Cell Culture News and Research

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Cell culture is the process of isolating cells from an organism and growing them in a scientifically controlled environment

New biodegradable membrane reduces wound healing time by 50%

Treatments to regenerate skin from burns become tedious and long lasting; however, Mexican researchers developed a biodegradable membrane that allows to transfer skin cells (keratinocytes) to burn wounds, when placed on the wound. The method reduces healing time by 50 percent.

3 Apr 2015

Pseudogenes may play role in cancer development, shows study

Pseudogenes, a sub-class of long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) that developed from the genome's 20,000 protein-coding genes but lost the ability to produce proteins, have long been considered nothing more than genomic "junk." Yet the retention of these 20,000 mysterious remnants during evolution has suggested that they may in fact possess biological functions and contribute to the development of disease.

3 Apr 2015

Penn Med's BLINKER Team named one of 16 finalists in NIH 'Follow that Cell Challenge'

James Eberwine, PhD, the Elmer Holmes Bobst Professor of Systems Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, was named one of 16 finalists in the first phase of the Follow that Cell Challenge funded by the National Institutes of Health. The competition was run by crowdsourcing company Innocentive and 687 designated "solvers" entered initially.

2 Apr 2015

Scientists isolate energy-burning 'beige' fat from adult humans

For the first time, a research team, led by a UC San Francisco biologist, has isolated energy-burning "beige" fat from adult humans, which is known to be able to convert unhealthy white fat into healthy brown fat. The scientists also found new genetic markers of this beige fat.

1 Apr 2015

Mitochondrial DNA movement: an interview with Professor Jiri Neuzil, Griffith University

According to our understanding, mitochondria undergo cycles of fusion-fission, i.e. they divide within the constraints of a cell and, upon cell division, each of the two daughter cells gets its ‘share’ of mitochondria.

29 Mar 2015

3D respiratory tissue model shown to be effective for measuring impact of chemicals

A 3-dimensional model of human respiratory tissue has been shown to be an effective platform for measuring the impact of chemicals, like those found in cigarette smoke, or other aerosols on the lung.

27 Mar 2015

New study reveals how cells sort out loops meant to encode microRNAs

Just as two DNA strands naturally arrange themselves into a helix, DNA's molecular cousin RNA can form hairpin-like loops. But unlike DNA, which has a single job, RNA can play many parts -- including acting as a precursor for small molecules that block the activity of genes. These small RNA molecules must be trimmed from long hairpin-loop structures, raising a question: How do cells know which RNA loops need to be processed this way and which don't?

25 Mar 2015

Olive ingredients may prevent Alzheimer's disease

It has long been proven that people who follow a Mediterranean diet and keep physically and mentally active are less likely to suffer from dementia. Olives in particular appear to play a key role in this regard. But just what are the substances contained in these small, oval fruit that are so valuable? This is what a Hessen-based group of researchers from the Goethe University Frankfurt, the Technical University of Darmstadt and Darmstadt company N-Zyme BioTec GmbH intends to find out. The three-year project "NeurOliv" has a project volume of 1.3 million Euros and is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the high-tech initiative "KMU-innovativ Biochance".

20 Mar 2015

Scientists examine how substances at low concentrations may impact human health

A public and scientific discussion is currently taking place focusing on the question whether substances at low concentrations may lead to health impairments in humans. For this reason, an increasing number of experimental studies to test such effects are currently conducted using different chemicals.

18 Mar 2015

Researchers team up to study stomach flu

Rice University bioengineers are teaming with colleagues from Baylor College of Medicine and MD Anderson Cancer Center to apply the latest techniques in tissue engineering toward the study of one of the most common and deadly human illnesses -- the stomach flu.

17 Mar 2015

Organ-on-a-chip could replace use of animals to test drugs for safety and efficacy

When University of California, Berkeley, bioengineers say they are holding their hearts in the palms of their hands, they are not talking about emotional vulnerability.

12 Mar 2015

Xylem’s YSI biochemistry analyzer is effective tool for cell culture and cancer research

Specifically for oncology drug development applications, the YSI 2950 biochemistry analyzer is used to measure analytes such as glucose, glutamine, glutamate, lactate, providing a simple, automated analysis of bioprocess cell culture samples, with accurate results in less than a minute.

11 Mar 2015

Researchers identify new class of drugs that slows aging process

A research team from The Scripps Research Institute, Mayo Clinic and other institutions has identified a new class of drugs that in animal models dramatically slows the aging process—alleviating symptoms of frailty, improving cardiac function and extending a healthy lifespan.

10 Mar 2015

Study shows how mutations that cause Alzheimer's disease lead to neurodegeneration, dementia

A study from researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital reveals for the first time exactly how mutations associated with the most common form of inherited Alzheimer's disease produce the disorder's devastating effects.

5 Mar 2015

Bielefeld University chemists develop copper molecule that could help prevent spread of cancer

Chemists at Bielefeld University have developed a molecule containing copper that binds specifically with DNA and prevents the spread of cancer. First results show that it kills the cancer cells more quickly than cisplatin - a widely used anti-cancer drug that is frequently administered in chemotherapy.

2 Mar 2015

New plant-derived agent protects skin from harmful effects of UV irradiation

The skin is constantly challenged, and very often harmed, by environmental stressors such as UV radiation and chemicals. To cope with UV radiation, various skin cells have evolved a complex protective antioxidant defense system.

19 Feb 2015

Freiburg researchers identify novel approach to inhibit signalling processes in colorectal cancer cells

Colorectal carcinoma is the most frequent type of bowel cancer and the second most common tumour disease among men and women in Germany. So-called microsatellite stable colorectal cancer with mutations in the BRAF gene represents a particularly aggressive form.

11 Feb 2015

Study describes novel screening system that has potential to uncover effective ovarian cancer drugs

University of Chicago Medicine researchers have built a model system that uses multiple cell types from patients to rapidly test compounds that could block the early steps in ovarian cancer metastasis. Their three-dimensional cell-culture system, adapted for high-throughput screening, has enabled them to identify small molecules that can inhibit adhesion and invasion, preventing ovarian cancers from spreading to nearby tissues.

10 Feb 2015

Study reveals mechanical forces that drive epithelial wound healing

A collaborative study led by scientists from the Mechanobiology Institute at the National University of Singapore has revealed the mechanical forces that drive epithelial wound healing in the absence of cell supporting environment. This research was published in Nature Communications in January 2015.

9 Feb 2015

Preclinical testing of anti-Ebola antibodies can lead to universal flu vaccine

Does the blood of Ebola virus disease survivors contain antibodies and immune cells that could help doctors fight Ebola infections in other people?