Baltimore A new method of creating versatile stem cells from a relatively simple manipulation of existing cells could further reduce the need for any stem-cell research involving human embryos, according to leading ethicists. Although the process has only been tested in mice, two studies published Jan. 29 in the journal Nature detailed research showing success with a process called stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency, or STAP. Scientists from Japan's RIKEN research institute and Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston were able to reprogram blood cells from newborn mice by placing them in a low-level acidic bath for 30 minutes. Seven to 9 percent of the cells subjected to such stress returned to a state of pluripotency and were able to grow into other types of cells in the body. "If this technology proves feasible with human cells, which seems likely, it will offer yet another alternative for obtaining highly flexible stem cells without relying on the destructive use of human embryos," said Fr. Tadeusz Pacholczyk, director of education at the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Philadelphia. "This is clearly a positive direction for scientific research." Pacholczyk, a priest of the diocese of Fall River, Mass., who holds a doctorate in … Continue reading →

JEFFERSON CITY Medical workers would be protected if they refused to participate in procedures such as abortions, fertility treatments or stem-cell research under a bill given initial approval by the Missouri House. House Speaker Tim Jones, R-Eureka, said his bill protected the conscience rights of workers who did not want to provide specific, limited procedures that violated their religious beliefs. He said it also protected patients from having someone distracted while treating them. This is good for workers in giving them more rights. This is good for patients, Jones said. Do you want that person taking care of you who is not 110 percent invested in what theyre doing and is sitting there wondering if theyre violating their religious beliefs? The bill would prohibit retaliation from employers if an employee gave reasonable notice that they didnt want to participate in specific procedures. Jones said he had revised the bill from previous years to include exceptions for emergency situations. The procedures listed in the bill include abortion, abortion-inducing drugs, contraception, reproductive assistance, human stem-cell research, human cloning, non-medically necessary sterilization and fetal tissue research. Besides employees, the bill also protects institutions from being required to provide any procedure that violates its … Continue reading →

Research | Events | Policy | People | Facilities | Business | Trend watch | Journalism grant | Coming up Cancer genomics Tumour genome sequencing may identify targeted treatments for only a fraction of patients with advanced breast cancer, according to research published on 7February (F.Andr etal. Lancet Oncol. http://doi.org/rdh; 2014). Of 423 people studied, the authors identified only 13% with mutations that matched an available experimental treatment. The rate of successful therapy-matching falls short of claims from some tumour-sequencing companies, but researchers expect odds to improve as more drugs move into clinical trials. Sharing drug data Ten major pharmaceutical companies have agreed to share data from early-stage trials with each other and with academic researcher, as part of a US$230-million venture with the US National Institutes of Health. The Accelerating Medicines Partnership, announced on 4February, is designed to speed up identification of biomarkers and promising drug targets for four diseases: Alzheimers, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and diabetes. Once the data are shared, the companies will be free to pursue proprietary research towards their own therapies. See go.nature.com/rn12cl for more. Frederic Stevens/Getty Illegal ivory crushed France destroyed 3 tonnes of poached ivory on 6February. It is the first European country to … Continue reading →

Released: 2/11/2014 6:00 PM EST Source Newsroom: City of Hope Contact Information Available for logged-in reporters only Newswise DUARTE, Calif. Despite continual advances in the treatment of brain tumors, infants and children diagnosed with medulloblastoma a fast-growing tumor in the cerebellum portion of the brain still face significant challenges overcoming this disease. One particularly tricky obstacle is the blood-brain barrier, which prevents cancer drugs from passing into the brain and attacking the tumor. Margarita Gutova, M.D., an assistant research professor in City of Hopes Department of Neurosciences, may have found a way to bypass that hurdle using neural stem cells. Neural stem cells offer a novel way to overcome this obstacle because they can cross the blood-brain-barrier, migrate to and selectively target tumor cells throughout the brain, Gutova said. The cells also can be engineered to help deliver anti-cancer agents directly to the tumor site, effectively targeting cancer cells while minimizing harm to surrounding normal tissue. Five foundations Alexs Lemonade Stand Foundation, Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation (PCRF), The Matthew Larson Foundation for Pediatric Brain Tumors and two anonymous foundations have announced grants totaling $450,000 in support of Gutovas work, allowing her to continue her preclinical studies of this novel treatment … Continue reading →