Category Archives: Stem Cell Research

A long-held belief about women and fertility is that each woman has a set amount of eggs in her lifetime and that when those eggs are depleted at menopause, so are her chances at having a biological child. However, research out of Massachusetts General Hospital questioning that view. Using stem cells taken from human ovaries, scientists have produced early-stage eggs, which brings up all sorts of questions about possible new methods for treating infertility. Nicholas Wade, writing in the New York Times, adds, "The ability to isolate stem cells from which eggs could be cultivated would help not only with fertility but also with biologists’ understanding of how drugs and nutrition affect the egg cells." RELATED: Gecko Foot Glue; When Alcohol Is a Health Food Jonathan Tilly, the director of Mass General's Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology and leader of the new research, had reported in 2004 that ovarian stem cells in mice could create new eggs "similar to how stem cells in male testes produce sperm throughout a man’s life." His new study attempted to prove this with humans. Researchers took healthy ovaries from patients having sex reassignment surgery, and injected stem cells from the ovaries into human ovarian tissue grafted … Continue reading →

SALT LAKE CITY — Researchers may have found a use for the chemical that causes the stench in bad breath, stink bombs, and flatulence. This smelly substance known as Hydrogen Sulphide has been used in helping to convert stem cells from human teeth into liver cells. The scientists conducting the investigation and research in the Journal of Breath Research claim that the gas increased the purity of the stem cells. The goal is that the liver cells produced from the stem cells could be used for repair if the organ was damaged. Hydrogen Sulphide is produced by bacteria, and is toxic in large amounts. A group in China has reportedly tested the gas on rats to enhance the survival of mesenchymal stem cells taken from the bone marrow. Researchers from the Nippon Dental University were investigating stem cells from dental pulp — the material in the middle of the tooth. The dental pulp was taken from patients undergoing a routine tooth extraction. Dr. Ken Yaegaki, the lead author of the study, told the BBC why the dental pulp was so effective. "High purity means there are less 'wrong cells' that are being differentiated to other tissues, or remaining as stem … Continue reading →

Stem cell find offers hope for infertility By Lauran Neergard Monday, February 27, 2012 An experiment that produced human eggs from stem cells could one day be a boon for women who are desperate to have a baby, according to a study published yesterday. The work sweeps away the belief that a woman has only a limited stock of eggs and replaces it with the theory that the supply is continuously replenished from precursor cells in the ovary, its authors said. If the report is confirmed, harnessing those stem cells might one day lead to better treatments for women left infertile because of disease — or simply because they’re getting older. "Our current views of ovarian aging are incomplete. There’s much more to the story than simply the trickling away of a fixed pool of eggs," said lead researcher Jonathan Tilly of Harvard’s Massachusetts General Hospital, who had long hunted these cells in a series of studies. His previous work drew fierce scepticism. Independent experts urged caution about the latest findings. A key next step is to see whether other laboratories can verify the work. If so, then it would take years of additional research to learn how to use … Continue reading →

The latest discoveries and promises of stem cell research and the development of new therapeutic approaches for a variety of diseases will be in focus at the Qatar International Conference on Stem Cell Science and Policy 2012 which begins today. The four-day event, being held at Qatar National Convention Centre, is a milestone in Qatar Foundation’s ongoing collaboration with the James A Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University, Houston, Texas, US. The aim of QF’s joint initiative with the Baker Institute’s International Programme on Stem Cell Science Policy is to develop stem cell research in Qatar as well as to find ways to address the shared challenges of community support for stem cell research in Doha and Houston. To accomplish this goal, the programme has supported several events since its inception, including meetings, workshops, and training programmes in both cities. The conference, which brings together eminent international as well as regional scientists, ethicists and policymakers, will also present the developed policy options that account for cultural, ethical and religious factors. The event will draw attention to Qatar’s position in the development of stem cell research in the region and the world, given that research on stem cell … Continue reading →

NEWARK, Calif., Feb. 27, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StemCells, Inc. (Nasdaq:STEM - News) today announced that it will participate in the Qatar International Conference on Stem Cell Science and Policy, which is being held in Qatar from February 27 to March 1, 2012. The Company, which is the leader in development of cell-based therapeutics for central nervous system disorders, was specifically invited by the conference's sponsors, the State of Qatar and Amir of Qatar His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, as well as the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy of Rice University, and is the only company to be invited. Ann Tsukamoto, Ph.D., StemCells' Executive Vice President, Research and Development, will make a presentation on the clinical translation of human neural stem cells. StemCells was the first company to receive authorization from the US Food and Drug Administration to conduct a clinical trial of purified human neural stem cells, and the Company is currently conducting two clinical trials with a third anticipated to start later this year. Dr. Tsukamoto will also be the moderator of the panel session on neurological disorders, which is scheduled to be held on March 1 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. … Continue reading →

SUNDAY, Feb. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Researchers report that they've isolated stem cells from adult human ovaries that can mature into eggs that may be capable of fertilization. The lab findings, which upend longstanding scientific theory, could potentially lead to new reproductive technologies and possibly extend the years of a woman's fertility. It was long believed that women were born with a lifetime supply of eggs, which was depleted by menopause. But a growing body of research -- including a new paper from Massachusetts General Hospital -- suggests egg production may continue into adulthood. The study is published in the March issue of Nature Medicine. "Fifty years of thinking, in every aspect of experiments, of interpreting the results, and of the clinical management of ovarian function and fertility in women was dictated by one simple belief that turns out to be incorrect," said lead study author Jonathan Tilly, director of the hospital's Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology. "That belief was the egg cell pool endowed at birth is a fixed entity that cannot be renewed." Dr. Avner Hershlag, chief of the Center for Human Reproduction at North Shore-LIJ Health System in Manhasset, N.Y., said the study is "exciting" but emphasized … Continue reading →

By Carolyn Y. Johnson, Globe Staff Massachusetts General Hospital researchers reported today they have discovered a rare stem cell in women’s ovaries that they hope one day might be used to make eggs, a claim already generating vigorous debate among scientists familiar with the research. For decades, it has been thought that women are born with a finite supply of eggs, limiting their reproductive years. Doctors have sought ways of extending the fertility of women, especially as many wait later in life to begin having children. The research, led by Jonathan Tilly of Mass. General and appearing in the journal Nature Medicine, opens the door to the possibility of taking tissue from a woman’s ovaries, harvesting stem cells from that tissue, and then creating eggs. But scientists not involved with the Mass. General research said such an approach -- if it is even possible -- sits far in the future and will require considerably more work. Several scientists said Tilly, who co-founded a company focused on developing novel infertility treatments, had not yet made a convincing case that the stem cells he discovered can yield viable eggs, a critical first step. Tilly has been a lightning rod in the field … Continue reading →

Breakthrough stem cell research at Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif. has the potential to revive endangered species. Researchers at the Center for Regenerative Medicine are aiming to turn stem cells into gametes. Once new eggs and sperm are created, “test tube babies” can be born, possibly preserving a species. In 1972, researchers preserved skin cells of certain endangered species at the Frozen Zoo, hoping that future technology would help to revive populations, and today Scripps researchers are combining the frozen skin cells with human stem cells to generate stem cells specific to the animal. Stem cells are turned into gametes through re-programming, a process in which retroviruses are used to bring the cells back to earlier stages of development. Last month, scientists created mouse sperm cells through this process. Scientists view this method of species preservation as a last resort when cheaper, simpler means have failed. For instance, the white rhino, whose population is numbered at seven in the world, would benefit immensely since other methods of trying to save the species have failed. Scientists also hope to help the drill, a West African primate threatened by hunting and habitat degradation. —compiled by Michelle Lim Follow this link: … Continue reading →

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Maven Semantic (http://www.mavensemantic.com) announces updates to their Embryonic Stem Cells research database. The new database is now available to marketing, business development, competitor intelligence, KOL, medical affairs and related departments in the life sciences sector. The database currently tags 27,000 individuals working in Embryonic Stem Cells. http://bit.ly/zc0cU4. Top 10 Countries for Embryonic Stem Cells Research (ranked by number of senior researchers) Leading organisations in Embryonic Stem Cells research include: Albert Einstein College of Medicine Baylor College of Medicine Brigham and Women's Hospital California Institute of Technology Chinese Academy of Sciences Cornell University Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Duke University Medical Center Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Genome Institute of Singapore Harvard Medical School Howard Hughes Medical Institute Hubrecht Laboratory Indiana University School of Medicine Institut Pasteur Institute for Frontier Medical Sciences Institute of Human Genetics Institute of Molecular Embryology and Genetics Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Karolinska Institute Keio University School of Medicine Lund University Mount Sinai Hospital New York University School of Medicine Seoul National University University College London University of Cambridge University of Chicago University of Massachusetts Medical School University of Michigan University of Pennsylvania University of Toronto University of Tsukuba Weill Medical College of Cornell University … Continue reading →

Newswise — The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) is pleased to announce the winner of the 2012 McEwen Award for Innovation, a coveted prize in the field of stem cell research and regenerative medicine. The 2012 recipient is Rudolf Jaenisch, MD, Founding Member of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research and Professor of Biology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in recognition of his pioneering discoveries in the areas of genetic and epigenetic control of development in mice that directly impact the future potential of embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells for therapeutic utility. The McEwen Award for Innovation is supported by the McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The $100,000 award honors original thinking and groundbreaking research pertaining to stem cells or regenerative medicine that opens new avenues of exploration towards the understanding or treatment of human disease or affliction. “Rudolf Jaenisch has consistently contributed new and groundbreaking discoveries to stem cell biology and regenerative medicines that have changed the way stem cell research is conducted, said Fred H. Gage, PhD, ISSCR President. “Importantly, Rudolf not only has an uncanny sense of the next big question, but also conducts his experiments with … Continue reading →