Stem Cell Articles

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I thought that I would put a bunch of stem cell stories together into one topic.


http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,288800,00.html

Quote:

Women in Europe could be having boob jobs on their lunch breaks as early as next year, according to a scientific journal.

A fast-track breast enlargement process is to be rolled out by a Californian biotech company and could be introduced across Europe by next year, the Chemistry and Industry magazine says.

The procedure, called Celution, takes just over an hour and involves injecting a "super-charged'' fat mixture into breast tissue. Fat is taken from a patient's buttocks or stomach using minor liposuction under local anaesthetic.

The useful stem cells are separated out and an hour later a dose of stem and regenerative cells is packaged into a cartridge ready for injection. It costs a few thousand dollars and the breasts enlarge over about six months, according to the program's creator Cytori Therapeutics.

Cytori Therapeutics head of research and development Kai Pinkernel said the company's initial focus will be on reconstructive surgery in breast cancer patients.
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegrap...006007,00.html




http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medi...p?newsid=76228

Quote:
New Discoveries In Neural Stem Cells Have Implications For The Design Of Brain Therapies
Main Category: Stem Cell Research News
Article Date: 10 Jul 2007 - 8:00 PDT

Scientists have discovered that adult neural stem cells, which exist in the brain throughout life, are not a single, homogeneous group. Instead, they are a diverse group of cells, each capable of giving rise to specific types of neurons. The finding, the team says, significantly shifts the perspective on how these cells could be used to develop cell-based brain therapies.

The results of their study are reported online in Science Express, and will be published in an upcoming issue of Science.

Adult neural stem cells give rise to the three major types of brain cells -- astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and neurons. Their role in producing neurons is of particular interest to scientists because neurons orchestrate brain functions -- thought, feeling and movement. If scientists could figure out how to create specific types of new neurons, they potentially could use them to replace damaged cells, such as the dopamine-producing neurons destroyed in Parkinson's disease.

In recent years, scientists have determined that adult neural stem cells are located primarily in two regions of the brain -- the lining of the brain's fluid-filled cavity, known as the subventricular zone, and a horseshoe shaped area known as the hippocampus. The laboratory of the senior author of the current study, UCSF's Arturo Alvarez-Buylla identified the stem cells in the subventricular zone in 1999 (Cell, June 11, 1999).

While scientists have known that neural stem cells in the developing brain produce particular types of neurons based on where the stem cells are located in the embryo, studies carried out in cell culture have suggested that adult neural stem cells of the fully formed brain can give rise to many types of brain cells.

In the current study, conducted in mice, the team set out to explore whether neural stem cells in different locations of the subventricular zone are all the same. They did so using a method they developed to follow the fate of early neonatal and adult neural stem cells in 15 different regions of the subventricular zone. These cells typically produce young neurons that migrate to the olfactory bulb, where they mature into several distinct types of interneurons, neurons that are essential for the sense of smell.

To the team's surprise, the adult neural stem cells in the various regions of the subventricular zone each gave rise to only very specific subsets of interneurons. Moreover, the stem cells were not susceptible to being re-specified. When they were taken out of their niche and transplanted into another region of the subventricular zone, they continued to produce the same subset of interneurons. Similarly, they retained their specialized production of distinct subtypes of neurons when removed from the animals' brains and exposed to a cocktail of growth factors in a culture dish.




http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19689853/

Quote:
S. Korean lab to clone drug-sniffing dogs
Seoul National University signed deal with Korea Customs Service
Updated: 7:18 a.m. ET July 10, 2007

SEOUL - A South Korean laboratory that produced the world's first cloned dogs is looking to get into the business of cloning canines, first by cloning drug-sniffing dogs, a lab official said on Tuesday.

The laboratory at Seoul National University, implicated in a scandal for fabricating data in embryonic stem cell studies, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Korea Customs Service to clone drug-sniffing dogs, said Kim Min-kyu, the researcher who heads the cloning project for the team.

"However, this is taking place more on an investigative level, so we aren't going to be making a profit from this deal," Kim said, adding: "We have plans to clone dogs commercially in the future."




http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2...alized_st.html

Quote:
Personalized Stem Cells Created ... for Monkeys
By Brandon Keim EmailJune 21, 2007 | 8:30:00 AMCategories: Biotechnology, Stem Cell Research

Esc Researchers have reportedly created individually-tailored embryonic stem cell lines in monkeys. If the findings stand, they could be a large step towards making personal ESCs -- the basis of many proposed stem cell therapies -- for people.

Personalized embryonic stem cells -- as opposed to ESC lines used in research, which come directly from fertilized embryos -- are created through a process called somatic cell nuclear transfer, or SCNT. In this process, the nucleus of a fertilized egg, or oocyte, is removed and then replaced with the nucleus of a regular cell.

Ideally, the egg with its new nucleus develops normally, and within a few days forms a cell cluster called a blastocyst from which ESCs are harvested. This has proven difficult in less-complex animals and impossible in primates -- until, perhaps, now.

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http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news?articleid=2930347

Quote:
Cure for blindness in five years

By Tom Smithard
A CURE for blindness using stem cell treatment will be available within five years, Yorkshire scientists have revealed.

Experts at Sheffield University are planning a £4m project to end the main cause of blindness among old people – age-related macular degeneration (AMD). A quarter of people over 60 in the UK are affected.

The scientists, together with teams from University College London (UCL) and Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, intend to use embryonic stem cells to repair damaged retinas.

They predict a trial will start in as little as five years and in 10 years time the hour-long operation will be a routine day-surgery procedure. Patients would notice a change in their vision in two to three weeks.

The project was launched yesterday with £4m funding from an anonymous private donor in the United States.

In AMD, cells in the middle of the retina begin to die, causing loss of vision that spreads out from the centre of the visual field.

The project aims to generate new cells from embryonic stem cells in the laboratory and transplant them into the eyes of patients.

Stem cells are dormant, but are able to turn into different cell types. Embryonic stem cells, among the most potent, are obtained from early-stage embryos the size of a pinhead.

Wise Young
Administrator
http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showthread.php?t=84985

Stem Cell Movement Faces Setbacks in Mo. (ANDALE GROSS, 7/23/07, Associated Press)


Some researchers even fear the techniques known as therapeutic cloning could still be outlawed in Missouri.

Scientist Kevin Eggan had once considered packing up his lab at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and moving to Missouri. Now he's reluctant.

"I couldn't possibly come to a place where I thought the potentially lifesaving research I want to do could become illegal," said Eggan, who works on degenerative nerve disorders like Lou Gehrig's disease.

The setbacks began when conservative Missouri lawmakers stripped funding for some prominent life sciences projects, including a $150 million research center at the University of Missouri in Columbia.

Then in June, a medical institute in Kansas City announced it would halt its $300 million expansion project because of controversy over the research. The founders of the Stowers Institute of Medical Research had financed most of the $30 million campaign to pass the amendment.

Critics of embryonic stem cell research are opposed to the process because it requires embryos to be destroyed to harvest their cells.

"I think stem cell research is extraordinarily promising and exciting and that we ought to move forward on it. But Missouri does not need to clone human embryos in order to become a leader in life sciences," said state Sen. Matt Bartle, a Republican who wants to repeal November's vote.

Opponents were also encouraged when three teams of scientists announced last month that they had produced the equivalent of embryonic stem cells in mice without destroying embryos.

Two weeks later, President Bush vetoed a bill that would have permitted human embryonic research—a clear signal to like-minded Missourians who saw November's vote, 51 percent to 49 percent, as anything but a clear mandate.

GOVERNOR CORZINE SIGNS LANDMARK NEW JERSEY STEM CELL RESEARCH BOND
ACT
For Immediate Release
July 26th, 2007 Contact Front Office
609-292-6000
WEST ORANGE – Governor Jon S. Corzine today signed the New Jersey
Stem Cell Research Bond Act, a $450 million bond referendum that will
provide financing for stem cell research grants to eligible
institutions over a 10 year period.
"New Jersey continues to forge ahead as a pioneer in stem cell
research and discovery," said Governor Corzine. "This ballot
initiative represents a landmark economic investment that will create
new jobs and spur new business ventures while bringing the potential
of revolutionary life-saving treatments and cures to millions
afflicted by some of the most devastating diseases and injuries.
"We will be asking the voters for their support, and they can be
assured that this funding will be expended and distributed based
solely on the scientific merit of projects as judged by an
independent review panel," Corzine said. "At a time when the federal
government has taken a step backward, I am proud of our legislative
leadership for their support in keeping New Jersey front and center
in this promising research that offers hope to so many."
The Stem Cell Research Bond Act, upon approval by voters,
authorizes the sale of State general obligation funds in the amount
of $450 million over 10 years. The grants will be awarded by the
Commission on Science and Technology subject to evaluation by an
independent research review panel and in consultation with the New
Jersey Economic Development Authority concerning commercial viability
of the projects.
The State Treasurer also must certify that recurring revenues are
available annually to meet the operating costs of the program.
Research grants cannot exceed $45 million per year. Any of the $45
million not awarded in a year can be carried over to subsequent
years.
"The support of each and every voter this November will be crucial
in determining the size and scope of our research and, ultimately,
the size and scope of the cures we find. The bottom line is that
we're not just committed to leading the way tomorrow, but to leading
the way right now. We've set New Jersey on a bold new path and today
we push forward," said Senate President Richard J. Codey (D-Essex).
"Every dollar we invest in stem-cell research holds the promise of
saving lives and achieving significant breakthroughs in human
health," said Assemblyman Cohen (D-Union). "We have a humanitarian
responsibility to do everything possible to encourage the world's
best and brightest minds to conduct stem cell research here in New
Jersey. With President Bush's continued obstinate opposition to
virtually all stem cell research, it is left to us to blaze new
trails into 21st Century medicine."
Last fall, Governor Corzine signed into law a bill providing $270
million to build research facilities. In June, nearly $9.2 million in
predevelopment funding was approved for the Stem Cell Institute of
New Jersey in New Brunswick, the first to be approved from the $270
million authorized under legislation signed by Governor Corzine. The
Stem Cell Institute will receive $150 million of the total amount
authorized.
Recently, $10.5 million in research grants was approved by the
Commission on Science and Technology, with $5.5 million for two core
facilities and nearly $5 million in individual grants to 16
researchers from university and nonprofit institutions in the state.
Sponsors of the legislation (S1091/A3186) were: Senator **** Codey
(District 27); Senator Barbara Buono (District 18); Assemblyman Neil
Cohen (District 20); Assemblyman John McKeon (District 27);
Assemblywoman Joan Voss (District 38); Assemblyman Michael Panter
(District 12); Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula (District 17);
Assemblyman Mims Hackett, Jr. (District 27).

Be well,

Jim AKA- pigiron308@...
http://www.stemcellpals.com

Not all embryonic stem cell lines are created equal
Submitted by harminka on Tue, 2007-08-07 09:55.

Posted under: Health embryonic stem cells Neurodegenerative Diseases stem cells
When it comes to generating neurons, researchers have found that not all embryonic stem cell lines are equal. In comparing neurons generated from two NIH-approved embryonic stem cell lines, scientists have uncovered significant differences in the mature, functioning neurons generated from each line.

The discovery implies that culture conditions during ES cell generation -- which have yet to be identified -- can influence the developmental properties of human ES cells.

The report, which was published August 6, 2007, in the early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, also describes a new technique for producing functioning neurons from stem cells that will be important for creating models of human neurodegenerative diseases.

The research team was led by UCLA stem cell biologist Yi Sun and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator Thomas Sьdhof at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.

Embryonic stem cells are developmentally immature cells that are capable of self-renewal and of differentiating into any type of tissue in the body. Researchers believe they hold the potential for generating neural, cardiac and other cells that can be implanted to restored damaged tissue.

“To the best of my knowledge, until now there have been few functional studies of the neurons derived from embryonic stem cells,” said Sьdhof. “People in the field have traditionally been interested in whether they can make neurons and what molecular markers characterize those neurons. However, because different embryonic stem cell lines were derived under diverse conditions, the possibility existed that cell lines would produce neurons with distinct properties.”

The researchers compared mature neurons grown from two embryonic stem cell lines approved for research by the National Institute of Health. Sun and her colleagues developed procedures to differentiate the two stem cell lines first into neural progenitor cells, and then into mature neurons. They were also able to purify those neurons for study.

To probe how the neurons functioned, the researchers developed a culture technique that induced the newly produced neurons to establish synapses with one another. Synapses are the critical junctions between neurons where much of the signaling and communication between neural cells occurs.

Through functional analyses of these neurons, Sun, Sьdhof and their colleagues found that the two ES cell lines differentiated into two distinct types of neurons that are actually found in different parts of the brain.

The researchers next performed electrophysiological studies of the synaptic connections between the neurons. “We found that the neurons derived from the two cell lines have completely different properties in terms of what type of synapses they develop and at what time course this happens during culture,” said Sьdhof. Furthermore, the studies showed that the neurons derived from the two cell lines used different chemicals called neurotransmitters to communicate with one another, he said.

Sun and her colleagues compared the microRNAs produced by the two types of neurons. MicroRNAs are small snippets of genetic material that are believed to be significant regulators of stem cell differentiation.

“It’s been proposed that microRNAs might be part of the defining signatures for human ES cells, and many are expressed in the brain,” said Sun. “It was comforting that our analysis showed that as the ES cells matured into neural progenitors and neurons, the expression of the microRNAs genes specific to ES cells dropped thousands of times, and those specific to brain cells increased thousands of times. But on the other hand, when we compared the two lines, we found differences in microRNA gene expression that might contribute to this neuronal bias in the lines,” she said. Sьdhof said that the differences among ES cell lines could have implications for potential treatments using the cells.

“It’s clear that if you’re going to treat a motor neuron disease, you need those types of neurons; whereas if you want to treat a forebrain disease like Huntington’s, you need ES cells that differentiate into that type of neuron,” he said.

The differences in neurons produced by cell lines may offer both advantages and disadvantages for treatment, he said. “On the one hand, it may actually be good to have ES cells with a particular propensity for differentiation, because it may make it easier to get certain types of tissue. On the other hand, it may also limit the ability of these ES cells to fully replicate those types of tissues.”

Sun said that her technique for differentiating ES cells into mature neurons is likely to have important future research applications. “This technique enables us to produce pure cultures of functioning human neurons that we can genetically manipulate to mimic human disorders,” she said. “Before, it was only possible to use mouse or other animal cells to model neurodegenerative diseases, but the genetic background is so different from that of humans that key aspects of diseases such as Alzheimer’s could not be reproduced.”

Both Sun and Sьdhof said that their findings have implications for the production of ES cell lines. “There is absolutely no question that these findings mean that there need to be more embryonic stem cell lines for research purposes and for use in potential treatments,” said Sьdhof.

Sun said that developing more ES cell lines is important “because right now we still don’t know the causes for the functional differences we found. Understanding the causes will require more cell lines for study. And once we understand the causes, we can take them into account in generating new cell lines that will be better defined and enable more reproducible applications.”-Howard Hughes Medical Institute
http://www.huliq.com/29603/not-all-e...-created-equal