Stem Cell Research
An Australian researcher says that stem cells from teeth have the potential to dramatically improve the lives of stroke victims. Report
A small, early-stage human trial has determined that stem cells extracted from donor bone marrow spurred the growth of new blood vessels inside tissue damaged by a heart attack. Rush University Medical Center researchers said that this was the best evidence yet collected that adult stem cells could play a major role in repairing the damage wrought during a heart attack. Report
French researchers made a dramatic breakthrough recently, using stem cells to create new human skin tissue on the backs of mice. The new approach could offer a dramatic improvement in the way burn victims are treated. Report
ThermoGenesis has struck a pact with the GID Group to process adipose tissue, or fat, for therapeutic stem cells. Story
Advanced Cell Technology has raised $2.77 million in new financing. Story
Cancer Research
A team of British scientists has concluded that a growth factor known as TGFb controls the spread of breast cancer to other parts of the body, offering a new drug target for developers. Report
Scientists have discovered oncogenes capable of driving growth of normal human brain stem cells in a highly malignant pediatric brain tumor. Release
A new three-drug combination has shown in a Phase 1/2 clinical trial that it is a "highly effective regimen" in the treatment of patients newly diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a cancer of white blood cells in bone marrow, say researchers from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Release
Genetics
Rare deletions of DNA in chromosome 16 appear to play a role in promoting childhood obesity. The researchers studied the DNA of 300 morbidly obese children during their analysis. Story
A new genetic approach to treating sickle cell disease is showing promising results in mice, report researchers from Children's Hospital Boston. By inactivating a gene they previously discovered to be important in the laboratory, they were able to boost production of a healthy fetal form of hemoglobin in the mice, potentially compensating for the defective adult hemoglobin that causes red blood cells to "sickle" and obstruct blood flow. Release
By measuring the total gene activity in organs relevant for coronary artery disease, scientists at Sweden's Karolinska Institutet have identified a module of genes that is important for the recruitment of white blood cells into the atherosclerotic plaque. The findings, which are to be published in the open-access journal PLoS Genetics, suggest that targeting the migration of white blood cells in the development of atherosclerosis may help to reduce the risk for adverse clinical effects such as ischemia and myocardial infarction. Release
And Finally...Yale University researchers have found very large RNA structures within previously unstudied bacteria that appear crucial to basic biological functions such as helping viruses infect cells or allowing genes to "jump" to different parts of the chromosome. Release