published in the May 12, 2011 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Using lung tissue from surgical samples, researchers identified and isolated the human lung stem cell and tested the functionality of the stem cell both in vitro and in vivo. Once the stem cell was isolated, researchers demonstrated in vitro that the cell was capable of dividing both into new stem cells and also into cells that would grow into various types of lung tissue. Next, researchers injected the stem cell into mice with damaged lungs. The injected stem cells differentiated into new bronchioles, alveoli and pulmonary vessel cells which not only formed new lung tissue, but also integrated structurally to the existing lung tissue in the mice.
Date: May 11, 2011
Summary:
For the first time, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have identified a human lung stem cell that is self-renewing and capable of forming and integrating multiple biological structures of the lung including bronchioles, alveoli and pulmonary vessels. This research is published in the May 12, 2011 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Using lung tissue from surgical samples, researchers identified and isolated the human lung stem cell and tested the functionality of the stem cell both in vitro and in vivo. Once the stem cell was isolated, researchers demonstrated in vitro that the cell was capable of dividing both into new stem cells and also into cells that would grow into various types of lung tissue. Next, researchers injected the stem cell into mice with damaged lungs. The injected stem cells differentiated into new bronchioles, alveoli and pulmonary vessel cells which not only formed new lung tissue, but also integrated structurally to the existing lung tissue in the mice.
Human Lung Stem Cell Discovered: Crucial Role in Tissue Regeneration
Source: Brigham and Women's Hospital
Date: May 11, 2011
Summary:
For the first time, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have identified a human lung stem cell that is self-renewing and capable of forming and integrating multiple biological structures of the lung including bronchioles, alveoli and pulmonary vessels. This research is published in the May 12, 2011 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Using lung tissue from surgical samples, researchers identified and isolated the human lung stem cell and tested the functionality of the stem cell both in vitro and in vivo. Once the stem cell was isolated, researchers demonstrated in vitro that the cell was capable of dividing both into new stem cells and also into cells that would grow into various types of lung tissue. Next, researchers injected the stem cell into mice with damaged lungs. The injected stem cells differentiated into new bronchioles, alveoli and pulmonary vessel cells which not only formed new lung tissue, but also integrated structurally to the existing lung tissue in the mice.
Date: May 11, 2011
Summary:
For the first time, researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) have identified a human lung stem cell that is self-renewing and capable of forming and integrating multiple biological structures of the lung including bronchioles, alveoli and pulmonary vessels. This research is published in the May 12, 2011 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Using lung tissue from surgical samples, researchers identified and isolated the human lung stem cell and tested the functionality of the stem cell both in vitro and in vivo. Once the stem cell was isolated, researchers demonstrated in vitro that the cell was capable of dividing both into new stem cells and also into cells that would grow into various types of lung tissue. Next, researchers injected the stem cell into mice with damaged lungs. The injected stem cells differentiated into new bronchioles, alveoli and pulmonary vessel cells which not only formed new lung tissue, but also integrated structurally to the existing lung tissue in the mice.
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