Fibroblast News and Research

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Fibroblasts are connective tissue cells which secrete an extracellular matrix rich in collagen and other macromolecules.

New UTA method shows promise against heart disease

University of Texas at Austin researchers have demonstrated a new and more effective method for regrowing blood vessels in the heart and limbs - a research advancement that could have major implications for how we treat heart disease, the leading cause of death in the Western world.

17 Feb 2012

FGF21 hormone causes significant and rapid bone loss in mice

An endocrine hormone used in clinical trials as an anti-obesity and anti-diabetes drug causes significant and rapid bone loss in mice, raising concerns about its safe use, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have shown.

7 Feb 2012

Progress report on commercialization of BENLYSTA to be announced at JPMorgan Healthcare Conference

Human Genome Sciences, Inc. will today announce its priority goals for 2012 and report on progress with the commercialization of BENLYSTA (belimumab), the first approved drug for systemic lupus in 56 years, during a presentation this afternoon by H. Thomas Watkins, President and Chief Executive Officer, to financial analysts and investors at the 30th Annual JPMorgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco.

9 Jan 2012

Fibroblasts play an apparent role in melanoma tumor growth

Fibroblasts, cells that play a role in the structural framework of tissues, play an apparent role in melanoma tumor growth. Fibroblasts also contribute to melanoma drug resistance and may also facilitate the "flare" response when a tumor's metabolism is enhanced following a patient being removed from a targeted therapy, said researchers at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, Fla.

6 Jan 2012

Researchers identify gene required for proper development of mouse inner ear

Providing clues to deafness, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have identified a gene that is required for proper development of the mouse inner ear.

4 Jan 2012

BioMarin to initiate BMN-111 Phase 1 trial in achondroplasia

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. announced today that the Investigational New Drug (IND) application for BMN-111, an analog of C-type Natriuretic Peptide (CNP), for achondroplasia is active.

4 Jan 2012

Researchers discover how normal cells in tumors can drive cancer growth

•A new study published in the journal Nature Cell Biology has discovered how normal cells in tumors can fuel tumor growth.

22 Dec 2011

Scientists discover a way to keep normal and cancer cells alive in the lab

In a major step that could revolutionize biomedical research, scientists have discovered a way to keep normal cells as well as tumor cells taken from an individual cancer patient alive in the laboratory - which previously had not been possible. Normal cells usually die in the lab after dividing only a few times, and many common cancers will not grow, unaltered, outside of the body.

19 Dec 2011

Short spiral-shaped proteins can efficiently deliver DNA segments to cells

Clinical gene therapy may be one step closer, thanks to a new twist on an old class of molecules. A group of University of Illinois researchers, led by professors Jianjun Cheng and Fei Wang, have demonstrated that short spiral-shaped proteins can efficiently deliver DNA segments to cells. The team published its work in the journal Angewandte Chemie.

16 Dec 2011

Insights into causes of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Tracking individual cells within the lung as they move around and multiply has given Duke University researchers new insights into the causes of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) a disease which can only be treated now by lung transplantation.

1 Dec 2011

Scientists use genetic methods to successfully repair cleft lips in mice embryos

Scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College used genetic methods to successfully repair cleft lips in mice embryos specially engineered for the study of cleft lip and cleft palate. The research breakthrough may show the way to prevent or treat the conditions in humans.

29 Nov 2011

New system could measure mechanical properties of living cells

Researchers are making progress in developing a system that measures the mechanical properties of living cells, a technology that could be used to diagnose human disease and better understand biological processes.

22 Nov 2011

Researchers develop new 3D bone marrow culture systems

Stromal cells, as distinct from hematopoietic cells, are an essential component of the bone marrow microenvironment and are necessary for the long-term maintenance of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in vitro.

2 Nov 2011

Researchers uncover biochemical signals that trigger generation of new lung alveoli

Researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College say they have taken an important step forward in their quest to "turn on" lung regeneration -- an advance that could effectively treat millions of people suffering from respiratory disorders.

29 Oct 2011

Scientists discover how cells detect tissue damage and modify their repair properties

Scientists have discovered how cells detect tissue damage and modify their repair properties accordingly. The findings, published in the journal Developmental Cell, could open up new opportunities for improving tissue repair in patients following illness or surgery.

7 Oct 2011

Ambrx, Bristol-Myers Squibb collaborate for novel biologics to treat heart failure and diabetes

Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Ambrx, Inc. today announced a collaboration under which Bristol-Myers Squibb will receive exclusive worldwide rights to research, develop and commercialize biologics based on Ambrx's research surrounding the Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 protein, for potential use in treating type 2 diabetes, and the Relaxin hormone, for potential use in treating heart failure.

23 Sep 2011

Bortezomib drug may also treat pulmonary fibrosis or scleroderma

A drug used to treat cancer may also be effective in diseases that cause scarring of the internal organs or skin, such as pulmonary fibrosis or scleroderma.

23 Sep 2011

NEJM publishes Boehringer Ingelheim's BIBF 1120 phase II trial on IPF

Boehringer Ingelheim's investigational tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) BIBF 1120 demonstrated a positive trend in reducing lung function decline in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to phase II clinical trial results published today online in the New England Journal of Medicine.

22 Sep 2011

Blood levels of FGF-23 can help predict CKD patients at risk of heart problems

The blood levels of a particular hormone can help predict which kidney disease patients will develop heart problems, need dialysis, and die prematurely, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology.

9 Sep 2011

Fibrous stroma can help predict aggressiveness of squamous cell carcinoma

The nature of the connective tissue surrounding lung cancer nests can help predict the aggressiveness of squamous cell carcinoma, according to research published in the September issue of the Journal of Thoracic Oncology, the official publication of the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer.

2 Sep 2011