Category Archives: Stem Cell Research

Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Stem Cell Research Also Included In: Nutrition / Diet;Fertility;Cancer / Oncology Article Date: 02 Jul 2013 - 3:00 PDT Current ratings for: Vitamin C Influences Gene Activity In Stem Cells 5 (2 votes) Senior author and stem-cell scientist Miguel Ramalho-Santos of the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) and colleagues write about their findings in a June 30th online issue of Nature. In cells, not all genes are active all the time. There is a regulated pattern of gene expression that switches genes on and off. This is held in the epigenome, the set of instructions that get passed on with DNA about how to control the DNA. One of the mechanisms the epigenome uses to regulate gene expression is DNA methylation. In DNA methylation, the epigenome adds a methyl group to a selected point on the genome to stop certain genes from being expressed. What Ramalho-Santos and colleagues discovered is that vitamin C plays a crucial role in helping to release the brakes that stop certain genes from being expressed in stem cells in embryos soon after fertilization when the sperm fuses with the egg. The team came across the result while comparing … Continue reading →

SINGAPORE, July 2 (Bernama) -- Scientists in Singapore and Germany have discovered a molecular network in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) that integrates cell communication signals to keep the cell in its stem cell state. In a statement, A*STAR's Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) said these findings by the institute and the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics (MPIMG) in Berlin, were reported in the June 2013 issue of Molecular Cell. Many factors are required for stem cells to keep their special state, among others is the use of cell communication pathways. Cell communication is of key importance in multicellular organisms, such as the coordinated development of tissues in the embryo so that cells receive signals and respond accordingly. If there are errors in the signals, the cell will respond differently, possibly leading to diseases such as cancer. The communication signals which are used in hESCs activate a chain of reactions (called the extracellular regulated kinase (ERK) pathway) within each cell, causing the cell to respond by activating genetic information. The authors propose a model that integrates this bi-directional control to keep the cell in the stem cell state. These findings are particularly relevant for stem cell research, but they … Continue reading →

Editor's Choice Academic Journal Main Category: Parkinson's Disease Also Included In: Stem Cell Research Article Date: 01 Jul 2013 - 0:00 PDT Current ratings for: Parkinson's Treatment With Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neurons Shows Promise 3 (2 votes) The study - "Survival and Integration of Neurons Derived from Human Embryonic Stem Cells in MPTP Lesioned Primates" - has been published in the journal Cell Transplantation. Dr. D. Eugene Redmond, Yale University School of Medicine, said "Parkinson's disease was one of the first neurological disorders to be studied for potential replacement of lost neurons. Since the 1970s there has been significant progress with learning the required gene expression, growth factors and culture conditions for differentiating cells into apparent dopamine neurons." However, the authors explained that there have been disappointing results when transplanting dopamine neurons into rodents or monkeys - they did not become long-lasting midbrain specific neurons. They added that "there have only been pilot reports of functional improvement". In this study, the scientists assessed the long-term survival of apparent dopamine neurons in monkeys modeled with Parkinson's-like symptoms. They also tested the functional benefit of the new neurons. The authors found, as in previous studies, that gene expression of TH (tyrosine hydroxylase) … Continue reading →

Omar Lopez - CIRM Creativity Awards Intern PI: Dr. Miki High School: Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School So basically i sat down and explained my personal experience in the training we did in t... By: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine … Continue reading →

Lisa Yanuaria PI of Laboratory: Dr. Toshio Miki High School: Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet Description: A brief summary of the first 2 weeks of internship and a typical d... By: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine … Continue reading →

Erica Keane - High School Stem Cell Research Intern June 2013 The CIRM Creativity Awards support summer internship programs that introduce high school students to stem cell science and foster the next generation of scie... By: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine … Continue reading →

Charmaine Chan Rocio Ochoa - High School Stem Cell Research Intern June 2013 The CIRM Creativity Awards support summer internship programs that introduce high school students to stem cell science and foster the next generation of scie... By: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine … Continue reading →

Christina Bui - High School Stem Cell Research Intern June 2013 The CIRM Creativity Awards support summer internship programs that introduce high school students to stem cell science and foster the next generation of scie... By: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine … Continue reading →

Ariel Lowrey- High School Stem Cell Research Intern June 2013 The CIRM Creativity Awards support summer internship programs that introduce high school students to stem cell science and foster the next generation of scie... By: California Institute for Regenerative Medicine … Continue reading →

Stem Cell Research in MS Dr. Kantor discusses stem cell research in MS. By: msworldinc … Continue reading →