Fibroblast News and Research

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

Eli Lilly presents early-stage data from several targeted cancer therapies at AACR 2014

Eli Lilly and Company will present early-stage data from several targeted cancer therapies – including bemaciclib "beh meh sye' klib" (LY2835219), its oral, cell-cycle inhibitor of CDK4/6 – that make up its diverse clinical oncology pipeline during the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2014 held in San Diego, Calif. from April 5 – 9.

7 Apr 2014

Novartis to present early stage data on 19 investigational compounds at AACR annual meeting

Novartis announced today that early stage data on 19 investigational compounds in its oncology pipeline will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Cancer Research, April 5-9, 2014 in San Diego, CA.

4 Apr 2014

New way to make large concentrations of skeletal muscle cells from human stem cells

As stem cells continue their gradual transition from the lab to the clinic, a research group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison has discovered a new way to make large concentrations of skeletal muscle cells and muscle progenitors from human stem cells.

24 Mar 2014

3-D imaging of two different mouse models helps understand Apert Syndrome development

Three dimensional imaging of two different mouse models of Apert Syndrome shows that cranial deformation begins before birth and continues, worsening with time, according to a team of researchers who studied mice to better understand and treat the disorder in humans.

4 Mar 2014

PBL Assay Science, HumanZyme ink licensing agreement to expand reagent offerings

PBL Assay Science announces a licensing agreement with HumanZyme, Inc. (Chicago, USA) to expand reagent offerings. The agreement allows PBL to provide ~50 authentic human cell-expressed (HCE) cytokines and growth factors directly to scientists worldwide.

From PBL Assay Science 20 Feb 2014

Study points to unique therapeutic approach for managing muscle-wasting conditions

New findings on why skeletal muscle stem cells stop dividing and renewing muscle mass during aging points up a unique therapeutic opportunity for managing muscle-wasting conditions in humans, says a new University of Colorado Boulder study.

17 Feb 2014

Researchers personalize drug treatments for cholangiocarcinoma using genomic sequencing

Physicians at Mayo Clinic's Individualized Medicine Clinic and researchers at the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) have personalized drug treatments for patients with cholangiocarcinoma using genomic sequencing technologies.

14 Feb 2014

Pancreatic stellate cells help pancreatic cancer grow and spread in cell hijack method

Pancreatic stellate cells, which normally aid tissue repair, unwittingly help pancreatic cancer grow and spread in a method of 'cell hijack' only seen before in brain and breast cancer, according to new research from Queen Mary University of London.

10 Feb 2014

South Korean lung SCC genetic secrets revealed

Close examination of DNA taken from squamous cell carcinoma of the lung in South Korean patients has identified a gene fusion that may be targeted by current treatments, scientists say.

27 Jan 2014

Rival proteins’ relative expression levels in cancer cells could be biomarkers for prognosis, treatment

Consider two drivers, each with a key that fits the same car. Driver 1 wants simply to turn on the ignition and leave the vehicle idling, ready and waiting to roll. Driver 2 wants to take it on a destructive joy ride.

24 Jan 2014

Lack of SIRT1 protein in the liver leads to lower levels of liver FGF21

A new study led by Boston University School of Medicine demonstrates that the abnormal metabolism linked to obesity could be regulated in part by the interaction of two metabolic regulators, called the NAD-dependent deacetylase SIRT1 and fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21). Using experimental models, the researchers found that a lack of SIRT1 protein in the liver led to lower levels of a liver secreted protein FGF21, which resulted in an increased likelihood of developing fatty liver disease and obesity.

22 Jan 2014

Research opens door to new direction of PAH treatment

The development of new, more effective vasodilators to treat pulmonary arterial hypertension has been hampered because of their systemic toxicity and adverse side effects. An international team of investigators seeking to surmount these problems and increase drug efficacy have determined that a vascular homing peptide can selectively target hypertensive pulmonary arteries to boost the pulmonary but not systemic effects of vasodilators. Importantly for potential clinical use, this peptide retains its activity when given sublingually. The results using a rat model of PAH are published in the American Journal of Pathology.

8 Jan 2014

Researchers develop possible new method for treating pancreatic cancer

A possible new method for treating pancreatic cancer which enables the body's immune system to attack and kill cancer cells has been developed by researchers.

22 Dec 2013

Cardiovascular Institute researchers to showcase 22 abstracts at upcoming AHA Scientific Sessions

Researchers from the Cardiovascular Institute at Rhode Island, The Miriam and Newport hospitals will present 22 abstracts, both poster and oral presentations, at the upcoming American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, to be held in Dallas November 16-20, 2013. Scientific Sessions is the foremost cardiovascular research meeting in the U.S., with more than 18,000 cardiovascular experts from more than 105 countries in attendance.

16 Nov 2013

TGen-led study reveals viable target to prevent spread of brain cancer

A cellular pathway interaction known as TWEAK-Fn14, often associated with repair of acute injuries, also is a viable target for drug therapy that could prevent the spread of cancer, especially brain cancer, according to a study led by the Translational Genomics Research Institute.

11 Nov 2013

New zebrafish technique finds potential treatments for multiple diseases

Skeletal muscle has proved to be very difficult to grow in patients with muscular dystrophy and other disorders that degrade and weaken muscle. Researchers at Boston Children's Hospital's Stem Cell Program now report boosting muscle mass and reversing disease in a mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, using a "cocktail" of three compounds identified through a new rapid culture system. Adding the same compounds to stem cells derived from patients' skin cells, they then successfully grew human muscle cells in a dish.

8 Nov 2013

"Good" cholesterol improves blood glucose levels, say scientists

High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), the so-called "good" cholesterol improves blood glucose levels by enhancing skeletal muscle function and reducing adiposity, scientists of the Helmholtz Zentrum München report in the current issue of the renown American Heart Association Journal ‚Circulation'.

31 Oct 2013

Length of telomere may help determine prostate cancer patient's prognosis

Like the plastic caps at the end of shoelaces, telomeres protect — in their case — the interior-gene containing parts of chromosomes that carry a cell's instructional material. Cancer cells are known to have short telomeres, but just how short they are from cancer cell to cancer cell may be a determining factor in a prostate cancer patient's prognosis, according to a study led by Johns Hopkins scientists.

27 Sep 2013

New computational model to improve treatment of dangerous reactions to medical implants

A team from The University of Texas at Arlington has used mathematical modeling to develop a computer simulation they hope will one day improve the treatment of dangerous reactions to medical implants such as stents, catheters and artificial joints.

25 Sep 2013

Nanodiamonds could be used to promote bone growth and durability of dental implants

UCLA researchers have discovered that diamonds on a much, much smaller scale than those used in jewelry could be used to promote bone growth and the durability of dental implants.

19 Sep 2013