27 February 2012 Last updated at 00:06 ET Hydrogen sulphide, the gas famed for generating the stench in stink bombs, flatulence and bad breath, has been harnessed by stem cell researchers in Japan. Their study, in the Journal of Breath Research, investigated using it to help convert stem cells from human teeth into liver cells. The scientists claimed the gas increased the purity of the stem cells. Small amounts of hydrogen sulphide are made by the body. It is also produced by bacteria and is toxic in large quantities. Therapy A group in China has already reported using the gas to enhance the survival of mesenchymal stem cells taken from the bone marrow of rats. Researchers at the Nippon Dental University were investigating stem cells from dental pulp - the bit in the middle of the tooth. They said using the gas increased the proportion of stem cells which were converted to liver cells when used alongside other chemicals. The idea is that liver cells produced from stem cells could be used to repair the organ if it was damaged. Dr Ken Yaegaki, from Nippon Dental University in Japan, said: "High purity means there are less 'wrong cells' that are … Continue reading →

The latest discoveries and promises of stem cell research and the development of new therapeutic approaches for a variety of diseases will be in focus at the Qatar International Conference on Stem Cell Science and Policy 2012 which begins today. The four-day event, being held at Qatar National Convention Centre, is a milestone in Qatar Foundation’s ongoing collaboration with the James A Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University, Houston, Texas, US. The aim of QF’s joint initiative with the Baker Institute’s International Programme on Stem Cell Science Policy is to develop stem cell research in Qatar as well as to find ways to address the shared challenges of community support for stem cell research in Doha and Houston. To accomplish this goal, the programme has supported several events since its inception, including meetings, workshops, and training programmes in both cities. The conference, which brings together eminent international as well as regional scientists, ethicists and policymakers, will also present the developed policy options that account for cultural, ethical and religious factors. The event will draw attention to Qatar’s position in the development of stem cell research in the region and the world, given that research on stem cell … Continue reading →

Researchers have isolated egg-producing stem cells from the ovaries of reproductive age women and shown these can produce what appear to be normal egg cells or oocytes, according to a new study. The discovery "opens the door for development of unprecedented technologies to overcome infertility in women" according to the scientist who led the study. Jonathan Tilly, of Massachusetts General Hospital in the United States, said: "The primary objective of the current study was to prove that oocyte-producing stem cells do in fact exist in the ovaries of women during reproductive life, which we feel this study demonstrates very clearly." The researchers developed a precise cell-sorting technique to isolate oocyte producing stem cells (OSCs) without contamination from other cells, according to an article in the March issue of Nature Medicine. The cells were able, in the laboratory, to form cells spontaneously with characteristic features of oocytes. Further experiments on mice showed such eggs could be fertilised. Dr Tilly's team is exploring potential clinical applications from its findings which include the establishment of human OSC banks - since these cells, unlike human oocytes, can be frozen and thawed without damage - and the development of mature human oocytes from OSCs for … Continue reading →

By Carolyn Y. Johnson, Globe Staff Massachusetts General Hospital researchers reported today they have discovered a rare stem cell in women’s ovaries that they hope one day might be used to make eggs, a claim already generating vigorous debate among scientists familiar with the research. For decades, it has been thought that women are born with a finite supply of eggs, limiting their reproductive years. Doctors have sought ways of extending the fertility of women, especially as many wait later in life to begin having children. The research, led by Jonathan Tilly of Mass. General and appearing in the journal Nature Medicine, opens the door to the possibility of taking tissue from a woman’s ovaries, harvesting stem cells from that tissue, and then creating eggs. But scientists not involved with the Mass. General research said such an approach -- if it is even possible -- sits far in the future and will require considerably more work. Several scientists said Tilly, who co-founded a company focused on developing novel infertility treatments, had not yet made a convincing case that the stem cells he discovered can yield viable eggs, a critical first step. Tilly has been a lightning rod in the field … Continue reading →