Genetic studies in humans, zebrafish and mice have revealed how two different types of genetic variations team up to cause a rare condition called Hirschsprung's disease. The findings add to an increasingly clear picture of how flaws in early nerve development lead to poor colon function, which must often be surgically corrected. The study also provides a window into normal nerve development and the genes that direct it. The results appear in the April 2 issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics. About one in every 5,000 babies is born with Hirschsprung's disease, which causes bowel obstruction and can be fatal if not treated. The disease arises early in development when nerves that should control the colon fail to grow properly. Those nerves are part of the enteric nervous system, which is separate from the central nervous system that enables our brains to sense the world. The genetic causes of Hirschsprung's disease are complex, making it an interesting case study for researchers like Aravinda Chakravarti, Ph.D., a professor in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine's McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine. His research group took on the condition in 1990, and in 2002, it performed the first-ever genomewide association … Continue reading →

(Boston)--Using patient-derived stem cells known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) to study the genetic lung/liver disease called alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency, researchers have for the first time created a disease signature that may help explain how abnormal protein leads to liver disease. The study, which appears in Stem Cell Reports, also found that liver cells derived from AAT deficient iPSCs are more sensitive to drugs that cause liver toxicity than liver cells derived from normal iPSCs. This finding may ultimately lead to new treatments for the condition. IPSC's are derived from the donated skin or blood cells of adults and, with the reactivation of four genes, are reprogrammed back to an embryonic stem cell-like state. Like embryonic stem cells, iPSC can be differentiated toward any cell type in the body, but they do not require the use of embryos. Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is a common genetic cause of both liver and lung disease affecting an estimated 3.4 million people worldwide. Researchers from the Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM) at Boston University and Boston Medical Center (BMC) worked for several years in collaboration with Dr. Paul Gadue and his group from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to create iPSC from patients … Continue reading →

Using patient-derived stem cells known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) to study the genetic lung/liver disease called alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency, researchers have for the first time created a disease signature that may help explain how abnormal protein leads to liver disease. The study, which appears in Stem Cell Reports, also found that liver cells derived from AAT deficient iPSCs are more sensitive to drugs that cause liver toxicity than liver cells derived from normal iPSCs. This finding may ultimately lead to new treatments for the condition. IPSC's are derived from the donated skin or blood cells of adults and, with the reactivation of four genes, are reprogrammed back to an embryonic stem cell-like state. Like embryonic stem cells, iPSC can be differentiated toward any cell type in the body, but they do not require the use of embryos. Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is a common genetic cause of both liver and lung disease affecting an estimated 3.4 million people worldwide. Researchers from the Center for Regenerative Medicine (CReM) at Boston University and Boston Medical Center (BMC) worked for several years in collaboration with Dr. Paul Gadue and his group from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to create iPSC from patients … Continue reading →

All living things--from dandelions to reindeer--evolve over time. Cancer cells are no exception, and are subject to the two overarching mechanisms described by Charles Darwin: chance mutation and natural selection. In new research, Carlo Maley, PhD., and his colleagues describe compulsive evolution and dramatic genetic diversity in cells belonging to one of the most treatment-resistant and lethal forms of blood cancer: acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The authors suggest the research may point to new paradigms in both the diagnosis and treatment of aggressive cancers, like AML. Maley is a researcher at Arizona State University's Biodesign Institute and an assistant professor in ASU's School of Life Sciences. His work focuses on applying principles of evolutionary biology and ecology to the study of cancer. The group's findings appear in this week's issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine. The cells, they are a changin' A tumor is a laboratory for evolutionary processes in which nature experiments with an immense repertoire of variants. Mutations that improve a cell's odds of survival are "selected for," while non-adaptive cells are weeded out in the evolutionary lottery. Genetic diversity therefore provides cancer cells with a library of possibilities, with some mutations conferring heightened resistance to attack … Continue reading →

Australia - New Zealand - Asia & Pacific Rim - China - Italy The Foundation is a privately funded philanthropic (non profit) organization advising un-well people about how to gain access to Adult Stem Cell Therapy (ASCT). The Foundation is also promoting a plan to its members on how to prevent or limit the progression of degenerative diseases and other conditions. Degenerative disease is an escalating world problem that, if not controlled, could bankrupt our health systems. A major objective of the Foundation is to highlight that people suffering from degenerative conditions now have the option of considering Adult Stem Cell Therapy. This therapy may improve quality of life for sufferers of Arthritis, MS, Parkinsons, Diabetes, Stroke, Alzheimers, Spinal Cord injuries, Cancer or Chronic Pain to name a few. A stem cell transplant, instead of a joint replacement, is fast becoming the preferred first option for orthopedic surgeons. The Foundation intends to educate parents/carers of children suffering from a debilitating or degenerative condition like Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, Autism, Spinal injuries, Cystic fibrosis, ADHD etc. Stem cell treatments have progressed in leaps and bounds for these conditions. There are now state of the art clinics that specialize in treating the … Continue reading →

Profiles in Nanomedicine Research: Cademartiri By: ISUengineering … Continue reading →

New York, NY (PRWEB) April 03, 2015 A research team showed that a nanotherapeutic medicine can halt the growth of artery plaque cells resulting in the fast reduction of the inflammation that may cause a heart attack, according to a study led by researchers from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published April 3 in Science Advances. In just one week our novel cell proliferation-specific approach successfully suppressed atherosclerotic plaque growth and inflammation in mice engineered to mimic human vascular disease, says lead study author Jun Tang, MS, a PhD student at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Atherosclerosis is a major cause of death around the globe, and our nanomedicine strategy promises to offer a new way to reduce the number of heart attacks and strokes. Building upon a recent discovery by their Massachusetts General Hospital research collaborators that macrophage proliferation dictates atherosclerosis-related vessel wall inflammation, the Mount Sinai research team applied a nanomedicine strategy with a molecule of good cholesterol, or high-density lipoprotein (HDL), a naturally occurring shuttle that travels from the liver to arteries. The research team took advantage of HDLs natural travel routes, loading it with the widely-used cholesterol-lowering medication called simvastatin (Zocor), … Continue reading →