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.

First Edition: July 28, 2011

In today's headlines, reports about the ever-growing US health health care tab and about the petition filed by a conservative legal center to bring their health law challenge to the Supreme Court.

28 Jul 2011

Mitochondrial genome undergoes random reorganisation during reprogramming

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) are truly talented multi-taskers. They can reproduce almost all cell types and thus offer great hope in the fight against diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. However, it would appear that their use is not entirely without risk: during the reprogramming of body cells into iPS cells, disease-causing mutations can creep into the genetic material.

28 Jul 2011

Reprogrammed kidney cells could make transplants and dialysis things of the past

Approximately 60 million people across the globe have chronic kidney disease (CKD), and many will need dialysis or a transplant. Breakthrough research published in the Journal of the American Society Nephrology indicates that patients' own kidney cells can be gathered and reprogrammed.

28 Jul 2011

Puget Sound Blood Center, Seattle Children's inaugurate new on-site lab

Today, Seattle Children's and Puget Sound Blood Center opened a new blood laboratory to serve Children's patients exclusively. Located within Seattle Children's main campus and staffed by Puget Sound Blood Center employees 24 hours every day of the year, the facility will bring the lab closer to the patient.

28 Jul 2011

Insect virus holds key to safer stem cell therapy: Singapore scientists

The future of regenerative medicine lies in harnessing the potential of the human body to renew and repair itself. Now, scientists at the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), the world's first bioengineering and nanotechnology research institute, have developed a new genetic engineering technique that promises safer stem cell therapy for cancer patients. Using an insect virus, the team of researchers successfully inserted a therapeutic gene into a safe site in the DNA of human embryonic stem cells without compromising the functionality of the engineered cells.

28 Jul 2011

U.S. Judge approves federal funding for embryonic research

Federal funding of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research is now legal in the United States. Chief judge of the US District Court for the District of Columbia Royce Lamberth has ruled on the case Sherley et al. v. Sebelius, in favor of hESC research. This overturns an existing law that prohibits the government from funding research that destroys the embryo.

27 Jul 2011

Study reveals several compounds that block cancer cell invasion

Metastasis-the spread of cancer from the place where it first started to another place in the body-is the most common reason that cancer treatments fail. To metastasize, some types of cancer cells rely on invadopodia, cellular membrane projections that act like feet, helping them "walk" away from the primary tumor and invade surrounding tissues.

27 Jul 2011

Novel blood-cleaning procedure allows receipt of transplant from different blood type donor

St. Michael's Hospital today became the first in North America to use a novel blood-cleaning procedure for a kidney patient that will allow him to receive a transplant from a donor with a different blood type.

27 Jul 2011

New silicone chip could make genetic analysis far more sensitive, rapid, and cost-effective

UBC researchers have invented a silicone chip that could make genetic analysis far more sensitive, rapid, and cost-effective by allowing individual cells to fall into place like balls in a pinball machine.

27 Jul 2011

TikoMed receives FDA Orphan Drug Designation for TM-400 to treat hematological cancers

TikoMed AB, a biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of innovative treatments of immune diseases and transplantation therapies, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted TM-400 Orphan Drug Designation for the mobilization of stem cells prior to stem cell transplantation treatment.

26 Jul 2011

PharmaNet to assist BrainStorm in obtaining FDA approval for ALS human clinical trials

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc., an innovative developer of adult stem cell technologies and CNS therapeutics, announced today that it has signed an agreement with PharmaNet LLC, an inVentiv Health Company, to assist in the development of the protocol and IND file for submission to the FDA for approval of BrainStorm's ALS human clinical trials in the United States.

26 Jul 2011

New method for detecting breast cancer at 'stage 0'

RNL Natural Co., Ltd, a leading biotech company specialized in adult stem cell therapeutics affiliated with RNL BIO Co., Ltd., introduced on June 22, 2011 a new method of detecting breast cancer as early as at 'stage 0' through breath VOCs.

25 Jul 2011

Sigma Life Science releases breast cancer-specific knockout and knockin cell lines for drug research

Sigma Life Science, the innovative biological products and services research business of Sigma-Aldrich, today announced the expansion of its CompoZr® Oncology Disease Model portfolio with the release of the first in its collection of breast cancer-specific knockout and knockin cell lines for drug discovery and research.

22 Jul 2011

State news: Florida effort could cost consumers $60 million in rebates

The JMH Health Plan, the insurance wing of the Jackson Health System, has become a huge money-loser that must be fixed quickly, board members were told Thursday. So far this year, the plan has lost $30.4 million — almost half of the $71.7 million that Jackson Health System has lost for the entire fiscal year.

22 Jul 2011

SG Austria acquisition benefits Nuvilex with $1.5M in grant funding

Nuvilex, Inc. announced today that as part of its acquisition of SG Austria, Nuvilex will benefit from grant funding previously awarded to SG Austria for its live-cell encapsulation activities and other projects. The total grant funding awarded to SG Austria is approximately $1.5 million.

22 Jul 2011

Scientists discover new bases of DNA

For decades, scientists have known that DNA consists of four basic units -- adenine, guanine, thymine and cytosine. Those four bases have been taught in science textbooks and have formed the basis of the growing knowledge regarding how genes code for life.

22 Jul 2011

First genome-wide mapping of DNA modification in embryonic stem cells

Stem cell researchers at UCLA have generated the first genome-wide mapping of a DNA modification called 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) in embryonic stem cells, and discovered that it is predominantly found in genes that are turned on, or active.

22 Jul 2011

Renowned neurosurgeon to receive National Urban League's highest honor on July 30

Renowned neurosurgeon Keith L. Black, MD, will receive the National Urban League's highest honor on July 30 during the organization's annual conference in Boston.

22 Jul 2011

FDA approves U.S. launch of Wiskott-Aldrich gene therapy clinical trial

The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved the launching in the U.S. of a clinical trial for gene therapy for a rare immunodeficiency, Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome.

22 Jul 2011

Taller women more prone to cancer: Study

New research has shown that taller women could be more prone to suffering from cancer. The British study published online in the medical journal The Lancet on Thursday said cancer risk rose about 16% for every 4-inch rise in height. Increasing height heightened the chances of cancers of breast, ovary, womb, bowel, leukemia and malignant melanoma (skin cancer) the study found.

21 Jul 2011