Cell Biology News and Research

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Tβ4 therapy for ocular disorders closer to reality

RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that Tβ4, a synthetic version of a naturally occurring peptide that is the basis for the company's product candidates, will be the subject of three poster presentations at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) to be held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida from May 2-6, 2010.

9 Apr 2010

Fate Therapeutics to acquire Ottawa biotechnology company Verio Therapeutics

Fate Therapeutics, Inc. announced today a definitive agreement to acquire Verio Therapeutics Inc., a privately held biotechnology company based in Ottawa, Ontario, which is developing drug candidates targeting the activation of endogenous stem cells. Verio Therapeutics is advancing the work of several of Canada's leading stem cell scientists, including Michael Rudnicki, Ph.D., FRSC, and Lynn Arthur Megeney, Ph.D., who have made breakthrough discoveries relating to muscle and pancreatic regeneration.

9 Apr 2010

Prague hosts 12th European Congress of Endocrinology

The 12th European Congress of Endocrinology is taking place in Prague from 24-28 April 2010.

8 Apr 2010

Defective protein responsible for SCA5 disease cuts synaptic terminals and snarls traffic inside neurons

The neurodegenerative disease spinocerebellar ataxia type 5 (SCA5) damages nerve cells in two ways. University of Minnesota researchers now report that the defective protein responsible for the disease cuts the number of synaptic terminals and snarls traffic inside neurons.

7 Apr 2010

SRU Biosystems extends product line with the introduction of BIND SCANNER

SRU Biosystems today announced the extension of its product line of label-free instrumentation and biosensors with the introduction of its BIND® SCANNER for primary and stem cell applications. The BIND SCANNER is a first-of-its-kind, plate-based, label-free instrument capable of monitoring cellular responses at an individual cell resolution.

7 Apr 2010

Nanoparticle-core polymer holds promise as weight-bearing replacement for traditional graft materials

Orthopedic surgeons are often hamstrung by less-than-ideal grafting material when performing surgeries for complex bone injuries resulting from trauma, aging or cancer. Conventional synthetic bone grafts are typically made of stiff polymers or brittle ceramics, and cannot readily conform to the complex and irregular shapes that often result from injury; in addition, they often require metallic fixation devices that require open surgeries to insert and remove.

6 Apr 2010

Study uses hESC to derive floor plate tissue

New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Fellow, Christopher Fasano, PhD, of the New York Neural Stem Cell Institute, is lead author on a study that investigating human neural development. Dr. Fasano conducted this work while working as a post-doctoral fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in the lab of Dr. Lorenz Studer.

3 Apr 2010

New production method yields hundredsfold more ubiquitylated proteins critical for cancer research

Scientists at the University of Delaware have developed a new method for producing proteins critical to research on cancer, Alzheimer's, and other diseases.

3 Apr 2010

Brain stem cells in subventricular zone characterized by transcription factor Protein Tlx

The "cradle" of new neurons in the adult brain is well known. It is what is called the subventricular zone, a tissue structure lining the lateral ventricles. This is where neural or brain stem cells reside, which are responsible for generating new neurons if needed. For many years now, the subventricular zone has been suspected to be the origin of specific malignant brain tumors called gliomas, the most deadly type of which is glioblastoma.

2 Apr 2010

Scientists use non-viral, synthetic nanoparticle carrier to restores vision

Take a look at this: Scientists from Buffalo, Cleveland, and Oklahoma City made a huge step toward making the blind see, and they did it by using a form of gene therapy that does not involve the use of modified viruses.

1 Apr 2010

Combating immune suppressive cells in liver may prevent the spread of cancer: Study

Scientists have uncovered what could be a very important clue in answering one of the most perplexing questions about cancer: why does it spread to the liver more than any other organ? In a new research report published in the April 2010 issue of Journal of Leukocyte Biology, scientists from New York University describe experimental results suggesting that the immune system may be the reason.

1 Apr 2010

Dr. Ingmar Bruns selected as seventh recipient of EHA-ASH Research Exchange Award

The European Hematology Association and the American Society of Hematology have selected Ingmar Bruns, MD, as the seventh recipient of the EHA-ASH Research Exchange Award, which serves to strengthen ties between North American and European scientific communities.

31 Mar 2010

FIMM to launch cell microarray screening research program utilizing Aushon 2470 Arrayer technology

Aushon BioSystems, Inc., a leading provider of advanced microarray instrumentation and laboratory services for biomarker discovery, development and analysis announced today that the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland will launch a cell microarray screening research program utilizing the Aushon 2470 Arrayer technology.

26 Mar 2010

Insulin receptor vital for keeping neural stem cells alive

University of California, Berkeley, biologists have found a signal that keeps stem cells alive in the adult brain, providing a focus for scientists looking for ways to re-grow or re-seed stem cells in the brain to allow injured areas to repair themselves.

26 Mar 2010

Study identifies cytokine signaling pathway that induces breakdown of disused skeletal muscle

A new study in the Journal of Cell Biology identifies a cytokine signaling pathway that induces the breakdown of disused skeletal muscle. Blocking this pathway could prevent immobilized patients from losing their muscle tissue.

23 Mar 2010

Blocking Bak inhibitors can be promising strategy in limiting resistance of cancer to TRAIL

The TRAIL ligand is a promising anticancer agent that preferentially kills tumor cells without apparent damage to healthy cells. Many cancers exhibit resistance to TRAIL, however, thus limiting its therapeutic potential.

23 Mar 2010

Gene implicated in JSRDs: UCD research team publishes new information

Researchers in University College Dublin (UCD) led by Conway Fellow, Dr Oliver Blacque have revealed new information about a gene implicated in Joubert syndrome and related cerebellar disorders (JSRDs) that are characterised by blindness, bone abnormalities, cystic kidneys, developmental delay and loss of muscle tone and control. The findings from this research, which is funded by Science Foundation Ireland, have been published today in a leading science journal, Journal of Cell Biology.

22 Mar 2010

Turning microRNAs into novel drugs

Researchers around the globe are working on turning microRNAs, over 5,000 of which already have been identified, into novel drugs for a wide range of applications, reports Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN). These noncoding single-stranded RNAs act through binding to complementary mRNA sequences, thus preventing their translation into protein or accelerating mRNA breakdown, according to the March 15 issue of GEN.

20 Mar 2010

Researchers gain new understanding of cilial protein Arl13b in Joubert syndrome

Researchers in Ireland have gained new understanding of the role played by the cilial protein Arl13b in Joubert syndrome (JS), a rare disorder characterized by developmental delay, mental retardation, and low muscle tone, among other symptoms.

16 Mar 2010

Houston scientists unveil new technique for growing 3-D cell cultures

The film "Avatar" isn't the only 3-D blockbuster making a splash this winter. A team of Houston scientists this week unveiled a new technique for growing 3-D cell cultures, a technological leap from the flat petri dish that could save millions of dollars in drug-testing costs. The research is reported in Nature Nanotechnology.