CellNEWS

Stem Cells Promising for Type 1 Diabetes

LCn — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 11:52:57 +0200

Stem cell transplantation helps patients with diabetes become insulin free.

Way to Jumpstart Bones Healing Process

LCn — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 11:51:43 +0200

In-body stem cell therapy has enormous potential for bone injuries.

Creating Ideal Neural Cells for Clinical Use

LCn — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 06:27:55 +0200

New protocol quickly and efficiently differentiates human ESCs into committed neural precursor cells.

microRNAs Turn Adult Cells to Embryonic

LCn — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 06:26:26 +0200

UCSF team closer to creating safe embryonic-like stem cells.

Human ESCs Progress Slowly in Myelin's Direction

LCn — Thu, 9 Apr 2009 01:51:42 +0200

hESCs can be made to make myelin in mice.

Stem Cell Therapy Makes Cloudy Corneas Clear

LCn — Thu, 9 Apr 2009 01:50:37 +0200

Stem cells collected from human corneas restore transparency in mice.

Stem Cell Therapy Grows New Blood Vessels

LCn — Mon, 6 Apr 2009 00:22:44 +0200

Purified bone marrow cells hone in on the area of ischemia.

Stem Cell Innovation at Risk in UK

LCn — Mon, 6 Apr 2009 00:21:39 +0200

Survey of the Cell Therapy Industry and the Main Products in UK.

Human Embryonic Stem Cells Make Complex Oral Tissue

LCn — Sat, 4 Apr 2009 00:20:27 +0200

Tissue engineering principles used to produce complex oral-lining tissues from hESCs.

Adult Stem Cells Increase Blood Flow after Heart Attack

LCn — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:17:31 +0200

Own bone marrow stem cells increased circulation within the heart.

Adult Stem Cells May Reduce Angina in Heart Patients

LCn — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 00:16:24 +0200

Reduced pain and improved walking observed in largest CD34+ stem cell study for heart disease.

New Way to Make Stem Cells

LCn — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:15:18 +0200

Avoids risk of inducing cancer.

The Egg Makes Sure that Sperm Don't Get Too Old

LCn — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:14:15 +0200

Egg cells can extend the telomeres of a fertilising sperm cell.

Therapeutic Cloning Gets a Boost with New Research Findings

LCn — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 00:13:07 +0200

San Antonio and Honolulu researchers make important discoveries about point mutation rates in cloned mouse foetuses.

Human Adult Testes Cells Can Become Embryonic-like

LCn — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:11:51 +0200

Scientists at Georgetown University Medical Center have extracted stem/progenitor cells from testes and have converted them back into pluripotent embryonic-like stem cells.

Stem Cell Therapy May Lead to Treatment for Deafness

LCn — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:10:25 +0200

A new study has successfully isolated human auditory stem cells from foetal cochleae.

Lab-grown Nerves Promote Nerve Regeneration after Injury

LCn — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:08:49 +0200

Researchers have engineered transplantable living nerve tissue that encourages and guides regeneration in an animal model. They have successfully grown, transplanted, and integrated axon bundles that act as 'jumper cables' to the host tissue in order to bridge a damaged section of nerve.

Epigenetic Mark Guides Stem Cells toward Their Destiny

LCn — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:07:38 +0200

Protein that controls access to genes plays an important role in embryonic skin stem cells.

Protein Key to Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation

LCn — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:06:22 +0200

Burnham scientists identify protein that controls differentiation in human and mouse embryonic stem cells.

Stem Cells Crucial to Diabetes Cure in Mice

LCn — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:14:04 +0100

Adult stem cells in liver transform to insulin-producing cells.

China Restrict Clinical Tests of Stem Cells Obtained by Therapeutic Cloning

LCn — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 09:12:39 +0100

Other medical procedures also restricted.

Obama Reverses Bush's Stem Cell Policy

LCn — Mon, 9 Mar 2009 09:08:24 +0100

Ceremony in the White House overturns the 8-year-old Bush ban on federal support for stem cell research.

Stem Cells Replace Stroke-damaged Tissue

LCn — Mon, 9 Mar 2009 09:07:06 +0100

A stem cell matrix can repair brain damage in rodents.

ISSCR Calls for Adherence to Stem Cell Guidelines

LCn — Mon, 9 Mar 2009 09:05:59 +0100

ISSCR Guidelines for the Clinical Translation of Stem Cells provide a roadmap.

New Study Using Combination of Bioengineered Skin and Stem Cells

LCn — Mon, 9 Mar 2009 09:04:49 +0100

Promise in Treatment of Non-Healing Wounds.

RNA Research Strategy for Europe Takes Shape

LCn — Sun, 8 Mar 2009 09:03:34 +0100

"Consensus Conference" organised by ESF.

Stem Cells Could Halt Osteoporosis, Promote Bone Growth

LCn — Sun, 8 Mar 2009 09:02:12 +0100

McGill University Health Centre team describes a new pathway that controls bone remodelling.

Assembling Cells Into Artificial 3-D Micro-tissues, Including a Tiny Gland

LCn — Sun, 8 Mar 2009 09:00:27 +0100

Hybridized DNA is glue that sticks these cells together to resemble real tissue.

A New Way to Assemble Cells Into 3-D Micro-tissues

LCn — Sun, 8 Mar 2009 07:56:57 +0100

Cellular engineers make multicellular tissues from the bottom up.

Stem Cell Breakthrough Gives New Hope to Sufferers of Muscle-wasting Diseases

LCn — Sat, 7 Mar 2009 08:57:28 +0100

Breakthrough for muscle-wasting diseases.

How Stem Cells Develop Into Blood Cells

LCn — Sat, 7 Mar 2009 08:56:01 +0100

The pathway works by organizing the cells so that they can respond to signals for blood development.

Stem Cells That Repair Injured Muscles

LCn — Sat, 7 Mar 2009 08:51:23 +0100

Research effort may have important implications for muscular dystrophy.

The Making of an Intestinal Stem Cell

LCn — Sat, 7 Mar 2009 08:50:04 +0100

Researchers have found the factor that makes the difference between a stem cell in the intestine and any other cell.

Virus-free Embryonic-like Stem Cells Made from Skin

LCn — Sat, 7 Mar 2009 08:48:11 +0100

Breakthrough produces Parkinson's patient-specific stem cells free of harmful reprogramming genes.

Obama to Reverse Embryonic Stem Cell Ban

LCn — Sat, 7 Mar 2009 08:46:16 +0100

Signing of an executive order planned for Monday.

Are Bigger Genomes Better?

LCn — Wed, 4 Mar 2009 08:45:07 +0100

With genomes, bigger may really be better.

Microenvironments Key to Future Stem Cell Therapies

LCn — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 08:43:56 +0100

Unique microenvironment microarrays give new results.

Researchers Piggyback to Safer Reprogrammed Stem Cells

LCn — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 08:42:45 +0100

A new and safer way of generating pluripotent stem cells.

Spun-sugar Fibres Spawn Sweet Technique for Nerve Repair

LCn — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 08:41:01 +0100

Researchers at Purdue University have developed a technique using spun-sugar filaments to create a scaffold of tiny synthetic tubes that might serve as conduits to regenerate nerves.

From Stem Cells to New Organs

LCn — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 08:39:38 +0100

Stanford and NYU scientists cross threshold in regenerative medicine.

Electrically Active Motor Neurons Made from iPS Cells

LCn — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 08:37:54 +0100

Discovery demonstrates the feasibility of using iPS-derived motor neurons to model and treat diseases.

Photo's of Human Embryonic Stem Cells

LCn — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 02:12:50 +0100

CIRM Announces Winners of the 2008 Image Contest.

Human Embryonic Stem Cells: A New Model for Lou Gehrig's Disease

LCn — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 02:11:47 +0100

Motor neurons derived from embryonic stem cells mimic the progress of familial ALS.

Stem Cell Research Recommendations for the New US Administration

LCn — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 02:09:54 +0100

Barack Obama will soon issue an executive order lifting the ban on hESC research.

An Inexhaustible Source of Neural Cells

LCn — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 02:08:39 +0100

Researchers in Bonn demonstrate that embryonic stem cells may be derived from brain stem cells.

Single Factor Converts Adult Stem Cells into Embryonic-like Stem Cells

LCn — Thu, 5 Feb 2009 02:07:10 +0100

Single Factor Converts Adult Stem Cells into Embryonic-like iPS Cells.

The Nonsense in Our Genes

LCn — Thu, 5 Feb 2009 02:06:02 +0100

Is 1 in 200 human genes superfluous?

New Chemical Keeps Stem Cells Young

LCn — Wed, 4 Feb 2009 02:04:56 +0100

Scientists have discovered a chemical that stops stem cells from turning into other cell types.

Chinese Researchers Make Cloned Human Blastocysts

LCn — Tue, 3 Feb 2009 02:03:18 +0100

SCNT Using an Alternative Enucleation Method for Patient-specific Embryonic Stem Cells (ESCs).

Animal Eggs Not Suitable Substitutes to Produce Stem Cells

LCn — Mon, 2 Feb 2009 02:01:46 +0100

Eggs of another species turns off the genes needed to make an embryo instead of turning them on.

First iPS Cells Created by Australian Researchers

LCn — Mon, 2 Feb 2009 02:00:32 +0100

Melbourne scientists have created Australia's first induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines.

Stem Cells Used to Reverse Paralysis in Animals

LCn — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 23:23:13 +0100

New study found transplantation of stem cells reverses paralysis in laboratory tests.

Human iPS Cells Reprogrammed into Germ Cell Precursors

LCn — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 23:20:11 +0100

Discovery may lead to new treatments for infertility.

Scientists See Progress in FDA Stem Cell Trial Approval

LCn — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 07:17:57 +0100

The ISSCR shares in the excitement generated by the FDA's landmark decision to approve the first clinical trials using the products of human embryonic stem cells, yet advises the public to maintain realistic expectations at this early stage.

Geron Get FDA Clearance for First Test of Human Embryonic Stem cell Therapy

LCn — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 23:16:26 +0100

Geron to Study GRNOPC1 in Patients with Acute Spinal Cord Injury.

Large DNA Stretches, Not Single Genes, Shut Off as Stem Cells Mature

LCn — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 23:14:59 +0100

Epigenetic finding adds insight on how cells become brain, liver - and malignant cells.

Bone Marrow Stem Cells Regenerate Skin

LCn — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 23:13:49 +0100

New study suggests that adult bone marrow stem cells can be used in the construction of artificial skin.

Growth of New Brain Cells Requires 'Epigenetic' Switch

LCn — Fri, 9 Jan 2009 23:12:38 +0100

New cells are born every day in the brain's hippocampus, but what controls this birth has remained a mystery.

Extra Stem Cells to Repair the Body

LCn — Thu, 8 Jan 2009 23:11:21 +0100

Use of new drug combinations to stimulate bone marrow stem cell release.

Converting Adult Somatic Cells to Pluripotent Stem Cells Using a Single Virus

LCn — Thu, 8 Jan 2009 03:27:09 +0100

A single lentiviral vector of the expression of a 'stem cell cassette' dramatically boosts reprogramming efficiency and puts iPS technology one step closer toward human clinical trials.

Human Genomics in China

Chen Zhu and Zhao Guo-Ping — Thu, 8 Jan 2009 03:25:35 +0100

Ten years ago, the Chinese National Human Genome Center at Shanghai was established in the Zhangjiang HiTech Park of Pudong District in Shanghai. This article describe this 10-year endeavor: from planning to implementation.

'Scrawny' Gene Keeps Stem Cells Healthy

LCn — Thu, 8 Jan 2009 03:22:46 +0100

Scientists at the Carnegie Institution have identified a gene, named scrawny, that appears to be a key factor in keeping a variety of stem cells in their undifferentiated state.

Testes Stem Cell Can Change Into Other Body Tissues

LCn — Thu, 8 Jan 2009 03:21:04 +0100

Scientists have succeeded in isolating stem cells from human testes. These cells bear a striking resemblance to embryonic stem cells.

First Embryonic Stem Cells Derived from Rats II

LCn — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 01:50:48 +0100

Recipe for capturing authentic embryonic stem cells may apply to any mammal.

First Embryonic Stem Cells Derived from Rats I

LCn — Thu, 25 Dec 2008 01:49:29 +0100

Finding represents major breakthrough for biomedical research.

Patient-derived Induced Stem Cells Retain Disease Traits

LCn — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 01:40:34 +0100

When neurons started dying in Clive Svendsens lab dishes, he couldn't have been more pleased.

Novel Types of Stem Cells Generated

LCn — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 01:39:03 +0100

Breakthrough may offer opportunity for expanding research, drug discovery.

Stem Cells Drug Testing Predicted to Boom under Obama

LCn — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 01:37:35 +0100

Embryonic stem cells could provide a new way of testing drugs for dangerous side effects, according to a leading British researcher.

Most Women Report Satisfaction with Egg Donation

LCn — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 01:36:19 +0100

Two-thirds of women who donated eggs to fertility clinics reported satisfaction with the process, but 16 percent complained of subsequent physical symptoms and 20 percent reported lasting psychological effects, according to the first study to examine the long-term effects of donation.

Single Adult Muscle Stem Cell Can Self Renew

LCn — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 19:59:48 +0100

Transplanted adult stem cell and its differentiated descendants restored lost function to mice with hind limb muscle tissue damage.

Heart Regenerates after Infarction

LCn — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 19:58:50 +0100

The body's own heart muscle stem cells do generate new tissue and improve the pumping function of the heart considerably in an adult organism.

Functional Stem Cell Niche Model Created

LCn — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 19:58:09 +0100

Scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine have taken a significant step forward by devising a way to recreate the cells lair - a microenvironment called a niche - in an adult animal.

Fat Cells Restore Function after Spinal Cord Injury

LCn — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 19:56:15 +0100

Fat cells treat spinal cord injury.

The Beauty of Cell Division

LCn — Sun, 7 Dec 2008 16:25:22 +0100

Cell division is one of the most fundamental processes of life. It explains how one cell can give rise to an organism of several million cells, it determines the shape of different life forms and it underpins our body's capacity to heal when injured. Often we only notice how important cell division really is when it goes wrong and results in cancer or other diseases. Apart from being crucial for biology, cell division is also a very beautiful process.

Dormant Stem Cells for Emergencies

LCn — Sat, 6 Dec 2008 07:17:31 +0100

Many specialized cells, such as in the skin, intestinal mucosa or blood, have a lifespan of only a few days. For these tissues to function, a steady replenishment of specialized cells is indispensable. This is the task of so-called "adult" stem cells also known as tissue stem cells.

What to Do With Leftover Embryos?

LCn — Sat, 6 Dec 2008 07:15:58 +0100

Largest study of fertility patients shows concerns about embryo disposition.

Endothelial Cells Give Rise to Blood Stem Cells

LCn — Sat, 6 Dec 2008 07:14:40 +0100

UCLA discovery could lead to new treatments for blood disorders and cancers.

Monkey Skin Cells Reprogrammed into iPS Cells

LCn — Sat, 6 Dec 2008 07:13:26 +0100

Chinese scientists have successfully created the first induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell lines from adult monkey skin cells.

New 'Control Knobs' for Stem Cells Identified

LCn — Sat, 6 Dec 2008 07:12:16 +0100

Tufts study shows that changes in membrane voltage control timing of differentiation in adult stem cells.

ISSCR Releases New Guidelines for Stem Cell Therapies

LCn — Thu, 4 Dec 2008 01:43:03 +0100

Regulation needed as new study reveals many clinics exaggerate claims and omit risks.

ALS Model from Human ESCs II

LCn — Thu, 4 Dec 2008 01:41:43 +0100

A novel human stem cell-based model of ALS opens doors for rapid drug screening.

ALS Model from Human ESCs I

LCn — Thu, 4 Dec 2008 01:40:16 +0100

Motor neurons derived from human embryonic stem cells provide insight into ALS.

Pure Insulin-producing Cells Produced from ESCs

LCn — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:23:21 +0100

Singapore researchers have developed an unlimited number of pure insulin-producing cells from mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs).

Tissue Engineering for Transplanting Organs II

LCn — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:22:14 +0100

Use of several types of adult stem cells to grow new trachea in bioreactor.

Tissue Engineering for Transplanting Organs I

LCn — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:20:37 +0100

First tracheal transplant without immunosuppression.

Extinct Woolly-mammoth Genome Sequenced

LCn — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:19:28 +0100

Scientists at Penn State are leaders of a team that is the first to report the genome-wide sequence of an extinct animal, the woolly mammoth. Its DNA sequence is close to that of the modern-day African elephant.

Kangaroo Genome Mapped

LCn — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:17:46 +0100

Australian researchers will today launch the world first detailed map of the kangaroo genome, completing the first phase of the kangaroo genomics project.

Teeth Stem Cells Can Stimulate Growth of Brain Cells in Monkeys

LCn — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 02:55:16 +0100

Researchers at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, have discovered dental pulp stem cells can stimulate growth and generation of several types of neural cells.

Genetic Blueprint for Kidney Design and Formation

LCn — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 02:54:02 +0100

Researchers have generated the first comprehensive genetic blueprint of a forming mammalian organ, shedding light on the genetic and molecular dynamics of kidney development.

Mechanism that Regulates the Development of Stem Cells into Neurons

LCn — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 02:52:35 +0100

Researchers at the University of Southern California (USC) have identified a novel mechanism in the regulation and differentiation of neural stem cells.

Umbilical Cord Blood May Help Build New Heart Valves

LCn — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 02:50:51 +0100

Children with heart defects may someday receive perfectly-matched new heart valves built using stem cells from their umbilical cord blood.

Iran to Invest $2.5B in Stem Cell Research

LCn — Sat, 8 Nov 2008 00:52:50 +0100

Iranian news organisations report that Iran's Cord Blood Bank is to invest $2.5B in the country's stem cell research over the next five years.

Key Trigger of Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation

LCn — Thu, 6 Nov 2008 03:16:21 +0100

Harnessing the signals that influence the cells fate may help researchers more accurately direct the differentiation of embryonic stem cells for use in therapy.

DNA Chunks in Chimps and Humans. How similar are we?

LCn — Thu, 6 Nov 2008 03:16:14 +0100

Researchers have carried out the largest study so far of differences between human and chimpanzee genomes.

Scientists Improve iPS Cell Method

LCn — Thu, 6 Nov 2008 03:16:05 +0100

Scientists from the Scripps Research Institute have identified a combination of drugs that can be used to reprogram cells from human tissue to become similar to embryonic stem cells.

Three More Complete Human Genomes Published

LCn — Thu, 6 Nov 2008 03:15:54 +0100

Three more individuals complete genome sequence have been revealed and published today.

Stem Cell Therapies for Heart Disease

LCn — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 19:57:22 +0100

Study provides a practical step to advance progress in stem cell therapies.

iPS Cells From A Single Human Hair

LCn — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 05:06:44 +0200

Salk researchers successfully reprogram keratinocytes attached to a single hair.

Human Protein Atlas Will Help Pinpoint Disease

LCn — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 05:05:10 +0200

A map of where proteins are located in tissues and cells could help scientists understand the molecular basis of diseases.

New Properties of Skin Stem Cells

LCn — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 02:57:03 +0200

Recent research from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet reveals completely new properties of the skin's stem cells.

Embryonic Heart Exhibits Impressive Regenerative Capacity

LCn — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:58:29 +0200

A new study demonstrates that the embryonic mouse heart has an astounding capacity to regenerate, a phenomenon previously observed only in non-mammalian species.

UN-GA Ban on All Human Cloning to be Reconsidered

LCn — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:57:05 +0200

UN International Bioethics Committee to debate the issue once more.

New Technique to Reprogram Stem Cells

LCn — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:09:43 +0200

Yamanaka eliminates viral vector in stem cell reprogramming, improving safety.

Can Stem Cells Heal Damaged Hearts?

LCn — Wed, 8 Oct 2008 09:53:03 +0200

Recent studies indicate that infusing hearts with stem cells taken from bone marrow could improve cardiac function after myocardial infarction. However, more clinical trials are needed to assess the effectiveness of stem cell therapies for heart patients, as well as studies to establish how these treatments work.

Low Price Mapping of DNA

LCn — Mon, 6 Oct 2008 09:10:39 +0200

The company Complete Genomics in Mountain View, CA, will offer complete human DNA sequence for US$ 5.000:- next year.

Is the 'Cloned Baby Eve' Story Now Dead?

LCn — Fri, 3 Oct 2008 06:19:09 +0200

Rael sect leader Claude Vorilhon have argued in Swiss court that a cloning service, Clonaid, never existed.

Stem Cells Renew Cornea

LCn — Fri, 3 Oct 2008 04:53:04 +0200

A group of researchers in Switzerland has published a study that shows how the cornea uses stem cells to repair itself.

Reversible 3-D Cell Culture Gel Invented

LCn — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 23:23:16 +0200

Thixotropic three-dimensional gel of silica and polyethylene glycol to revolutionize cell culture.

Novel Inhibitor of Human microRNA

LCn — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 23:17:54 +0200

Scientists at The Wistar Institute and their colleagues have identified a molecule that can regulate microRNAs - short strands of RNA that play a vital role in gene expression and are closely associated with cancer. The discovery points the way to the development of a new generation of cancer drugs.

Cloned Pigs with Cystic Fibrosis

LCn — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 23:16:22 +0200

In a first, researchers at the University of Iowa and the University of Missouri have developed a pig model for Cystic Fibrosis that appears to closely mimic the disease in human infants.

Breakthrough in Spinal Injury Treatment

LCn — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 06:25:36 +0200

Researchers in Rochester, N.Y., and Colorado have shown that manipulating stem cells prior to transplantation may hold the key to overcoming a critical obstacle to using stem cell technology to repair spinal cord injuries.

Different Stem Cell Types Defined by Exclusive Combinations of Genes Working Together

LCn — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:55:28 +0200

Scientists report that the same transcription factor, which is crucial for the survival of different stem cell types, can behave differently.

RNA Interference Plays Bigger Role Than Previously Thought

LCn — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:53:41 +0200

IBM and the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) reported findings from a joint research study that provides new information on how stem cell differentiation is controlled by microRNAs.

Human Skin Cells Turned Into Insulin-producing Cells

LCn — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:51:53 +0200

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine have transformed cells from human skin into cells that produce insulin, the hormone used to treat diabetes.

Embryonic Stem Cells Reduce Transplantation Rejection

LCn — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:53:13 +0200

Researchers have shown that immune-defence cells influenced by embryonic stem cell-derived cells can help prevent the rejection of hearts transplanted into mice, all without the use of immunosuppressive drugs.

Embryonic Stem Cells Repair Congenital Heart Defect

LCn — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 04:59:23 +0200

Mayo Clinic investigators have demonstrated that embryonic stem cells can be used to regenerate heart tissue to treat dilated cardiomyopathy, a congenital heart defect.

hESCs Minimized Heart Tissue Injury in Pigs

LCn — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 13:05:55 +0200

Lab studies, conducted by Singapore and the Netherlands scientists, show that stem cell secretions minimized tissue injury after heart attack.

Snuppy Get Puppies!

LCn — Sat, 6 Sep 2008 23:13:11 +0200

Snuppy, the Afghan hound that was produced by cloning in 2005 have recently produced a litter of puppies.

Updated NSA Guidelines for hESC Research

LCn — Fri, 5 Sep 2008 18:26:23 +0200

The National Academies today released amended guidelines for research involving human embryonic stem cells.

All Forms of Stem Cell Research Needed

LCn — Thu, 4 Sep 2008 20:57:56 +0200

The International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), cautions against discounting the potential benefits of all forms of stem cell research, adult and embryonic alike.

Changes to Embryonic Stem Cells Caused by Down Syndrome

LCn — Thu, 4 Sep 2008 20:55:54 +0200

Scientists investigating the mechanisms of Down Syndrome (DS) have revealed the earliest developmental changes in embryonic stem cells caused by an extra copy of human chromosome 21.

Hearing Restoration May be Possible

LCn — Thu, 4 Sep 2008 20:54:08 +0200

Hearing loss due to cochlear damage may be repaired by transplantation of human umbilical cord hematopoietic stem cells.

Cardiac Cell Transplant

LCn — Thu, 4 Sep 2008 20:52:19 +0200

Two studies published in the current issue of Cell Transplantation examine the efficacy of transplanting bone marrow cells (BMCs) for the repair of heart tissue.

EU Call for Ban on Animal Cloning for Food

LCn — Thu, 4 Sep 2008 20:50:42 +0200

The European Parliament members called for a ban in the EU on the cloning of animals for food supply.

Barack Obama on Stem Cell Research

LCn — Tue, 2 Sep 2008 21:17:52 +0200

US Presidential candidate Barack Obama has spelled out his views on several main scientific issues.

US Republicans at Odds over Human Embryo Research

LCn — Mon, 1 Sep 2008 22:40:33 +0200

Stem cells research divides McCain and his VP choice.

Blood Created by Identifying Earliest Stem Cells

LCn — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:56:14 +0200

Johns Hopkins researchers have discovered the earliest form of human blood stem cells and deciphered the mechanism by which these embryonic stem cells replicate and grow.

How Blood Vessel Cells Form Tubes

LCn — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:53:43 +0200

How do blood vessel cells understand that they should organise themselves in tubes and not in layers? A research group from Uppsala University shows for the first time that a special type of "instructor" molecule is needed to accomplish this.

Insulin-Producing Cells Created from Adult Pancreatic Cells

LCn — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:29:08 +0200

Howard Hughes Medical Institute researchers have converted adult pancreatic cells into insulin-producing beta cells in living mice. This is a first because the researchers directly changed the functional identity of adult cells without using embryonic stem cells or relying on techniques that reverse a cell's genetic programming to its earliest stages.

Novel Method to Grow Human Embryonic Stem Cells

LCn — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 05:00:57 +0200

A stem-cell scientist at UC Riverside, California, has devised a method of growing hESCs in the lab that uses no animal-derived materials - an important advance in the use of hESCs for future medical purposes.

Red Blood Cells Generated from Human Embryonic Stem Cells

LCn — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:14:56 +0200

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. reported that it is feasible to differentiate and mature human embryonic stem cells into functional oxygen carrying red blood cells under conditions suitable for scale up.

Limbs Saved by Menstrual Blood Stem Cells

LCn — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:57:02 +0200

Cells obtained from menstrual blood, termed 'endometrial regenerative cells' (ERCs) are capable of restoring blood flow in an animal model of advanced peripheral artery disease.

Human Embryonic Stem Cells Induce Immune Response in Mice

LCn — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:24:32 +0200

Human embryonic stem cells trigger an immune response in mice, researchers from the Stanford University School of Medicine report. The finding suggests that the effectiveness of human therapies derived from the cells could be limited unless ways are found to dampen the rejection response.

Putting microRNAs on the Stem Cell Map

LCn — Thu, 7 Aug 2008 22:44:54 +0200

Embryonic stem cells are always facing a choice - either to self-renew or begin morphing into another type of cell altogether.

iPS Cells Without A Cancer-causing Virus Gene

LCn — Thu, 7 Aug 2008 21:36:50 +0200

A drug-like molecule called Wnt can be substituted for the cancer gene c-Myc, one of four genes added to adult cells to reprogram them to an embryonic stem cell like state, according to Whitehead researchers

Disease-specific Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

LCn — Thu, 7 Aug 2008 21:32:51 +0200

A set of new stem cell lines will make it possible for researchers to explore ten different genetic disorders - including muscular dystrophy, juvenile diabetes, and Parkinson's disease - in a variety of cell and tissue types as they develop in laboratory cultures.

Progress of China's Stem Cell Research

LCn — Tue, 5 Aug 2008 19:29:51 +0200

Impressive Scope of Chinese Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research presented in the proceedings from Shanghai International Symposium on Stem Cell Research, 2007.

For Sale: Bodies, Parts, Eggs, Genes, Stem Cells

Donna Dickenson — Mon, 4 Aug 2008 13:27:44 +0200

In the 1960s, feminists coined the slogan: "Our bodies, our selves." But that liberating sentiment has recently undergone an ironic twist.

ALS iPS Cells Created from Skin Cells of Human Lou Gehrig Sufferer

LCn — Fri, 1 Aug 2008 02:43:45 +0200

A team of researchers from the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) and Columbia University, in a collaboration catalyzed by the Project ALS/Jenifer Estess Laboratory for Stem Cell Research, has demonstrated that pluripotent stem cells generated from a patient with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) can be directed to differentiate into motor neurons - the very brain cells destroyed by ALS.

MicroRNAs Fine-tune Protein Synthesis

LCn — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 01:27:48 +0200

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) subtly influence a vast number of proteins involved in most key biological processes, according to the first large-scale analyses of how these small pieces of non-coding RNAs affect proteins.

More Trouble Ignite for Bush's ESC Lines

LCn — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 21:52:19 +0200

Leading US research institutions may stop studying several federally fundable embryonic stem cell lines due to potential ethical problems surrounding the creation of the lines.

Stem Cell Forum in China Demonstrate Cutting Edge Research

LCn — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 23:52:44 +0200

Over 300 of China's top stem cell biologists and researchers from around the globe shared their latest results and held China's first ever symposium on advanced induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell research during the just concluded first annual 2008 China Stem Cell Technology Forum at the China Medical City complex in Taizhou, China.

Adult Stem Cells Activated in Mammalian Brain

LCn — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:09:04 +0200

Adult stem cells originate in a different part of the brain than is commonly believed, and with proper stimulation they can produce new brain cells to replace those lost to disease or injury, a study by UC Irvine scientists has shown.

India to Set Up Stem Cell Research Unit in Bangalore

LCn — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 14:38:47 +0200

India's Union Cabinet Thursday gave its approval for the establishment of an Institute for Stem Cell Science and Regenerative Medicine (SCSRM) in Bangalore.

Your Lower Belly Fat Is Rich in Stem Cells

LCn — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:24:31 +0200

Fat removed from the lower abdomen and inner thigh through liposuction was found to be an excellent source of stem cells, with higher stem cell concentrations than other areas of the body.

Spinal Cord Stem Cells May Act as Nerve Repair System

LCn — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 21:36:47 +0200

Researcher at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory has pinpointed stem cells within the spinal cord that, if persuaded to differentiate into more healing cells and fewer scarring cells following an injury, may lead to a new, non-surgical treatment for debilitating spinal-cord injuries.

Standards in Stem Cell Research Needed

LCn — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:49:06 +0200

Standards in stem cell research help both scientists and regulators to manage uncertainty and the unknown, according to new research funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, UK.

Stem Cell Tourism Seen as 'Medical Hoax' by Specialists

LCn — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 17:26:23 +0200

Two paediatric eye surgeons at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis expressed alarm over what they label a "21st century snake oil" scam. They are concerned that reports will mislead many parents of children with optic nerve hypoplasia, who may bankrupt savings, go deeply into debt or organize fundraisers to pay for sham treatment.

Genetic Recombination gets More Precise

LCn — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:14:49 +0200

Scientists generate the most precise map of genetic recombination ever.

Genes That Control Embryonic Stem Cell Fate Identified

LCn — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:13:27 +0200

Scientists have identified about two dozen genes that control embryonic stem cell fate.

Stem Cells Restore Muscle in Muscular Dystrophy

LCn — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:11:16 +0200

Researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center have demonstrated for the first time that transplanted muscle stem cells can both improve muscle function in animals with a form of muscular dystrophy and replenish the stem cell population for use in the repair of future muscle injuries.

Human Embryonic Stem Cells Developed from 4-cell Embryo

LCn — Wed, 9 Jul 2008 11:33:39 +0200

For the first time in the world scientists have succeeded in developing human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) from a single cell, or blastomere, of a 4-cell stage embryo.

Gene Wiki and WikiProteins

LCn — Tue, 8 Jul 2008 03:48:59 +0200

Scientists are creating a new approach to archiving human genetic information.

Mesp1 Gene Directs Stem Cells to Make Heart

LCn — Wed, 2 Jul 2008 22:16:05 +0200

Researchers have shown that they can put mouse embryonic stem cells to work building the heart, potentially moving medical science a significant step closer to a new generation of heart disease treatments that use human stem cells.

Genetically Identical Stem Cells Produced

LCn — Wed, 2 Jul 2008 03:32:10 +0200

Adult cells of mice created from genetically reprogrammed cells - so-called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) stem cells - can be triggered via drug to enter an embryonic stem cell-like state, without the need for further genetic alteration.

HFEA Licence Human-pig Hybrid Embryos

LCn — Tue, 1 Jul 2008 02:51:45 +0200

A licence to create human-pig embryos to study heart disease has been issued by the British fertility watchdog the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.

Early Stem Cell Mutation Linked to Autism

LCn — Tue, 1 Jul 2008 02:13:27 +0200

Scientists at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research have shown that neural stem cell development may be linked to Autism.

Adult Stem Cells Reprogrammed in the Brain

LCn — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:45:24 +0200

In recent years, stem cell researchers have become very adept at manipulating the fate of adult stem cells cultured in the lab. Now, researchers at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies achieved the same feat with adult neural stem cells still in place in the brain.

Artificial Polio Virus Could Make Safe New Vaccine

LCn — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 02:23:22 +0200

'Wimpy' viruses could become a method to produce new and better vaccines.

Ronin Controls Embryonic Stem Cells

LCn — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:46:17 +0200

Like the master-less samurai for whom it is named, the protein Ronin chooses an independent path, maintaining embryonic stem cells in their undifferentiated state and playing essential roles in genesis of embryos and their development.

Genetically Modified ESCs Improved Brain Function

LCn — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 01:27:28 +0200

Scientists at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research have genetically programmed embryonic stem cells (ESCs) to become nerve cells when transplanted into the brain of mice.

Our Genome Changes Over Lifetime

LCn — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 01:25:35 +0200

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have found that epigenetic marks on DNA - chemical marks other than the DNA sequence - do indeed change over a person's lifetime.

New Source of Heart Stem Cells Discovered

LCn — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 21:43:41 +0200

Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston are continuing to document the heart's earliest origins.

Now, they have pinpointed a new, previously unrecognized group of stem cells that give rise to cardiomyocytes, or heart muscle cells. These stem cells, located in the surface of the heart, or epicardium, advance the hope of being able to regenerate injured heart tissue.

Human Ovulation Moment Caught on Camera

LCn — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 20:19:38 +0200

Fertile women release one or more eggs every month, but until now, only animal ovulation has been recorded in detail.

Benefits of Broad Genetic Testing Still Limited

LCn — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 02:36:39 +0200

Five years ago, scientists finished mapping the complete human genetic code, but genetic assessment of disease risk still remains in its infancy.

Key Developmental Pathway Activates Lung Stem Cells

LCn — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 02:34:58 +0200

The activation of a molecular pathway, the Wnt signalling pathway important in stem cell and developmental biology, leads to an increase in lung stem cells.

Adult Stem Cells Aid Broken Bone

LCn — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:50:43 +0200

In an approach that could become a new treatment for the 10 to 20 percent of people whose broken bones fail to heal, researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have shown that transplantation of adult stem cells can improve healing of fractures.

Stem Cell Researchers Give Old Muscle New Vigour

LCn — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:48:46 +0200

Old muscle got a shot of youthful vigour in a stem cell experiment by bioengineers at the University of California, Berkeley, setting the path for research on new treatments for age-related degenerative conditions such as muscle atrophy or Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

Small Molecule Stimulates Nerve Stem Cells to Mature

LCn — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:45:53 +0200

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have created a small molecule that stimulates nerve stem cells to begin maturing into nerve cells in culture.

Scientist to Work Out Stem Cell Guidelines

LCn — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 03:47:43 +0200

The Internet is rife with provider Web sites and patient testimonials touting exciting new stem cell treatments for paralysis, Parkinson's disease, heart failure and cancer. And every year, desperately ill patients travel thousands of miles to seek experimental stem cell therapies with bold claims of cures for such intractable diseases. Few, if any, of these putative treatments are based on sound pre-clinical data that have been published in peer-reviewed journals.

Genomic Hotspots in Embryonic Stem Cells

LCn — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 03:45:36 +0200

Singapore scientists at the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) and the National University of Singapore (NUS) unveil an atlas that are showing the location of "genomic hotspots" of essential protein "switches" (transcription factors) that are critical for maintaining the embryonic stem (ES) cell state.

Complexity of Embryonic Development

LCn — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 02:01:03 +0200

Nature has to mix and match genes to generate the myriad types of neurons or nerve cells needed to assemble the brain and nervous system.

Stem Cell Discovery Sheds Light on Placenta Development

LCn — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 01:59:03 +0200

Researchers studying embryonic stem cells have explored the first fork in the developmental road, getting a new look at what happens when fertilized eggs differentiate to build either an embryo or a placenta.

Genetics: Lost In Translation

LCn — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 01:57:25 +0200

Many people struggle to understand the complexities of genetic problems in pregnancy and find medical language difficult to understand.

Caution on Stem Cell Therapy: Single Organs Have Many Types of Adult Stem Cells

LCn — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:56:14 +0100

A single organ may contain more than one type of adult stem cell - a discovery that complicates prospects for using the versatile cells to replace damaged tissue as a treatment for disease.

When Forming Opinions about ESC Research Scientific Information Largely Ignored

LCn — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 00:16:23 +0100

When forming attitudes about embryonic stem cell research, people are influenced by a number of things. But understanding science plays a negligible role for many people.

Brain Stem Cells Can Be Awakened

LCn — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 00:14:45 +0100

Scientists have identified specific molecules in the brain that are responsible for awakening and putting to sleep brain stem cells, which, when activated, can transform into neurons and repair damaged brain tissue.

Parkinson's Cure Is In Your Nose

LCn — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 19:51:18 +0100

Olfactory adult stem cells offer new hope for Parkinson's cure.

Embryo-free Stem Cell Research Gets an Advance

LCn — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 13:23:46 +0100

Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute report that they have significantly improved upon a revolutionary technique that uses genes to turn skin cells from an adult back into pluripotent stem cells.

Stem Cell Policy Affect Research Performance

LCn — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 22:08:44 +0100

Policy environments may shape international progress of human embryonic stem cell research.

Human Stem Cell Transplants Reverse Fatal Brain Disease

LCn — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 22:07:27 +0100

Scientists report a dramatic success in what may be the first documented rescue of a congenital brain disorder by transplantation of human neural stem cells into the brain of mice.

Mammalian Cerebellum Makes New Neurons

LCn — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 04:20:34 +0100

Neurogenesis breaks into the most static brain region.

First Human Female DNA Sequenced

LCn — Tue, 27 May 2008 02:04:25 +0100

Geneticists of Leiden University Medical Centre are the first to determine the DNA sequence of a woman. She is also the first European whose DNA sequence has been determined.

How Stem Cells Decide What They Will Become

LCn — Wed, 21 May 2008 23:45:09 +0100

How does a stem cell decide what specialized identity to adopt - or simply to remain a stem cell? A new study suggests that the conventional view, which assumes that cells are 'instructed' to progress along prescribed signalling pathways, is too simplistic.

New Light on Stem Cell Self-renewal

LCn — Wed, 21 May 2008 22:40:18 +0100

Researchers from California (USC), United Kingdom and Canada have discovered a new mechanism to allow embryonic stem cells to divide indefinitely and remain undifferentiated.

British PM Urges Support for Embryo and Stem Cell Research

LCn — Sun, 18 May 2008 21:56:35 +0100

Scientists should be given the legal framework necessary to pursue cures for diseases like Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and cancer, the British PM Gordon Brown has said.

Embryonic Pathway Induce Stem Cell Character

LCn — Fri, 16 May 2008 01:12:37 +0100

Studies of how cancer cells spread have led to a surprising discovery about the creation of cells with adult stem cell characteristics, offering potentially major implications for regenerative medicine and for cancer treatment.

Study on Attitudes to Stem Cell Research

LCn — Wed, 14 May 2008 22:29:52 +0100

Unlike most scientific and technological advances, which tend to take their place silently in society, biotechnology often finds itself the center of public debate and regulatory attention, due partly to the moral issues posed by many of its applications. In this second BBVA Foundation international study on 'Attitudes to Biotechnology' (the first was in 2003), the sample has been enlarged from nine to twelve European countries.

New Cardiac Progenitor Population Found

LCn — Wed, 14 May 2008 22:27:44 +0100

Researchers at the UCSD have found that parent cells involved in embryonic development of the epicardium - the cell layer surrounding the outside of the heart - give rise to three important types of cells with potential for cardiac repair.

Genetically Modified Human Embryo Stirs Controversy

LCn — Tue, 13 May 2008 17:55:31 +0100

Researchers at Cornell University in New York have recently made a breakthrough in genetics by creating the first genetically modified (GM) human embryo. This research raises a number of difficult ethical questions, that need be discussed.

Embryonic Stem Cells Are Genetically 'Open'

LCn — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:44:28 +0100

Researchers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and elsewhere have succeeded in graphically revealing the exact mechanism how embryonic stem cells have the ability to develop into any kind of tissue-specific cells, resolving a long-standing question as to whether the stem cells achieve their development through selective activation or selective repression of genes.

CIRM Award Funds to Build California Stem Cell Labs

LCn — Thu, 08 May 2008 01:13:03 +0100

CIRM, Donors and 12 California Institutions Commit $1.1 Billion to Stem Cell Research in California.

Stem Cell Policy Change Likely After Bush

LCn — Wed, 07 May 2008 12:45:53 +0100

Seven years after President Bush blocked most federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, the controversial science is likely to get a fresh look from the next President, no matter who it is.

Human Embryonic Stem Cell Therapies for Liver, Bone and Cartilage

LCn — Tue, 06 May 2008 12:08:08 +0100

University of Edinburgh Human Embryonic Stem Cell Program Awarded UK Grant Funding.

Controlling Embryonic Fate by Association

LCn — Sun, 04 May 2008 23:09:25 +0100

Nanog and Oct4 associate with unique repressor complexes on their target genes to control ES cell fate.

Microchimerism: The Ties That Binds

LCn — Fri, 02 May 2008 11:36:59 +0100

Cutting the umbilical cord doesn't necessarily sever the physical link between mother and child. Many cells pass back and forth between the mother and foetus during pregnancy and can be detected in the tissues and organs of both even decades later.

Heart and Blood Cells from iPS Cells

LCn — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 20:38:18 +0100

Stem cell researchers at UCLA were able to grow functioning cardiac cells using mouse skin cells that had been reprogrammed into cells with the same unlimited properties as embryonic stem cells.

Stem Cells in the Pituitary

LCn — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:56:05 +0100

Scientists Find Stem Cells for the First Time in the Pituitary. Their presence in the hormone-secreting gland of mice suggests a means of adapting to stress and life changes.

Cell-based Therapy Shows Promise in Patients with Parkinson's disease

LCn — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:47:34 +0100

A novel cell therapy using retinal pigment epithelial cells attached to tiny gelatine bead micro-carriers implanted in the brain can improve the symptoms of patients with moderate to advanced Parkinson's disease.

Tissue-specific Blood Stem Cells Established From Embryonic Stem Cells

LCn — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:45:44 +0100

A research team at the Umea Center for Molecular Medicine in Sweden, led by Professor Leif Carlsson, has managed to specifically establish and isolate the tissue-specific stem cell that produces blood cells by using genetically modified embryonic stem cells.

To Good To Be True?

LCn — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 01:44:05 +0100

Paralyzed man back on his feet after embryonic stem cell therapy.

Heart Stem Cells Develop Into Heart Muscle

LCn — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:54:10 +0100

Dutch researchers at University Medical Center Utrecht and the Hubrecht Institute have succeeded in growing large numbers of stem cells from adult human hearts into new heart muscle cells.

Mature B-cells Reprogrammed To Stem-cell-like State

LCn — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 20:38:13 +0100

Fully mature, differentiated B cells can be reprogrammed to an embryonic-stem-cell-like state, without the use of an egg according to a recent study.

Ethics of Lab Made Gametes: The Hinxton Report

LCn — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:41:14 +0100

The Hinxton Consortium, which was formed in 2006 to investigate the ethics and legality of stem cells, yesterday issued its recommendations for how research aimed at creating artificial gametes - sperm and eggs - should proceed.

ESCs and Cancer Stem Cells Share Genetic Expression Pattern

LCn — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:25:07 +0100

A new study suggests that a genetic fingerprint associated with normal embryonic stem cells may be important for the development and function of cancer stem cells.

Human ESC Research Reveals Earliest Step in Human Development

LCn — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:23:43 +0100

Researchers at Johns Hopkins have uncovered the molecular underpinnings of one of the earliest steps in human development using human embryonic stem cells.

German Stem Cell Research Debated

LCn — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 00:22:25 +0100

A few days before the German Federal Parliament reaches a decision on the Stem Cell Act, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft has reinforced its stance on amending current legislation.

Reprogrammed Cells Reduce Parkinson's Symptoms in Rats

LCn — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 08:30:16 +0100

Neurons derived from reprogrammed adult skin cells successfully integrated into foetal mouse brains and reduced symptoms in a Parkinson's disease rat model.

Comprehensive Protein Map Of A Stem Cell

LCn — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 00:26:29 +0100

Researchers have successfully identified over 5,000 proteins that are present in embryonic stem cells, tripling the size of previous results and in the process creating the largest quantified protein map to date.

Stem Cell Breakthrough Offers Diabetes Hope

LCn — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 23:08:30 +0100

Scientists have discovered a new technique for turning embryonic stem cells into insulin-producing pancreatic tissue in what could prove a significant breakthrough in the quest to find new treatments for diabetes.

Human-animal Hybrid Embryos Created in Newcastle

LCn — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 03:53:20 +0100

Britain's first human-animal hybrid embryos have been created, forming a crucial first step towards a supply of stem cells that could be used to investigate debilitating and so far untreatable conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's and motor neurone disease.

Transcription Factors Sustains Embryonic Stem Cell State

LCn — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 09:15:17 +0100

One of the four ingredients in the genetic recipe that scientists in Japan and the US followed last year to persuade human skin cells to revert to an embryonic stem cell state, is dispensable in ES cells, thanks to the presence of a molecular alliance between a specific group of key proteins known as transcription factors, a research team led by the Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS) reports.

Role of Tiny RNAs In Controlling Stem Cell Fate

LCn — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 09:12:55 +0100

Researchers at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease (GICD) and the University of California, San Francisco have identified for the first time how tiny genetic factors called microRNAs may influence the differentiation of pluripotent embryonic stem (ES) cells into cardiac muscle.

MIT Researchers Show That iPS Cells Are Fully Pluripotent

LCn — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 05:23:45 +0100

Scientists at MIT's Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research continue their groundbreaking work on pluripotent stem cells. The team headed by Rudolf Jaenisch shows that a specific sequence of biochemical manipulations can reprogram a skin cell into a pluripotent stem cell.

Human Genetic Variation

LCn — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 17:39:21 +0100

University of Michigan scientists and their colleagues at the National Institute on Aging have produced the largest and most detailed worldwide study of human genetic variation, a treasure trove offering new insights into early migrations out of Africa and across the globe.

Human Stem Cells Aid Stroke Recovery in Rats

LCn — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 06:58:00 +0100

Neural cells derived from human embryonic stem cells helped repair stroke-related damage in the brains of rats and led to improvements in their physical abilities, according to a new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

The Bioengineering Challenge: From Stem Cells To Organs

LCn — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 15:06:16 +0100

For more than a decade, Peter Zandstra has been working at the University of Toronto to rev up the production of stem cells and their descendants.

BMP signalling, skin stem cells and hair formation

LCn — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 01:07:33 +0100

Dr. Elaine Fuchs and colleagues report that BMP signalling in dermal papilla cells is important for hair follicle formation.

MicroRNAs Makes Vertebrates

LCn — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 02:01:34 +0100

The study claims to have solved this scientific riddle by analysing the genomics of primitive living fishes such as sharks and lampreys and their spineless relatives, such as the sea squirts.

One More Group Reprogram Fibroblasts to Stem Cells

LCn — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 01:59:35 +0100

UCLA stem cell scientists have reprogrammed human skin cells into cells with the same unlimited properties as embryonic stem cells without using embryos or eggs.

Cheap Genome Sequencing?

LCn — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 23:35:20 +0100

Today the company Illumina, based in San Diego, California, announced that they had sequenced a person's DNA for $100,000, although this has yet to be confirmed.

Three Parent Embryos Created - Again

LCn — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 21:41:03 +0100

Ten human embryos each containing the DNA from one man and two women have been created in a project that within three years could lead to the first genetically altered babies being born in Britain.

Carbohydrate Regulating Stem Cell Potency

LCn — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 20:01:35 +0100

Heparan sulphate, a carbohydrate molecule that coats certain proteins on the cell surface, is critical for the proper proliferation and potency of embryonic stem cells, researchers report.

Venter Institute Scientists Create First Synthetic Bacterial Genome

LCn — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 05:39:49 +0100

A team of 17 researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) has created the largest man-made DNA structure by synthesizing and assembling the 582,970 base pair genome of a bacterium, Mycoplasma genitalium JCVI-1.0.

Pancreatic Stem Cells Found in Adult Mice

LCn — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 20:21:14 +0100

Researchers have discovered that the pancreas does indeed harbour stem cells with the capacity to generate new insulin-producing beta cells.

Spain Approves Therapeutic Cloning Projects

LCn — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 13:03:36 +0100

The Spanish Commission for the Control of the Donation and Use of Human Stem Cells, a body which depends on the Ministry for Health and Consumer Affairs, has given the green light to the first project in Spain which will use the technique known as nucleus transfer.

International Human Genome Project Launched

LCn — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 06:32:26 +0100

An international research consortium today announced the 1000 Genomes Project, an ambitious effort that will involve sequencing the genomes of at least a thousand people from around the world to create the most detailed and medically useful picture to date of human genetic variation.

Embryonic Stem Cell Transplantation Improves Muscular Dystrophy in Mice

LCn — Sun, 20 Jan 2008 22:34:28 +0100

Using embryonic stem cells from mice, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have prompted the growth of healthy - and more importantly, functioning - muscle cells in mice afflicted with a human model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Stem Cell Research to Tackle Parkinson's

LCn — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 22:28:57 +0100

Scientists in Sweden are developing new ways to grow brain cells in the laboratory that could one day be used to treat patients with Parkinson's disease.

UK HFEA Approves Human-Animal Hybrid Embryo Research

LCn — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 09:35:22 +0100

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) yesterday granted permission to two groups of scientists to create human-animal embryos for research.

Human Cloning Achieved?

LCn — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 01:31:04 +0100

In a research paper from a group in La Jolla, CA and Detroit, MI, scientists describe how they have succeeded in producing a human cloned blastocysts, using freshly donated eggs and adult fibroblasts.

CIRM: Grants for New ESC Lines

LCn — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 01:29:10 +0100

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) today announced that it has received and accepted 57 letters of intent for the New Cell Lines Awards.

Recreation of Beating Heart in the Laboratory

LCn — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 01:50:06 +0100

University of Minnesota researchers have created a beating heart in the laboratory.

ACT Make hESC Lines Without Destroying Embryos

LCn — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 22:14:11 +0100

Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. together with colleagues announced today the development of five human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines without the destruction of embryos. These new results have the potential to end the ethical debate surrounding the use of embryos to derive stem cells.

Newcastle First to Pay for Human Eggs

LCn — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 01:24:14 +0100

Fifteen women undergoing IVF treatment are to take part in a world-first scheme in Newcastle. They are the first to receive IVF treatment at Newcastle's Fertility Centre for Life at a reduced cost in return for donating some eggs for research.

NY State Awards $14.5M for Stem Cell Research

LCn — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 00:45:25 +0100

Governor Eliot Spitzer and Lieutenant Governor David A. Paterson today announced the first grant awards of New York State's new $600 million multi-year stem cell research program, offering new hope to people who suffer from debilitating and life threatening diseases and ailments such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and cancer.

China's Biotech Industry An Asian Dragon Growing

LCn — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 22:53:53 +0100

Backed by a government intent on promoting innovation and fuelled by the "brain gain" of talented scientists and entrepreneurs returning from abroad, China's health biotech industry only needs a more favourable investment climate to emerge as a global force in the production of therapies and medicines – both new and low-cost generics – experts say in a new study.

China Has The Largest Umbilical Cord Stem Cell Storage

LCn — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 11:46:25 +0100

Tianjin now has the largest umbilical cord blood stem-cell storage in the world.

Cardiac Stem Cell Therapy Closer to Reality

LCn — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 11:44:26 +0100

Since the year 2000, much has been learned about the potential for using transplanted cells in therapeutic efforts to treat varieties of cardiac disorders.

California Company Creates Parthenogenetic hESC Lines

LCn — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 11:42:08 +0100

Scientists at California-based International Stem Cell Corporation (ISCO) have created unique human stem cell lines that make them easily "immune matched" to human beings and could enable the creation of a bank of stem cells that could be used, without rejection, by a majority of the different people and races of the world.

Chinese Groups Make Parthenogenetic hESCs

LCn — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 19:29:20 +0100

Two Chinese groups report this week, in the journal Cell Research, that they have obtained homozygous human ESC lines from a parthenogenetic oocyte, a process by which an oocyte is activated to develop without fusing with a sperm.

Human Embryonic Stem Cells Repair Heart

LCn — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 03:21:10 +0100

Scientists at Imperial College London have overcome two significant obstacles on the road to harnessing stem cells to build patches for damaged hearts.

Stem Cells for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy?

LCn — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 22:58:28 +0100

Scientists report that adult stem cells isolated from humans with muscular dystrophy can be genetically corrected and used to induce functional improvement when transplanted into a mouse model of the disease.

Reprogrammed Adult Cells Treat Sickle-cell Anaemia in Mice

LCn — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 06:11:05 +0100

Mice with a human sickle-cell anaemia disease trait have been treated successfully in a process that begins by directly reprogramming their own cells to an embryonic-stem-cell-like state, without the use of eggs. This is the first proof-of-principle of therapeutic application in mice of directly reprogrammed "induced pluripotent stem" (iPS) cells, which recently have been derived in mice as well as humans.

Replacing the Cells Lost in Parkinson Disease

LCnC — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 06:08:45 +0100

Parkinson disease (PD) is caused by the progressive degeneration of brain cells known as dopamine (DA) cells. Replacing these cells is considered a promising therapeutic strategy.

Human Embryonic Stem Cells Mend Massive Skull Injury in Mice

LCn — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 19:03:51 +0100

Broken skulls can be repaired using cells from human embryos, scientists have shown. Researchers were able to plug holes in the skulls of mice by transplanting the human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), which grew into new bone tissue.

ESCs produced from fibroblasts without oncogenes

LCn — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 02:38:05 +0100

Japanese group make induced pluripotent stem cells from fibroblasts without oncogenes.

ES Cell International generate six clinical-grade hESC lines

LCn — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:06:38 +0100

The use of clinical-grade human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) for cell therapy has taken an important step forward.

Stem cell therapies for brain more complicated than thought

LCn — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 22:21:53 +0100

A team of MIT researchers suggests that stem cell therapies for the brain could be much more complicated than previously thought.

Researchers find mature heart cell potential in hESCs

LCn — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 22:20:19 +0100

UC Davis researchers find evidence of mature heart cell potential in hESCs
Finding advances field toward future use of stem cell treatment of end-stage heart disease
Tuesday, 27 November 2007

In a new study, UC Davis researchers report the first functional evidence that heart cells derived from human embryonic stem cells exhibit one of the most critical properties of mature adult heart cells, an important biological process called excitation-contraction coupling.

Reprogramming of human fibroblasts to ESCs achieved

LCn — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:28:23 +0100

Scientists have managed to reprogram human skin cells directly into cells that look and act like embryonic stem (ES) cells. The technique makes it possible to generate patient-specific stem cells to study or treat disease without using embryos or oocytes.

Thomson Also Make Human Fibroblasts Embryonic-like

LCn — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 21:03:40 +0100

UW-Madison scientists also guide human skin cells to embryonic like state.

Yamanaka Turns Human Fibroblasts to ESC-like Cells

LCn — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 17:31:57 +0100

Simple recipe turns human skin cells into embryonic stem cell-like cells
Tuesday, 20 November 2007

A simple recipe — including just four ingredients — can transform adult human skin cells into cells that resemble embryonic stem cells, researchers report in an immediate early publication of the journal Cell today.

Dolly Professor Abandons Human Cloning Attempts

LCn — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 00:40:10 +0100

The Scottish scientist who created Dolly the sheep more than a decade ago said he is abandoning the cloning technique that he pioneered, according to an interview published Saturday.

'Stem Cells to Cure Parkinson's in 5 Years'

LCn — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 13:43:00 +0100

At the 2007 Seoul Symposium on Stem Cell Research, Olle Lindvall said that the cure for the Parkinson's disease is likely to be one of the first and most effective applications of human stem cell research.

hESCs derived from PGD embryos with Fragile X

LCn — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 20:31:26 +0100

A human stem cell line derived from embryos that were identified by preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) to carry the mutation for fragile X syndrome has provided an unprecedented view of early events associated with this disease.

Steps towards spinal cord reconstruction

LCn — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 03:16:47 +0100

A new study has identified what may be a pivotal first step towards the regeneration of nerve cells following spinal cord injury, using the body's own stem cells.

UN Analysis on Human Cloning

LCn — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 15:08:03 +0100

Ban human reproductive cloning, or prepare for human rights for clones, says UN study.
Sunday, 11 November 2007

A report by the United Nations University's Institute of Advanced Studies (UNU-IAS) on the advances on human cloning comes to the conclusion that the international community faces a stark choice: outlaw human reproductive cloning or prepare for the creation of cloned humans. In the second case global leaders need to be prepared to protect the rights of cloned individuals from potential abuse, prejudice and discrimination.

Draft Guidelines for Stem Cell Research in India

LCn — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 10:32:33 +0100

After five years of consultation, a panel of Indian experts has at last devised a set of guidelines to regulate stem cell research and its use in India.

New Jersey Voters Defeat Stem Cell Measure

LCn — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:40:18 +0100

In a stunning defeat for Gov. Jon S. Corzine, New Jersey voters on Tuesday rejected a ballot measure that would have permitted the state to borrow $450 million for stem cell research.

NJ to vote on stem cell bond act

LCn — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 01:07:58 +0100

The state decides on $450 million for research Tuesday, 06 November 2007 New Jersey residents will vote today (November 6) whether to devote $450 million to stem cell research over the next ten years.

Human tests of ESC therapies to start?

LCn — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 22:44:35 +0100

Geron Corp. and Advanced Cell Technology Inc. are getting ready to start clinical testing of embryonic stem cells for different conditions next year, CNN reports today. Both companies are preparing to submit applications to the FDA to begin human testing of experimental treatments that are based on ESCs. If the companies get the go-ahead, they could begin tests as soon as next year.

Stem cells can improve memory after brain injury

LCn — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 01:50:13 +0100

New UC Irvine research is among the first to demonstrate that neural stem cells may help to restore memory after brain damage.

Differentiation in human embryonic stem cells

LCn — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:23:36 +0100

Researchers know very little about how human embryonic stem cells (hESC) self-renew. To fully understand these cells’ self renewal capacity and pluripotency, and their regulation, it is necessary to efficiently generate genetically modified cells and analyze the consequences of elevated and reduced expression of genes.

Differentiation in human embryonic stem cells

LCn — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:23:36 +0100

Signal that switches on eye development

LCn — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 00:21:51 +0100

Researchers at the University of Warwick, funded by Wellcome Trust, have uncovered a crucial signal that switches on eye development. This discovery will greatly assist researchers looking at stem cells connected to eye development and opens up an avenue of research that could eventually lead to an 'eye in a dish'.

Zerhouni again urges more hESC research

LCn — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 14:25:25 +0100

In a magazine interview in Medline Plus this week, National Institutes of Health Director Elias Zerhouni says that human embryonic stem cell research should be expanded.

First Complete Asian Genome

LCn — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 19:15:11 +0100

Chinese Scientists Map Out First Asian Genome Chinese scientists have successfully completed the first sequence map of the diploid genome of an Asian individual, China Daily report.

Stem cell nuclei are soft and plastic

LCn — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 21:13:15 +0100

Biophysicists at the University of Pennsylvania have discovered that the nuclei of human stem cells are particularly soft and flexible, rather than hard, making it easier for stem cells to migrate through the body and to adopt different shapes, but ultimately to put human genes in the correct nuclear "sector" for proper access and expression.

Adult stem cells not equal to ESCs

LCn — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 18:11:40 +0100

Adult stem cells lack key pluripotency regulator The protein Oct4 plays a major role in embryonic stem cells, acting as a master regulator of the genes that keep the cells in an undifferentiated state. Unsurprisingly, researchers studying adult stem cells have long suspected that Oct4 also is critical in allowing these cells to remain undifferentiated. Indeed, more than 50 studies have reported finding Oct4 activity in adult stem cells.

Back to the question: How much is a human egg worth?

LCn — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 21:10:15 +0100

Massachusetts regulations prohibit researchers from paying women for their eggs when donated for research. Similar regulations exist in California, and guidelines from both the National Academy of Sciences and the International Society for Stem Cell Research permit only limited compensation for egg donors.

Human Therapeutic Cloning at a Standstill

LCN — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 15:08:55 +0100

It's rare for a scientist to take the mike at a prominent conference, face his peers, and plaintively announce that he has made absolutely no progress on an important research project. But that's exactly what Kevin Eggan, a biologist at the Harvard Stem Cell Institute, did last week at the Stem Cell Summit, in Boston.

Venter makes synthetic life... or not yet?

LCn — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 12:06:59 +0100

Rumours of J. Craig Venter's achievements in creating artificial life are again circulating in the press – Ed Pilkington in the Guardian reported this weekend that Venter has successfully made a fully synthetic chromosome, dubbed Mycoplasma laboratorium. The chromosome reportedly consists of 381 genes, and in total contains 580,000 nucleotide base pairs.

Clinton Would Fund Stem Cell Research

AP — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 21:05:23 +0100

If elected president, Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton says she would sign an executive order rescinding President Bush's restrictions on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

UW-Madison get $7.2M NIH grant for ALS stem cell therapy

LCn — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 21:03:11 +0100

With the help of a $7.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a team of University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers will explore the potential of stem cells and natural growth factors to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Stem cells in adult testes alternative to ESCs

LCn — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 05:25:01 +0100

Isolation of specialized subsets of spermatogonial stem cells generate a wide range of cell and tissue types.

Promising new source of stem cells

LCn — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 05:23:09 +0100

Stem cells derived from adult testes produce wide range of tissue types.

Trounson named CIRM's new stem cell chief

LCn — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 05:20:25 +0100

The California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, based in San Francisco, has been searching for a science chief since its first president, Zach Hall, retired at the end of April. On Friday, the California's stem cell agency named the Australian stem cell scientist Alan Trounson as its new president.

India's First Institute of Regenerative Medicine

LCn — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 00:04:41 +0100

The Manipal Institute of Regenerative Medicine (MIRM), a new initiative of Manipal University, has been created to transform stem cell science into reality by bringing together a group of outstanding scientists and providing them with an exceptional research environment. MIRM will be a world leading centre for basic stem cell biology, aiming at critical advances in the field through a program of ground breaking innovation.

CellNEWS_ALL Stem Cell News Links - August 2007

LCn — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 23:20:14 +0100

Updated news links for stem cells and cloning.

Was Hwang's Stem Cells Parthenogenetic?

LCn — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 00:40:56 +0100

Researchers say they have confirmed suspicions that embryonic stem cells claimed to be extracted from the first cloned human embryo by discredited South Korean scientist Woo Suk Hwang actually owe their existence to parthenogenesis, a process in which egg cells give rise to embryos without being fertilized by sperm.

Next Step Towards Artificial Life: Whole Genome Transplantation Achieved in Mycobacterium

LCn — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 13:15:54 +0100

Researchers at the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) today announced the results of work on genome transplantation methods allowing them to transform one type of bacteria into another type dictated by the transplanted chromosome. The work, published online in the journal Science, by JCVI's Carole Lartigue, Ph.D. and colleagues, outlines the methods and techniques used to change one bacterial species, Mycoplasma capricolum into another, Mycoplasma mycoides Large Colony (LC), by replacing one organism's genome with the other one's genome.

Genetic Themes Keeping Stem Cells Primitive

LCn — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 09:00:23 +0100

For more than 25 years, stem cells have been defined based on what they can become: more of themselves, as well as multiple different specialized cell types. But as genetic techniques have become increasingly powerful, many scientists have sought a more molecular definition of stem cells, based on the genes they express.

Turning Adult Cells Embryonic

LCn — Fri, 08 Jun 2007 12:12:26 +0100

Scientists at Kyoto University, Whitehead Institute, Harvard University and UCLA have all demonstrated that embryonic stem cells can be created without eggs. By genetically manipulating mature skin cells taken from a mouse, the scientists have transformed these cells back into a pluripotent state, one that appears identical to an embryonic stem cell in every way.

Sweden approves creation of 'designer babies'

LCn — Tue, 29 May 2007 19:15:26 +0100

The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare yesterday granted three families the right to screen embryos to create a child who can be a stem cell donor for a sibling with a deadly illness. A fourth family is under consideration. This comes after a new law on genetic screening came into effect 1st of July last year.

CA Supreme Court Clears the Way for Stem Cell Grants

LCn — Thu, 17 May 2007 07:45:26 +0100

Finally the battle over the Californian stem cell program is over. The California Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to take up the case, already decided in the lower courts. In this way they cleared the way for the state to start selling their proposed $3 billion in bonds. This will finance the research grants distributed by CIRM over the next ten years.

UCI Scientist to Start Therapeutic Cloning

LCn — Tue, 15 May 2007 03:34:16 +0100

UC Irvine neurobiologist Hans Keirstead and his research team today launched a project to develop stem cell lines that genetically match human patients. These lines would allow scientists to better study conditions ranging from diabetes to Parkinson's disease, and they would provide the basis for potential patient-specific stem cell treatments.

Master regulatory gene of epithelial stem cells identified

LCn — Fri, 04 May 2007 10:48:36 +0100

The skin’s ability to replace the tissue it sloughs off is controlled by a variety of genes. A new study from Harvard Medical School published in the May 4 issue of Cell, however, identifies a "master regulator" of this regeneration process not only for skin, but for many epithelial tissues including breast, prostate, and urogenital tract.

EU Lawmakers Back Rules for Stem Cells

LCn — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 05:00:00 +0100

European lawmakers backed new rules for stem cell and other advanced medical therapies on Wednesday, despite opposition from a key member of the European Parliament.

Stem Cell Vote Set for US Senate

LCn — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 03:04:00 +0100

The US Senate is planning a fresh policy challenge to President Bush this week, this time on a popular domestic issue.

EC creates registry for hESC lines

LCn — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 05:00:00 +0100

The European Commission has today agreed funding for the creation of a European registry for human embryonic stem cell lines.

New Embryonic Stem Cell Signaling Pathways

LCn — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 04:00:00 +0100

A newly discovered small molecule called IQ-1 plays a key role in preventing embryonic stem cells from differentiating into one or more specific cell types, allowing them to instead continue growing and dividing indefinitely.

Will US Congress Pass Stem Cell Legislation?

LCn — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 05:00:02 +0100

The US Senate is planning a fresh policy challenge to President Bush this week, this time on a popular domestic issue.

Stem Cell Bill Reintroduced in US Senate

LCn — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 05:06:36 +0100

The US Senate is soon expected to consider the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007, known as S.5. The House of Representatives already passed H.R. 3, its version of the bill, by a vote of 253 to 174. Both bills are identical to the stem cell research bill that passed both the House and Senate last year but was vetoed by Pres. Bush.

Human ES Cells Form Blood Vessels In vivo

LCn — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 05:08:03 +0100

A group at Harvard Stem Cell Institute and Shanghai Huashan Hospital have successfully shown that human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can be induced to form fully functional blood vessels in immunorestricted mice.

Iowa Gov. Culver Signs Stem Cell Bill

LCn — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 07:42:41 +0100

On Thursday 1st March, 2007, Governor Chet Culver signed five bills into law, including SF 162, the "The Iowa Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative." This legislation repeals a 2002 law that banned life-saving stem cell research, and was a promise of then candidate Culver during last year’s gubernatorial election.

CIRM Awards First Stem Cell Research Grants

LCn — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 04:45:34 +0100

More than two years after voters approved a $3 billion program to fund stem cell research in California, the state has approved the first grants focused solely on human embryonic stem cell research.

Stem Cell Research in India: An Update

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 14:46:37 +0100

Dr. Alka Sharma, Principal Scientific Officer, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India, New Delhi, India, give a perspective on stem cell and regenerative research in India.

A Protein Network that Regulates "Stemness"

LCn — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 03:22:05 +0100

Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) researchers have created a map that charts the largely unexplored protein landscape that regulates a stem cell's ability to differentiate into multiple types of mature cells.

British Scientists Apply for Licence to Create Hybrid Embryos

LCn — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 03:24:37 +0100

Stem cell scientists are seeking permission to use animal eggs in research which aims to lead to the development of new therapies for debilitating human conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, strokes and Alzheimer’s disease.

Compound That Keeps Stem Cells Young

LCn — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 03:25:34 +0100

A team of scientists from the Scripps Research Institute, the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation and the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Biomedicine has discovered a new synthetic compound that can support growth and self-renewal of mouse embryonic stem cells, offering a simple alternative to current growth conditions that may vary batch-to-batch and confuse experimental results.

Stem Cells Engage in Dialogue with Surrounding

LCn — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 03:26:29 +0100

Dialogue, not a monologue, is the basis of all good communication. Stem cells are no exception. Recent University of Washington (UW) research has found an early indication of two-way cellular communication. This two-way cell-to-cell signalling occurs in the miniscule niches of the body where the futures of stem cells are determined.

Stem Cell Research Again Major Issue in US Election

LCn — Fri, 03 Nov 2006 03:27:45 +0100

Stem cell research has once again become one of the top issues in US elections.

Seoul National University Report on Dr. Hwang Woo Suk’s Cloning Work

Mon, 09 Jan 2006 14:46:36 +0100

Following is the text of Seoul National University's report on Dr. Hwang Woo Suk, the South Korean researcher who claimed to have cloned human cells.

Hwang's Stem Cell Cloning Fabricated

LCn — Thu, 22 Dec 2005 14:46:36 +0100

A nine-member panel from Seoul National University has been examining the work of stem-cell scientist Hwang Woo-suk, who faces charges from collaborators that key findings in their paper on producing tailored embryonic stem cells were fabricated.

Bill Frist: On the Stem Cell Research Issue

Thu, 11 Aug 2005 14:46:35 +0100

Bill Frist: I recently spoke on the Senate floor in favor of increasing - within strict ethical bounds - federal support for stem cell research. I believe that embryonic stem cells hold UNIQUE potential to heal, and that they can be derived ethically.

Czech Scientist Sustain hESCs in Original 'Blank' State

LCn — Thu, 09 Jun 2005 14:46:34 +0100

CzechInvest, the Investment and Business Development Agency of the Czech Republic, today announced Czech scientists have recently made significant new breakthroughs in stem cell research.

Canada's First Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines

LCn — Thu, 09 Jun 2005 14:39:00 +0100

A senior scientist at Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, has developed Canada's first two human embryonic stem cell lines, giving researchers across the country new potential and hope for eventually discovering treatments and cures for many chronic and fatal diseases.

Hwang's Team: Step Towards Therapeutic Cloning

LCn — Sun, 20 Mar 2005 14:46:32 +0100

Last year, a group led by veterinarian Woo Suk Hwang and gynaecologist Shin Yong Moon at Seoul National University reported the first derivation of ES cells from human nuclear transfer.

Minority of UN Vote against Human Cloning

LCn — Tue, 08 Mar 2005 14:39:01 +0100

The United Nations General Assembly today approved a declaration calling on all UN Member States to ban all forms of human cloning, including cloning for medical treatment, as incompatible with human dignity and the protection of human life.

Swedish Parliament OK Therapeutic Cloning Law

LCn — Thu, 03 Feb 2005 14:39:00 +0100

The Swedish Parliament has voted in favour of the long waited revision of a bioethics law.

Human Embryonic Stem Cells Become Spinal Motor Neurone's

LCn — Mon, 31 Jan 2005 14:38:59 +0100

After years of trial and error, scientists have coaxed human embryonic stem cells to become spinal motor neurone's, critical nervous system pathways that relay messages from the brain to the rest of the body.

China Seek Extended Collaboration With EU on Stem Cell Research

LCn — Wed, 26 Jan 2005 14:38:59 +0100

According to Xinhua.net, an official of the Ministry of Science and Technology in China said on Monday this week, that China’s key basic research projects (from the National Basic Research Program) are now open to public bidding. This will allow research institutions in European Union member countries to join these programs, in accordance with a new Sino-EU science and technology co-operative treaty.

Czech's First Stem Cell Research Bill

LCn — Wed, 27 Oct 2004 14:31:21 +0100

The controversial topic of research involving stem cells from human embryos has hit the Czech Republic. With an eye on creating a legal framework to regulate research on human embryos and the harvesting of human embryonic stem cells, Education Minister Petra Buzkova recently submitted the country's first stem cell legislation.

UN Debate Cloning Again

LCn — Fri, 22 Oct 2004 14:38:59 +0100

The United Nations General Assembly’s legal committee today resumed debate on two competing draft resolutions that would ban all reproductive cloning.

Schwarzenegger Backs Proposition 71

LCn — Mon, 18 Oct 2004 14:34:11 +0100

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger endorsed a ballot measure on Monday that would spend up to $3 billion in state money on stem cell research.

China Make Broad Progress in Stem Cell Research

LCn — Tue, 21 Sep 2004 14:31:20 +0100

While the United States discusses the existence of stem cell research, China takes a broad perspective on the issue. Their latest results were presented at a tree-day international stem cell symposium, the Third International Symposium of Stem Cells, held in Shenyang in mid September 2004, in the Northeast Chinese province of Liaoning, and organised by the China Medical University in Shenyang.

US Will Again Seek Cloning Ban in UN General Assembly

LCn — Thu, 16 Sep 2004 14:31:19 +0100

Mark Lagon, deputy assistant secretary of state for international organizations affairs, laid out the US goals for the 59th General Assembly in remarks at the Hudson Institute in Washington September 13. Lagon said US priorities seek to move the United Nations back to its founding principles.

California Chamber of Commerce Endorses Proposition 71

LCn — Tue, 14 Sep 2004 14:31:20 +0100

Supporters of Proposition 71, the California Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative, today announced that United States Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has endorsed the measure, adding to a growing, broad and diverse coalition mobilising to ensure passage of Prop. 71 on the November 2004 state-wide ballot.

Growing Support for California's Proposition 71

LCn — Thu, 09 Sep 2004 14:31:21 +0100

(untitled)

Mon, 21 May 2007 12:47:35 +0100

How to Make Stem Cells Stay Growing

LCn — Fri, 30 May 2003 13:00:59 +0100

Scientists from the University of Edinburgh identify a new protein central to the unique properties of embryonic stem cells. The report reveals that the protein Nanog, named after the mythological Celtic land of the ever young 'Tir nan Og', is required for the special ability of stem cells to multiply without limit while remaining able to make many different types of cell.

'A Clone Would Be Uglier, Sicker and Dimmer'

Fri, 23 May 2003 13:01:01 +0100

Human cloning would serve no purpose; all it would do is create imperfect beings, Carlos Alberto Redi, the Italian scientist who created the first mouse clone, said in an interview with Tierramérica.

Dr. Panos Zavos: Ready to Implant Human Clone

LCn — Wed, 14 May 2003 13:01:00 +0100

A few weeks ago, reproductive scientist Panayiotis Zavos claimed to have grown the first human cloned embryo created expressly for reproductive purposes. Zavos' describe a four-day-old, eight-to-10 cell embryo, which he say is ready to be implanted in a woman’s uterus.

Bush stem cell policy questioned

LCn — Thu, 24 Apr 2003 13:00:59 +0100

Pressure is building from scientists, patient advocates and members of Congress to loosen the embryo-protecting restrictions imposed by President Bush in 2001.

Clonaid Says It Will Offer Proof of Cloned Babies

LCn — Wed, 19 Mar 2003 13:00:58 +0100

Brigitte Boisselier, the head of Clonaid that says it has produced the first cloned humans, said on Wednesday at a press conference it would show proof of the babies at a gathering of some of the parents in Brazil next week.

Stem Cells: The Final Frontier

Tue, 04 Mar 2003 12:47:44 +0100

Irv Weismann’s home is about 20 minutes from Stanford University, hidden from the road by a tall stand of trees.

The Cloning Circus Continues

LCn — Sun, 19 Jan 2003 12:47:42 +0100

The company which claimed to have produced two human clones now says a third cloned baby will be born in Japan on Monday.

Antinori's Cloning Consortium: I. The Scientific connections

LCn — Sun, 12 Jan 2003 12:47:43 +0100

A year ago, Severino Antinori summoned a group of fertility experts to a scientific meeting in Sabaudia on the western coastline, just south of Rome, Italy. He there constituted what he called the "World Association of Reproductive Medicine".

New Danish Stem Cell School On The Way

Mon, 06 Jan 2003 12:47:36 +0100

A new school for stem-cell researchers in Denmark could propel the country to the global fore in stem-cell research. After the first of the year, a new school for domestic and international stem-cell researchers is slated to open its new headquarters at the University of Southern Denmark in Odense.

Dr. Panos Zavos: Where is the proof of a "baby"?

Sun, 05 Jan 2003 12:47:40 +0100

All we have seen so far is a show without substance and an irresponsible act of medical, scientific and news reporting dimensions.

Dr. Panos Zavos Question Clone Claim

LCn — Sat, 04 Jan 2003 12:47:41 +0100

As the Raelian movement and Clonaid announces the birth of a second cloned baby, Dr. Panos Zavos told CellNEWS about his doubts concerning the claim.

Finnish and Swedish Cooperation on Human Stem Cell Research

Wed, 27 Nov 2002 12:47:35 +0100

Cooperation between Finnish and Swedish experts in the field could give rise to a large Nordic "Bio-Valley". Such cooperation could extend from the Finnish universities of Kuopio and Oulu to Stockholm's famous Karolinska Institute, and the University of Gothenburg.

Venter Attempt a Minimalistic Approach of Creating 'Artificial' Life

LCn — Sun, 24 Nov 2002 21:10:40 +0100

The Institute for Biological Energy Alternatives (IBEA) has been awarded a three-year, $3 million grant from the Office of Science, Department of Energy. The grant will be used for research to develop a synthetic chromosome which is a first step in the Institute's work toward developing cost-effective and efficient biological energy sources. Nobel Laureate Hamilton O. Smith, M.D., has joined IBEA as scientific director.

Sweden's Stem Cell Success

LCn — Sat, 19 Oct 2002 21:10:35 +0100

Sweden is considered to be at the forefront of stem cell science and technology - an area Singapore, Israel, India and many other of the 'big' science countries are pursuing actively - and could offer some lessons for the industry elsewhere.

California Takes Another Step to Allow Stem Cell Work

LCn — Mon, 23 Sep 2002 21:10:36 +0100

California Gov. Gray Davis, in a direct challenge to the Bush administration, has today signed a bill into law that will promote research on embryonic stem cells, aiming to make the state a safe haven for this cutting-edge biomedical science.

Stem Cell Research in India

LCn — Sun, 15 Sep 2002 03:00:00 +0100

It is perhaps not just about creating 'spare parts' for Human beings. Stem cell research has grown at a breathtaking pace that any philosopher worth his salt would not attempt to predict the Future.

Japan's Stem Cell Research

LCn — Thu, 29 Aug 2002 03:00:00 +0100

In the spring of 2002, two major initiatives were taken in Japan to create centres that will work with and advance the stem cell research in the country, one at Kyoto University and the other at the RIKEN Institute facility in Kobe.

California: Stem Cell Pioneers in the US

LCn — Sun, 25 Aug 2002 21:10:39 +0100

As the US national debate over stem cell research and therapeutic cloning continues to divide Congress, a bill on this issue now being considered by the California Legislature has assumed new importance.

China and Stem Cell Research

LCn — Tue, 20 Aug 2002 21:10:37 +0100

China's scientific community grabbed international attention recently when Western media reported that it had already cloned more than 30 human embryos.

The Race Is On: First Cloned Baby 'EVE' Is Born

LCn — Sun, 14 Jul 2002 12:47:36 +0100

According to a Swedish newspaper report today, the Raelian group, with Brigitte Boisselier, claim they have cloned 50 human embryos and put them into surrogate mothers.

Pentagon behind the creation of the "synthetic" polio virus

LCn — Fri, 12 Jul 2002 21:10:38 +0100

Today, the New York Times report that the work, conducted by scientists at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, to create polio virus from scratch, was financed by the Pentagon as part of a program to develop bio warfare countermeasures. The Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) said it had provided about $300,000 over the last three years for the work.

Dangerous Virus made from mail-order kits

LCn — Thu, 11 Jul 2002 21:10:37 +0100

A small group of US researchers reported on Thursday they had built an infectious polio virus from scratch, using only a genetic blueprint from the Internet as a guide and mail-order, and tailor-made sequences from a laboratory supply service to assemble the deadly virus. The man-made virus led to paralysis or death in mice engineered to carry the human receptor for polio virus.

Clash of the sentiments or reason

LCn — Wed, 15 May 2002 21:10:36 +0100

Science and religion, centuries-old rivals, are about to clash in the cushioned chambers of the U.S. Senate later this week. What is expected to be an emotional debate the Senators are going for the final round to decide whether or not cloning of human cells of any kind will be allowed in the United States.