Archive for the ‘Skin Stem Cells’ Category

Body clock protects cells from metabolism-generated oxygen radical damage during division

Irvine, Calif., Jan. 6, 2015 -- UC Irvine scientists studying the role of circadian rhythms in skin stem cells found that this clock plays a key role in coordinating daily metabolic cycles and cell division.

Their research, which appears Jan. 6 in Cell Reports, shows for the first time how the body's intrinsic day-night cycles protect and nurture stem cell differentiation. Furthermore, this work offers novel insights into a mechanism whereby an out of synch circadian clock can contribute to accelerated skin aging and cancers.

Bogi Andersen, professor of biological chemistry and medicine, and Enrico Gratton, professor of biomedical engineering, focused their efforts on the epidermis, the outermost protective layer of the skin that is maintained and healed by long-lived stem cells.

While the role of the circadian clock in processes such as sleep, feeding behavior and metabolism linked to feeding and fasting are well known, much less is known about whether the circadian clock also regulates stem cell function.

The researchers used novel two-photon excitation and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy in Laboratory of Fluorescence Dynamics in UCI's Department of Biomedical Engineering to make sensitive and quantitative measurements of the metabolic state of single cells within the native microenvironment of living tissue.

They discovered that the circadian clock regulates one form of intermediary metabolism in these stem cells, referred to as oxidative phosphorylation. This type of metabolism creates oxygen radicals that can damage DNA and other components of the cell. In fact, one theory of aging posits that aging is caused by the accumulative damage from metabolism-generated oxygen radicals in stem cells.

The Andersen-Gratton study also revealed that the circadian clock within stem cells shifts the timing of cell division such that the stages of the cell division cycle that are most sensitive to DNA damage are avoided during times of maximum oxidative phosphorylation.

Other studies in animals have linked aging to disruption of circadian rhythms, and Andersen said that accelerated aging could be caused by asynchrony in the metabolism and cell proliferation cycles in stem cells.

"Our studies were conducted in mice, but the greater implication of the work relates to the fact that circadian disruption is very common in modern society, and one consequence of such disruption could be abnormal function of stem cells and accelerated aging," he said.

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Circadian rhythms regulate skin stem cell metabolism and expansion, UCI study finds

January 2, 2015

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Chuck Bednar for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

Fat cells located beneath a persons skin could help protect them from bacterial infections, according to a new study published Thursday in the journal Science.

In the study, Dr. Richard Gallo, a professor and chief of dermatology at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, and his colleagues report that they had discovered a previously unknown function of these dermal fat cells, also known as adipocytes: they produce antimicrobial peptides that help combat bacteria and other types of pathogens.

It was thought that once the skin barrier was broken, it was entirely the responsibility of circulating (white) blood cells like neutrophils and macrophages to protect us from getting sepsis, explained Gallo. But it takes time to recruit these cells (to the wound site).

We now show that the fat stem cells are responsible for protecting us. That was totally unexpected, he added. It was not known that adipocytes could produce antimicrobials, let alone that they make almost as much as a neutrophil.

A persons body launches a complex, multi-tiered defense against microbial infection, the authors said. Several different types of cells are involved, and the process ends with the arrival of specialized cells known as neutrophils and monocytes that target and destroy pathogens.

Before any of that can happen, a more immediate response is required one that can counter the ability of pathogens to rapidly increase their numbers, however. That task is typically performed by epithelial cells, mast cells and leukocytes residing in the area of infection.

Previous research conducted in Gallos lab detected Staphylococcus aureus, a common type of bacteria and a major source of skin infection on humans, in the fat layer of the skin. Antibiotic-resistant forms of this bacterial have become a significant health issue throughout the world, so the study authors looked to see what role adipocytes played in preventing skin infections.

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Fat cells may actually not be so bad

When it comes to skin infections, a healthy and robust immune response may depend greatly upon what lies beneath. In a new paper published in the January 2, 2015 issue ofScience, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report the surprising discovery that fat cells below the skin help protect us from bacteria.

Richard Gallo, MD, PhD, professor and chief of dermatology at UC San Diego School of Medicine, and colleagues have uncovered a previously unknown role for dermal fat cells, known as adipocytes: They produce antimicrobial peptides that help fend off invading bacteria and other pathogens.

"It was thought that once the skin barrier was broken, it was entirely the responsibility of circulating (white) blood cells like neutrophils and macrophages to protect us from getting sepsis," said Gallo, the study's principal investigator.

"But it takes time to recruit these cells (to the wound site). We now show that the fat stem cells are responsible for protecting us. That was totally unexpected. It was not known that adipocytes could produce antimicrobials, let alone that they make almost as much as a neutrophil."

The human body's defense against microbial infection is complex, multi-tiered and involves numerous cell types, culminating in the arrival of neutrophils and monocytes - specialized cells that literally devour targeted pathogens.

Skin graphic image via Shutterstock.

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The good role fat cells play in protecting us from disease

Why are some types of cancer so much more common than others? Sometimes its due to faulty genes inherited from ones parents and sometimes to behaviors like smoking a pack of cigarettes every day. But in most cases, it comes down to something else stem cells.

This is the intriguing argument made by a pair of researchers from Johns Hopkins University. In a study published Friday in the journal Science, they found a very high correlation between the differences in risk for 31 kinds of cancer and the frequency with which different types of stem cells made copies of themselves.

Just how strong was this link? On a scale that goes from 0 (absolutely no correlation) to 1 (exact correlation), biostatistician Cristian Tomasetti and cancer geneticist Bert Vogelstein calculated that it was at least a 0.8. When it comes to cancer, thats high.

No other environmental or inherited factors are known to be correlated in this way across tumor types, Tomasetti and Vogelstein wrote.

Researchers have long recognized that when cells copy themselves, they sometimes make small errors in the billions of chemical letters that make up their DNA. Many of these mistakes are inconsequential, but others can cause cells to grow out of control. That is the beginning of cancer.

The odds of making a copying mistake are believed to be the same for all cells. But some kinds of cells copy themselves much more often than others. Tomasetti and Vogelstein hypothesized that the more frequently a type of cell made copies of itself, the greater the odds that it would develop cancer.

The pair focused on stem cells because of their outsized influence in the body. Stem cells can grow into many kinds of specialized cells, so if they contain damaged DNA, those mistakes can spread quickly.

The researchers combed through the scientific literature and found studies that described the frequency of stem cell division for 31 different tissue types. Then they used data from the National Cancer Institutes Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database to assess the lifetime cancer risk for each of those tissue types. When they plotted the total number of stem cell divisions against the lifetime cancer risk for each tissue, the result was 31 points clustered pretty tightly along a line.

To put this notion in concrete terms, consider the skin. The outermost layer of the skin is the epidermis, and the innermost layer of the epidermis contains a few types of cells. Basal epidermal cells are the ones that copy themselves frequently, with new cells pushing older ones to the skins surface. Melanocytes are charged with making melanin, the pigment that protects the skin from the suns damaging ultraviolet rays.

When sunlight hits bare skin, both basal epidermal cells and melanocytes get the same exposure to UV. But basal cell carcinoma is far more common than melanoma about 2.8 million Americans are diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma each year, compared with roughly 76,000 new cases of melanoma, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. A major reason for this discrepancy, Tomasetti and Vogelstein wrote, is that epidermal stem cells divide once every 48 days, while melanocytes divide only once every 147 days.

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Scientists explain how stem cells and 'bad luck' cause cancer

Fat cells below the skin, known as adipocytes, can protect against infection They produce molecules called antimicrobial peptides that fend off bacteria Lack of antimicrobial peptides leaves people more prone to infections

By Madlen Davies for MailOnline

Published: 11:11 EST, 2 January 2015 | Updated: 16:58 EST, 2 January 2015

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Fat has been much maligned for promoting weight gain and raising cholesterol.

However, a new study has found fat is not all bad, helping people fight infections.

U.S. researchers made the surprising discovery that fat cells below the skin help protect against bacteria.

Professor Richard Gallo, of UC San Diego School of Medicine, uncovered the previously unknown role for fat cells known as adipocytes.

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Fat below the skin 'helps protect against bacterial infections and blood poisoning'

When it comes to skin infections, a healthy and robust immune response may depend greatly upon what lies beneath. In a new paper published in the January 2, 2015 issue of Science, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report the surprising discovery that fat cells below the skin help protect us from bacteria.

Richard Gallo, MD, PhD, professor and chief of dermatology at UC San Diego School of Medicine, and colleagues have uncovered a previously unknown role for dermal fat cells, known as adipocytes: They produce antimicrobial peptides that help fend off invading bacteria and other pathogens.

"It was thought that once the skin barrier was broken, it was entirely the responsibility of circulating (white) blood cells like neutrophils and macrophages to protect us from getting sepsis," said Gallo, the study's principal investigator.

"But it takes time to recruit these cells (to the wound site). We now show that the fat stem cells are responsible for protecting us. That was totally unexpected. It was not known that adipocytes could produce antimicrobials, let alone that they make almost as much as a neutrophil."

The human body's defense against microbial infection is complex, multi-tiered and involves numerous cell types, culminating in the arrival of neutrophils and monocytes - specialized cells that literally devour targeted pathogens.

But before these circulating white blood cells arrive at the scene, the body requires a more immediate response to counter the ability of many microbes to rapidly increase in number. That work is typically done by epithelial cells, mast cells and leukocytes residing in the area of infection.

Staphylococcus aureus is a common bacterium and major cause of skin and soft tissue infections in humans. The emergence of antibiotic-resistant forms of S. aureus is a significant problem worldwide in clinical medicine.

Prior published work out of the Gallo lab had observed S. aureus in the fat layer of the skin, so researchers looked to see if the subcutaneous fat played a role in preventing skin infections.

Ling Zhang, PhD, the first author of the paper, exposed mice to S. aureus and within hours detected a major increase in both the number and size of fat cells at the site of infection. More importantly, these fat cells produced high levels of an antimicrobial peptide (AMP) called cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide or CAMP. AMPs are molecules used by the innate immune response to directly kill invasive bacteria, viruses, fungi and other pathogens.

"AMPs are our natural first line defense against infection. They are evolutionarily ancient and used by all living organisms to protect themselves," said Gallo.

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Fat isn't all bad: Skin adipocytes help protect against infections

Cancers due to bad luck, left, and cancers due to a combination of bad luck, environmental factors, and inherited factors. Elizabeth Cook]

Cancers due to bad luck, left, and cancers due to a combination of bad luck, environmental factors, and inherited factors. / Elizabeth Cook]

Nearly two-thirds of all cancers are caused by random mutations of the body's stem cells, not by hereditary or environmental effects, according to a study released Jan. 1 by Johns Hopkins scientists.

Tissues with the most divisions of regenerative cells and hence the most chances for mutations tend to have the greatest rates of cancer, the study found.

This explains why skin cancers, for example, are far more common than bone cancers. Skin cells die constantly, so they must be replenished far more often than those that make bone, introducing more chances for errors that lead to cancer.

In effect, most cancers come down to "bad luck", the researchers say in the study.

The findings introduce new dimensions to the struggle against cancer, said two researchers who did not take part in the study.

The study was published Thursday in the journal Science. Cristian Tomasetti of the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore is first author. The study's senior author is Bert Vogelstein, also of the center, part of Johns Hopkins University.

Healthy diet and protection against carcinogens are still important, said Tomasetti, because the one-third variability is still substantial. And the proportion of randomness in each type of cancer varies. Some cancers tend to be greatly increased by environmental factors, such as lung cancer in smokers. The two-third average is a summary of the risk of cancer from all tissue types.

Strong relationship

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Most cancer is bad luck, study finds

The research involved creating human cells in a laboratory dish instead of relying on tests on mice. Photograph: corfield / Alamy/Alamy

Cells used to study dementia in a dish have led scientists to a potential new treatment strategy for an inherited form of the brain disease.

Defective stem cells grown in the lab revealed a signalling pathway linked to frontotemporal dementia (FTD), which accounts for about half of dementia cases before the age of 60.

Treatment with a drug that suppressed the pathway, known as Wnt, restored the ability of neurons affected by the disease to develop normally.

Prof Philip Van Damme, from the Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease in Belgium, said: Our findings suggest that signalling events required for neurodevelopment may also play major roles in neurodegeneration.

Targeting such pathways, as for instance the Wnt pathway presented in this study, may result in the creation of novel therapeutic approaches for frontotemporal dementia.

Mutations in the progranulin (GRN) gene are commonly associated with FTD, which results in damage to the frontal and temporal lobes of the brain.

The fact that GRN mutations produced in mice do not display all the features of the human disorder has limited progress towards effective treatments for FTD.

Instead of relying on animal tests, the new research involved creating human cells in a laboratory dish.

The scientists reprogrammed skin cells from three dementia patients into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), immature cells that mimic stem cells taken from early-stage embryos.

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Stem cell study leads to potential new dementia treatment

IMAGE:Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) derived from patients with frontotemporal dementia were genetically corrected and converted to cortical neurons. The green staining indicates the cortical marker CTIP2, the red stain... view more

Credit: Susanna Raitano/Stem Cell Reports 2014

Belgian researchers have identified a new strategy for treating an inherited form of dementia after attempting to turn stem cells derived from patients into the neurons most affected by the disease. In patient-derived stem cells carrying a mutation predisposing them to frontotemporal dementia, which accounts for about half of dementia cases before the age of 60, the scientists found a targetable defect that prevents normal neurodevelopment. These stem cells partially return to normal when the defect is corrected.

The study appears in the December 31st issue of Stem Cell Reports, the official journal of the International Society of Stem Cell Research published by Cell Press.

"Use of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology"--which involves taking skin cells from patients and reprogramming them into embryonic-like stem cells capable of turning into other specific cell types relevant for studying a particular disease--"makes it possible to model dementias that affect people later in life," says senior study author Catherine Verfaillie of KU Leuven.

Frontotemporal disorders are the result of damage to neurons in parts of the brain called the frontal and temporal lobes, gradually leading to behavioral symptoms or language and emotional disorders. Mutations in a gene called progranulin (GRN) are commonly associated with frontotemporal dementia, but GRN mutations in mice do not mimic all the features of the human disorder, which has limited progress in the development of effective treatments.

"iPSC models can now be used to better understand dementia, and in particular frontotemporal dementia, and might lead to the development of drugs that can curtail or slow down the degeneration of cortical neurons," Verfaillie says.

Verfaillie and Philip Van Damme of the Leuven Research Institute for Neuroscience and Disease explore this approach in the Stem Cell Reports study by creating iPSCs from three patients carrying a GRN mutation. These immature cells were impaired at turning into mature, specialized cells called cortical neurons--the most affected cell type in frontotemporal dementia.

One of the top defective pathways in the iPSCs was the Wnt signaling pathway, which plays an important role in neuronal development. However, genetic correction or treatment with a compound that inhibits the Wnt signaling pathway restored the ability of the iPSCs to turn into cortical neurons. Taken together, the findings demonstrate that the GRN mutation causes the defect in cortical neuron formation by altering the Wnt signaling pathway.

"Our findings suggest that signaling events required for neurodevelopment may also play major roles in neurodegeneration," Van Damme says. "Targeting such pathways, as for instance the Wnt pathway presented in this study, may result in the creation of novel therapeutic approaches for frontotemporal dementia."

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Patient stem cells used to make dementia-in-a-dish; help identify new treatment strategy

A UCSF spinout is growing neuronal stemcells to transplant into the brain, for potential use in treating epilepsy, spinal cord injury, Parkinsons and Alzheimers disease and investors are listening. Because one thing thatdifferentiatesNeurona Therapeutics is that its stem cells turn exclusively intointerneuron cells which are less likely to be tumorigenic than other IPS cells.

The companyhasraised $7.6 million of a proposed $24.3 million round, according to a regulatory filing. But the companys staying a touch under the radar it lacks a website, and tis the season for calls to the company to remain unanswered.

But funding for the six-year-old company comes from 11 investors. Listed on the documents contact pages areTim Kutzkeyand David Goeddel, both partners at early stage healthcare venture firm The Column Group giving some insight into who the startupsinvestors are.

Also listed is Leo Guthart, a managing partner at New York private equity firm TopSpin Partner, and Arnold Kriegstein, director of the UCSF developmental and stem cell biology program.

Kriegsteinand his UCSF colleagues filed a patentfor the in vitro production of medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) precursor cells which are, in essence, immature cells that morphinto nerve cells. The work that led to the patent was funded bythe California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, the NIH and the Osher Foundation.

We think this one type of cell may be useful in treating several types of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders in a targeted way,Kriegstein said in a UCSF statement last year.

Neurona Therapeutics scientific backers collaborated on a paper on these MGE cells inCell Stem Cell,finding that mouse models closely mimicked human cells inneural cell development and that human cells can successfully be transplanted into mouse brains. UCSF writes:

Kriegstein sees MGE cells as a potential treatment to better control nerve circuits that become overactive in certain neurological disorders. Unlike other neural stem cells that can form many cell types and that may potentially be less controllable as a consequence most MGE cells are restricted to producing a type of cell called an interneuron. Interneurons integrate into the brain and provide controlled inhibition to balance the activity of nerve circuits.

To generate MGE cells in the lab, the researchers reliably directed the differentiation of human pluripotent stem cells either human embryonic stem cells or induced pluripotent stem cells derived from human skin. These two kinds of stem cells have virtually unlimited potential to become any human cell type. When transplanted into a strain of mice that does not reject human tissue, the human MGE-like cells survived within the rodent forebrain, integrated into the brain by forming connections with rodent nerve cells, and matured into specialized subtypes of interneurons.

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Stem cells to transplant in the brain: Stealth UCSF spinout Neurona Therapeutics raises $7.6M

Scientists are now creating primordial germ cells (precursors to egg and sperm) with human stem cells and even skin cells. This new work,published inCelltoday, takes us beyond what was previously just done using stem cells.

One of the first events in the early development of both mice and men is the creation of primordial germ cells (PGCs). After an egg is fertilized by sperm, embryonic stem cells begin to differentiate into various basic cell types that make up the fetus. A small number of these stem cellsdevelop into primordial germ cells, which will go on to become egg or sperm. Germ cells are immortal in the sense that they provide an enduring link between all generations, carrying genetic information from one generation to the next,Cambridges Azim Suranisays in auniversity statement.

Researchers have now figured out how to reprogram cells to act like embryonic stem cells. These induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells have been used to develop humanretinasandintestines, for example, according to IFLScience. Researchers have also created iPS cells that could differentiate into primordial germ cells, but its only been successful in rodents.

Now, a team of researchers from the U.K. and Israel traced the genetic chain of events that directs a human stem cell to develop into a primordial germ cell. This stage in our development is called specification,and once PGCs become specified,they continue developing toward precursor sperm cells or ova pretty much on autopilot,Jacob Hanna from the Weizmann Institute of Sciencesays in anews release.

A master gene called SOX17 works to direct stem cells which in previous studies was found to direct stem cells into becoming lung, gut and pancreas cells. But the gene working as part of primordial germ cell specification is a new development.

The international team followed their discovery by actually making primordial germ cells in the lab. Using both embryonic stem cells and iPS cells (reprogrammed adult skin cells) from both males and females, the researchersmade sex cell precursors with up to 40 percent efficiency. When they compared the protein markers of their new, lab-grown PGCs with real PGCs collected from aborted fetuses,Nature reports, they were found to be very similar.

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Skin cells are being used to create artificial sperm and eggs

First it was stem cells from rare apples touted as a revolution in anti-aging skin care. Then every other plant (seller) decided to get into the game. So is it true, or is it a con? Can stem cells from plants benefit your skin, and if so how? Is stem cell just a buzz word that unscrupulous marketers use to dupe you into thinking they are scientifically on the leading edge?

Plant Stem Cell Basics

A fertilized ovum (egg) is the ultimate stem cell. Every animal and plant that reproduces sexually begins as a fertilized ovum, with half of its genetic material contributed by the male parent and half from the female parent. In the case of flowering plants, structures within the flower play both roles. Pollen from the stamen is the equivalent of animal sperm and the pistol is the female receptive organ. A stem cell with the ability to repeatedly sub-divide and eventually differentiate into all types of cells found within an individual animal or plant is termed totipotential.

In the animal kingdom, a fertilized ovum divides, creating daughter totipotential stem cells, for only about four days. Daughter cells subsequently differentiate into pluripotential stem cells, which can differentiate into different various types of cells, but not all types. Plants, on the other hand, have totipotential stem cells throughout their life. These cells can develop into a complete adult plant.

Totipotential plant stem cells exist in very small numbers and are found in highly specialized tissues, structures called meristems. Meristems exist in root and shoot sprouts and are the cells from which all other plant cells and structures originate. Every root and stem shoot tip contains a very small number of these extraordinarily important cells. Meristems in shoot sprouts are called apical meristems, and those on the tips of roots are called root meristems. Remove the meristem and all growth in that part of the plant ceases.

Meristem stem cells are under external control and respond to local humoral factors from adjacent cells (quiescent cells) as well as more systemic plant hormones called cytokinin and auxin. Apical and root meristems have different specific, but complementary, controlling mechanisms. Generally speaking, hormonal influences that make an apical meristem grow may be inhibitory to root meristems, and vice versa. It is an intricately coordinated process in which stem cell activity is very tightly controlled and the number of totipotential stem cells is maintained at a very sparse population in comparison to the total plant cellular number.

Of paramount interest for this discussion is the fact that both apical and root meristems have control systems that act upon them, which are controlled by the needs of the entire plant. Without these outside influences, the cells in the meristem do not divide to produce daughter cells. While indispensable for plant growth, meristem stem cells are incapable of function without external influences dictating their response. These cells are followers, not leaders.

The photos show the relative size of structures within the meristem regions of a growing plant.

In the first photo (at right), the stem cells within the root meristem and adjacent quiescent cells are colored blue. The root meristem is also extremely tiny, consisting of only a few, albeit very important cells.

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Botanical Stem Cells in Skin Care | BareFacedTruth.com

A group of scientists has created artificial human sperm and eggs using human embryonic stem cells and skin cells. While researchers have already previously accomplished this using rodents, this is the first time they were able to replicate the process with human cells.

Their final products were not actually working sperm and eggs, but rather germ cells that potentially could mature and become viable for fertility. The study's findings were published Wednesday in the journal Cell.

"Germ cells are 'immortal' in the sense that they provide an enduring link between all generations, carrying genetic information from one generation to the next," Azim Surani, PhD, professor of physiology and reproduction at the University of Cambridge, said in a press release.

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Sperm wear hard hats and live for days? It's true, and that's just the beginning...

When an egg is fertilized by a sperm, it begins to divide into a group of cells called a blastocyst, which is the stage right before the embryo is formed. Some of the cells inside this blastocyst cluster will develop into a fetus, while others eventually become the placenta.

Some cells are set up to become stem cells, which will then have the potential to develop into any type of cell in the body. And some cells in the fetus become primordial germ cells and eventually evolve into the cells of either sperm or eggs, which will allow this offspring to pass their genes on to a future generation.

In the study, the researchers identified a single gene known as SOX17, which is directly responsible for ordering human stem cells to become the cells that will turn into sperm and eggs. The scientists say this discovery on its own is surprising, because this gene is not involved in the creation of primordial cells in rodents. In humans, the SOX17 gene is also involved in helping to develop cells of the lungs, gut and pancreas.

The scientists harvested these cells by culturing human embryonic stem cells for five days. They then showed that the same process could be replicated using adult skin cells.

This doesn't mean men and women will soon be donating skin cells rather than sperm and egg at fertility clinics. Eventually, however, the findings could open the door to more intensive research on human genetics and certain cancers, and could impact fertility treatments sometime in the future.

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Scientists create artificial human eggs and sperm

December 26, 2014

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Brett Smith for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

Somewhat by accident, researchers at Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) have discovered a connection between the bodys immune system and hair loss a discovery that could eventually lead to a molecular treatment for baldness.

According to a new study in the journal PLOS Biology, immune system cells called macrophages, which gobble up and destroy invading pathogens, have a stimulating effect on skin stem cells and hair growth.

The restorative capability of stem cells permits skin re-growth, but various factors can cut their restorative properties or activate the uncontrolled growth seen in cancerous tissues. The new study may have further ramifications beyond potential hair loss treatment, potentially in the field of cancer research.

The connection between macrophages and hair follicles began the research on anti-inflammatory drugs. CINO scientists found that an anti-inflammatory treatment also reactivated hair growth and this accidental discovery led them to examine interactions between stem cells and cells that cause inflammation as part of an immune response.

The CINO team eventually found that when stem cells are inactive, some macrophages die as a result of process known as apoptosis. The process stimulates the release a number of factors that activate stem cells, causing hair to grow again.

The study team investigated a particular class of proteins released by macrophages called Wnt by treating macrophages with a Wnt-inhibitor substance contained within liposomes. The team saw that after they used this drug, the triggering of hair growth was delayed. Even though this study was performed in mice, the scientists believe their discovery may help in the progression of novel care treatments for hair growth in humans.

The potential for attacking one kind of cell to affect a different one might have broader uses beyond simply growing hair, the researchers said. They added that the use of liposomes for drug delivery is also a promising method of experimentation, which may have ramifications for the study of other pathologies.

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Immune system may hold key to curing baldness

British scientists have been successful in creating primitive forms of artificial sperms and eggs from human skin cells, marking an achievement that could not only transform the understanding of age- and sex-related diseases but also come as a boon for infertile couples, according to media reports. The breakthrough comes two years after scientists in Japan successfully demonstrated the technique by creating baby mice from stem cells.

The scientists from the Gurdon Institute in Cambridge, working in collaboration with the Weizmann Institute in Israel, initially created the primordial germ cells normally found within testes and ovaries using human embryonic stem cells cultured in carefully controlled conditions. After initial success, the researchers reportedly replicated the procedure using adult cells extracted from human skin.

This is the first step in demonstrating that we can make primordial germ cells without putting them into patients to verify they are genuine, Azim Surani of the University of Cambridge, reportedly said. Its not impossible that we could take these cells on towards making gametes (fully developed male and female sex cells), but whether we could ever use them is another question for another time.

Although the development of these primordial germ cells could have important implications for infertile couples looking to have kids through In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), scientists also hope to study these cells for clues to age-related diseases.

With age, people not only accumulate genetic mutations, but other changes known as epigenetic changes, which do not affect the underlying DNA sequence. These changes can be caused by smoking, exposure to certain chemicals in the environment, or diet and other lifestyle factors. The development of artificial primordial germ cells, which are stripped clean of the chemicals surrounding the DNA, could offer a better understanding of these epigenetic changes that contribute to ageing and diseases like cancer.

Its not just about making sperm and eggs for infertility, which would be good, but it also has implications for germ-cell tumors as well as the understanding of epigenetic reprogramming, which is quite unique, Suranireportedly said. This is really the foundation for future work.

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Precursors To Human Sperms And Eggs Created, For The First Time, With Skin Cells

Cambridge researchers turned stem cells into precursors of egg and sperm Scientists believe the precursors could then grow into mature sex cells It means genetically-identical sex cells could be used in future IVF therapy

By Steph Cockroft for MailOnline

Published: 16:10 EST, 24 December 2014 | Updated: 10:51 EST, 25 December 2014

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Researchers have used skin cells to make primitive artificial sperm and eggs in a move that could transform fertility treatment.

Scientists in Cambridge made the sex cells by culturing human embryonic stem cells for five days under carefully-controlled conditions.

They then showed that the same process can convert adults' skin tissue into early-stage sperm and eggs.

Scientists have made primitive artificial sperm and eggs which could transform fertility treatment. Pictured: A single sperm being injected directly into an egg during IVF (file picture)

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Scientists use skin cells to make artificial primitive sperm and eggs

Southern Illinois University/Science photo Library

Some hope that sperm cells could one day be derived from the skin cells of a man who is otherwise sterile and that a similar process cold produce viable egg cells from a sterile woman's body.

Israeli and UK researchers have created human sperm and egg precursor cells in a dish, starting from a person's skin cells. The achievement is a small step towards a treatment for infertility, although one that could face significant controversy and regulatory hurdles.

The experiment, reported online in Cell on 24 December1, recreates in humans parts of a procedure first developed in mice, in which cells called induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells reprogrammed cells that can differentiate into almost any cell type are used to create sperm or eggs that are subsequently manipulated to produce live births by in vitro fertilization.

In 2012, stem-cell biologist Mitinori Saitou of Kyoto University in Japan and his collaborators created the first artificial primordial germ cells (PGCs)2. These are specialized cells that emerge during embryonic development and later give rise to sperm or eggs. Saitou made them in a dish, starting with skin cells reprogrammed to an embryonic-like state through iPS-cell technology (see 'Stem cells: Egg engineers'). They also were able to achieve the same result starting with embryonic stem cells.

Although his cells could not develop beyond this precursor stage in the dish, Saito found that if he placed them in mouse testes, they would mature into sperm, and if he placed them in ovaries, they would mature into functional eggs. Both sperm and eggs could be used for in vitro fertilization.

Efforts to engineer similarly functional gametes in humans have produced PGC-like cells, but with such a low efficiency success rate of turning stem cells into gametes that it was difficult for others to expand on the work.. Previous efforts also required the introduction of genes that would render the cells unusable in the clinic.

Ewen Callaway reports on the ethical challenges of using lab-made sperm and egg cells in fertility treatments.

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Now a team led by Azim Surani of the University of Cambridge, UK, and Jacob Hanna of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel, has replicated the in vitro portion the first half, says Hanna of Saitous efforts in humans.

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Rudimentary egg and sperm cells made from stem cells

TIME Science fertility Scientists Use Skin Cells to Create Artificial Sperm and Eggs Getty Images The feat could help patients with fertility problems

British scientists from Cambridge have succeeded in using skin cells to create primitive forms of artificial sperm and eggs.

The feat could transform fertility treatment and our understanding of age-related diseases, the Guardian reports.

Scientists created the early sex cells by culturing human embryonic stem cells for five days in controlled conditions.

They then showed that by following the same procedure they could convert adult skin tissue into early-stage sperm and eggs, raising the likelihood of using sex cells that genetically match a patient undergoing IVF treatment.

The scientists believe these cells have the potential could grow into mature sperm and eggs, something that has never been done in a lab before.

[The Guardian]

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Scientists Use Skin Cells to Create Artificial Sperm and Eggs

Restoring hair loss is a task undertaken not only by beauty practitioners. Previous studies have identified signals from the skin that help prompt new phases of hair growth. However, how different types of cells that reside in the skin communicate to activate hair growth has continued to puzzle biologists. An exciting study publishing on December 23 in the open access journal PLOS Biology reveals a new way to spur hair growth.

A group from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO) has discovered an unexpected connection?a link between the body?s defense system and skin regeneration. It turns out that macrophages are involved. These are cells from the immune system that are in charge of devouring invading pathogens, a process called phagocytosis. The authors report that macrophages induce hair growth by surrounding and activating cells in the skin that have regenerative capacity, called stem cells. The discovery that macrophages activate skin stem cells could influence technologies with potential applications in tissue regeneration, aging, and cancer.

The authors of the study are Mirna Perez-Moreno and Donatello Castellana, from the Epithelial Cell Biology Group of the BBVA Foundation-CNIO Cancer Cell Biology Programme, along with Ralf Paus, a hair immunobiology expert from the University of Manchester and Mnster. ?We have discovered that macrophages, cells whose main function is traditionally attributed to fight infections and wound repair, are also involved in the activation of hair follicle stem cells in non-inflamed skin,? says Perez-Moreno.

These findings emerged from an observation by Perez-Moreno while she was working on another research project. Intriguingly, the mice she was working with at that time started to regrow hair when they were given anti-inflammatory drugs. Curious as to whether close communication between stem cells and immune cells could explain this observation, the Perez-Moreno lab began to test different types of cells involved in the bodys defense system for a role in hair growth. They observed that when skin cells are dormant, a fraction of macrophages die naturally due to a normal process called apoptosis. Surprisingly, the dying and surviving cells activated nearby stem cells and hair began to grow again.

Macrophages secrete a number of factors including a class of signaling molecules called Wnts. Importantly, when the researchers treated macrophages with a Wnt inhibitor drug, the activation of hair growth was delayed?demonstrating a role for Wnt from macrophages in promoting hair growth. Although this study was carried out in mice, the researchers believe their discovery ?may facilitate the development of novel treatment strategies? for hair growth in humans.

The researchers used tiny droplets, or liposomes, to carry the drug used in the study. The future use of liposomes as a way to deliver a drug to specific cells is promising and may have additional implications for the study of several pathologies, says Donatello Castellana.

From a more fundamental perspective, this research is an effort to understand how modifying the environment that surrounds adult skin stem cells can regulate their regenerative capabilities. ?One of the current challenges in the stem cell field is to regulate the activation of endogenous stem cell pools in adult tissues?to promote regeneration without the need of transplantation,? says Perez-Moreno.

Because of this study, it is now known that macrophages play a key role in the environment surrounding stem cells. ?Our study underlines the importance of macrophages as modulators in skin regenerative processes, going beyond their primary function as phagocytic immune cells,? say the authors in PLOS Biology.

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Please mention PLOS Biology as the source for this article and include the links below in your coverage to take readers to the online, open access articles

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Activating hair growth with a little help from the skin

IMAGE:This is a skin whole mount section showing hair follicles (blue) surrounded by clusters of skin resident macrophages (red). The molecular communication between macrophages and hair follicle stem cells regulates... view more

Credit: Donatello Castellana, CNIO

How to restore hair loss is a task not undertaken exclusively by beauty practitioners. The discovery, now published by a group from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), reveals a novel angle to spur hair follicle growth. This also adds new knowledge to a broader problem: how to regenerate tissues in an adult organism, especially the skin.

The group has discovered an unexpected connection--a link between the body's defense system and skin regeneration. According to the authors of the study published today in PLOS Biology, cells from the immune system called macrophages-- those in charge of devouring invading pathogens, for example--are also responsible for activating skin stem cells and induce hair growth.

The regenerative ability of stem cells allows skin replenishment during a lifetime. But different factors can reduce their regenerative properties or promote their uncontrolled growth. When things go wrong, this can lead to aging and disease, including skin carcinomas. The discovery that macrophages activate skin stem cells may also have further implications beyond the possibility to develop therapeutic approaches for hair loss, but may also be relevant for cancer research.

The authors of the study are Mirna Perez-Moreno and Donatello Castellana, from the Epithelial Cell Biology Group of the BBVA Foundation-CNIO Cancer Cell Biology Programme, along with Ralf Paus, a hair immunobiology expert from the University of Manchester and Mnster.

"We have discovered that macrophages, cells whose main function is traditionally attributed to fight infections and wound repair, are also involved in the activation of hair follicle stem cells in non inflamed skin," says Perez-Moreno.

FIRST PROOF

The researchers did not investigate the relationship between macrophages and hair for fun. This work emerged more than four years ago from an observation made by Perez-Moreno while working on another research project. The mice she had been working with at that time received anti-inflammatory drugs, a treatment that also reactivated hair growth. Convinced that the explanation could reside in the existence of close communication between stem cells and immune cells --the Perez-Moreno's lab began to experiment with the different types of cells involved in the bodys defense system.

After years of investigation, they discovered that when stem cells are dormant, a fraction of macrophages die, due to a process known as apoptosis. This stimulated the secretion of factors from dying and living macrophages, which in turn activated stem cells, and that is when hairs began to grow again.

See the rest here:
CNIO researchers activate hair growth by modifying immune cells

Henderson, NV (PRWEB) December 23, 2014

After a successful educational outreach trip to Florida the weekend before Thanksgiving, Hylunia's Head of Research and Development Dr. Link will visit Arizona from Dec. 11-13 giving talks to students and industry professionals.

Dr. Link will be at the Southwest Institute of Natural Aesthetics in Tempe, Arizona this Thursday and Friday. On Saturday, skin care industry professionals are invited to sit in on his third lecture.

This series of lectures follows his successful talk to 60 students at the Florida College of Natural Health in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

The best way to give back to our partners is to host seminars and get them familiar with our ingredients," said Dr. Link. "Its a great way to tell them the reasons behind why were updating formulas and using the ingredients weve chosen so that our partners can tell their customers about why the ingredients are important to their skin care needs.

The lectures explore the benefits, ingredients, philosophy and technology behind Hylunia products. For example, the Dr. Link discusses the science behind cutting-edge ingredients like tomato and grape stem cells, which are major components of Hylunia's Ultimate Antioxidant Cream.

Plant stem cells currently feature in six Hylunia products, including the Ultimate Antioxidant Cream. Tomato and grape stem cells are the newest addition to its lineup, with others on the way.

Grape stem cells protect the skin from free radicals caused by the sun and other environmental stressors like pollution and food. They're also shown to prevent skin aging. Tomato stem cells contain compounds like Lypocene, which protect against the heavy metals found in pollution and other environmental stressors. Dr. Link's lectures aim to explain these benefits to the company's partners who then communicate them to the public.

Hylunia launched its own spa earlier this year, and Dr. Link decided it was the right time to go back on the road and continue his educational outreach to students and industry professionals across the country.

"These speeches give us a chance to spread our philosophy to those who arent familiar with Hylunia," said said Dr. Link.

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Hylunia Head of Research and Development Gives Traveling Lectures on Plant Stem Cells

24 Dec 2014, 19:20 HRS IST

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Sensex tumbles 297.85 points to end at 27,208.61; Nifty falls 92.90 pts at 8,174.10Government will deal with NDFB(S) firmly: Assam Chief Minister Tarun GogoiAssam violence is an act of terror and we will deal with it accordingly: Home Minister Rajnath SinghThe onus of government formation lies primarly on BJP and PDP. We are quitely waiting to watch what happens, Omar says after submitting resignation to GovernIt also announces to world and investors that India can no longer wait for reforms, stalemate and obstructionism cannot be allowed to continue in perpetuity: JaitleyArun Jaitley and Arun Singh appointed observers for Jammu and Kashmir, J P Nadda and Vinay Sahstrabuddhe for JharkhandBJP Parliamentary Board appoints two observers each for Jharkhand and J-K to elect legislature party leader: General secretary J P NaddaJammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah submits his resignation to Governor N N VohraOrdinance on insurance demonstrates govt's firm commitment and determination on reforms: JaitleyCountry's highest honour to these illustrious stalwarts is a fitting recognition of their service to the Nation: PMCountry's highest honour to these illustrious stalwarts is a fitting recognition of their service to the Nation: PM.It is a matter of great delight: PM on Bharat Ratna being conferred on A B Vajpayee and Madan Mohan MalviyaCabinet approves ordinances on raising FDI in insurance sector and coal block auction: SourcesGovernment announces Bharat Ratna for Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Madan Mohan MalviyaCabinet pays homage to victims of "cowardly" attacks on Adivasis in Assam. Observes silencePak troops violate ceasefireToll rises to 40 in NDFB(S) attacks in AssamMaharashtra govt to allow online RTI queries from New YearSensex down 36 points in cautious early tradeRupee down 20 paise against dollar in early trade

Link:
Novel way to spur hair growth discovered

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) December 22, 2014

Stemiotics, Inc., a supplier of stem cell generation services, today announced it has licensed key intellectual property pertaining to the application of modified RNA from CELLSCRIPT, LLC of Madison, WI. CELLSCRIPT holds an exclusive license to a portfolio of issued and pending patents based on discoveries made at the University of Pennsylvania covering the use of synthetic messenger RNA (mRNA) containing modified nucleotides to evade antiviral responses in mammalian cells. This breakthrough technology has opened new vistas for the application of mRNA as a gene expression vector in human therapeutics and cell fate manipulation. The license to Stemiotics is for use of modified RNA in the production of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) for research applications such as disease modeling and drug discovery.

Stemiotics is already using CELLSCRIPT's ultra-low immunogenicity mRNA to reprogram human skin cells into pluripotent stem cells with the potential to become any cell type in the body. In addition to the incorporation of modified nucleotides, CELLSCRIPT's advanced synthetic mRNA is subject to novel purification techniques that virtually eliminate residual innate immune responses to the mRNA on delivery into human or animal cells in vivo or in culture. Stemiotics is committed to applying clinically relevant, state-of-the-art technology in its iPSC derivation pipeline. The company uses only xeno-free reagents at all steps of the process, from the initial expansion of the donor skin cells to the cryogenic preservation of the artificially-induced pluripotent stem cells. Stemiotics employs the most potent cocktail of cellular reprogramming factors currently available, including engineered transcription factors based on IP which has been exclusively licensed to CELLSCRIPT. This sophisticated technology allows Stemiotics to convert human skin cells into pluripotent stem cells in just over a week in feeder-free conditions and without the need for drug-like small molecule accelerants.

Stemiotics believes that the mRNA-based reprogramming system it has developed is the fastest, most productive and safest approach to converting human skin cells into pluripotent stem cells yet devised. The company offers high-throughput iPSC derivation on a fee-for-service basis with fast turnaround times and at a cost of only $1000 per line, an order of magnitude below prevailing industry norms. The licensing relationship with CELLSCRIPT will further enhance Stemiotics position as an emerging leader in the field of cellular reprogramming, with all its great promise for advancing the understanding of disease, the development of new drugs and, ultimately, for cell-based therapies and regenerative medicine.

http://www.stemiotics.com

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Stemiotics Licenses Modified RNA for Cell Reprogramming

Nola, the only surviving northern white rhinoceros at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park, rests at the facility on Dec. 18. / photo by Charlie Neuman * U-T San Diego

When the northern white rhinoceros Angalifu died at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park last week, he left his species a step closer to extinction. Only five of his kind remain, most of them elderly.

However, the gentle, two-ton animal also left behind a part of himself that may let scientists breathe new life into the imperiled species. They plan to use DNA samples preserved in the San Diego Frozen Zoo to create more white rhinos.

In their most ambitious vision something that has never been tried for any creature other than lab mice the researchers aim to coax skin cells from Angalifu and others of his kind to become stem cells, and then sperm and eggs, and then implant the embryos in surrogate rhinos.

This approach would go beyond cloning by producing more genetic diversity in the resulting offspring. Its unclear how long scientists will need to achieve the unprecedented feat, but they remain committed to the years-long effort.

Its really brilliant in retrospect that when animals die, you can freeze some of their cells and theyll last forever, said Jeanne Loring, a stem cell pioneer at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla who is a member of the project.

Angalifu came to the San Diego Zoo in 1990, joining two females, Nola and Noti, who had arrived a year earlier. The easygoing animals were favorites with zookeepers, who enjoyed training them and scratching their thick but sensitive hides.

Northern white rhinos, which once roamed central Africa in Chad, Uganda, Sudan and the Central African Republic, have been nearly wiped out by civil war and poaching. Their horns are valued as dagger handles and are mistakenly seen as an aphrodisiac or medicinal aid.

Researchers and zoo officials in several countries decided to try to preserve the species through captive breeding of the few remaining northern white rhinoceroses.

The San Diego Zoo Safari Park had succeeded in breeding southern white rhinos, a close relative of the northern variety. Nearly 100 southern white calves have been born at the facility.

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Can scientists clone a rhinoceros?

Dec 16, 2014 Dermal fibroblasts are directly reprogrammed to pigmented melanocytes by three transcription factors (SOX10, MITF and PAX3). Credit: Ruifeng Yang, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania

As the main component of connective tissue in the body, fibroblasts are the most common type of cell. Taking advantage of that ready availability, scientists from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the Wistar Institute, Boston University School of Medicine, and New Jersey Institute of Technology have discovered a way to repurpose fibroblasts into functional melanocytes, the body's pigment-producing cells. The technique has immediate and important implications for developing new cell-based treatments for skin diseases such as vitiligo, as well as new screening strategies for melanoma. The work was published this week in Nature Communications.

The new technique cuts out a cellular middleman. Study senior author Xiaowei "George" Xu, MD, PhD, an associate professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, explains, "Through direct reprogramming, we do not have to go through the pluripotent stem cell stage, but directly convert fibroblasts to melanocytes. So these cells do not have tumorigenicity."

Changing a cell from one type to another is hardly unusual. Nature does it all the time, most notably as cells divide and differentiate themselves into various types as an organism grows from an embryo into a fully-functional being. With stem cell therapies, medicine is learning how to tap into such cell specialization for new clinical treatments. But controlling and directing the process is challenging. It is difficult to identify the specific transcription factors needed to create a desired cell type. Also, the necessary process of first changing a cell into an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) capable of differentiation, and then into the desired type, can inadvertently create tumors.

Xu and his colleagues began by conducting an extensive literature search to identify 10 specific cell transcription factors important for melanocyte development. They then performed a transcription factor screening assay and found three transcription factors out of those 10 that are required for melanocytes: SOX10, MITF, and PAX3, a combination dubbed SMP3.

"We did a huge amount of work," says Xu. "We eliminated all the combinations of the other transcription factors and found that these three are essential."

The researchers first tested the SMP3 combination in mouse embryonic fibroblasts, which then quickly displayed melanocytic markers. Their next step used a human-derived SMP3 combination in human fetal dermal cells, and again melanocytes (human-induced melanocytes, or hiMels) rapidly appeared. Further testing confirmed that these hiMels indeed functioned as normal melanocytes, not only in cell culture but also in whole animals, using a hair-patch assay, in which the hiMels generated melanin pigment. The hiMels proved to be functionally identical in every respect to normal melanocytes.

Xu and his colleagues anticipate using their new technique in the treatment of a wide variety of skin diseases, particularly those such as vitiligo for which cell-based therapies are the best and most efficient approach.

The method could also provide a new way to study melanoma. By generating melanocytes from the fibroblasts of melanoma patients, Xu explains, "we can screen not only to find why these patients easily develop melanoma, but possibly use their cells to screen for small compounds that can prevent melanoma from happening."

Perhaps most significantly, say the researchers, is the far greater number of fibroblasts available in the body for reprogramming compared to tissue-specific adult stem cells, which makes this new technique well-suited for other cell-based treatments.

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New technology directly reprograms skin fibroblasts for a new role