Below is a summary of news coverage of the recent announcement by researchers at Columbia University Medical Center that a new type of stem cell discovered in the prostate of adult mice can be a source of prostate cancer:
Agence France Presse (AFP), September 9, 2009: "Newly found stem cell causes prostate cancer: mouse study":
PARIS — Scientists in the United States, working with mice, have found a new type of stem cell in the prostate gland and shown that mutations in it can cause cancer, a study released Wednesday says. The discovery boosts evidence that cancers can be caused by modifications in stem cells, the dynamic precursor cells that develop into and replenish the body's specific tissues, it says. It also appears to resolve a mystery about the origin of prostate cancer, and could open new pathways for treatment of the deadly disease.
Reuters, September 9, 2009 5:29pm EDT: "Researchers find prostate cancer stem cell":
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers have found a stem cell, a kind of master cell, that may cause at least some types of prostate cancer. Their findings are only experimental -- the stem cells were found in mice -- but could explain at least some types of prostate cancer and eventually offer new ways to treat it, they reported on Wednesday in the journal Nature.
HealthDay News, September 9, 2009: "Getting Closer to the Origins of Prostate Cancer: Newly discovered stem cell, common STD could help spur tumors, studies find":
"Two studies take significant steps toward solving major mysteries about prostate cancer -- the exact spot in the gland where tumors can originate, and how to distinguish fast-growing malignancies that are life-threatening from the slower-growing kind that can safely be left alone."
"One study, reported in the Sept. 9 online edition of Nature, describes a previously unknown form of prostate stem cell that can become cancerous if genetic controls go haywire. The prostate consists of several layers of cells, with the lowest, the basal layer, playing a supporting role and the luminal layer, just above it, doing the actual work of the gland."
"The second report, published online Sept. 9 in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, uncovered an association between infection with a sexually transmitted parasite, Trichomonas vaginalis, and an increased risk of prostate cancer, especially the virulent form of the disease."
BBC News, 10 September 2009: "Stem cell link to prostate cancer":
A newly identified type of stem cell may cause some cases of prostate cancer, research on mice suggests.
The cells, found among those which line the inner cavity of the prostate gland, can produce copies of themselves, and other, more mature cell types. But researchers showed that when the cells were deliberately mutated by switching off a tumour suppressor gene they rapidly formed tumours. The Columbia University study appears in the journal Nature.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
First stem cell clinical trial for treating brain’s “communication highway” to begin
Source: University of California - San Francisco
Date: September 10, 2009
Summary:
UCSF researchers are set to begin a Phase I clinical trial in collaboration with StemCells, Inc. to test the safety and preliminary effectiveness of using neural stem cells to treat children with a rare, fatal form of a brain disorder known as Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD). Currently, there are no effective treatments for the fatal forms of the disease, which affects males that inherit a single defective gene.
The trial is the first neural stem cell trial in the United States designed to treat a disease resulting from a lack of “myelin,” a substance that insulates nerve cells’ communications fibers. Nerve cells communicate through axons that function much like electrical wires. Myelin is the insulating coat that surrounds the axons to prevent short circuits. Damage to the cells in the brain that make myelin, called “oligodendrocytes,” is the hallmark of multiple sclerosis and is involved in certain forms of cerebral palsy.
Date: September 10, 2009
Summary:
UCSF researchers are set to begin a Phase I clinical trial in collaboration with StemCells, Inc. to test the safety and preliminary effectiveness of using neural stem cells to treat children with a rare, fatal form of a brain disorder known as Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD). Currently, there are no effective treatments for the fatal forms of the disease, which affects males that inherit a single defective gene.
The trial is the first neural stem cell trial in the United States designed to treat a disease resulting from a lack of “myelin,” a substance that insulates nerve cells’ communications fibers. Nerve cells communicate through axons that function much like electrical wires. Myelin is the insulating coat that surrounds the axons to prevent short circuits. Damage to the cells in the brain that make myelin, called “oligodendrocytes,” is the hallmark of multiple sclerosis and is involved in certain forms of cerebral palsy.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Coverage Summary of Conversion Of Fat Stem Cells Into Pluripotent Stem Cells
Below is a summary of news coverage of the recent announcement by researchers at Stanford University Medical Center that adult stem cells from fat were converted to pluripotent stem cells:
Medical News Today, 09 September 2009 - 2:00 PDT: "Making Stem Cells From Liposuction Leftovers Is Easier Say Researchers":
Writing in a new study, US researchers said it was easier and just as safe to make stem cells from fat cells freshly isolated from patients, for instance from cells present in liposuction "leftovers", than it was to make them from skin cells as other studies have done recently. The study was the work of researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine in California and was published online ahead of print on 8 September in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, PNAS.
Scientific American, September 8, 2009: "Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Created from Fat Cells":
The standard way to make induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells for medical research is to scrape skin cells and mix up their internal clocks, coaxing them back into pluripotency over a matter of weeks. But now researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have turned their attention to another cell type in abundant supply: fat cells. The team of cardiologists and plastic surgeons found adipose fat cells to be much more efficient than skin cells at turning back into stem cells.
Los Angeles Times, September 8, 2009: "Stem cell researchers uncover promise in fat":
That fat you've been carrying on your hips, thighs and belly can be transformed with relative ease into cells that eventually may be capable of repairing a wide range of your damaged or diseased tissues, according to a new report by Stanford University researchers. Stem cells found in fat deposits, it turns out, are more primitive than are many adult stem cells harvested from tissues such as skin and blood. With comparatively less effort than is required to make, for instance, a stem cell derived from skin return to an undifferentiated cell form, fat cells can be reprogrammed to become muscle, neuron and stomach lining cells, finds a new study slated for publication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences."
Reuters, September 8, 2009, 6:48pm EDT: "Liposuction leftovers make easy stem cells: study":
Fat sucked out of chunky thighs or flabby bellies might provide an easy source of stem cells made using new and promising technology, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday. They found immature fat cells in the material removed during liposuction were easy to transform into cells called induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells. They were easier to work with than the skin cells usually used to make iPS cells, the team at Stanford University's School of Medicine in California reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. IPS cells are made using genes that take them back in time to a more immature and pliable state. They can then be re-directed to form heart cells, bone cells, brain cells or any other type of desired cell.
Nature, 7 September 2009: "Flab and freckles could advance stem cell research":
"Fat cells and pigment-producing skin cells can be reprogrammed into stem cells much faster and more efficiently than the skin cells that are usually used — suggesting large bellies and little black moles could provide much-needed material for deriving patient-specific stem cells."
San Jose Mercury News, September 7, 2009: "Stanford scientists turn liposuction leftovers into embryonic-like stem cells":
In medicine's version of winning the daily double, Stanford University researchers took ordinary fat cells and transformed them into what are effectively embryonic stem cells — those versatile cellular building blocks that can morph into a variety of tissues. Scientists warn it's too soon to use excess fat to cure disease. But in theory, it would allow people to grow personalized replacement parts for ailing organs. And it avoids the use of embryos, which has embroiled the field in political and ethical debates.
Bloomberg News, September 7, 2009: "Liposuction Fat Turns to Stem Cells Quicker Than Skin in Study":
Human fat, widely available and easily harvested with liposuction, morphed into stem cells more efficiently than skin cells in a study, giving scientists an alternative to the use of embryonic cells. Three years ago, Shinya Yamanaka, of Kyoto University in Japan, showed that skin cells could be genetically manipulated to become any other cell type, much like embryonic stem cells. This process was hailed as avoiding the destruction of embryos and letting scientists create new therapies by making stem cells from patients who are ill.
Since then, researchers have sought to overcome two drawbacks to Yamanaka’s method. One is that the viruses and genes used to reprogram skin cells can trigger tumor growth. The second is that the process is inefficient, with less than 1 percent of skin cells becoming all-purpose cells. The new research, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, may solve the second problem.
Medical News Today, 09 September 2009 - 2:00 PDT: "Making Stem Cells From Liposuction Leftovers Is Easier Say Researchers":
Writing in a new study, US researchers said it was easier and just as safe to make stem cells from fat cells freshly isolated from patients, for instance from cells present in liposuction "leftovers", than it was to make them from skin cells as other studies have done recently. The study was the work of researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine in California and was published online ahead of print on 8 September in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, PNAS.
Scientific American, September 8, 2009: "Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Created from Fat Cells":
The standard way to make induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells for medical research is to scrape skin cells and mix up their internal clocks, coaxing them back into pluripotency over a matter of weeks. But now researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have turned their attention to another cell type in abundant supply: fat cells. The team of cardiologists and plastic surgeons found adipose fat cells to be much more efficient than skin cells at turning back into stem cells.
Los Angeles Times, September 8, 2009: "Stem cell researchers uncover promise in fat":
That fat you've been carrying on your hips, thighs and belly can be transformed with relative ease into cells that eventually may be capable of repairing a wide range of your damaged or diseased tissues, according to a new report by Stanford University researchers. Stem cells found in fat deposits, it turns out, are more primitive than are many adult stem cells harvested from tissues such as skin and blood. With comparatively less effort than is required to make, for instance, a stem cell derived from skin return to an undifferentiated cell form, fat cells can be reprogrammed to become muscle, neuron and stomach lining cells, finds a new study slated for publication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences."
Reuters, September 8, 2009, 6:48pm EDT: "Liposuction leftovers make easy stem cells: study":
Fat sucked out of chunky thighs or flabby bellies might provide an easy source of stem cells made using new and promising technology, U.S. researchers reported on Tuesday. They found immature fat cells in the material removed during liposuction were easy to transform into cells called induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells. They were easier to work with than the skin cells usually used to make iPS cells, the team at Stanford University's School of Medicine in California reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. IPS cells are made using genes that take them back in time to a more immature and pliable state. They can then be re-directed to form heart cells, bone cells, brain cells or any other type of desired cell.
Nature, 7 September 2009: "Flab and freckles could advance stem cell research":
"Fat cells and pigment-producing skin cells can be reprogrammed into stem cells much faster and more efficiently than the skin cells that are usually used — suggesting large bellies and little black moles could provide much-needed material for deriving patient-specific stem cells."
San Jose Mercury News, September 7, 2009: "Stanford scientists turn liposuction leftovers into embryonic-like stem cells":
In medicine's version of winning the daily double, Stanford University researchers took ordinary fat cells and transformed them into what are effectively embryonic stem cells — those versatile cellular building blocks that can morph into a variety of tissues. Scientists warn it's too soon to use excess fat to cure disease. But in theory, it would allow people to grow personalized replacement parts for ailing organs. And it avoids the use of embryos, which has embroiled the field in political and ethical debates.
Bloomberg News, September 7, 2009: "Liposuction Fat Turns to Stem Cells Quicker Than Skin in Study":
Human fat, widely available and easily harvested with liposuction, morphed into stem cells more efficiently than skin cells in a study, giving scientists an alternative to the use of embryonic cells. Three years ago, Shinya Yamanaka, of Kyoto University in Japan, showed that skin cells could be genetically manipulated to become any other cell type, much like embryonic stem cells. This process was hailed as avoiding the destruction of embryos and letting scientists create new therapies by making stem cells from patients who are ill.
Since then, researchers have sought to overcome two drawbacks to Yamanaka’s method. One is that the viruses and genes used to reprogram skin cells can trigger tumor growth. The second is that the process is inefficient, with less than 1 percent of skin cells becoming all-purpose cells. The new research, published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, may solve the second problem.
New Type Of Adult Stem Cells Found In Prostate May Be Involved In Cancer Development
Source: Columbia University Medical Center
Date: September 9, 2009
Summary:
A new type of stem cell discovered in the prostate of adult mice can be a source of prostate cancer, according to a new study by researchers at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. The researchers found the rare stem cells, called CARNs (which stands for “castration-resistant Nkx3.1-expressing cells”), within the ducts inside the mouse prostate. The stem cells are involved in regenerating prostate tissue, but the researchers also found that CARNs can give rise to cancer if certain tumor suppressor genes in the cells are inactivated. The findings will be published in an advance online edition of Nature on September 9, 2009.
Date: September 9, 2009
Summary:
A new type of stem cell discovered in the prostate of adult mice can be a source of prostate cancer, according to a new study by researchers at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. The researchers found the rare stem cells, called CARNs (which stands for “castration-resistant Nkx3.1-expressing cells”), within the ducts inside the mouse prostate. The stem cells are involved in regenerating prostate tissue, but the researchers also found that CARNs can give rise to cancer if certain tumor suppressor genes in the cells are inactivated. The findings will be published in an advance online edition of Nature on September 9, 2009.
Monday, September 07, 2009
'Liposuction Leftovers' Easily Converted To Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Source: Stanford University Medical Center
Date: September 7, 2009
Summary:
Globs of human fat removed during liposuction conceal versatile cells that are more quickly and easily coaxed to become induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells, than are the skin cells most often used by researchers, according to a new study from Stanford’s School of Medicine. The fact that the cells can also be converted without the need for mouse-derived “feeder cells” may make them an ideal starting material for human therapies. Feeder cells are often used when growing human skin cells outside the body, but physicians worry that cross-species contamination could make them unsuitable for human use. The findings will be published online Sept. 7 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Date: September 7, 2009
Summary:
Globs of human fat removed during liposuction conceal versatile cells that are more quickly and easily coaxed to become induced pluripotent stem cells, or iPS cells, than are the skin cells most often used by researchers, according to a new study from Stanford’s School of Medicine. The fact that the cells can also be converted without the need for mouse-derived “feeder cells” may make them an ideal starting material for human therapies. Feeder cells are often used when growing human skin cells outside the body, but physicians worry that cross-species contamination could make them unsuitable for human use. The findings will be published online Sept. 7 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Friday, September 04, 2009
Researchers identify protein controlling brain formation
Source: University of Toronto
Date: September 4, 2009
Summary:
Researchers at the University of Toronto have identified a protein which plays a key role in the development of neurons, which could enhance our understanding of how the brain works and how diseases such as Alzheimer's occur. U of T graduate student John Calarco, working in the labs of Professor Ben Blencowe (Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto) and Professor Mei Zhen (Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital), has identified a protein known as nSR100, which is only found in vertebrate species and which controls a network of "alternative splicing events" that are located in the messages of genes with critical functions in the formation of the nervous system. The findings are published in a paper in the current edition of the journal Cell.
Date: September 4, 2009
Summary:
Researchers at the University of Toronto have identified a protein which plays a key role in the development of neurons, which could enhance our understanding of how the brain works and how diseases such as Alzheimer's occur. U of T graduate student John Calarco, working in the labs of Professor Ben Blencowe (Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto) and Professor Mei Zhen (Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital), has identified a protein known as nSR100, which is only found in vertebrate species and which controls a network of "alternative splicing events" that are located in the messages of genes with critical functions in the formation of the nervous system. The findings are published in a paper in the current edition of the journal Cell.
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
Neurobiologists Identify an Essential Protein for Axon Regrowth in Animal Model
Source: University of California - San Diego
September 2, 2009
Summary:
Neurobiologists working with Yishi Jin at UC San Diego have shown that a protein called DLK-1 helps axons find their way and form proper connections once they reach the correct destination. DLK-1 works through a short chain of chemical signals that preserve the recipe for a particular protein. Jin and Andrew Chisholm, both biology professors at UC San Diego, and their co-authors report their finding this week in the journal Cell.
September 2, 2009
Summary:
Neurobiologists working with Yishi Jin at UC San Diego have shown that a protein called DLK-1 helps axons find their way and form proper connections once they reach the correct destination. DLK-1 works through a short chain of chemical signals that preserve the recipe for a particular protein. Jin and Andrew Chisholm, both biology professors at UC San Diego, and their co-authors report their finding this week in the journal Cell.
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Study reveals benefit of adult stem cells for acute lung injury
Source: University of California - San Francisco
Date: September 1, 2009
Summary:
UCSF scientists have demonstrated that adult human mesenchymal stem cells reverse the effects of injury in a novel human lung preparation in the lab. The finding, they say, could lead to the development of stem cell therapies for patients with acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome, conditions that presently have a high rate of mortality and no pharmacological treatments. Their study is published in the September 1 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Date: September 1, 2009
Summary:
UCSF scientists have demonstrated that adult human mesenchymal stem cells reverse the effects of injury in a novel human lung preparation in the lab. The finding, they say, could lead to the development of stem cell therapies for patients with acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome, conditions that presently have a high rate of mortality and no pharmacological treatments. Their study is published in the September 1 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Wisconsin team grows retina cells from skin-derived stem cells
Source: University of Wisconsin-Madison
August 24, 2009
Summary:
MADISON — A team of scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health has successfully grown multiple types of retina cells from two types of stem cells — suggesting a future in which damaged retinas could be repaired by cells grown from the patient's own skin.
Even sooner, the discovery will lead to laboratory models for studying genetically linked eye conditions, screening new drugs to treat those conditions and understanding the development of the human eye. A Waisman Center research team led by David Gamm, an assistant professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences, and Jason Meyer, a research scientist, announced their discovery in the Aug. 24 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
August 24, 2009
Summary:
MADISON — A team of scientists from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health has successfully grown multiple types of retina cells from two types of stem cells — suggesting a future in which damaged retinas could be repaired by cells grown from the patient's own skin.
Even sooner, the discovery will lead to laboratory models for studying genetically linked eye conditions, screening new drugs to treat those conditions and understanding the development of the human eye. A Waisman Center research team led by David Gamm, an assistant professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences, and Jason Meyer, a research scientist, announced their discovery in the Aug. 24 edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
'Glow-in-the-dark' red blood cells made from human stem cells
Source: Monash University
Date: August 24, 2009
Summary:
Victorian stem cell scientists from Monash University have modified a human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line to glow red when the stem cells become red blood cells. The modified hESC line, ErythRED, represents a major step forward to the eventual aim of generating mature, fully functional red blood cells from human embryonic stem cells. The research, conducted by a team led by Professors Andrew Elefanty and Ed Stanley at the Monash Immunology and Stem Cell Laboratories that included scientists at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, was published in today's issue of the prestigious journal, Nature Methods.
Date: August 24, 2009
Summary:
Victorian stem cell scientists from Monash University have modified a human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line to glow red when the stem cells become red blood cells. The modified hESC line, ErythRED, represents a major step forward to the eventual aim of generating mature, fully functional red blood cells from human embryonic stem cells. The research, conducted by a team led by Professors Andrew Elefanty and Ed Stanley at the Monash Immunology and Stem Cell Laboratories that included scientists at the Murdoch Children's Research Institute, was published in today's issue of the prestigious journal, Nature Methods.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
New insight into how stems cells develop into other types of cells
Source: University of Cambridge
Date: August 20, 2009
Summary:
Scientists have uncovered a vital link in the chain of events that gives stem cells their remarkable properties. Researchers from the Wellcome Trust Centre for Stem Cell Research at the University of Cambridge have pinpointed the final step in a complex process that gives embryonic stem cells their unique ability to develop into any of the different types of cells in the body (from liver cells to skin cells). Their findings, published today in the journal Cell, have important implications for efforts to harness the power of stem cells for medical applications.
Date: August 20, 2009
Summary:
Scientists have uncovered a vital link in the chain of events that gives stem cells their remarkable properties. Researchers from the Wellcome Trust Centre for Stem Cell Research at the University of Cambridge have pinpointed the final step in a complex process that gives embryonic stem cells their unique ability to develop into any of the different types of cells in the body (from liver cells to skin cells). Their findings, published today in the journal Cell, have important implications for efforts to harness the power of stem cells for medical applications.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Watching stem cells repair the human brain
Source: Tel Aviv University
Date: August 19, 2009
Summary:
There is no known cure for neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. But new hope, in the form of stem cells created from the patient's own bone marrow, can be found ― and literally seen ― in laboratories at Tel Aviv University. Dr. Yoram Cohen of TAU's School of Chemistry has recently proven the viability of these innovative stem cells, called mesenchymal stem cells, using in-vivo MRI. Dr. Cohen has been able to track their progress within the brain, and initial studies indicate they can identify unhealthy or damaged tissues, migrate to them, and potentially repair or halt cell degeneration. His findings have been reported in the journal Stem Cells.
Date: August 19, 2009
Summary:
There is no known cure for neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. But new hope, in the form of stem cells created from the patient's own bone marrow, can be found ― and literally seen ― in laboratories at Tel Aviv University. Dr. Yoram Cohen of TAU's School of Chemistry has recently proven the viability of these innovative stem cells, called mesenchymal stem cells, using in-vivo MRI. Dr. Cohen has been able to track their progress within the brain, and initial studies indicate they can identify unhealthy or damaged tissues, migrate to them, and potentially repair or halt cell degeneration. His findings have been reported in the journal Stem Cells.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Nanomagnets guide stem cells to damaged tissue
Source: University College London
Date: August 17, 2009
Summary:
Microscopic magnetic particles have been used to bring stem cells to sites of cardiovascular injury in a new method designed to increase the capacity of cells to repair damaged tissue, University College London scientists announced. The cross disciplinary research, published in The Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Interventions, demonstrates a technique where endothelial progenitor cells - a type of stem cell shown to be important in vascular healing processes - have been magnetically tagged with a tiny iron-containing clinical agent, then successfully targeted to a site of arterial injury using a magnet positioned outside the body. Following magnetic targeting, there was a five-fold increase in cell localisation at a site of vascular injury in rats. The team also demonstrated a six-fold increase in cell capture in an in vitro flow system (where microscopic particles are suspended in a stream of fluid and examined to see how they behave).
Date: August 17, 2009
Summary:
Microscopic magnetic particles have been used to bring stem cells to sites of cardiovascular injury in a new method designed to increase the capacity of cells to repair damaged tissue, University College London scientists announced. The cross disciplinary research, published in The Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Cardiovascular Interventions, demonstrates a technique where endothelial progenitor cells - a type of stem cell shown to be important in vascular healing processes - have been magnetically tagged with a tiny iron-containing clinical agent, then successfully targeted to a site of arterial injury using a magnet positioned outside the body. Following magnetic targeting, there was a five-fold increase in cell localisation at a site of vascular injury in rats. The team also demonstrated a six-fold increase in cell capture in an in vitro flow system (where microscopic particles are suspended in a stream of fluid and examined to see how they behave).
How to Make a Lung: Cell-Regeneration Molecules Essential Signals for Early Lung Development, Penn Study Finds
Source: University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Date: August 17, 2009
Summary:
A tissue-repair-and-regeneration pathway in the human body, including wound healing, is essential for the early lung to develop properly. Genetically engineered mice fail to develop lungs when two molecules in this pathway, Wnt2 and Wnt2b, are knocked out. The findings are described by University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine this week in Developmental Cell. Several molecular signals are important for proper lung development but not much is known about the early signals that turn on the genes needed to specify the lung at the right place and time in the embryo. Clinically, understanding how a lung develops is important in treating or preventing a host of lung and pulmonary diseases in children.
Date: August 17, 2009
Summary:
A tissue-repair-and-regeneration pathway in the human body, including wound healing, is essential for the early lung to develop properly. Genetically engineered mice fail to develop lungs when two molecules in this pathway, Wnt2 and Wnt2b, are knocked out. The findings are described by University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine this week in Developmental Cell. Several molecular signals are important for proper lung development but not much is known about the early signals that turn on the genes needed to specify the lung at the right place and time in the embryo. Clinically, understanding how a lung develops is important in treating or preventing a host of lung and pulmonary diseases in children.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Researchers discover chemical that kills cancer stem cells
Source; Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
Date: August 13, 2009
Summary:
A multi-institutional team of Boston-area researchers has discovered a chemical that works in mice to kill the rare but aggressive cells within breast cancers that have the ability to seed new tumors. These cells, known as cancer stem cells, are thought to enable cancers to spread — and to reemerge after seemingly successful treatment. Although further work is needed to determine whether this specific chemical holds therapeutic promise for humans, the study shows that it is possible to find chemicals that selectively kill cancer stem cells. The findings appear in today's advance online edition of Cell.
Date: August 13, 2009
Summary:
A multi-institutional team of Boston-area researchers has discovered a chemical that works in mice to kill the rare but aggressive cells within breast cancers that have the ability to seed new tumors. These cells, known as cancer stem cells, are thought to enable cancers to spread — and to reemerge after seemingly successful treatment. Although further work is needed to determine whether this specific chemical holds therapeutic promise for humans, the study shows that it is possible to find chemicals that selectively kill cancer stem cells. The findings appear in today's advance online edition of Cell.
New method takes aim at aggressive cancer cells
Source: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
Date: August 13, 2009
Summary:
A multi-institutional team of Boston-area researchers has discovered a chemical that works in mice to kill the rare but aggressive cells within breast cancers that have the ability to seed new tumors. These cells, known as cancer stem cells, are thought to enable cancers to spread — and to reemerge after seemingly successful treatment. Although further work is needed to determine whether this specific chemical holds therapeutic promise for humans, the study shows that it is possible to find chemicals that selectively kill cancer stem cells. The scientists’ findings appear in the August 13 advance online issue of Cell.
Date: August 13, 2009
Summary:
A multi-institutional team of Boston-area researchers has discovered a chemical that works in mice to kill the rare but aggressive cells within breast cancers that have the ability to seed new tumors. These cells, known as cancer stem cells, are thought to enable cancers to spread — and to reemerge after seemingly successful treatment. Although further work is needed to determine whether this specific chemical holds therapeutic promise for humans, the study shows that it is possible to find chemicals that selectively kill cancer stem cells. The scientists’ findings appear in the August 13 advance online issue of Cell.
Technique enables efficient gene splicing in human embryonic stem cells
Source: Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research
August 13, 2009
Summary:
A novel technique allows researchers to efficiently and precisely modify or introduce genes into the genomes of human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, according to Whitehead scientists. The method uses proteins called zinc finger nucleases and is described in the August 13 issue of Nature Biotechnology.
August 13, 2009
Summary:
A novel technique allows researchers to efficiently and precisely modify or introduce genes into the genomes of human embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, according to Whitehead scientists. The method uses proteins called zinc finger nucleases and is described in the August 13 issue of Nature Biotechnology.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Scientists make multiple types of white blood cells directly from embryonic and adult stem cells
Source: University of Wisconsin-Madison
Date: August 10, 2009
Summary:
In an advance that could help transform embryonic stem cells into a multipurpose medical tool, scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have transformed these versatile cells into progenitors of white blood cells and into six types of mature white blood and immune cells. While clinical use is some years away, the new technique could produce cells with enormous potential for studying the development and treatment of disease. The technique works equally well with stem cells grown from an embryo and with adult pluripotent stem cells, which are derived from adult cells that have been converted until they resemble embryonic stem cells. Eventually they found a recipe that would cause the cells to move through a process of progressive specialization into a variety of adult cells. Slukvin's study was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Date: August 10, 2009
Summary:
In an advance that could help transform embryonic stem cells into a multipurpose medical tool, scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison have transformed these versatile cells into progenitors of white blood cells and into six types of mature white blood and immune cells. While clinical use is some years away, the new technique could produce cells with enormous potential for studying the development and treatment of disease. The technique works equally well with stem cells grown from an embryo and with adult pluripotent stem cells, which are derived from adult cells that have been converted until they resemble embryonic stem cells. Eventually they found a recipe that would cause the cells to move through a process of progressive specialization into a variety of adult cells. Slukvin's study was published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
STAT3 Gene Regulates Cancer Stem Cells in Brain Cancer
Source: Tufts University
Date: August 10, 2009
Summary:
In a study published online in advance of print in Stem Cells, Tufts researchers report that the STAT3 gene regulates cancer stem cells in brain cancer. Cancer stem cells have many characteristics of stem cells and are thought to be the cells that drive tumor formation. The researchers report that STAT3 could become a target for cancer therapy, specifically in Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a type of malignant and aggressive brain tumor.
Date: August 10, 2009
Summary:
In a study published online in advance of print in Stem Cells, Tufts researchers report that the STAT3 gene regulates cancer stem cells in brain cancer. Cancer stem cells have many characteristics of stem cells and are thought to be the cells that drive tumor formation. The researchers report that STAT3 could become a target for cancer therapy, specifically in Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a type of malignant and aggressive brain tumor.
Sunday, August 09, 2009
New steps forward in cell reprogramming
Source: Harvard University
Date: August 9, 2009
Summary:
Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have substantially improved the odds of successfully reprogramming differentiated cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) by blocking the activity of the gene that instructs the cells to stop dividing.
Konrad Hochedlinger and colleagues at the MGH Center for Regenerative Medicine also found that reprogramming efforts are more likely to be successful if they target immature cells rather than their more mature counterparts for reprogramming.
Induced pluripotent cells are adult cells that have been reprogrammed back to an embryo-like state in which they have regained the potential to turn into any of the 220 cell types in the body, such as liver cells, skin cells, or heart cells. “This has been a main question and main interest in the field for a long time,” says Hochedlinger. “When you work with mature cells, for some reason only a few of them actually reprogram into an iPS cell: Why is the reprogramming process so inefficient?”
The team has devised two solutions for the problem of inefficiency, one of which involves selecting only certain cell types for reprogramming. The work is being published in two separate reports, one in the journal Nature, and the other in Nature Genetics.
Date: August 9, 2009
Summary:
Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) have substantially improved the odds of successfully reprogramming differentiated cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) by blocking the activity of the gene that instructs the cells to stop dividing.
Konrad Hochedlinger and colleagues at the MGH Center for Regenerative Medicine also found that reprogramming efforts are more likely to be successful if they target immature cells rather than their more mature counterparts for reprogramming.
Induced pluripotent cells are adult cells that have been reprogrammed back to an embryo-like state in which they have regained the potential to turn into any of the 220 cell types in the body, such as liver cells, skin cells, or heart cells. “This has been a main question and main interest in the field for a long time,” says Hochedlinger. “When you work with mature cells, for some reason only a few of them actually reprogram into an iPS cell: Why is the reprogramming process so inefficient?”
The team has devised two solutions for the problem of inefficiency, one of which involves selecting only certain cell types for reprogramming. The work is being published in two separate reports, one in the journal Nature, and the other in Nature Genetics.
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