Bone Marrow News and Research

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Bone Marrow is the soft, sponge-like tissue in the center of most bones. It produces white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets.

Cell growth technology promises more successful drug development

Scientists have developed unique technology to grow stem cells and other tissue in the laboratory in conditions similar to the way they grow in the human body.

20 Sep 2007

Re-engineered human T cells effectively target and kill cancerous B cells

Human white blood cells, engineered to recognize other malignant immune cells, could provide a novel therapy for patients with highly lethal B cell cancers such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), according to researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC).

18 Sep 2007

Sexual function affected by stem cell transplant according to long-term study

A long-term study found that a type of stem cell transplant used for patients with life-threatening diseases, such as leukemia and lymphoma, results in decreased sexual function and activity for recipients.

18 Sep 2007

Gene profiling can single out the worst cases of multiple myeloma and guide therapy

Multiple myeloma patients vary widely in how they respond to treatment, but now researchers at the Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences have identified a small subset of genes whose activity could predict high-risk cases and potentially guide therapy in the future.

18 Sep 2007

Unique role for blood formation gene MLL identified

All blood cell production in adults depends on the steady work of a vital gene that if lost results in early bone marrow failure, Dartmouth Medical School cancer geneticists have found.

13 Sep 2007

Scientists isolate stem cells in womb tissue

Scientists in Australia have found a way of identifying probable stem cells in the lining of women's wombs. The finding opens up the possibility of using the stem cells for tissue engineering applications such as building up natural tissue to repair prolapsed pelvic floors.

13 Sep 2007

Link between nicotine and atherosclerosis

It's well known that smoking cigarettes increases risk for a host of serious health problems from cancer to heart disease. Now a new study from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City looks at how they do their dirty work by contributing to atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. The evidence points to nicotine, the addictive chemical in cigarettes.

11 Sep 2007

St. Jude follows outcomes of stem cell transplant survivors

Patient care at St. Jude doesn't stop when the child is cured. The end of successful therapy is the start of many years of follow-up care. This care is aimed at helping make the recovery process successful and preparing the family and hometown doctor for long-term complications that might arise from the disease or its treatment.

11 Sep 2007

Scientists shed new light on how antibodies fight HIV

By furthering scientists' understanding of the molecular mechanisms that separate the minority of successful HIV antibodies from the majority of ineffective antibodies, the work may have implications for future attempts to design an HIV vaccine.

10 Sep 2007

20 percent of overweight toddlers found to be iron-deficient

A study by UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers has found that overweight toddlers and those not enrolled in day care are at high risk for iron deficiency.

5 Sep 2007

Revlimid receives approval in Switzerland for treatment of multiple myeloma

Celgene International Sarl has announced that it's oral cancer drug, Revlimid (lenalidomide) has been granted approval by the Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products (Swissmedic) for use in combination with dexamethasone as a treatment for patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least one prior therapy.

5 Sep 2007

Study identifies osteopontin as a key player in the body's immune response to chronic stress

Osteopontin (OPN), a protein molecule involved in many different cellular processes, plays a significant role in immune deficiency and organ atrophy following chronic physiological stress, resulting in increased susceptibility to illness.

4 Sep 2007

FDA approves Acambis smallpox vaccine

Acambis plc (Acambis) has announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved its ACAM2000 (Smallpox (Vaccinia) Vaccine, Live) vaccine for protection against smallpox.

4 Sep 2007

Does physical activity provide a molecular key to longevity?

Fitness and physical exercise are among the most neglected means to improve prognosis. They are the healthiest cardiovascular intervention. Even cardiologists focus on pharmacological treatment and evaluate classical risk factors without asking about daily exercise or objective measures of physical capacity. It is surprising considering the strong data that underscores the survival benefit of regular exercise training.

2 Sep 2007

Discovery of novel cause of iron overload in patients with thalassemia

According to the study, thalassemia patients overproduce a protein called GDF15, which suppresses the production of a liver protein, hepcidin, which in turn leads to an increase in the uptake of dietary iron in the gut.

30 Aug 2007

New anti-cancer drug made from corn lillies kills brain tumor stem cells

A drug that shuts down a critical cell-signaling pathway in the most common and aggressive type of adult brain cancer successfully kills cancer stem cells thought to fuel tumor growth and help cancers evade drug and radiation therapy, a Johns Hopkins study shows.

30 Aug 2007

Genetics of imatinib resistance in acute lymphoblastic leukemia

In the September 15th issue of Genes & Development, Drs. Richard T. Williams, Willem den Besten, and Charles J. Sherr at Howard Hughes Medical Institute, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis TN, lend new insights into how an aggressive form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) develops, and how sensitivity to the targeted chemotherapeutic drug, imatinib, can be diminished through interactions between tumor cells and the host microenvironment.

30 Aug 2007

Researchers discover what makes lymphomas tick

University of Pennsylvania researchers and their colleagues at the Wistar Institute and University of Oxford have discovered the molecular process by which the PAX5 protein, necessary for lymphocyte development, promotes the growth of common lymphomas, thereby unveiling a potential new target in the fight against cancer.

30 Aug 2007

FDA grants orphan drug designation to TREANDA

Cephalon, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Orphan Products Development granted orphan drug designation for the company's investigational therapy, TREANDA (bendamustine HCl), for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).

29 Aug 2007

St. Jude discovers factors that accelerate resistance to Gleevec targeted therapy in lymphoblastic leukemia

Results of a study by investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital provide strong evidence for why the drug imatinib (Gleevec), which has revolutionized the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), is often unable to prevent relapse of a particularly aggressive form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

29 Aug 2007