Fibroblast News and Research

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Fibroblasts are connective tissue cells which secrete an extracellular matrix rich in collagen and other macromolecules.

Printed human organs!

Each year, pharmaceutical companies invest millions of dollars to test drugs, many of which will never reach the market because of side effects found only during human clinical trials.

6 Nov 2007

The role of growth factor in vertebrae formation

The Stowers Institute's Pourquié Lab has demonstrated the role of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) in the embryonic process of somitogenesis, an event required for vertebrae formation, in a paper posted to the Web site of the journal Development.

31 Oct 2007

Mechanism identified that plays a critical role in multiple myeloma cell cycle and survival

Researchers at Emory University's Winship Cancer Institute are the first to discover a mechanism that plays a critical role in the multiple myeloma cell cycle and survival.

11 Sep 2007

Insights into side effects of HIV protease inhibitors

UCLA scientists, along with collaborators from Purdue University, have demonstrated that HIV protease inhibitors, crucial drugs for HIV treatment block a cellular enzyme important for generating the structural scaffolding for the cell nucleus.

17 Jul 2007

Startling discovery on the development of human embryonic stem cells

In this week's Nature, researchers of the McMaster Cancer and Stem Cell Research Institute show that human embryonic stem (ES) cells can actually produce distinctive niche cells, which then release stem-cell nourishing proteins to help keep their parents ticking over.

12 Jul 2007

Injections of autologous myoblasts and fibroblasts could relieve stress urinary incontinence in women

Myoblasts are a type of muscle stem cell, while fibroblasts are cells which form the structural framework for many tissues in the body. Autologous cells are ones which the patient is the source of.

29 Jun 2007

New regulator of fat metabolism identified

Over the past several years, animal studies have shown that high-fat, low-carbohydrate “ketogenic” diets cause demonstrable changes in metabolism and subsequent weight loss.

8 Jun 2007

Mouse hibernation hormones described

A key hormone enables starving mice to alter their metabolism and “hibernate” to conserve energy, revealing a novel molecular target for drugs to treat human obesity and metabolic disorders, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found.

8 Jun 2007

Novel therapies to prevent metastasis

In a study that could point to novel therapies to prevent cancer spread, or metastasis, researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine have targeted a sugar that supports blood vessel growth in the tumor.

8 May 2007

Klotho proteins important players in future therapies for diabetes, obesity and kidney disease

A relative of the anti-aging gene Klotho helps activate a hormone that can lower blood glucose levels in fat cells of mice, making it a novel target for developing drugs to treat human obesity and diabetes, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found.

24 Apr 2007

Scientists tackle cancer with different approaches

Studies presented at the 2007 meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research show how researchers are using the new, as well as the natural, to help design and test new drugs to treat cancer.

18 Apr 2007

Decoy receptor 3 expressed in rheumatic synovial fibroblasts protects the cells against Fas-induced apoptosis

A complex autoimmune disease, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is characterized by chronic inflammation and progressive joint damage. This process begins with hyperplasia, or excessive increase in size and thickness, of synovial tissue. Along with provoking cartilage and bone destruction, this abnormal tissue growth is resistant to apoptosis, the natural cell death vital to the generation of healthy new cells.

30 Mar 2007

Insulin-like growth factor receptor implicated in development of Graves' disease

Investigators at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed) have found evidence that continues to implicate insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-1R) in the development of Graves' disease.

18 Feb 2007

Human embryonic stem cells show potential in treating rats with Parkinson's symptoms

Brain cells derived from human embryonic stem cells improved the condition of rats with Parkinson's-like symptoms dramatically, but the treatment caused a significant problem - the appearance of brain tumors - that scientists are now working to solve.

2 Dec 2006

Precise sticking of living cells on carriers by microelectrochemical methods

The adhesion and growth of cells on solid carriers is required for many applications.

21 Jul 2006

Sonic hedgehog may help overcome problems associated with FGF2 and VEGF therapy

The newest concept for treating coronary artery disease is to induce hearts to grow their own new blood vessels to bypass damaged tissue or clogged arteries.

18 Jun 2006

Sperm-producing stem cells found in testicles could be extracted, grown in the lab, and frozen for future use

Men may cringe at the idea, but sperm-producing stem cells found in testicles could be extracted, grown in the lab, and frozen for future use.

2 May 2006

Minimal nutritional requirements for growing and maintaining human embryonic stem cells

Researchers at Yale have established the minimal nutritional requirements for growing and maintaining human embryonic stem cells, a recipe that is critical for clinical application and for developmental studies, according to a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

11 Apr 2006

Scientists create new molecule that holds promise in fighting disease via gene therapy

Inherited diseases, as well as many cancers and cardiovascular diseases, may eventually be helped by this approach, which delivers therapeutic genes directly to cells. These genes can correct genetic defects, for example, or help the body's immune system fight cancer cells.

23 Mar 2006

Thalidomide, Lenalidomide show promise against Lou Gehrig's disease

New animal research suggests that two well-studied drugs, thalidomide and its derivative, lenalidomide, might extend the survival of patients with the neurological disorder amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

9 Mar 2006