Mobile Music Touch Glove
The Mobile Music Touch glove, designed and manufactured at Georgia Tech as part of a research project, teaches the wearer simple piano melodies without their active attention. Early studies suggest that the MMT glove may also help people with tetraplegia due to partial spinal cord injury improve the sensation in their hands.From:Thad StarnerViews:0 0ratingsTime:01:39More inScience Technology

The rest is here:
Mobile Music Touch Glove - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Rehabilitation Hospital of Southern New Mexico
http://www.dexknows.com If youre in need of high quality healthcare, then turn to the well trained professionals at Rehabilitation Hospital of Southern New Mexico! Located in Las Cruces, we provide the surrounding communities with a wide range of inpatient programs, like stroke, spinal cord injury, and neurological disorders. Were here to care for you!From:dex knowsvideoViews:0 0ratingsTime:00:31More inAutos Vehicles

See the original post:
Rehabilitation Hospital of Southern New Mexico - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

How To - Do Arms Exercises Using Wrist Weights for C5-C6 Tetraplegia
Myron Wand has a spinal cord injury (C5-C6 Tetraplegia). Here he shows some tips and techniques to do arms exercises using wrist weights.From:HealthyTomorrowViews:1 0ratingsTime:02:26More inSports

View original post here:
How To - Do Arms Exercises Using Wrist Weights for C5-C6 Tetraplegia - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

Crash - Scipps Motorcross Racer Dies - Jantz Grodzicki RIP
Mx for life prayforjantz grodzicki buy t-shirts support family RIP Bravery Jantz GrodzickI - MX For Life Bad Jantz grodzicki crash 2012 dies scripps racer ranch dies 2012 cbc news This is Chris, Jantz #39;s dad... I wanted to first thank everyone for the heartfelt prayers for Jantz. I need to ask everyone the favor of including Jantz in your prayers as we move through this painful journey. Jantz sustained a devastating brain cell and spinal cord injury. He was wearing a layete brace and shoei helmet. We left the hospital last night with zero hope from the doctors of his survival chances. His heart stopped at the track and he was pronounced brain dead at the hospital with no response. He was however put on life support until we decided on the options available that I hope none if you ever half to face. A short while ago we received a call from the doctor that a miracle took place this morning at 6:30am that Jantz #39;s "condition has changed significantly" he is responding to eye commands, left to right, up and down and raise your eyebrows. Still no other responses other than this. Given what we were told this is truly a miracle. The thoughts and prayers shared here and on Facebook are what have helped him to make a move off the line. The race for recovery is just beginning and we can only pray that God will pull him through. May god bless each of you and your families. The Grodzicki Family.... Jantz grodzicki crash caught on tape 2012 MX for life my friendFrom:huntghostsViews:80 1ratingsTime:01:03More inAutos Vehicles

Read the original:
Crash - Scipps Motorcross Racer Dies - Jantz Grodzicki RIP - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

SCMOM 2012_Owl Biomedical
Owl biomedical is an emerging company commercializing an innovative high-speed, disposable cartridge-based cell sorting platform called the Nanosorter. The Nanosorter enables rapid processing of large numbers of cells safely without aerosols and in a simple, readily deployable and easy to use system. The Nanosorter platform uniquely combines the world #39;s fastest microvalve (fabricated within a microchip) and the well-proven principles of fluorescence-activated sorting of cells. Cells purified using the Nanosorter can be employed for a wide variety of commercial applications, including: adoptive immunotherapy for treatment of cancer, stem cell therapies for regenerative medicine (eg stroke, limb ischemia, wound healing), cell-based cancer diagnostics, and a wide variety of cell-based applied research applications. Owl biomedical was founded in 2011 and is based in Santa Barbara, California. http://www.owlbiomedical.com Presenter: Jim Linton, Ph.D., MBA, President and Chief Business Officer, Owl BiomedicalFrom:AllianceRegenMedViews:7 1ratingsTime:15:31More inScience Technology

Read the rest here:
SCMOM 2012_Owl Biomedical - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

SCMOM 2012_UC Davis - Wheelock
UC Davis is playing a leading role in regenerative medicine, with nearly 150 scientists working on a variety of stem cell-related research projects at campus locations in both Davis and Sacramento. The UC Davis Institute for Regenerative Cures, a facility supported by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), opened in 2010 on the Sacramento campus. This $62 million facility is the university #39;s hub for stem cell science. It includes Northern California #39;s largest academic Good Manufacturing Practice laboratory, with state-of-the-art equipment and manufacturing rooms for cellular and gene therapies. UC Davis also has a Translational Human Embryonic Stem Cell Shared Research Facility in Davis and a collaborative partnership with the Institute for Pediatric Regenerative Medicine at Shriners Hospital for Children Northern California. All of the programs and facilities complement the university #39;s Clinical and Translational Science Center, and focus on turning stem cells into cures. http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/stemcellresearch Presenter: Vicki L. Wheelock, MD, Clinical Professor, Neurology, Director, HDSA Center of Excellence, Principle Investigator, CIRM Grant DR2A-05415, UC Davis Health SystemFrom:AllianceRegenMedViews:1 0ratingsTime:12:18More inScience Technology

Read more from the original source:
SCMOM 2012_UC Davis - Wheelock - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

SCMOM 2012_Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute
The Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute (RMI) brings together research faculty and clinicians to provide a true "bench to bedside" organization. We have five major programs of research: (i) Brain, (ii) Eye, (iii) Pancreas and Liver, (iv) Blood and (v) Skeletal. Working within each of these programs benefits from our core facilities with a focus on generating induced pluripotent stem cells from adult human skin samples and optimizing differentiation into various tissues of the human body of interest to the six programs. The pluripotent cells are used to both increase our understanding of human diseases through modeling, and provide a foundation for pre-clinical studies aimed at establishing and validating cellular therapeutic approaches to human illness. http://www.cedars-sinai.edu/Research-and-Education/Institutes/Regenerative-Medicine-Institute Presenter: Clive Svendsen, Ph.D., Director, Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine InstituteFrom:AllianceRegenMedViews:1 0ratingsTime:13:27More inScience Technology

Read more:
SCMOM 2012_Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

SCMOM 2012_CIRM
Morrie Ruffin, Managing Director, Alliance for Regenerative Medicine Jonathan Thomas, Ph.D., JD, Chair, Governing Board, CIRM (Independent Citizens Oversight Committee)From:AllianceRegenMedViews:2 1ratingsTime:22:41More inScience Technology

Read this article:
SCMOM 2012_CIRM - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

SCMOM 2012_NeoStem
NeoStem, Inc. is an emerging technology leader in the fast-developing cell therapy market. Its business strategy combines a state-of-the-art contract development and manufacturing subsidiary, Progenitor Cell Therapy, LLC, with a medically important cell therapy product development program. NeoStem #39;s most clinically advanced therapeutic, AMR-001, is being developed at its Amorcyte subsidiary, which is enrolling patients in a Phase 2 trial for preservation of heart function after a heart attack. Athelos Corporation, also a NeoStem subsidiary, is in early stage clinical exploration of a T-cell therapy for autoimmune conditions. Pre-clinical assets include our VSELTM Technology platform and our mesenchymal stem cell product candidate for regenerative medicine. http://www.neostem.com Presenter: Jonathan Sackner-Bernstein, NeoStem, Inc.From:AllianceRegenMedViews:4 1ratingsTime:14:54More inScience Technology

Read more from the original source:
SCMOM 2012_NeoStem - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

SCMOM 2012_Nanofiber Solutions
Nanofiber Solutions, LLC is a medical device manufacturer of three-dimensional (3-D) scaffolds and cell culture products that advance biological sciences. Our platform technology provides synthetic structures that mimic physical structures found in the human body, specifically the extracellular matrix (ECM). By mimicking the ECM, our scaffolds increase cell acceptance and allow for the development of products that significantly aid basic research, improve commercial drug and therapeutic development, and serve as a platform for artificial implants. Our scaffolds currently support three major areas of medicine; tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and basic research. http://www.nanofibersolutions.com Presenter: Ross Kayuha, CEO, Nanofiber SolutionsFrom:AllianceRegenMedViews:3 1ratingsTime:09:22More inScience Technology

Link:
SCMOM 2012_Nanofiber Solutions - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

SCMOM 2012_Regenerative Patch Technologies
Regenerative Patch Technologies was formed to advance development of a composite RPE cell-membrane technology currently supported by a disease team award to the University of Southern California, the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the California Institute of Technology from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine. The technology utilizes polarized RPE cells derived from human embryonic stem cells together with an ultrathin biocompatible parylene membrane as a replacement for the defective Bruch #39;s membrane RPE cell complex often observed in patients with the atrophic form of age related macular degeneration. The project is progressing through preclinical studies to enable IND filing in 2014. http://www.regenerativepatch.com Presenter: Jane Lebkowski, President and CSO, Regenerative Patch TechnologiesFrom:AllianceRegenMedViews:11 1ratingsTime:15:22More inScience Technology

Go here to see the original:
SCMOM 2012_Regenerative Patch Technologies - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

SCMOM 2012_Case Presentation: The Pervasis Acquisition
Dean Tozer, Vice President, Corporate Development, Shire Regenerative MedicineFrom:AllianceRegenMedViews:2 1ratingsTime:33:11More inScience Technology

View post:
SCMOM 2012_Case Presentation: The Pervasis Acquisition - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

SCMOM 2012_Regen BioPharma, Inc.
The Regen BioPharma business model is to take multiple stem cell therapeutics to and through the human "safety and signal of efficacy" stage (Phase I/II clinical trials). The approach is a highly focused analysis of issued patents in regenerative medicine, identification and acquisition of undervalued assets that have demonstrated proof of concept, and forming companies around these assets. Having assembled a core infrastructure specialized in obtaining regulatory approval and executing clinical trials in cell therapy, we aim to act as a "superincubator" that within 18 - 24 months grows technologies from laboratory to an asset ready for spin-off or sale to feed the pipeline of Big Pharma. http://www.regenbiopharma.com Presenter: J. Christopher Mizer, President, Regen BioPharma, Inc.From:AllianceRegenMedViews:4 1ratingsTime:09:13More inScience Technology

Originally posted here:
SCMOM 2012_Regen BioPharma, Inc. - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

SCMOM 2012_The Clinical Outlook for Regenerative Medicine
As many regenerative medicine and cell therapy products move into clinical trials, a clearer understanding of how these products will perform clinically is critical for achieving regulatory approval and ultimately, for commercialization. This session will discuss the major clinical events expected to drive the regenerative medicine sector over the next two years, as well as address some of the key issues facing these products as they approach the marketplace. Moderator: Greg Lucier, MBA, Chairman and CEO, Life Technologies Panelists: Jay Siegel, MD, Chief Biotechnology Officer and Head, Global Pharmaceutical Regulatory Affairs, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson Johnson Paul Simmons, Ph.D., Executive Vice President, Corporate Research and Product Development, Mesoblast Limited Matthias Steger, Ph.D., MBA, Global Head Research and Technology Partnering, Roche Ltd. Dean Tozer, Vice President, Corporate Development, Shire Regenerative MedicineFrom:AllianceRegenMedViews:5 1ratingsTime:01:16:22More inScience Technology

See the article here:
SCMOM 2012_The Clinical Outlook for Regenerative Medicine - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

The Cure: A Documentary on Regenerative Medicine (Part 1)
Filmmaker David Alvarado tells the remarkable, behind-the-scenes story on the founding of the Silicon Valley Institute of Regenerative Medicine. Through a public/private partnership with Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Stanford University, the County of Santa Clara, the Palo Alto VA and others, the Institute hopes to facilitate major breakthroughs in the treatment of spinal cord and other injuries using stem cells.From:VMCFoundationViews:2 0ratingsTime:07:07More inScience Technology

Read the original post:
The Cure: A Documentary on Regenerative Medicine (Part 1) - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

RegenKit - Regenerative Medicine
Learn more about the benefits of Regenerative Medicine.From:towncountryhospitalViews:2 0ratingsTime:02:18More inEducation

Originally posted here:
RegenKit - Regenerative Medicine - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

MargaritaSays: Anti-Aging with Aubrey De Grey
Aubrey David Nicholas Jasper de Grey (/d #601; #712; #609;re #618;/; born 20 April 1963) is an English author and theoretician in the field of gerontology, and the Chief Science Officer of the SENS Foundation. He is editor-in-chief of the academic journal Rejuvenation Research, author of The Mitochondrial Free Radical Theory of Aging (1999) and co-author of Ending Aging (2007). He is perhaps best known for his view[neutrality is disputed] that human beings could, in theory, live to lifespans far in excess of that which any authenticated cases have lived to today. De Grey #39;s research focuses on whether regenerative medicine can thwart the aging process. He works on the development of what he calls "Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence" (SENS), a tissue-repair strategy intended to rejuvenate the human body and allow negligible senescence. To this end, he has identified seven types of molecular and cellular damage caused by essential metabolic processes. SENS is a proposed panel of therapies designed to repair this damage.[2] The "pro-aging trance" is a term coined by Grey to describe "the impulsion to leap to embarrassingly unjustified conclusions in order to put the horror of aging out of one #39;s mind".[17] According to de Grey, the pro-aging trance or "pro-aging edifice"[18] is a psychological strategy which people use in order to cope with aging, and which is rooted in the belief that aging is immutable and unavoidable. De Grey refers, in this regard, to the general public #39;s ...From:MargaritaShamrakovViews:2 1ratingsTime:10:13More inPeople Blogs

View post:
MargaritaSays: Anti-Aging with Aubrey De Grey - Video

Recommendation and review posted by sam

1 SCOM 2012 GEKarolinskaPartnership Final PGM
Firman Ghouze, Ph.D., Director, Cell Therapy, GE Healthcare Rolf Hultcrantz, MD, Professor, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Karolinska Institutet, Karolinska University Hospital Johan Permert, MD, Professor, Chairman, Development and Innovation, Karolinska University HospitalFrom:AllianceRegenMedViews:0 0ratingsTime:28:54More inScience Technology

See the rest here:
1 SCOM 2012 GEKarolinskaPartnership Final PGM - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

NeoStem (NYSE MKT: NBS): RedChip Money Report (Air Date Nov. 17, 2012)
NeoStem, Inc. continues to develop and build on its core capabilities in cell therapy, capitalizing on the paradigm shift that we see occurring in medicine. In particular, we anticipate that cell therapy will have a significant role in the fight against chronic disease and in lessening the economic burden that these diseases pose to modern society. We are emerging as a technology and market leading company in this fast developing cell therapy market. Our multi-faceted business strategy combines a state-of-the-art contract development and manufacturing subsidiary, Progenitor Cell Therapy, LLC ("PCT"), with a medically important cell therapy product development program, enabling near and long-term revenue growth opportunities. We believe this expertise and existing research capabilities and collaborations will enable us to achieve our mission of becoming a premier cell therapy company.From:RedChip Money Report GentryViews:12 0ratingsTime:04:19More inScience Technology

Read this article:
NeoStem (NYSE MKT: NBS): RedChip Money Report (Air Date Nov. 17, 2012) - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Ahead of a planned five-centre nationwide trial, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has approved a special project at the AIIMS Trauma Centre in New Delhi where stem cell therapy will be conducted on complete paraplegics and quadriplegics to try and revive limb function.

A similar trial will be conducted at the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre (ISIC) in Vasant Kunj, south-west Delhi where 21 patients have already been registered. This project too has been approved by the ICMR.

Senior ICMR scientists from the apex committee to monitor stem cell research said the five-centre trial will be coordinated from ISIC and is in the final stages of approval.

This will be the first national ICMR trial of autologous bone marrow stem cell transplant on complete quadriplegics and paraplegics. We are finalising the number of patients. The ISIC will be the coordinating centre. The next meeting has been scheduled for December 4, a senior scientist said.

An autologous stem cell transplantation is a procedure in which stem cells are removed, stored and returned to the same person.

For its project, the AIIMS Trauma Centre has registered eight patients. They will be injected with stem cells from their own bone marrow to see if the damaged neurological function can be regenerated. Doctors have cautioned that earlier trials on incomplete quadriplegics and paraplegics have not suggested significant clinical improvement.

Dr Deepak Aggarwal, associate professor of neurosurgery at the AIIMS Trauma Centre who is coordinating the study, said: We have necessary clearances from our internal ethics committee and the national apex committee for stem cell research and therapy which has members from the ICMR and Department of Biotechnology.

... contd.

Here is the original post:
Two Delhi centres ready to try stem cell therapy on paraplegics

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

November 25, 2012 12:54

Former bassist is said to be still in a "partially conscious state" four years on from car accident

Photo: Tom Oxley/NME

Former Deftones bassist Chi Cheng's family are considering stem cell therapy to aid his recovery from a car accident which put him in a coma in 2008.

Cheng is said to be in a "partially conscious state" and is unable to speak, although he can move his legs on command. The bassist has been in and out of hospitals over the past four years and only got home to recover in June this year.

Now, according to Revolver Magazine, the family is considering alternative therapy in order to speed up Cheng's recovery, as they say the last few months have been a struggle for him.

His brother, Ming Cheng, said: "Once his health gets a little better, we'll start looking into other options... but they don't even do it [stem cell therapy] in the US yet.

"It's a miracle he's still with us," he added. "He's alive and kicking and he's fighting, and I think there's a reason for it. I'm hoping there's a light at the end of the tunnel for Chi."

Deftones released their new album 'Koi No Yokan' on November 12. You can stream the new record, which features 'Entomb (Dazzle)', 'Swerve City', 'Graphic Nature', 'Goon Squad' and 'Leathers', below.

The band tour the UK in 2013. They will play five dates, kicking off at Glasgow's Barrowland on February 15, before heading to Nottingham, Manchester, Birmingham and finishing at London's 02 Brixton Academy (20).

Go here to see the original:
Deftones' Chi Cheng's family consider stem cell therapy to aid recovery

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

NEW YORK, Nov. 26, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NeoStem, Inc. (NYSE MKT:NBS) ("NeoStem" or the "Company"), an emerging leader in the fast growing cell therapy industry, today announced that Company management has been invited to present at the Piper Jaffray 24th Annual Healthcare Conference.

About NeoStem, Inc.

NeoStem, Inc. continues to develop and build on its core capabilities in cell therapy, capitalizing on the paradigm shift that we see occurring in medicine. In particular, we anticipate that cell therapy will have a significant role in the fight against chronic disease and in lessening the economic burden that these diseases pose to modern society. We are emerging as a technology and market leading company in this fast developing cell therapy market. Our multi-faceted business strategy combines a state-of-the-art contract development and manufacturing subsidiary, Progenitor Cell Therapy, LLC ("PCT"), with a medically important cell therapy product development program, enabling near and long-term revenue growth opportunities. We believe this expertise and existing research capabilities and collaborations will enable us to achieve our mission of becoming a premier cell therapy company.

Our contract development and manufacturing service business supports the development of proprietary cell therapy products. NeoStem's most clinically advanced therapeutic, AMR-001, is being developed at Amorcyte, LLC ("Amorcyte"), which we acquired in October 2011. Amorcyte is developing a cell therapy for the treatment of cardiovascular disease and is enrolling patients in a Phase 2 trial to investigate AMR-001's efficacy in preserving heart function after a heart attack. Athelos Corporation ("Athelos"), which is approximately 80%-owned by our subsidiary, PCT, is collaborating with Becton-Dickinson in the early clinical exploration of a T-cell therapy for autoimmune conditions. In addition, pre-clinical assets include our VSELTM Technology platform as well as our mesenchymal stem cell product candidate for regenerative medicine. Our service business and pipeline of proprietary cell therapy products work in concert, giving us a competitive advantage that we believe is unique to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Supported by an experienced scientific and business management team and a substantial intellectual property estate, we believe we are well positioned to succeed.

For more information on NeoStem, please visit http://www.neostem.com.

Forward-Looking Statements for NeoStem, Inc.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements reflect management's current expectations, as of the date of this press release, and involve certain risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include statements herein with respect to the successful execution of the Company's business strategy, including with respect to the Company's or its partners' successful development of AMR-001 and other cell therapeutics, the size of the market for such products, its competitive position in such markets, the Company's ability to successfully penetrate such markets and the market for its contract development and manufacturing business, and the efficacy of protection from its patent portfolio, as well as the future of the cell therapeutics industry in general, including the rate at which such industry may grow. The Company's actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward- looking statements as a result of various factors, including but not limited to matters described under the "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 20, 2012 and in the Company's other periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, all of which are available on its website. The Company does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements. The Company's further development is highly dependent on future medical and research developments and market acceptance, which is outside its control.

Continued here:
NeoStem to Present at Piper Jaffray 24th Annual Healthcare Conference

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --RRY Publications LLC today announced that the use of stem cell therapies in 2012 significantly exceeded forecasts which were originally presented at the February 2012 New York Stem Cell Summit. Said Robin Young, stem cell industry analyst and host of the New York meeting: "The range and scope of stem cell therapeutic use in the United States grew much faster than we'd forecasted earlier this year. Virtually all of the increases we're seeing are for adult stem cell therapies and, in particular, the use by physicians of both allograft and autologous stem cell products. It would not be an exaggeration to call this unexpected and remarkable growth."

Mr. Young's revised forecast of stem cell commercialization revenues for 2013-2020 will be presented at the February meeting in New York.

The companies, scientists and physicians that are at the forefront of this remarkable increase in stem cell therapeutic use will be presenting at the 8th Annual New York Stem Cell Summit. Listed below is the preliminary lineup of presenters for the 8th Annual Stem Cell Summit.

The Stem Cell Summit, an intensive one-day event, allows attendees to learn about the latest developments in the stem cell marketplace, evaluate the groundbreaking stem cell products physicians are using today, and discover the growing market potential in terms of revenues. For 2013, the Summit will feature 30+ presenters, a research review and debate session, and a special track on expanding the range of stem cell therapies.

The 8th Annual Stem Cell Summit will take place on Feb. 19, 2013, at Bridgewaters in the heart of New York City's historic South Street Seaport. The preliminary roster of companies featured will include representatives from 2012 presenters and new 2013 presenters.

Aastrom Biosciences, Inc.

Advanced Cell Technology

Aldagen, Inc.

AllCells, LLC.

Aruna Biomedical, Inc.

More here:
Dramatic Rise in Stem Cell Therapy Use in 2012

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Editor's Choice Main Category: Fertility Also Included In: Genetics Article Date: 26 Nov 2012 - 13:00 PST

Current ratings for: New Gene Identified That Helps Explain Infertility

A certain gene was identified by a team of experts from the University of Edinburgh that controls a vital process in the formation of a healthy fertile egg. The experts published their research in the Journal of Cell Science and received funding from the Wellcome Trust.

The gene that was discovered allows chromosomes, which are found in all cells and contain a person's DNA, to huddle together. Scientists believe that an egg's healthy development and fertilization is secured by this huddling of chromosomes.

The researchers analyzed hundreds of infertile fruit flies (Drosophila oocytes) for the purpose of their study. Results showed that chromosomes do not huddle together without the gene SRPK, which can be found in mammalian and human cells.

According to the team, the absence of SRPK ultimately leads to sterility and low fertility. This huddling process was also previously studied in mice, which allowed scientists to see that it is a critical process that helps eggs stay fertile.

Now that the genes involved in the huddling process have been recognized, the researchers believe they will be able to better understand the formation of fertile reproductive cells.

In order to gain more knowledge on the role the huddling of chromosomes plays, more research is necessary, the authors pointed out.

Professor Hiroyuki Ohkura, from the University of Edinburgh's School of Biological Sciences, concluded:

Prior studies have examined potential signs of low fertility and sterility. One report in Human Reproduction has indicated that a mother's age at menopause may predict her daughter's fertility. Another study, also in the same journal, found that men who have a wide range of different sperm lengths are less likely to be able to reproduce.

Read the rest here:
New Gene Identified That Helps Explain Infertility

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Scientists have identified a gene which could help solve the problem of infertility in humans.

The team at the University of Edinburgh conducted a study with fruit flies, during which they found that when the gene SRPK is missing, chromosomes do not 'huddle' together.

They believe the huddling process is necessary to ensure the egg's healthy development and fertilisation.

Chromosomes are thread-like structures which contain a person's DNA, and when they divide it can lead to sterility and low fertility, according to the study.

Previous research in mice has shown that the huddling process is essential in order for eggs to remain fertile, the scientists said.

By identifying the genes involved in the process, the experts now hope to gain an understanding of what goes on in the creation of fertile reproductive cells.

The team said further research is needed to help build a more detailed picture on how huddling works.

Professor Hiroyuki Ohkura, from the University of Edinburgh's School of Biological Sciences, said: 'Fruit fly eggs serve as a good model to understand why sterility and low fertility arises in humans.

'By studying the phenomenon of chromosome clustering, shared by fruit flies and humans and identifying genes like SRPK we are gaining insights into fertility health.'

The study is published in the Journal of Cell Science and was funded by the Wellcome Trust.

See the original post:
Infertility linked to 'huddle' gene

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith