Category Archives: Stem Cell Research

Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise A molecular study at Upstate Medical University that could have broad implications for stem cell research, developmental biology and the study of human diseases has received $161,000 in funding from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. The two-year study is led by Francesca Pignoni, Ph.D., associate professor of ophthalmology, biochemistry and molecular biology and neuroscience and physiology, in her laboratory at Upstates Neuroscience Research Building. Using the Drosophila fly model, Pignoni is studying how a new protein discovered in her laboratory to be necessary and sufficient for the self-renewal of the germ-line stem cell in the fly ovaryfunctions at the molecular level. During reproduction, the germ-line stem cell allows genetic material to be passed to progeny. The information gained from this portion of the study will advance our understanding of stem cell maintenance over an organisms lifetime and lead to a longer-term project, said Pignoni. Our discovery will influence future stem cell research, and may have implications for fertility studies, but a fun part of discovering the function of a new factor is that we get to name it, and we have chosen Lilipod, or Lili … Continue reading →

8 hours ago Now you see it, now you don't: the epigenetic mark, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), does a disappearing act in culture.Mouse skin cells before and after cell culture show major loss of 5hmC, one of the many rapid molecular changes observed in cell cultures, reported by Nestor and colleagues in Genome Biology. Images depict the loss of red immunostaining for 5hmC in nuclei from cells grown in culture, but not green immunofluorescence (5-methylcytosine) and blue DAPI staining (DNA). Scale bar5 microns. Credit: S. Pennings lab. Cell cultures used in biology and medical research may not act as a faithful mimic of real tissue, according to research published in Genome Biology. The study finds that laboratory-grown cells experience altered cell states within three days as they adapt to their new environment. Studies of human disease, including cancer, rely on the use of cell cultures that have often been grown for decades. The findings could therefore affect the interpretation of past studies and provide important clues for improving cell cultures in the future. Scientists typically use models to study the basics of human biology. The most common model system is cultured cells, which are taken from the body and coaxed into growing … Continue reading →

Ras Al Khaimah, UAE (PRWEB) February 04, 2015 Grace Centurys portfolio firm, Provia Laboratories, LLC, is pleased to announce the provisional approval of Provia Laboratories Bahamas Ltd., Provia s sister entity, to conduct stem cell storage and research. The approval also represents the next step of Provias international expansion to include certain markets in South and Central America. The announcement comes within weeks, though partnership, of entrance into Europe. "This an incredible chance to work with entities at the highest level, who recognize the importance of stem cells, and the opportunity to contribute to one of the first sovereign efforts in the field, Scott Wolf, CEO of Grace Century commented. Wolf added, The commonwealth has demonstrated a true desire to improve the healthcare advancements for their people, and simultaneously establish the Bahamas as a true force in medical therapies using stem cells. In conclusion, this will enable Provia to open and service the Caribbean market plus certain markets in South and Central America. We are delighted to receive provisional approval and plan to work together with local investors, the government, and the local healthcare community to bring our technologies to this market, Dr. James A. Manganello, Board member of Provia … Continue reading →

Blue Skies the future of regenerative medicine Dr. Stephen Minger, Chief Scientist of GE Healthcare Life Sciences, is one of the world's leading experts on stem cells. In this London Futurists talk, he reviews the state of play with stem... By: London Futurists … Continue reading →

Importance of Stem Cells in Diabetes Research Matthias Hebrok, PhD, and Michael German, MD, explain the significance of stem cell research to finding a cure for type 1 diabetes. By: UC San Francisco (UCSF) … Continue reading →

Johns Hopkins University - President's Frontier Award Sharon Gerecht's stem cell research has benefitted from innovative thinking across disciplines as diverse as materials chemistry, engineering, and cell biology. Today, she was encouraged... By: Johns Hopkins … Continue reading →

Researchers at the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in Japan have succeeded in inducing human embryonic stem cells to self-organize into a three-dimensional structure similar to the cerebellum, providing tantalizing clues in the quest to recreate neural structures in the laboratory. One of the primary goals of stem-cell research is to be able to replace damaged body parts with tissues grown from undifferentiated stem cells. For the nervous system, this is a particular challenge because not only do specific neurons need to be generated, but they must also be coaxed into connecting to each other in very specific ways. RIKEN researchers have taken up this challenge, and the work published in Cell Reports details how sequentially applying several signaling molecules to three-dimensional cultures of human embryotic stem cells prompts the cells to differentiate into functioning cerebellar neurons that self-organize to form the proper dorsal/ventral patterning and multi-layer structure found in the natural developing cerebellum. Expanding from their previous studies with mice, the researchers first established that under specific conditions, culturing human embryonic stem cells with fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) leads to neural differentiation particular to the midbrain/hindbrain region -- the location of the cerebellum -- within three weeks, and … Continue reading →

IMAGE:This is Carla Kim, PhD, of the Boston Children's Hospital Stem Cell Research Program. view more Credit: Boston Children's Hospital BOSTON (January 28, 2015) -- An existing drug may help some patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors have become resistant to chemotherapy, finds a study from Boston Children's Hospital and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI). The findings, in human cancer cells and in mice, suggest a window of vulnerability in NSCLC, the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide.1 The work was published online today by the journal Nature. NSCLC is a highly genetically complex cancer with many different subtypes, each bearing different mutations. In two common subtypes that do not respond to standard chemotherapy--tumors with BRG1 or EGFR mutations--the researchers increased the effectiveness of etoposide, a common chemotherapy agent, by adding an epigenetic therapy already in clinical testing. Conversely, when the same epigenetic therapy (inhibition of an enzyme known as EZH2) was added to certain tumors without BRG1 and EGFR mutations, the tumors become more resistant to chemotherapy. Together, the findings advance the idea of individualized, "precision medicine" in cancer, incorporating epigenetic therapy guided by tumor genetic testing. The study also suggests that genetic tumor testing should screen … Continue reading →

Patient Testimonial 20 By: Plexus Neuro and Stem Cell Research Centre … Continue reading →

Patient Testimonial 19 By: Plexus Neuro and Stem Cell Research Centre … Continue reading →