Archive for June, 2009

Stem Cell Surprise For Tissue Regeneration

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

Scientists working at the Carnegie Institution's Department of Embryology, with colleagues, have overturned previous research that identified critical genes for making muscle stem cells. It turns out that the genes that make muscle stem cells in the embryo are surprisingly not needed in adult muscle stem cells to regenerate muscles ...

Molecular Machinery Related To Stem Cell Fate Revealed By Xie Lab

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

The Stowers Institute's Xie Lab has revealed how the BAM protein affects germline stem cell differentiation and how it is involved in regulating the quality of stem cells through intercellular competition. The work was published by PNAS Early Edition. Maintaining the proper balance between stem cell self-renewal ...

New York Becomes First State To Allow Payment For Donating Eggs For Stem Cell Research

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

New York's Empire State Stem Cell Board earlier this month decided to allow embryonic stem cell researchers who receive state funding to compensate women for donating their eggs for use in research, making New York the first state to enact such a policy, the Washington Post reports (Stein, Washington Post, ...

Early heart attack therapy with bone marrow extract improves cardiac function

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

Source: University of California - San FranciscoDate: June 29, 2009Summary:A UCSF study for the treatment of heart failure after heart attack found that the extract derived from bone marrow cells is as effective as therapy using bone marrow stem cells for improving cardiac function, decreasing the formation of scar ...

First Evidence That Female Human Embryos Adjust The Balance Of X

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

Researchers have found the first evidence that a process of inactivating the X chromosome during embryo development and implantation, which was known to occur in mice but unknown in humans, does, in fact, take place in human female embryos prior to implantation in the womb.

Early Heart Attack Therapy With Bone Marrow Extract Improves Cardiac Function

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

In a new mouse study, researchers showed that heart function improves after heart attack when subjects are given therapy with bone marrow (BM)-derived stem cells and bone marrow stem cell extract.

Iran using stem cells to reduce amputations

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

Mohammad Reza Zafarghandi Following the success of Iranian scientists in using stem cells to treat vascular occlusion and critical limb ischemia in the lower extremities, Press TV has conducted an interview with research team leader Mohammad Reza Zafarghandi. Dr. Zafarghandi is a professor of vascular surgery in Tehran ...

New hope for diabetics after stem cell discovery

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

Click here to view the embedded video. A DRUG said to cure diabetes could mean that sufferers will no longer need to take daily insulin injections. The treatment uses stem cells made from human bone marrow and has been tested on patients suffering from Type 1 diabetes - ...

Correction

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

The “tipping point” item incorrectly stated the Little Hoover Commission's final report included a recommendation for reduction of the super-majority quorum requirement for the stem cell agency board. The change was initially recommended in the commission's draft report, but was dropped in the final report, which said the quorum requirement ...

CIRM Director Responds to Hoover Commission Recommendations

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

Jeff Sheehy, who has served on the board of the California stem cell agency since its inception and as acting vice chair of its grant review group, prepared the following piece on the Little Hoover Commission's report on the agency. Sheehy is a communications manager at UC San Francisco and ...

Candidates Bid to Handle CIRM’s $500 Million Loan Program

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

Directors of the California stem cell agency tomorrow will examine proposals from five financial firms that appear to be seeking millions of dollars to basically run the agency's ambitious and unprecedented $500 million biotech lending program.The proposals come from Comerica Bank in San Diego, Orix Venture Finance in Palo Alto, ...

ITALY – Fiona May to donate daughter’s umbilical cord stem cells

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

Image by tefocoto via Flickr Fiona May is going to preserve her second daughter’s umbilical cord stem cells. “When Larissa was born (her first daughter, editor’s note), in the hospital they asked me if I wanted to do this and I very happily accepted. Now I want ...

Controversial Cancer Stem Cells Offer New Direction For Treatment

Sunday, June 28th, 2009

In a review in Science, a University of Rochester Medical Center researcher sorts out the controversy and promise around a dangerous subtype of cancer cells, known as cancer stem cells, which seem capable of resisting many modern treatments.

CWRU Receives 5 Million Dollars From Ohio Third Frontier Commission

Sunday, June 28th, 2009

The Center for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine (CSCRM), comprised of Case Western Reserve University (CWRU), Cleveland Clinic (CC), University Hospitals (UH), and Athersys, Inc. has received 5 million dollars from Ohio's Third Frontier Commission under the Research Commercialization Program. The funding will help support new and innovative stem cell ...

MU Scientists Convert Pigs’ Connective Tissue Cells Into Stem Cells

Sunday, June 28th, 2009

For years, proponents have touted the benefits of embryonic stem cell research, but the potential therapies still face hurdles. Side effects such as tumor development, a lack of an effective and long-term animal model to test new therapies, and genetic incompatibility between the host and donor cells are some of ...

Scientists uncovered molecular machinery related to stem cell fate

Sunday, June 28th, 2009

Source: Stowers Institute for Medical ResearchDate: June 26, 2009Summary: The Stowers Institute's Xie Lab has revealed how the BAM protein affects germline stem cell differentiation and how it is involved in regulating the quality of stem cells through intercellular competition. The work was published today by PNAS Early Edition.Maintaining ...

Stem Cell Research Study Shows Adult Stem Cells Improve Diabetes Type 2

Sunday, June 28th, 2009

Image via Wikipedia Dr. Roberto Fernandez Vina is scheduled to present a stem cell research study in which he helped improve Diabetes Type 2 patients with their own Adult Stem Cells and followed up on them for 3 years! The stem cell treatment and therapy was a ...

ITALY – Stem cells. Milan General Hospital presents mesenchymal stem cells from placental blood

Sunday, June 28th, 2009

Mesenchymal stem cells are present in placental blood and could represent the new frontier for tissue and organ regeneration. The cells were identified at the cell factory at Milan’s Policlinico Hospital and will be the subject of a meeting on mesenchymal stem cells organized by ...

Minimal Media Coverage of Csete’s Resignation

Sunday, June 28th, 2009

They didn't stop the presses at the San Francisco Chronicle this week for news of the resignation of the chief scientific officer at the $3 billion California stem cell agency, although it is a bit of a local story for the newspaper.No mainstream media have covered Marie Csete's pending departure ...

Hoover Commission Report on CIRM Overhaul Out Today

Sunday, June 28th, 2009

California's Little Hoover Commission is expected to release its full recommendations today for sweeping structural changes at the $3 billion California stem cell agency. We will be traveling and will not be posting anything on the report until very late today or possibly tomorrow. But you can find the report ...