Flipping a genetic switch in tumour cells can halt the spread of cancer, scientists have shown. The discovery raises the possibility of stopping deadly disease in its tracks by blocking the gene, thought to be active in all aggressive cancers. HGMA1 operates like an orchestra conductor, regulating a range of biological processes tumours need to grow and spread around the body. Its usual role is to drive cell growth during embryonic development. In healthy adult cells, it is turned off, but the gene is reactivated in cancers. In laboratory tests, scientists found that suppressing HGMA1 in highly aggressive breast cancer caused the tumour cells to look much more normal and healthy. Their growth was greatly slowed and they stopped migrating and invading new territory. Breast tumours implanted into mice were far less likely to grow and spread when HGMA1 was blocked. Dr Linda Resar, from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, US, said : "This master regulator is normally turned off in adult cells, but it is very active during embryonic development and in all highly aggressive tumors studied to date. "Our work shows for the first time that switching this gene off in aggressive cancer cells dramatically … Continue reading →

Some of the most devastating forms of cancer have genetic similarities even though they strike different body parts, according to new studies out Thursday. The new research -- one study focused on a form of leukemia, in the New England Journal of Medicine, and a second on endometrial cancer, in Nature -- could offer a pathway to new, more effective treatments. The new findings challenge the previous approach of classifying tumors based on the body part where they are first observed, and add fuel to the growing trend of differentiating tumors based on their genetic profile. The research came as part of a vast program undertaken by the National Institutes of Health called the "Cancer Genome Atlas Project," which aims to decode the genetic pattern of 10,000 tumors from 20 different cancers. Thanks to that analysis, scientists had already found genetic relationships between certain forms of breast, lung, and colon cancers. For example, one type of breast cancer presents genetic mutations very similar to the ones found in ovarian cancer, and colon cancers often have mutations found in breast cancer. The researchers said around half of all lung cancers could respond to treatments used against other kinds of tumors. The … Continue reading →

SOME of the most devastating forms of cancer have genetic similarities even though they strike different body parts. The new research - one study focused on a form of leukaemia, in the New England Journal of Medicine, and a second on endometrial cancer, in Nature - could provide a pathway to new, more effective treatments. The findings, released on Thursday, challenge the previous approach of classifying tumours based on the body part where they are first observed, and add to the growing trend of differentiating tumours based on their genetic profile. The research is part of a vast program by the National Institutes of Health known as the Cancer Genome Atlas Project, which aims to decode the genetic pattern of 10,000 tumours from 20 different cancers. Scientists have already found genetic relationships between certain forms of breast, lung, and colon cancers. For example, one type of breast cancer presents genetic mutations very similar to the ones found in ovarian cancer, and colon cancers often have mutations found in breast cancer. The researchers said about half of all lung cancers could respond to treatments used against other kinds of tumours. The latest study found the most aggressive form of endometrial cancer, … Continue reading →

Lunch arrives and Jeffrey Ankenmanns eyes light up. Its steamed rice, his favourite, and a muffin. Jeffrey takes a nibble. Apple-spice, he says approvingly. Most 14-year-olds wouldnt thank you for a meal like this wheres the burger, where are the fries? But Jeffrey is just getting used to eating anything. Hes spent most of his life being fed formula every few hours through a G-tube into his stomach. He had no idea what food tasted like, or what it meant to be hungry. Because of a rare, recessive gene in each of his parents, and the even rarer chance that they should marry and have a child, he was born with methylmalonic acidemia, which means his body cant process some proteins and fats. This can lead to brain and nerve damage, breathing problems, seizures and strokes. Babies who are not quickly diagnosed and treated often die. And even going a few hours without nourishment can prove fatal. Jeffrey also didnt know how it feels not to be nauseous. He was vomiting for years, says his mom Bernadette. His dad, Gary, adds: To him, it was natural. He was used to going through life not being very well. The Mississauga family … Continue reading →

2013 Stem Cell Therapy #2 update from India. By: Louis Rowe … Continue reading →

Exploring the Mind's Eye: the Regenerative Potentials of Stem Cell Therapy This is done with the purpose of informing you guys about the regenerative potential of stem cell therapy on the eye, By: fergus chan … Continue reading →

Getting personal with Ernesto Maceda The glory days of the Senate may well be re-created if former Senate President Ernesto Maceda wins in the May 13 elections. At 77, Mr. Expose is still in his... By: inquirernews … Continue reading →

Defying the FDA for Stem Cell Treatment A short video re: funding for stem cell/ccsvi treatment in Pune India..I'm declining..I may look healthy but make up helps...this is my campaign site.. http:... By: Jayne Thomas … Continue reading →

Public release date: 2-May-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Su-Chun Zhang szhang4@wisc.edu 608-265-2543 University of Wisconsin-Madison MADISON, Wis. A University of Wisconsin-Madison research group has converted skin cells from people and monkeys into a cell that can form a wide variety of nervous-system cells without passing through the do-it-all stage called the induced pluripotent stem cell, or iPSC. Bypassing the ultra-flexible iPSC stage was a key advantage, says senior author Su-Chun Zhang, a professor of neuroscience and neurology. "IPSC cells can generate any cell type, which could be a problem for cell-based therapy to repair damage due to disease or injury in the nervous system." In particular, the absence of iPSC cells rules out the formation of tumors by pluripotent cells in the recipient, a major concern involving stem cell therapy. A second advance comes from the virus that delivers genes to reprogram the adult skin cells into a different and more flexible form. Unlike other viruses used for this process, the Sendai virus does not become part of the cell's genes. Jianfeng Lu, Zhang's postdoctoral research associate at the UWMadison Waisman Center, removed skin cells from monkeys and people, and exposed them to Sendai virus for 24 … Continue reading →

GERMANTOWN, Md., May 2, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- RNL BIO, a stem cell biotechnology company dedicated to the commercialization of autologous cell therapy products for a variety of degenerative, ischemic and other indications, has announced that it has filed an Investigational New Drug application (IND) with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin clinical trials with its adipose-derived stem cell product, termed RNL-JointStem, for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). Assuming approval of the IND by the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) at the FDA, RNL BIO plans to initiate its double-blinded, randomized, positive-control Phase II clinical trial during the third quarter of 2013 in Sugarland, Texas. Dr. Jason Dragoo of Stanford University and Dr. David Alan Fisher of Indiana University acted as reviewers and completed revision of the protocol now under evaluation by the FDA. Phase I and Phase II clinical trials of RNL-JointStem have already been completed under the authority of the Korean Food and Drug Administration (KFDA). "We are excited about filing an IND for RNL-JointStem because it brings us closer to a clinical trial with RNL-JointStem in the United States," said Jeong-Chan Ra, CEO and Chairman of RNL BIO. "Our goal for this trial is … Continue reading →