Motor neurons. Regenerative medicine. “… ability to drive the differentiation of embryonic stem cells into disease-sensitive and -resistant motor neuron subtypes …”

September 2, 2010 – 9:42 am

Dr Hynek Wichterle from Columbia University in New York, has indicated:

  • “The existence of dozens of muscle groups in the limbs of most mammals demands an equivalent diversity of motor neuron pool subtypes …”
  • “Motor neuron subtypes exhibit differential susceptibility to neurodegeneration in two prominent motor neuron diseases, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) …”
  • “The ability to drive the differentiation of embryonic stem cells into disease-sensitive and -resistant motor neuron subtypes could help to uncover new therapeutic strategies.”

More from a Release dated September 2, sourced from Cell Press:
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Stem cell biomarker. Anti-human CD133 monoclonal antibody.

August 30, 2010 – 7:07 pm
  • “CD133, a five-transmembrane molecule, has been found on many types of cancers and determined to be a cancer stem cell biomarker.”1

Researchers from General Surgery Department, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China; Pathology Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China; and Laboratory Animal Center, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China; have presented an article titled: “Anti-human CD133 monoclonal antibody that could inhibit the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells.”

The researchers from General Surgery Department, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China; Pathology Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China; and Laboratory Animal Center, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China; have also noted:

  • “In this study a functional anti-human CD133 MAb 6B6 was obtained, and the specificity of this MAb was verified by flow cytometry.”
  • “This MAb effectively recognized the CD133 molecule expressed on a series of malignant cell lines.”
  • “Immunohistochemistry staining showed the CD133 was expressed on colorectal tumor tissue.”
  • “Furthermore, we demonstrated that MAb 6B6 could inhibit the proliferation of Caco-2 cells that were derived from a human colorectal carcinoma.”
  • “This functional anti-human CD133 MAb provides a valuable tool for further study of biological functions of cancer stem cell that expressed CD133.”
(1) Chen W, Li F, Xue ZM, Wu HR: Anti-human CD133 monoclonal antibody that could inhibit the proliferation of colorectal cancer cells. Hybridoma (Larchmt). 2010 Aug;29(4):305-10.
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Ascorbate. Epigenetic activation. “… diploid hESCs start to express CD30, a biomarker for malignant cells …”

August 29, 2010 – 2:20 pm
  • “Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have the ability to adapt to various culture conditions.”1
  • “Phenotypic and epigenetic changes brought about by the culture conditions can however have significant impacts on their use in research and in clinical applications.”

Researchers from Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; have presented an article titled: “Ascorbate Promotes Epigenetic Activation of CD30 in Human Embryonic Stem Cells.”

The researchers from Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; have also noted:

  • “… diploid hESCs start to express CD30, a biomarker for malignant cells in Hodgkin’s disease and Embryonal Carcinoma cells, when cultured in Knockout-serum replacement (KOSR) based medium, but not in fetal calf serum containing medium (FCS).”
  • “We identify the commonly used medium additive, ascorbate, as the sole medium component in KOSR responsible for CD30 induction.”
  • “Our data show that this epigenetic activation of CD30 expression in hESCs by ascorbate occurs through a dramatic loss of DNA methylation of a CpG island in the CD30 promoter.”
  • “Analysis of the phenotype and transcriptome of hESCs that overexpress the CD30 signalling domain reveals that CD30 signalling leads to inhibition of apoptosis, enhanced single cell growth, and transcriptome changes that are associated with cell signalling, lipid metabolism and tissue development.”
  • “Collectively our data show that hESC culture media that contain ascorbate trigger CD30 expression through an epigenetic mechanism and that this provides a survival advantage and transcriptome changes that may help adapt hESCs to in vitro culture conditions.”
(1) Chung TL, Turner JP, Thaker N, Kolle G, Cooper-White JJ, Grimmond SM, Pera MF, Wolvetang EJ: Ascorbate Promotes Epigenetic Activation of CD30 in Human Embryonic Stem Cells. Stem Cells. 2010 Aug 16; (Article in Press)
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Liver cells. Skin cells. “… reprogrammed cells from the skin samples back into stem cells.”

August 25, 2010 – 7:09 pm

Dr Tamir Rashid, from the Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, University of Cambridge, in England, United Kingdom, has said:

  • “We know that given the shortage of donor liver organs alternative strategies must urgently be sought.”
  • “Our study improves the possibility that such alternatives will be found – either using new drugs or a cell-based therapeutic approach.”

More from a Release dated August 25, sourced from University of Cambridge:
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Pluripotent stem cells. A better way to grow stem cells.

August 22, 2010 – 10:50 pm

Krishanu Saha has said:

  • “For therapeutics, you need millions and millions of cells …”
  • “If we can make it easier for the cells to divide and grow, that will really help to get the number of cells you need to do all of the disease studies that people are excited about.”

More from a Release dated August 22, sourced from Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Read More »

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Cartilage regeneration. “… no improvement of the tissue quantity or quality could be achieved by increasing the cell load of the implant with cells fixed by fibrin glue.”

August 21, 2010 – 10:57 pm
  • “Different approaches exist for the treatment of small articular cartilage defects.”1

Researchers from Department of Orthopedics, Campus Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany have presented an article titled: “Cartilage regeneration by bone marrow cells-seeded scaffolds.”

The researchers from Department of Orthopedics, Campus Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany; have also noted:

  • “Several studies show comparable results for autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) and microfracture.”
  • “Unfortunately, the fibrocartilage resulting from microfracture has neither the structure nor the mechanical properties of hyaline cartilage, even though the adult mesenchymal stem cells, which immigrate into the defect, are supposed to differentiate into chondrocytes.”
  • “This study was performed to examine the capacity of a resorbable implant made from polylactide-co-glycolide acid (PGLA)-fleece combined with autologous bone marrow cells fixed with a fibrin/thrombin-clot in the weight-bearing area of the femoral condyle of mature sheep.”
  • “For this study, six defects were treated with either the PGLA-implant alone or with a combination of the implant with added fibrin glue or were left untreated to serve as controls.”
  • “The animals were sacrificed after 12 weeks; the operated knees were removed and examined by measuring the covering of the defect with cartilaginous tissue and according to the score of O’Driscoll.”
  • “Additional criteria such as immunolabeling for collagen II and aggrecan were included.”
  • “Results showed that no improvement of the tissue quantity or quality could be achieved by increasing the cell load of the implant with cells fixed by fibrin glue.”
(1) Wegener B, Schrimpf FM, Bergschmidt P, Pietschmann MF, Utzschneider S, Milz S, Jansson V, Müller PE: Cartilage regeneration by bone marrow cells-seeded scaffolds. J Biomed Mater Res A. 2010 Aug 19; (Article in Press)
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Hematopoietic stem cells adhesion. “… role for Srf in HSC adhesion and steady-state hematopoiesis.”

August 20, 2010 – 10:18 pm
  • “Adhesion properties of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) in the bone marrow (BM) niches control their migration and affect their cell-cycle dynamics.”1

Researchers from Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale, U985, IGR, Villejuif, France; have presented an article titled: “The transcription factor SRF regulates hematopoietic stem cells adhesion.”

The researchers from Institut National de la Sante et de la Recherche Medicale, U985, IGR, Villejuif, France; have also noted:

  • “The serum response factor (Srf) regulates growth factor-inducible genes and genes controlling cytoskeleton structures involved in cell spreading, adhesion and migration.”
  • “We identified a role for Srf in HSC adhesion and steady-state hematopoiesis.”
  • “Conditional deletion of Srf in BM cells resulted in a 3-fold expansion of the long- and short-term HSC and multipotent progenitors (MPP), which occurs without long-term modification of cell cycle dynamics.”
  • “Early differentiation steps to myeloid and lymphoid lineages were normal but Srf loss results in alterations in mature cell production and severe thrombocytopenia.”
  • “Srf-null BM cells also displayed compromised engraftment properties in transplantation assays.”
  • “Gene expression analysis identified Srf target genes expressed in HSC including a network of genes associated with cell migration and adhesion.”
  • “Srf-null stem cells and MPP displayed impair expression of the integrin network and decreased adherence in vitro.”
  • “In addition, Srf-null mice showed increase numbers of circulating stem and progenitor cells, which likely reflect their reduced retention in the BM.”
  • “Altogether our results demonstrate that Srf is an essential regulator of stem cells and MPP adhesion and suggest that Srf acts mainly through cell-matrix interactions and integrin signaling.”
(1) Ragu C, Elain G, Mylonas E, Ottolenghi C, Cagnard N, Daegelen D, Passegué E, Vainchenker W, Bernard OA, Penard-Lacronique V: The transcription factor SRF regulates hematopoietic stem cells adhesion. Blood. 2010 Aug 13; (Article in Press)
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Hematopoietic cell transplants.”… chronic health conditions were widespread in the HCT survivors.”

August 18, 2010 – 9:05 pm

Smita Bhatia MD MPH, Professor and Ruth Ziegler Chair in Population Sciences from City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Duarte, California, has said:

  • “Although hematopoietic cell transplants have helped thousands of patients survive cancer, the burden of chronic illnesses borne by these survivors is substantial …”
  • “We hope the results of this study build awareness of the problem to help ensure a continued high quality of life among transplant survivors through life-long follow-up and proactive care.”

More from a Release dated August 18, sourced from American Society of Hematology:
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Titanium coating. “… connection between titanium joint-replacement implants and a patients’ own bone.”

August 18, 2010 – 9:05 pm

Andrés García, from Georgia Tech’s Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, has said:

  • “By clustering the engineered fibronectin pieces together, we were able to create an amplified signal for attracting integrins, receptors that attached to the fibronectin and directed and enhanced bone formation around the implant …”

More from a Release dated August 18, sourced from Georgia Institute of Technology Research News:

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