Category Archives: Stem Cell Research

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev established a stem cell research fund last month, a fund that will support scholarly collaboration between selected medical and pharmacological researchers, stem biologists and tissue engineers. The source of the funding is Rhoda Baruch, in memory of her late husband, Dr. Jordan Baruch. The Baruchs are from Chevy Chase, Md., and are the founders of the Washington-Baltimore Region of American Associates of Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (AABGU). The stem cell center is a new endeavor [for BGU], said Keren Waranch, director of the regional branch. This is one of the top priorities for President Rivka Carmi and for the school. This endowment fund is a big step in the fulfilling their plans. Dr. Baruch, said Waranch, was a longtime supporter of Ben-Gurion University and himself an inventor, an incredible innovator and a forward thinker. He was considered one of the foremost authorities in the field of acoustics and had several patents for sound-dampening technology and loudspeaker systems. In the late 1970s, he served as assistant secretary of commerce for science and technology under President Jimmy Carter. In that role, he helped create the Binational Research and Development Foundation (BIRD), administered locally by the Maryland/Israel … Continue reading →

Researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center on Tuesday announced a significant step in adult stem cell research that could take science closer to cures for glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration. A team led by Iqbal Ahmad, professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences, used adult stem cells from the cornea, the clear window at the front of the eye, and reprogrammed them to act like cells in a developing babys retina. The retina, located at the back of the eye, transforms light into neural signals thatcan be interpreted by the brain, an essential part of vision. Ahmad said the teams work built off that of Drs. John B. Gurdon and Shinya Yamanaka, who won this years Nobel Prize in science after they genetically altered adult stem cells to mimic embryonic stem cells. Before the pair's discovery, scientists believed embryonic cells, which have far greater potential to develop into different types of cells, could come only from embryos. In that early breakthrough, researchers directly manipulated gene expression inside cells to cause them to reset themselves to a more primitive state. The real advance of Ahmads team came in causing adult stem cells to change by placing them in a chemical … Continue reading →

Jan. 22, 2013 Human life is dependent on the constant growth of plants, and it is the job of stem cells to see to it that this occurs. They are found at the tips of the shoots and roots, the so-called meristems. Stem cells can transform themselves into other types of cells and develop new organs, such as leaves, fruits, and twigs, throughout the entire lifespan of the plant. However, in order for the plant to continue growing and developing organs, several cells at the tips of the shoots and roots have to remain stem cells. In order to ensure that this is the case, the cells need signals to help them identify their position in the plant and trigger the appropriate developmental program. A team led by Prof. Dr. Thomas Laux from the Institute of Biology III of the University of Freiburg has succeeded in confirming that plants need a micro-RNA at the tip of their shoots to prevent all of the stem cells from transforming themselves into other cell types. The Freiburg researchers used thale cress as a model organism for their studies. Their findings have now been published in the journal Developmental Cell. Micro-RNAs are very small … Continue reading →

Jan. 22, 2013 The research group of Luciano Di Croce, from the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona (Spain), has discovered that RYBP and CBX7, two proteins essential for gene regulation, are at the heart of the most critical decision faced by embryonic stem cells: what type of cells to become. These findings, published in the last issue of Cell Reports, shed light on the molecular mechanisms involved in stem cell biology and might have important therapeutic implications. Stem cells are the precursors of our tissue and organs. Using them could be highly promising for regenerative medicine, yet little is known about the mechanisms that regulated the potential of stem cells to give rise to the different cell types within organisms. The Polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) is an epigenetic regulator essential for stem cell function and cancer progression. It has only recently become clear that PRC1 comes in different flavors, depending on which specific proteins are incorporated into it (such as either CBX7 or RYBP). However, whether or not these PRC1 subtypes carry out different biological functions was unclear. This work, headed by Lluis Morey in the Di Croce group, has taken an important step in clarifying this … Continue reading →

Jan. 22, 2013 New University at Buffalo research demonstrates how defects in an important neurological pathway in early development may be responsible for the onset of schizophrenia later in life. The UB findings, published in Schizophrenia Research, test the hypothesis in a new mouse model of schizophrenia that demonstrates how gestational brain changes cause behavioral problems later in life -- just like the human disease. The genomic pathway, called the Integrative Nuclear FGFR 1 Signaling (INFS), is a central intersection point for multiple pathways of as many as 160 different genes believed to be involved in the disorder. "We believe this is the first model that explains schizophrenia from genes to development to brain structure and finally to behavior," says lead author Michal Stachowiak, PhD, professor in the Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences in the UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He also is director of the Stem Cell Engraftment & In Vivo Analysis Facility at the Western New York Stem Cell Culture and Analysis Center at UB. A key challenge with the disease is that patients with schizophrenia exhibit mutations in different genes, he says. "How is it possible to have 100 patients with schizophrenia and each … Continue reading →

George W. Bush: The American Presidency Project Remarks on Returning Without Approval to the Senate the "Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007" June 20, 2007 http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu By: ProfGP … Continue reading →

Stem Cells Research: Cures Treatments - http://WWW.OLOSCIENCE.COM ISSCR (International Society for Stem Cell Research) - The International Society for Stem Cell Research is an independent, nonprofit organization established to promote and foster the exchange and dissemination of information and ideas relating to stem cells, to encourage the general field of research involving stem cells and to promote professional and public education in all areas of stem cell research and application. Web Site: http://www.isscr.org By: Fausto Intilla … Continue reading →

HasslinHarlem Howard started off the show playing a few clips of Sal asking black people if they were voting for Obama, and attributed all of McCain's political policies to Obama to see if they would still vote for him. All the interviewees readily agreed with Obama when Sal lied to them about his pro-life, anti-stem-cell research and pro-war policies. Howard said the clips were revealing, and Sal came in to say he thought the election had become less about ideas and, instead, some kind of race war." By: HeyFingaz … Continue reading →

NEW YORK, Jan. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue: Cell Culture - Rising Demand for Biologics and Growing Visibility of Approval Pathway for Biosimilars will Create Growth Opportunities http://www.reportlinker.com/p01041702/Cell-Culture---Rising-Demand-for-Biologics-and-Growing-Visibility-of-Approval-Pathway-for-Biosimilars-will-Create-Growth-Opportunities.html#utm_source=prnewswire&utm_medium=pr&utm_campaign=In_Vitro_Diagnostic Cell Culture - Rising Demand for Biologics and Growing Visibility of Approval Pathway for Biosimilars will Create Growth Opportunities Summary This report is built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, primary and secondary research and in-house analysis by GBI Research's team of industry experts. Cell culture technology is used to carry out processes external to the natural environment by maintaining controlled environments which enable the growth of various cell cultures for use in medicine and research. The processes is related to methods involved in the development of tissue or organ cultures. Multicellular eukaryotic cells from animals are usually preferred for cell culture as they provide standard characteristics for growing environments. Plant cells are the second choice for culture technology, while fungi, bacteria, protists and others are also used for the developmental process. The development of recombinant methods involves genetic manipulation and restructuring of DNA or genes. Genetic recombination usually takes place in a biological environment, while DNA recombination … Continue reading →

What's being done in the lab about stem cells.mp4 http://www.stemcellsarthritistreatment.com Laboratory studies of stem cells enable scientists to learn about the cells' essential properties and what makes them different from specialized cell types. Scientists are already using stem cells in the laboratory to screen new drugs and to develop model systems to study normal growth and identify the causes of birth defects. Research on stem cells continues to advance knowledge about how an organism develops from a single cell and how healthy cells replace damaged cells in adult organisms. Stem cell research is one of the most fascinating areas of contemporary biology. However, research on stem cells raises scientific questions as rapidly as it generates new discoveries. http By: Nathan Wei … Continue reading →