Embryo News and Research

RSS

New insight into embryonic tissue separation

As our bodies form, cells within the embryo divide and separate. Certain cells come together to form the outer layer, or ectoderm, of the early embryo, and give rise to tissue such as the skin and nervous system.

6 Apr 2011

Positive results from GDC-0449 Phase II data against basal cell nevus syndrome

A new hedgehog pathway inhibitor demonstrated efficacy in preventing and treating basal cell cancer among patients with basal cell nevus syndrome, a rare inheritable disease, according to Phase II data presented at the AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011, held April 2-6.

4 Apr 2011

Mitochondrial defect inherited from mother is linked to high blood pressure in one Chinese family

A specific genetic defect in one Chinese family shows that high blood pressure was inherited from the female parent, researchers report in Circulation Research: Journal of the American Heart Association.

1 Apr 2011

Australian researchers say the search must widen for genes that cause heart defects in babies

Australian scientists have discovered a new group of genes that could be responsible for causing heart defects in children, which affect more than 2000 babies born each year in Australia.

29 Mar 2011

Bariatric surgery highly cost-effective treatment for obese type 2 diabetics

Bariatric surgery is an especially cost-effective therapy for managing Type 2 diabetes in moderately and severely obese patients. These findings and others were presented today at the 2nd World Congress on Interventional Therapies for Type 2 Diabetes, hosted by NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College.

29 Mar 2011

New study provides insights into epiboly mechanisms linked with wound healing, cancer

Avian embryos could join the list of model organisms used to study a specific type of cell migration called epiboly, thanks to the results of a study published this month in the journal Developmental Dynamics.

24 Mar 2011

Low ghrelin levels in obese women may affect reproduction in female progeny

Levels of the hormone ghrelin are low in obese women and a recent study accepted for publication in Endocrinology, a publication of The Endocrine Society, reports that mice whose mothers had low ghrelin levels were less fertile due to a defect in implantation.

24 Mar 2011

Study reveals new mechanism underlying reproduction in plants

A team of researchers at the Instituto Gulbenkian de Ci-ncia (IGC), Portugal, discovered that pollen, the organ that contains the plant male gametes, communicate with the pistil, their female counterpart, using a mechanism commonly observed in the nervous system of animals.

18 Mar 2011

Fuz expression critical for craniofacial and tooth development: Study

Today, during the 89th General Session & Exhibition of the International Association for Dental Research, held in conjunction with the 40th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental Research and the 35th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, lead researcher Z. Zhang will hold an oral presentation on a study titled "Fuz is Essential for Craniofacial and Tooth Development."

18 Mar 2011

Vitamin A may play key role in sperm cell formation and development of central nervous system

In a recently-published study mapping the structure and function of the so-called "orphan" nuclear receptor TR4, Van Andel Research Institute (VARI) investigators suggest that Vitamin A may play a more direct role than was previously known in certain physiological functions including sperm cell formation and the development of the central nervous system.

18 Mar 2011

Human growth, height, size: Reasons to be small

Almost everybody these days thinks that it is best to be tall, meaning much taller than the average traditional height of Asian populations, and even taller than the current average height of populations in high-income countries. It is also often believed – though people might be shy to admit this – that tall people are intrinsically superior to short people. The expressions 'look up to' and 'look down on' are significant.

15 Mar 2011

Scientists identify unique function of Twist1 in tumor metastasis

In the early stages of human embryogenesis, a transcription factor called Twist1 plays a key regulatory role in how the embryo assumes form and function. Much later in life, however, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, say Twist1 can re-emerge, taking a darker and more deadly turn.

15 Mar 2011

Researchers discover new gene for Sensenbrenner syndrome

Dutch researchers of the Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen found a new gene for Sensenbrenner syndrome (Journal of Medical Genetics, 2011 Mar 4). The mutation adds support to the hypothesis that defects in ciliar transport are the cause of the disease. Project leader Dr. Heleen H. Arts is supported by a Kolff Junior Postdoc Grant of the Dutch Kidney Foundation.

14 Mar 2011

FADD protein discovery can lead to better cancer and autoimmune disease drugs

Reporting in Nature, scientists from Thomas Jefferson University have determined that a single protein called FADD controls multiple cell death pathways, a discovery that could lead to better, more targeted autoimmune disease and cancer drugs.

3 Mar 2011

G-CSF treatment improves inadequate endometrium during IVF cycles

During in vitro fertilization cycles, treatment with a medication called granulocyte-colony stimulating factor significantly improves inadequate endometrium, according to a report published electronically on February 15 in Fertility and Sterility - the official journal of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine.

24 Feb 2011

New study: PCBs linked to embryo implantation failure during IVF

According to a new study published February 24 in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives, serum polychlorinated biphenyls at concentrations found in the general U.S. population are associated with the failure of fertilized embryos to implant in the uterus after in vitro fertilization.

24 Feb 2011

ACT receives patent for its single-blastomere technology

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc., a leader in the field of regenerative medicine, announced today that it has been issued a patent on its "single-blastomere" technique. Patent Number 7,893,315 broadly covers ACT's proprietary single-blastomere technology that provides a non-destructive alternative for deriving human embryonic stem cell lines.

23 Feb 2011

The AFA initiates 2011 College Tour to educate young men and women about infertility

The American Fertility Association (The AFA), a national family-building non-profit organization, is heading to college campuses around the country to educate young men and women about infertility - a disease affecting one out of 6 couples in the U.S. The 2011 College Tour Series kicks off on March 4th at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

21 Feb 2011

State roundup: Mass. cost control plan advances; Texas Senate's abortion bill vote; Miami's public hospital crisis

The governor of Massachusetts proposed changes on Thursday to the state's comprehensive healthcare program, one often seen as a prototype for national reforms, to attempt to bring rising costs under control. The plan would give the U.S. state more authority to scrutinize fees paid to hospitals and doctors, reform the current standard by which healthcare providers are compensated and enact medical malpractice reform.

19 Feb 2011

Potential biomarkers for early diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy

A long, urgent search for proteins in the blood of pregnant women that could be used in early diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy (EP) has resulted in discovery of biomarkers that seem to be specific enough to begin testing in clinical trials, scientists are reporting in a new study in ACS's Journal of Proteome Research.

17 Feb 2011