Category Archives: Stem Cell Research

SAN DIEGO (CNS) - Researchers at San Diego-based life science organizations have discovered a molecule that converts stem cells into healthy heart cells, possibly setting the stage for therapies that would replace some heart transplants, according to a study published in a scientific journal Friday. The finding published in the journal Cell Stem Cell could lead to new treatments for heart disease. The study was conducted at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, the Human BioMolecular Research Institute, and ChemRegen Inc. The molecule known as ITD-1 is able to generate an unlimited supply of heart cells, which would give scientists more cells to study in their research and give physicians healthy cells to use to treat diseased hearts, according to the study. Mark Mercola, director of Sanford-Burnham's Muscle Development and Regeneration Program, said heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, but doctors can't replace damaged heart muscle. "The only way to effectively replace lost heart muscle cells - called cardiomyocytes - is to transplant the entire heart," said Mercola, the senior author of the study. "Using a drug to create new heart muscle from stem cells would be far more appealing than heart transplantation." Stem cells were … Continue reading →

Sigma Life Science, the biological products and services arm of Sigma-Aldrich Corporation (SIAL), announced a deal with Axiogenesis to launch mouse induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell-derived cardiomyocytes and smooth muscle cells. These cardiomyocytes and smooth muscle cells aid in long-term studies to accurately measure cardiotoxicity in drug trials. Axiogenesis' iPS cell-derived cardiomyocytes help in diagnosing toxic elements that are not possible through other experiments. These cardiomyocytes also maintain physiologically-relevant biology, purity and spontaneous beating for longer than 28 days. On the other hand, Sigma Life Science's existing stem cell product portfolio provides ample support for iPS cell-related research. Axiogenesis AG is a biotechnology company that develops novel assays that use differentiated embryonic stem cell that display normal physiological behavior. Axiogenesis is expanding its portfolio through the iPS technology by introducing murine IPS based products and services. Sigma-Aldrich, a life-science and specialty chemical company, releases its second quarter 2012 earnings last month. The company posted adjusted earnings of 97 cents per share in the quarter, meeting the Zacks Consensus Estimate while exceeding the year-ago earnings of 93 cents. Profit, as reported, marginally increased to $115 million or 94 cents per share in the quarter from $113 million or 91 cents a … Continue reading →

ScienceDaily (Aug. 2, 2012) UCLA stem cell researchers have found for the first time a surprising and unexpected plasticity in the embryonic endothelium, the place where blood stem cells are made in early development. Scientists found that the lack of one transcription factor, a type of gene that controls cell fate by regulating other genes, allows the precursors that normally generate blood stem and progenitor cells in blood forming tissues to become something very unexpected -- beating cardiomyocytes, or heart muscle cells. The finding is important because it suggests that the endothelium can serve as a source of heart muscle cells. The finding may provide new understanding of how to make cardiac stem cells for use in regenerative medicine, said study senior author Dr. Hanna Mikkola, an associate professor of molecular, cell and developmental biology in Life Sciences and a researcher with the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA. "It was absolutely unbelievable. These findings went beyond anything that we could have imagined," Mikkola said. "The microenvironment in the embryonic vasculature that normally gives rise to blood cells can generate cardiac cells when only one factor, Scl, is removed, essentially converting a … Continue reading →

Public release date: 2-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Krista Conger kristac@stanford.edu 650-725-5371 Stanford University Medical Center STANFORD, Calif. Stem cells are special. Nestled in muscle and skin, organ and bone, they bide their time over years or decades until called to replace damaged or lost tissue. One secret to their longevity is an enzyme called telomerase, which stills the relentless ticking of the molecular clock that limits the life span of other cells. This cellular fountain of youth prevents the progressive shortening of the tips of our chromosomes that occurs with each cell division. But the presence of telomerase can be a double-edged sword: The same activity that ensures long life for stem cells can also keep a cancer cell dividing long after its aging neighbors have thrown in the towel. Conversely, a malfunction can prevent stem cells from doing their job and lead to devastating diseases. Now, for the first time, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified how telomerase is recruited to chromosome ends and figured out a way to block it. "If telomerase is unable to maintain the ends of the chromosomes, cells will stop multiplying," said professor of medicine Steven … Continue reading →

Newswise UCLA stem cell researchers have found for the first time a surprising and unexpected plasticity in the embryonic endothelium, the place where blood stem cells are made in early development. Scientists found that the lack of one transcription factor, a type of gene that controls cell fate by regulating other genes, allows the precursors that normally generate blood stem and progenitor cells in blood forming tissues to become something very unexpected - beating cardiomyocytes, or heart muscle cells. The finding is important because it suggests that the endothelium can serve as a source of heart muscle cells. The finding may provide new understanding of how to make cardiac stem cells for use in regenerative medicine, said study senior author Dr. Hanna Mikkola, an associate professor of molecular, cell and developmental biology in Life Sciences and a researcher with the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA. It was absolutely unbelievable. These findings went beyond anything that we could have imagined, Mikkola said. The microenvironment in the embryonic vasculature that normally gives rise to blood cells can generate cardiac cells when only one factor, Scl, is removed, essentially converting a hematopoietic organ into … Continue reading →

DALLAS and GERMANTOWN, Md., Aug. 2, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BioLife Cell Bank, Inc., the leader in cryogenic storage of adipose (fat) tissue and adult mesenchymal stem and regenerative cells, and Intrexon Corporation, a synthetic biology company that utilizes its proprietary products to provide control over cellular function, announced today the formation of a global exclusive research collaboration. Under the collaboration, BioLife, with its extensive physician network and stem cell experience coupled with Intrexon's innovative technology, will strive to produce new treatments for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). "With the tremendous potential of this collaboration, we are more than excited for the SMA community," said John A. Carbona, Chief Executive Officer of BioLife. "Intrexon's impressive suite of technologies will give researchers access to unprecedented resources including new techniques and processes which could rapidly propel us toward the development of new treatments and products to help treat children with SMA." Carbona continued, "I am happy to help realize the dream of our founders, Dr. David G. Genecov and John D. Harkey Jr., to make a positive and sustainable impact in health care. We're elated by our new collaboration with Intrexon and will undertake immediately the establishment of relationships with the world's leading … Continue reading →

Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Cancer / Oncology Also Included In: Stem Cell Research;Biology / Biochemistry Article Date: 02 Aug 2012 - 2:00 PDT Current ratings for: Cancer Stem Cells May Drive Tumor Growth 4.25 (4 votes) Papers on all three studies appeared online on Wednesday, two in Nature and one in Science. In all three studies, the teams used genetic cell-marking techniques to track cell lineage and show that a restricted cell population appears to be the source of new tumor cells, in much the same way as stem cells are the "master builders" of new healthy cells. GBM is a type of brain cancer that is currently considered incurable. It is a fast-growing tumor with a median survival of about 15 months. Although initially it responds to chemotherapy, the cancer nearly always comes back. In their study, Parada and colleagues used genetically engineered mice bred to develop GBM and found that the resting tumor cells act more like stem cells. They used a genetic marker that labels healthy adult neural stem cells, but not their more specialized descendants, to see if it would do the same for cancer stem cells in GBM. When they did so, they … Continue reading →

When cancers are treated, tumors may shrink but then come roaring back. Now studies on three different types of tumors suggest a key reason why: The cancers are fueled by stem cells that chemotherapy drugs don't kill. The findings made by independent research teams that used mice to study tumors of the brain, intestines and skin could change the approach to fighting cancers in humans, experts said. Properties of these so-called cancer stem cells can be investigated so researchers can devise strategies for killing them off, said Luis F. Parada, a molecular geneticist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and senior author of one of the studies published Wednesday. "Everything has a soft underbelly once you understand it well," Parada said. "With all the modern molecular techniques and modern approaches we have, we should be able to find their soft underbelly." Cancer researchers have long suspected and some pioneering studies have strongly suggested that specific cells within tumors are responsible for their continued growth. But the earlier experiments hadn't convinced everyone, and the hypothesis has been controversial. The three papers published by the journals Nature and Science "really should seal the deal," said cancer biologist Owen … Continue reading →

In April, The Scientist asked, Are Cancer Stem Cells Ready for Prime Time? The controversial hypothesis posits that cells with stem-cell-like characteristicssuch as the ability to self-renew and give rise to more tumor cellscontribute to cancers ability to evade traditional therapies. But despite previous investigations, which found subsets of tumor cells with the ability to grow in immunocompromised mice, not everyone is convinced that endogenous tumor development is stimulated by cells with self-renewal capacity. Now, using genetic labeling techniques, three new studies trace cell lineages in new tumors to provide strong evidence for the existence of cancer stem cells. Published today (August 1) in Nature and Science, the technically elegant studies provide support for the cancer stem cell model across three different types of solid tumorsskin, intestinal, and brainsaid Max Wicha, an oncologist at the University of Michigan who helped develop the cancer stem cell hypothesis and in 2004 co-founded OncoMed Pharmaceuticals to develop therapies targeting cancer stem cells, but was not involved in the research. The cancer stem cell hypothesis states that cells in tumors display a similar hierarchy to normal tissues that are renewed by stem cells, like the skin or intestinal epithelium, explained Sunit Das, a neurobiologist … Continue reading →

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/lpl7vb/annals_meeting_rep) has announced the addition of John Wiley and Sons Ltd's new book "Annals Meeting Reports. Diabetes and Oral Disease, Stem Cells, and Chronic Inflammatory Pain" to their offering. This volume presents reports from recent scientific meetings on topics in emerging fields: (1) Diabetes and Oral Disease: Implications for Health Professionals; (2) The New York Stem Cell Foundation: Sixth Annual Translational Stem Cell Research Conference; and (3) Chronic Inflammatory and Neuropathic Pain. "Diabetes and Oral Disease: Implications for Health Professionals" was a one-day conference convened by the Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, and the New York Academy of Sciences on May 4, 2011 at The New York Academy of Sciences in New York City. The program included an examination of the bidirectional relationship between oral disease and diabetes and the inter-professional working relationships for the care of people who have diabetes. The overall goal of the conference was to promote discussion among the healthcare professions who treat people with diabetes, encourage improved communication and collaboration among them and ultimately, improve patient management of the oral and overall effects of diabetes. Attracting over 150 members of the … Continue reading →