Category Archives: Stem Cell Research

Using human skin cells, University of California, Irvine neurobiologists and their colleagues have created a method to generate one of the principle cell types of the brain called microglia, which play a key role in preserving the function of neural networks and responding to injury and disease. The finding marks an important step in the use of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells for targeted approaches to better understand and potentially treat neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's. These iPS cells are derived from existing adult skin cells and show increasing utility as a promising approach for studying human disease and developing new therapies. Skin cells were donated from patients at the UCI Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. The study, led by Edsel Abud, Wayne Poon and Mathew Blurton Jones of UCI, used a genetic process to reprogram these cells into a pluripotent state capable of developing into any type of cell or tissue of the body. The researchers then guided these pluripotent cells to a new state by exposing the cells to a series of differentiation factors which mimicked the developmental origin of microglia. The resulting cells act very much like human microglial cells. Their study appears in the current issue of … Continue reading →

Stem cells help researchers identify neuronal defects causing ... Science Daily Researchers have used stem cells derived from patients with Angelman syndrome to identify the underlying neuronal defects that cause the rare neurogenetic ... and more » Original post: Stem cells help researchers identify neuronal defects causing ... - Science Daily … Continue reading →

Scientists around the world are looking for the "keys" to enable humans to regrow tissues or organs lost due to illness or injury, just like gecko can regrow a tail. Their quest now extends into space. Stem cell research on Tianzhou-1, China's first cargo spacecraft, is far from realizing this dream, but it's the first step to explore the possibility. Scientists from the Institute of Zoology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) are conducting experiments on Tianzhou-1, which launched Thursday, to study the effects of micro-gravity on embryonic stem cell proliferation and differentiation. The spacecraft is carrying embryonic stem cells and embryoid bodies of mice. Scientists will observe the process of their proliferation and differentiation in space through telescope images. Parallel experiments will be conducted on the ground to compare the results, says lead researcher Duan Enkui. "We hope to get an initial understanding about the space micro-gravity effects on stem cell proliferation and differentiation," said Duan. The basis of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine research, stem cell biology is regarded as one of the most important research fields of the 21st Century. Embryonic stem cells are pluripotent cells that have the potential to become any type of cell … Continue reading →

Frances Saunders: Know where your Relay for Life donations are going Merced Sun-Star The annual Relay for Life fundraiser, sponsored by the American Cancer Society, will be April 29. Participants might not know that the American Cancer Society does embryonic (stem cell) research on aborted, unborn babies. They might want to think about ... and more » Read the original: Frances Saunders: Know where your Relay for Life donations are going - Merced Sun-Star … Continue reading →

Stem cell research: The hope and the... More Headlines MADISON, Wis. - In research labs at the McPherson Eye Research Institute, work is being done to find ways to use stem cells to halt and possibly reverse vision loss caused by blinding diseases. I have a tremendous amount of hope, said Dr. David Gamm, director of the McPherson Eye Research Institute and an ophthalmologist with UW Health. The technology is very strong, and there is a lot of real potential in what we and other laboratories are doing. Before stem cells can be used to treat blinding diseases, more research needs to be done and a clinical trial must be completed. The research team at UW is moving toward a clinical trial. You are talking about a science and a field of medicine that didnt exist two decades ago. So to be able to get as far as we have in this period of time is really remarkable. Now try telling that to someone who is losing vision. Thats a very difficult thing to be able to handle, whether it is yourself or your family member. So it is never going to be fast enough, Gamm said. While the research … Continue reading →

Are Californians getting their moneys worth for the $3 billion they invested in stem cell science in 2004? Is there cause for optimism that major breakthrough discoveries are about to happen? What is holding back stem cell treatments from reaching patients? These are some of the issues to be addressed Thursday in San Diego at a special stem cell meeting thats free and open to the public. The session is sponsored by Californias stem cell agency and UC San Diego, a major hub of stem cell research and experimental treatment. The event is the first in a statewide outreach tour by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, or CIRM. The agency is projected to run out of money in 2020 unless more money is raised from public or private sources, and the series of forums is partly meant as a way to persuade voters to further support the institute with more funding. The free event Stem Cell Therapies and You is slated for noon to 1:00 p.m. at the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, 2880 Torrey Pines Scenic Drive, across from the Salk Institute in La Jolla. Four speakers at Thursdays event are to discuss the state of stem cell … Continue reading →

Salk scientists and collaborators have shed light on a long-standing question about what leads to variation in stem cells by comparing induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from identical twins. Even iPSCs made from the cells of twins, they found, have important differences, suggesting that not all variation between iPSC lines is rooted in genetics, since the twins have identical genes. Because they can differentiate into almost any cell type in the body, stem cells have the potential to be used to create healthy cells to treat a number of diseases. But stem cells come in two varieties: embryonic stem cells (ESCs), which are isolated from embryos, and iPSCs, which are created in the lab from adult cells that are reprogrammed using mixtures of signaling molecules and are a promising tool for understanding disease and developing new treatments. Although iPSCs resemble ESCs in most ways, scientists have found that iPSCs often have variations in their epigenetics -- methyl marks on the DNA that dictate when genes are expressed. These epigenetic markers aren't the same between iPSCs and ESCs, or even between different lines of iPSCs. In the past, it's been hard to determine what drives these differences. "When we reprogram … Continue reading →

NEED STEM CELL INFO RELEVANT TO YOU? Go to the MEDICAL CONDITION column to the left to search our extensive database of stem cell treatment articles. ---------- ---------- ASCTCs most advanced product is an assay that can detect, very early in the drug development pipeline, drug candidates that will ultimately fail because of their toxicity to tissue stem cells.The companys patent portfolio contains biotechnologies that solve the two main technical problems production and quantification.In addition, the portfolio includes novel technologies for isolating cancer stem cells and producing iPSCs. Boston, MA (PRWEB) August 29, 2014 A major challenge before new biotechnology start-up companies, especially ones in the biotech start-up dense realm of Boston-Cambridge, is gaining visibility that can lead to important strategic alliances and able investors. James Sherley, the Director of Bostons Adult Stem Cell Technology Center, LLC (ASCTC), has made increasing the local and national visibility of his company an important priority since he started the company in September 2013. In addition to a social media marketingcampaignlaunched earlier in July of this year, Director Sherley has targeted research and development conferences both nationally andinternationallyto increase industry awareness of ASCTCs unique portfolio of intellectual property available for licensing and its current … Continue reading →

Harvard Gazette Researchers study secrets of aging via stem cells Harvard Gazette In addition to the overall process of aging, researchers at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, as well as across the University and its affiliated institutions, are investigating an array of diseases whose incidence increases sometimes dramatically ... Delving into Stem Cell Research and its Potential 2017 - Research and MarketsYahoo Finance Stem Cell Research Products Industry Analysis, Growth, Trend ...Medgadget (blog) Identical twins; not-so-identical stem cellsScienceBlog.com (blog) Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News -Lab News -PharmiWeb.com (press release) all 15 news articles » See the rest here: Researchers study secrets of aging via stem cells - Harvard Gazette … Continue reading →

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) today officially opened its new 40,000 square foot Research Institute in Manhattan, one of the largest laboratories in the world devoted exclusively to stem cell research. The new facility, which also contains the headquarters of NYSCF, an independent, non-profit organization founded in 2005 to support cutting-edge stem cell research, will allow scientists to conduct the most advanced research to develop new and better treatments and cures. This new facility will expand NYSCFs capabilities and capacity to build novel technological resources for the stem cell field. The new NYSCF complex includes a glass-enclosed laboratory housing the NYSCF Global Stem Cell Array, a unique, NYSCF-developed automated robotic technology for manufacturing stem cell lines with unmatched quality in large scale, among other cell culture facilities. NYSCF will also have a highly specialized GMP laboratory facility for manufacturing cells for therapies. Additional laboratories include molecular biology, imaging, cell sorting, and electrophysiology suites, and extensive bench space. Opening this new world class research laboratory is the culmination of our vision to build the infrastructure for stem cell research and therapeutics, said Susan L. Solomon, NYSCF CEO and Co-founder. As NYSCF is increasingly becoming a global hub … Continue reading →