Cloning And Stem Cell News, Research and Resources - December 2009 Archives

Research team develops technique to determine ethnic origin of stem cell lines (12/31/2009)

An international team of scientists led by researchers at the Scripps Research Institute has developed a straightforward technique to determine the ethnic origin of stem cells. The team's analysis of a variety of human embryonic stem cell lines currently in use in research laboratories around the world found that these cells originated largely from Caucasian and East Asian populations, with little representation from populations originating in Africa. ...> Full Article

A 'fountain of youth' for stem cells? (12/30/2009)

Stems cells used for transplantation in the nervous system to provide neural regeneration are fragile, but can be kept "forever young" during implantation through the use of self-assembling nanofiber scaffolds (SAPNS), a nanotechnology application for implanting young cells. By manipulating cell density and SAPNS concentration, researchers used SAPNS as templates and guides to slow cell growth, differentiation and proliferation, thereby creating a protective nanoenvironment for a variety of neural cells destined for implantation. ...> Full Article

Citrus surprise: Vitamin C boosts the reprogramming of adult cells into stem cells (12/29/2009)

Famous for its antioxidant properties and role in tissue repair, vitamin C is touted as beneficial for illnesses ranging from the common cold to cancer and perhaps even for slowing the aging process. Now, a study published online on Dec. 24 by Cell Press in the journal Cell Stem Cell uncovers an unexpected new role for this natural compound: facilitating the generation of embryonic-like stem cells from adult cells. ...> Full Article

Scientists identify protein that keeps stem cells poised for action (12/28/2009)

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have now identified a critical component, called Jarid2, of this delicate balancing act -- one that both recruits other regulatory proteins to genes important in differentiation and also modulates their activity to keep them in a state of ongoing readiness. ...> Full Article

Nanoscale changes in collagen are a tipoff to bone health (12/27/2009)

Using a technique that provides detailed images of nanoscale structures, researchers at the University of Michigan and Detroit's Henry Ford Hospital have discovered changes in the collagen component of bone that directly relate to bone health. ...> Full Article

Proline repeats help protein grow tooth enamel, study shows (12/26/2009)

A simple amino acid that is repeated in the center of proteins found in tooth enamel makes teeth stronger and more resilient, according to new research at the University of Illinois at Chicago. ...> Full Article

Researchers discover gene therapy to prevent progression of emphysema (12/25/2009)

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine have discovered a new gene therapy that may prevent the progression of emphysema. The study, which appears on-line in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, describes a method to express therapeutic genes in lung tissue for a lifetime after only a single treatment. ...> Full Article

Bioengineered materials promote the growth of functional vasculature, new study shows (12/24/2009)

In a paper published December 21 in the early edition of PNAS, Georgia Tech researchers show that they are able to induce significant functional vasculature growth in areas of damaged tissue through the use of synthetic polymers called hydrogels. ...> Full Article

University of Maryland School of Medicine receives $30 million to coordinate stem cell consortium (12/23/2009)

A University of Maryland School of Medicine researcher will lead the coordinating center for a consortium of prominent stem cell scientists. Michael L. Terrin, M.D., C.M., M.P.H., professor of epidemiology and preventive medicine, was chosen by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute to coordinate the research of this consortium, which will be called the NHLBI Progenitor Cell Biology Consortium. The coordinating center will be funded by a $30 million grant over seven years. ...> Full Article

Skull bone may hold the key to tackling osteoporosis (12/22/2009)

Scientists at Queen Mary, University of London have uncovered fundamental differences between the bone which makes up the skull and the bones in our limbs, which they believe could hold the key to tackling bone weakness and fractures. ...> Full Article

Stem-cell activators switch function, repress mature cells (12/21/2009)

New research shows how a crucial step in stem-cell growth and differentiation happens and how a reversal of that step contributes to cancer. It shows that three key proteins first stimulate stem cells to proliferate. Then, as the cells differentiate into their final cell type, these proteins switch function and stop the cells from dividing any more. Because of their central role, the proteins could offer a safe and novel therapeutic target in many cancers. ...> Full Article

Umbilical cord could be new source of plentiful stem cells, say Pitt researchers (12/20/2009)

Stem cells that could one day provide therapeutic options for muscle and bone disorders can be easily harvested from the tissue of the umbilical cord, just as the blood that goes through it provides precursor cells to treat some blood disorders, say University of Pittsburgh researchers in the Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology. ...> Full Article

Heart cells on lab chip display 'nanosense' that guides behavior (12/19/2009)

Biomedical engineers have produced a laboratory chip with nanoscopic grooves and ridges capable of growing cardiac tissue that more closely resembles natural heart muscle. ...> Full Article

Marking of tissue-specific crucial in embryonic stem cells to ensure proper function (12/18/2009)

Tissue-specific genes, thought to be dormant or not marked for activation in embryonic stem cells, are indeed marked by transcription factors, with proper marking potentially crucial for the function of tissues derived from stem cells. ...> Full Article

Researchers find reproductive germ cells survive and thrive in transplants, even among species (12/17/2009)

Reproductive researchers have succeeded in isolating and transplanting pure populations of the immature cells that enable male reproduction in two species -- humans and mice. The germline stem cells, taken from testis biopsies, demonstrated viability following transplantation to mouse testes, providing hope to prepubescent men risking infertility due to cancer treatment. ...> Full Article

Successful stem cell therapy for treatment of eye disease (12/16/2009)

Newly published research reveals the first successful treatment of eight patients with "limbal stem cell deficiency" using the patients' own stem cells without the need of suppressing their immunity. ...> Full Article

Tendons shape bones during embryonic development (12/15/2009)

In all vertebrates, including humans, bones, muscles and tendons work together to give the skeleton its characteristic balance of stability and movement. Now, new research uncovers a previously unrecognized interaction between tendons, which connect muscles to bones, and the developing embryonic skeleton. This study, published by Cell Press in the Dec. 15 issue of the journal Developmental Cell, demonstrates that tendons drive the development of specific bone features that are needed for a strong skeletal system. ...> Full Article

Coaxing injured nerve fibers to regenerate by disabling 'brakes' in the system (12/13/2009)

Expanding on prior research, Children's Hospital Boston scientists provide further evidence that regeneration of nerve fibers after brain or spinal cord injury is limited by a lack of response to growth factors induced by the injury. They show in mice that axons can regenerate vigorously when responsiveness is restored genetically -- a finding that could lead to ways of helping people recover from brain or spinal cord injury. ...> Full Article

Newly discovered mechanism allows cells to change state (12/13/2009)

By looking at yeast cells, Jeffrey Laney, assistant professor of biology, has figured out one way in which cells can transform themselves: a cellular "machine" removes a regulatory “lid.” Details are published online in Nature Cell Biology. ...> Full Article

Sticks and stones break bones, but this study may prevent it (12/12/2009)

Researchers at the University of Houston department of health and human performance have created a process that grows real human bone in tissue culture, which can be used to investigate how bones form, grow and fracture. ...> Full Article

Nerve-cell transplants help brain-damaged rats fully recover lost ability to learn (12/12/2009)

Nerve cells transplanted into brain-damaged rats helped them to fully recover their ability to learn and remember, probably by promoting nurturing, protective growth factors, according to a new study. ...> Full Article

New skin stem cells surprisingly similar to those found in embryos (12/11/2009)

Scientists have discovered a new type of stem cell in the skin that acts surprisingly like certain stem cells found in embryos: both can generate fat, bone, cartilage and even nerve cells. ...> Full Article

Spices halt growth of breast stem cells (12/11/2009)

A new study finds that compounds derived from the spices turmeric and pepper could help prevent breast cancer by limiting the growth of stem cells, the small number of cells that fuel a tumor's growth. ...> Full Article

Supportive materials will help regenerate heart tissue (12/10/2009)

Bioengineers from University of California, San Diego, are developing new regenerative therapies for heart disease. The work could influence the way in which regenerative therapies for cardiovascular and other diseases are treated in the future. ...> Full Article

Umbilical stem cells may help recover lost vision for those with corneal disease (12/9/2009)

New research from the University of Cincinnati (UC) may help in the recovery of lost vision for patients with corneal scarring. ...> Full Article

Scientists rescue visual function in rats using induced pluripotent stem cells (12/5/2009)

An international team of scientists has rescued visual function in laboratory rats with eye disease by using cells similar to stem cells. The research shows the potential for stem cell-based therapies to treat age-related macular degeneration in humans. ...> Full Article

Glial cells can cross from the central to the peripheral nervous system (12/4/2009)

Glial cells, which help neurons communicate with each other, can leave the central nervous system and cross into the peripheral nervous system to compensate for missing cells, according to new research in the Dec. 2 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience. The animal study contributes to researchers' basic understanding of how the two nervous systems develop and are maintained, which is essential for the effective treatment of diseases such as multiple sclerosis. ...> Full Article

New source discovered for the generation of nerve cells in the brain (12/3/2009)

The research group of Professor Magdalena Gotz of Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munich has made a significant advance in understanding regeneration processes in the brain. The researchers discovered progenitor cells which can form new glutamatergic neurons following injury to the cerebral cortex. ...> Full Article

Researchers create first transgenic prairie voles (12/2/2009)

Researchers have generated the first transgenic prairie voles, an important step toward unlocking the genetic secrets of pair bonding. The technology will enable scientists to perform a host of genetic manipulations that will help identify the brain mechanisms of social bonding and other complex social behaviors. It also have important implications for understanding and treating psychiatric disorders associated with impairments in social behavior. ...> Full Article