Embryonic Development News and Research

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Embryonic development or embryogenesis is the process by which the embryo is formed and develops. It starts with the fertilization of the ovum, egg, which, after fertilization, is then called a zygote. The zygote undergoes rapid mitotic divisions, the formation of two exact genetic replicates of the original cell, with no significant growth (a process known as cleavage) and cellular differentiation, leading to development of an embryo.

Breakthrough in heart research

Breakthrough in heart research: The research team from Professor Katja Schenke-Layland of the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB in Stuttgart has discovered cell surface markers that enable the identification and isolation of living functional cardiovascular progenitor cells (CPCs).

22 Nov 2012

Coronary arteries largely arise from cells of the endocardium

During embryonic development, the all-important coronary arteries arise from cells previously considered incapable of producing them, according to scientists at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.

22 Nov 2012

IRCM researchers discover a nerve cell's internal clock

A team of IRCM researchers, led by Dr. Fr-d-ric Charron, recently uncovered a nerve cell's internal clock, used during embryonic development.

22 Nov 2012

Caltech-led team discovers enzyme responsible for neural crest cell development

During the early developmental stages of vertebrates-animals that have a backbone and spinal column, including humans-cells undergo extensive rearrangements, and some cells migrate over large distances to populate particular areas and assume novel roles as differentiated cell types.

3 Nov 2012

Four transcription factor genes control processes related to heart and head muscle formation

A group of researchers in Israel, the United States and other nations have made important advances in the rapidly-expanding field of "regenerative medicine," outlining for the first time connections in genetic regulation that normally prevent birth defects in heart and facial muscles.

30 Oct 2012

New book focuses on Wnt signaling

Wnt proteins are signaling molecules that play critical roles during embryonic development and in the regeneration of adult tissues. They bind to Frizzled and LRP family receptors on the cell surface, triggering a series of events that cause beta-catenin to enter the nucleus and activate transcription factors that control cell fate and cell proliferation. Mutations in components of the Wnt pathway lead to developmental defects and are common in cancer.

19 Oct 2012

Scientists resolve new molecular circuit controlling cellular metabolism

Cancer, diabetes, and excess body weight have one thing in common: they alter cellular metabolism. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg and the Medical University of Vienna together with an international research team have jointly resolved a new molecular circuit controlling cellular metabolism.

15 Oct 2012

Gene-silencing mechanism may occur later in life and lead to cancer

There are some genes that are only activated in the very first days of an embryo's existence. Once they have accomplished their task, they are shut down forever, unlike most of our genes, which remain active throughout our lives. EPFL scientists have unveiled part of this strange mechanism. The same process, accidentally initiated later in life, could be responsible for many kinds of cancer.

6 Oct 2012

Addition of ficlatuzumab to gefitinib may be effective in select subsets of patients with NSCLC

AVEO Oncology today announced that detailed results from an exploratory, randomized Phase 2 study evaluating the combination of ficlatuzumab, the company's HGF inhibitory antibody, and gefitinib compared to gefitinib monotherapy in previously untreated Asian subjects with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were presented at the 2012 Congress of the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO).

1 Oct 2012

BioTime forms new wholly owned subsidiary

BioTime, Inc., an Alameda-based company engaged in research and development of innovative new products in the field of regenerative medicine utilizing stem cells and related technology, announced today that it has formed a new wholly owned subsidiary, BioTime Acquisition Corporation, to pursue opportunities and acquire assets and businesses in the fields of stem cells and regenerative medicine.

29 Sep 2012

Study finds new regulator for heart formation

A new regulator for heart formation has been discovered by studying how embryonic stem cells adjust the packaging of their DNA. This approach to finding genetic regulators, the scientists say, may have the power to provide insight into the development of any tissue in the body - liver, brain, blood and so on.

28 Sep 2012

Researchers obtain first detailed and complete picture of PRC2 protein

The first detailed and complete picture of a protein complex that is tied to human birth defects as well as the progression of many forms of cancer has been obtained by an international team of researchers led by scientists with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab).

18 Sep 2012

Mount Sinai scientists identify cancer’s Achilles heel

Scientists at Mount Sinai School of Medicine have discovered a subpopulation of cells that display cancer stem cell properties and resistance to chemotherapy, and participate in tumor progression. This breakthrough could lead to the development of new tests for early cancer diagnosis, prognostic tests, and innovative therapeutic strategies, as reported in Cancer Cell.

11 Sep 2012

Scientists complete comprehensive map of genetic mutations linked to small cell lung cancers

Scientists have completed a comprehensive map of genetic mutations linked to an aggressive and lethal type of lung cancer.

6 Sep 2012

BioTime amends license agreement with University of Utah for HyStem technology

BioTime, Inc. announced that the company has amended its license from the University of Utah to expand the field of use for which BioTime is licensed to produce and market products covered by the core patents underlying HyStem technology.

27 Aug 2012

Personalized colon cancer therapy based on genetics of specific cancer

University of Minnesota Medical School and Masonic Cancer Center researchers have partnered with geneticists from Genentech, Inc., to discover how some proteins may cause the development of some forms of colon cancers.

24 Aug 2012

RNA-delivering nanoparticles allow rapid screening of new drug targets in mice

By sequencing cancer-cell genomes, scientists have discovered vast numbers of genes that are mutated, deleted or copied in cancer cells. This treasure trove is a boon for researchers seeking new drug targets, but it is nearly impossible to test them all in a timely fashion.

16 Aug 2012

Novel Cornelia de Lange syndrome gene discovered

Scientists have discovered that mutations in the histone deacetylase 8 gene can cause the rare genetic disorder known as Cornelia de Lange syndrome, which is characterized by intellectual disability, limb deformity, and other disabilities resulting from problems in early development.

13 Aug 2012

Researchers identify new gene in Cornelia deLange syndrome

Genetics researchers have identified a key gene that, when mutated, causes the rare multisystem disorder Cornelia deLange syndrome (CdLS). By revealing how mutations in the HDAC8 gene disrupt the biology of proteins that control both gene expression and cell division, the research sheds light on this disease, which causes intellectual disability, limb deformations and other disabilities resulting from impairments in early development.

13 Aug 2012