Category Archives: Stem Cell Research

Wolbachia-encoded factors control pattern of stem-cell niche tropism inDrosophila and favor infection Newswise Wolbachia are intracellular bacteria that infect invertebrates at pandemic levels, including insects that cause such devastating diseases as Dengue fever, West Nile virus, and malaria. While Wolbachia-based technologies are emerging as promising tools for the control of the insect vectors of these deadly diseases, the processes underlying Wolbachias successful propagation within and across species remain elusive. A new study by Boston University researchers sheds light on some of these processes by providing evidence that A new study by Boston University researchers sheds light on some of these processes by providing evidence that Wolbachia target the ovarian stem cell niches of its hostsa strategy previously overlooked to explain how Wolbachia thrive in nature. Wolbachia target the ovarian stem cell niches of its hostsa strategy previously overlooked to explain how Wolbachia thrive in nature. The study, Evolutionarily conserved Wolbachia-encoded factors control pattern of stem-cell niche tropism in Drosophila ovaries and favor infection, has been published in the current issue of PNAS Early Edition (www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1301524110). Although Wolbachia are mainly vertically transmitted (from the parental generation of the species to the offspring), there is also evidence of extensive horizontal transmission (from … Continue reading →

June 6, 2013 Scientists at the Danish Stem Cell Center, DanStem, at the University of Copenhagen have discovered that they can make embryonic stem cells regress to a stage of development where they are able to make placenta cells as well as the other fetal cells. This significant discovery, published in the journal Cell Reports today, has the potential to shed new light on placenta related disorders that can lead to problematic pregnancies and miscarriages. Embryonic stem cells can make all kinds of adult cells in the human body such as muscle, blood or brain cells. However, these embryonic stem cells are created at a point when the embryo has already lost the ability to make extra-embryonic tissue such as placenta and yolk sac. Extra-embryonic tissues are formed at the very earliest stage of development right after fertilization and are essential for the growth of the embryo and its implantation in the womb. A team of scientists at the Danish Stem Cell Center, DanStem, at the University of Copenhagen have shown that it is possible to rewind the developmental state of embryonic stem cells. By maintaining mouse embryonic stem cells under certain conditions, they found that cells appear to regress … Continue reading →

Spotlight on Genomics: Understanding Our Genes - A Step to Personalized Medicine Visit: http://www.uctv.tv/) Learn about the essential role of genomics in the development of stem cell based therapies. Craig Venter, president and founder ... By: UCtelevision … Continue reading →

June 4, 2013 CSIRO scientists have developed a test to identify unsafe stem cells. It is the first safety test specifically for human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS) -- as published today in the international journal Stem Cells. The breakthrough is a significant step in improving the quality of iPS cells and identifying unwanted cells that can form tumours. The test also determines how stable iPS cells are when grown in the lab. "The test we have developed allows us to easily identify unsafe iPS cells. Ensuring the safety of these cell lines is paramount and we hope this test will become a routine screen as part of developing safe and effective iPS-based cell therapies." Dr Andrew Laslett and his team have spent the last five years working on the project. The research has focused on comparing different types of iPS cells with human embryonic stem cells. iPS cells are now the most commonly used pluripotent stem cell type for research. "The test we have developed allows us to easily identify unsafe iPS cells. Ensuring the safety of these cell lines is paramount and we hope this test will become a routine screen as part of developing safe and effective … Continue reading →

Many US centres prohibit research on embryonic stem cells. OHSU Photos The announcement last month of a long-awaited breakthrough in stem-cell research the creation of stem-cell lines from a cloned human embryo has revived interest in using embryonic stem cells to treat disease. But US regulations mean that many researchers will be watching those efforts from the sidelines. The US National Institutes of Health (NIH), which distributes the majority of federal funding for stem-cell research, prohibits research on cells taken from embryos created solely for research a category that includes the six stem-cell lines developed by Shoukhrat Mitalipov, a reproductive-biology specialist at the Oregon Health and Science University in Beaverton, and his colleagues1. The team used cloning techniques to combine a donor cell with an unfertilized egg whose nucleus had been removed, creating a self-regenerating stem-cell colony that is genetically matched to the cell donor. Mitalipovs cell lines are also off limits to researchers funded by the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), which was created in part to support stem-cell work that is restricted by the NIH. CIRM funds cannot be used for studies that pay women for their eggs or rely on cell lines produced using eggs from … Continue reading →

Public release date: 4-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Mary Beth O'Leary moleary@cell.com 617-397-2802 Cell Press New research provides critical insights into how normal breast precursor cells may be genetically vulnerable to develop into cancer. The research is published June 4th in the inaugural issue of Stem Cell Reports, an open-access journal from the International Society of Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) published by Cell Press. Scientists discovered that a particular class of normal breast precursor cells have extremely short chromosome ends (known as telomeres). As a result, these cells would be expected to be prone to acquiring mutations that lead to cancer if they managed to stay alive. These findings suggest new indicators for identifying women at higher risk for breast cancer and provide insights into potential new strategies to detect, treat, and prevent the disease. Dr. David Gilley's laboratory at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis and Dr. Connie Eaves' laboratory at the BC Cancer Agency's Terry Fox Laboratory in Vancouver, Canada, collaborated to determine how telomeres are regulated in different types of normal breast cells. Their studies revealed that a subset of normal breast precursor cells, called luminal progenitors, have dangerously short telomeres and … Continue reading →

Public release date: 4-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Bryan Ghosh bghosh@plos.org 44-122-344-2837 Public Library of Science Researchers at the University of Cambridge have discovered that a single mutation in a leukemia-associated gene reduces the ability of blood stem cells to make more blood stem cells, but leaves their progeny daughter cells unaffected. Their findings have relevance to all cancers that are suspected to have a stem cell origin as they advance our understanding of how single stem cells are subverted to cause tumors. Published this week in PLOS Biology, the study by Professor Tony Green and his team at the Cambridge Institute for Medical Research is the first to isolate highly purified single stem cells and study their individual responses to a mutation that can predispose individuals to a human malignancy. This mutation is in a gene called JAK2, which is present in most patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs)a group of bone marrow diseases that are characterized by the over-production of mature blood cells and by an increased risk of developing leukemia. Using a unique mathematical modeling approach, carried out in collaboration with Professor Ben Simons at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge, in combination with experiments on … Continue reading →

NEWARK, Calif., June 4, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StemCells, Inc. (STEM), a leading stem cell company developing and commercializing novel cell-based therapeutics and tools for use in stem cell-based research and drug discovery, has entered into an agreement with Lincoln Park Capital Fund, LLC ("Lincoln Park"), an institutional investor based in Chicago, Illinois, under which the Company has the right to sell up to $30.0 million of common stock to Lincoln Park. Proceeds from any sales of stock will be used for general corporate purposes. Under the terms of the agreement, Lincoln Park will immediately purchase $3.0 million in shares of StemCells common stock at a purchase price of $1.823 per share, which was the average of the prior ten trading days' volume weighted average price. Furthermore, for a period of three years, the Company has the right, at its sole discretion, to sell additional amounts up to $27.0 million of common stock to Lincoln Park subject to certain limitations. The Company will control the timing of any future sales and the amount of shares to be sold. Lincoln Park has no right to require any sales and is obligated to purchase the common stock as directed by the Company, … Continue reading →

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Jun 4, 2013) - Stem Cell Therapeutics Corp. (TSX VENTURE:SSS) (SCTPF), a biopharmaceutical company developing cancer stem cell-related therapeutics, today announced that Dr. Aaron Schimmer has been awarded a prestigious national award for his groundbreaking cancer research for the second time in approximately a year. Each year, the Canadian Cancer Society honours four exceptional Canadian scientists who have made significant contributions to progress in cancer research. This year, Dr. Schimmer is the recipient of the Bernard and Francine Dorval Prize, which is awarded to a promising investigator who began their independent research within the previous 10 years and who has made outstanding contributions to basic biomedical research. In 2012, Dr. Schimmer received the Till & McCulloch Award, presented each year by the Stem Cell Network in recognition of the year's most influential peer-reviewed article by a researcher in Canada. Dr. Schimmer's laboratory is investigating the repurposing of several FDA-approved drugs with favourable pharmacokinetic and toxicological properties for use as novel anticancer agents. One of these drugs is tigecycline, a broad-spectrum antibiotic. Stem Cell Therapeutics ("SCT") recently acquired exclusive worldwide rights to an innovative clinical cancer stem cell program based on Dr. Schimmer's discovery that tigecycline targets and … Continue reading →

The California Institute of Regenerative Medicine is rethinking its rules in the wake of a recent breakthrough involving the creation of stem-cell lines from a cloned human embryo By David Cyranoski and Nature magazine Many US centers prohibit research on embryonic stem cells. Image: OHSU Photos Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way... Read More The announcement last month of a long-awaited breakthrough in stem-cell research the creation of stem-cell lines from a cloned human embryo has revived interest in using embryonic stem cells to treat disease. But US regulations mean that many researchers will be watching those efforts from the sidelines. The US National Institutes of Health (NIH), which distributes the majority of federal funding for stem-cell research, prohibits research on cells taken from embryos created solely for research a category that includes the six stem-cell lines developed by Shoukhrat Mitalipov, a reproductive-biology specialist at the Oregon Health and Science University in Beaverton, and his colleagues. The team used cloning techniques to combine a donor cell with an unfertilized egg whose nucleus had been removed, creating a self-regenerating stem-cell colony that … Continue reading →