MEDIA RELEASE A*STAR Scientists Make Groundbreaking Discovery on Stem Cell Regulation New link between polyamine levels and embryonic stem cell state deepens our understanding of embryonic stem cell regulation which is a key step in bringing cellular therapies from the laboratory to the clinic. 1. A*STAR scientists have for the first time, identified that precise regulation of polyamine[1] levels is critical for embryonic stem cell (ESC) self-renewal the ability of ESCs to divide indefinitely and directed differentiation. This paper is crucial for better understanding of ESC regulation and was published in the journal Genes & Development on 1st March by the team of scientists from the Institute of Medical Biology (IMB), a research institute under the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). 2. Embryonic stem cells hold great potential for the development of cellular therapies, where stem cells are used to repair tissue damaged by disease or trauma. This is due to their unique ability to renew themselves and differentiate into any specific types of cell in the body. One of the challenges with cellular therapies is ensuring that ESCs are fully and efficiently differentiated into the correct cell type. This study sheds light on understanding how ESCs are … Continue reading →

BEVERLY, MA and TORONTO--(Marketwire -03/01/12)- Hamilton Thorne Ltd. (TSX-V: HTL.V - News), a leading provider of precision laser devices and advanced imaging systems for the fertility, stem cell and developmental biology research markets, today announced the expansion of its distribution partnership with Leica Microsystems GmbH of Wetzlar, Germany, a leading global producer of innovative high-tech precision optics systems for the analysis of microstructures. This new arrangement will provide Leica Microsystems with access to Hamilton Thorne's current portfolio of laser products, as well as select pipeline products including the strongly anticipated IMSI STRICT software for the fertility market. The expanded partnership will enable Hamilton Thorne and Leica Microsystems to further penetrate markets that have proven successful and synergistic for both companies such as fertility and cell research markets. The new multi-year agreement provides Leica Microsystems with non-exclusive rights to market and distribute Hamilton Thorne products in Spain, Portugal and Italy, in addition to the North American market. Hamilton Thorne and Leica Microsystems continue to collaborate on technical product integration between the two companies. "We are pleased to continue our strategic partnership with Leica Microsystems, a renowned global leader in microscopy and optics. In the US markets especially, Leica Microsystems has provided … Continue reading →

Embryonic stem cells hold great potential for the development of cellular therapies, where stem cells are used to repair tissue damaged by disease or trauma. This is due to their unique ability to renew themselves and differentiate into any specific types of cell in the body. One of the challenges with cellular therapies is ensuring that ESCs are fully and efficiently differentiated into the correct cell type. This study sheds light on understanding how ESCs are regulated, which is essential to overcome these challenges and turn the vision of cell therapies into reality. Using a mouse model, the team of scientists from IMB showed that high levels of Amd1, a key enzyme in the polyamine synthesis pathway, is essential for maintenance of the ESC state and self renewal of ESCs. To further demonstrate the critical role of Amd1 in ESC self-renewal, the scientists showed that increasing Amd1 levels led to delayed ESC differentiation. The research also revealed that downregulation of Amd1 was necessary for differentiation of ESCs into neural precursor cells and that Amd1 is translationally regulated by a micro-RNA (miRNA), the first ever demonstration of miRNA-mediated regulation of the polyamine pathway. While the polyamine pathway is well established and … Continue reading →

Women may make new eggs throughout their reproductive yearschallenging a longstanding tenet that females are born with finite supplies, a new study says. The discovery may also lead to new avenues for improving women's health and fertility. A woman has two ovaries, which release eggs during her monthly ovulation.(Learn more about the human body.) Previous research had suggested that a woman is born with all the egg cells she will ever have in her lifetime. But in recent experiments, scientists discovered a new type of stem cell in the ovaries thatwhen grown in the labgenerates immature egg cells.The same immature cells isolated from adult mouse ovaries canturn into fertile eggs. Stem cells,found in embryos and certain adult body tissues, have the potential to grow into many different types of cells. (See"Liposuction Fat Turned Into Stem Cells, Study Says.") The finding reinforces the team's previous experiments in mice, which had identified a new type of ovarian stem cell that renews a female mouse's source of eggs throughout its fertile years. That study, published in the journal Nature in 2004, was the "first to reach the conclusion that this long-held belief in our fieldthat young girls are given a bank account at … Continue reading →

Public release date: 29-Feb-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Ong Siok Ming ong_siok_ming@a-star.edu.sg 65-682-66254 Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore A*STAR scientists have for the first time, identified that precise regulation of polyamine levels is critical for embryonic stem cell (ESC) self-renewal the ability of ESCs to divide indefinitely and directed differentiation. This paper is crucial for better understanding of ESC regulation and was published in the journal Genes & Development on 1st March by the team of scientists from the Institute of Medical Biology (IMB), a research institute under the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). Embryonic stem cells hold great potential for the development of cellular therapies, where stem cells are used to repair tissue damaged by disease or trauma. This is due to their unique ability to renew themselves and differentiate into any specific types of cell in the body. One of the challenges with cellular therapies is ensuring that ESCs are fully and efficiently differentiated into the correct cell type. This study sheds light on understanding how ESCs are regulated, which is essential to overcome these challenges and turn the vision of cell therapies into reality. Using a mouse model, the … Continue reading →