Stem Cells News and Research

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Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. In addition, in many tissues they serve as a sort of internal repair system, dividing essentially without limit to replenish other cells as long as the person or animal is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential either to remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell.

Tbx18 gene directs conversion of cardiomyocytes to genuine pacemaker cells

Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute researchers have reprogrammed ordinary heart cells to become exact replicas of highly specialized pacemaker cells by injecting a single gene (Tbx18)-a major step forward in the decade-long search for a biological therapy to correct erratic and failing heartbeats.

18 Dec 2012

Range of epigenetic immunoassays from VolitionRx now available for research use

VolitionRx Limited, a life sciences company focused on developing blood-based diagnostic tests, announces the launch of NuQ, its range of research use only epigenetic immunoassays, to be available for sale at www.nucleosomics.com.

17 Dec 2012

Two hematology/oncology pharmacists to receive 2012 HOPA Foundation Research Award

The HOPA Foundation Board of Directors is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2012 HOPA Foundation Research Award, Dr. Kamakshi Rao for her project Improving & Defining the Impact & Value of Pharmacists in Stem Cell Transplant, and to Dr. Quan Li, for his project, In Vitro Stability of Erlotinib, Lapatinib and Imatinib in Common Compounding Vehicles.

15 Dec 2012

Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center to expand its outpatient cancer facility

Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center on the Banner Gateway campus will break ground in January 2013 on an expansion of its outpatient cancer facility, offering a new service and additional equipment and treatment areas to meet the needs of its rapidly growing patient population.

15 Dec 2012

Study describes new, paradoxical characteristics of HER2-negative breast cancer

A multicenter study led by researchers at UC Davis describes new, paradoxical characteristics of the most common type of breast cancer. The findings shed light on how the disease can evade treatment and could improve diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.

15 Dec 2012

Ibrutinib continues to show unprecedented results in patients with mantle cell lymphoma

An international study of ibrutinib in people with relapsed or refractory mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) continues to show unprecedented and durable results with few side effects.

15 Dec 2012

Fluidigm, GIS announce establishment of first single-cell genomics research center in Asia

The Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), an institute under the umbrella of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, and Fluidigm Corporation today announced the establishment of the first research center in Asia exclusively dedicated to accelerating the understanding of how individual cells work, and how diagnosis and treatment might be enhanced through insight derived from single cells.

15 Dec 2012

Cedars-Sinai physician-scientist receives grant to study Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease

A Cedars-Sinai physician-scientist has been awarded a $3 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine to study with new stem cell technology Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, the most common inherited neurological disorder and which damages nerves that control muscles.

14 Dec 2012

High-risk leukemia patients respond to novel drug

A third of adult leukemia patients given the novel drug quizartinib during a phase II study have achieved a composite response of either complete remission, or remission with incomplete platelet recovery or incomplete hematologic recovery, report US researchers.

14 Dec 2012

National Cheng Kung University kicks off 23rd International Conference on Genome Informatics

National Cheng Kung University kicked off GIW 2012 -- the 23rd International Conference on Genome Informatics -- at International Conference Hall Dec. 12, attracting more than 140 scholars from 10 countries including Japan, Korea, China, Singapore, Canada, America, Germany, and Australia.

14 Dec 2012

Biological factors, cell behaviour drive tumour growth contributing to therapy failure and relapse

Cancer scientists led by Dr. John Dick at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre have found a way to follow single tumour cells and observe their growth over time. By using special immune-deficient mice to propagate human colorectal cancer, they found that genetic mutations, regarded by many as the chief suspect driving cancer growth, are only one piece of the puzzle. The team discovered that biological factors and cell behaviour - not only genes - drive tumour growth, contributing to therapy failure and relapse.

14 Dec 2012

Cedars-Sinai scientist to study Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease

14 Dec 2012

TUBB5 gene responsible for microcephaly: IMP study

Neurobiologists at the Research institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) in Vienna have discovered one of the key genes required to make a brain. Mutations in this gene, called TUBB5, cause neurodevelopmental disease in children.

14 Dec 2012

University of Sheffield experts recreate randomly distributed stem cell sticky spots

Randomly distributed sticky spots which are integral to the development of stem cells by maximising adhesion and acting as internal scaffolding have been artificially recreated by experts from the University of Sheffield for the first time.

14 Dec 2012

MicroRNA-218 especially low in medulloblastoma

Between the blueprint of the genome and the products of its expression lie microRNAs, which can boost or lower the rate at which genes become stuff. In fact, many cancers use microRNA to magnify the expression of faulty genes or shrink the expression of helpful genes that would otherwise suppress tumors. A University of Colorado Cancer Center study published in the December issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry shows that in medulloblastoma, a malignant brain tumor of children, microRNA-218 is especially low.

14 Dec 2012

Scientists discover FAIM molecule as potential biomarker for bone marrow cancer

Singapore scientists have identified FAIM, a molecule that typically prevents cell death, as a potential biomarker to identify an incurable form of cancer in the bone marrow.

14 Dec 2012

Scientists isolate cancer stem cells that lead to growth of Wilms' tumours

Scientists have isolated cancer stem cells that lead to the growth of Wilms' tumours, a type of cancer typically found in the kidneys of young children. The researchers have used these cancer stem cells to test a new therapeutic approach that one day might be used to treat some of the more aggressive types of this disease.

13 Dec 2012