Scientists have for the first time watched and manipulated stem cells as they regenerate tissue in an uninjured mammal, Yale researchers report July 1 online in the journal Nature.

Using a sophisticated imaging technique, the researchers also demonstrated that mice lacking a certain type of cell do not regrow hair. The same technique could shed light on how stem cells interact with other cells and trigger repairs in a variety of other organs, including lung and heart tissue.

This tells us a lot about how the tissue regeneration process works, said Valentina Greco, assistant professor of genetics and of dermatology at the Yale Stem Cell Center, researcher for the Yale Cancer Center and senior author of the study.

Greco and her team focused on stem cell behavior in the hair follicle of the mouse. The accessibility of the hair follicle allowed real-time and non-invasive imaging through a technology called 2-photon intravital microscopy.

Using this method, Panteleimon Rompolas, a post-doctoral fellow in Grecos lab and lead author of this paper, was able to study the interaction between stem cells and their progeny, which produce all the different types of cells in the tissue. The interaction of these cells with the immediate environment determines how cells divide, where they migrate and which specialized cells they become.

The technology allowed the team to discover that hair growth in mice cannot take place in the absence of connective tissue called mesenchyme, which appears early in embryonic development.

Stem cells not only spur growth of hair in mammals including humans, but also can serve to regenerate many other types of tissues.

Understanding how stem cell behavior is regulated by the microenvironment can advance our use of stem cells for therapeutic purposes and uncover mechanisms that go wrong in cancer and other diseases, Greco said.

The study was funded by an Alexander Brown Coxe postdoctoral fellowship. This work was supported in part by the American Skin Association and the American Cancer Society and the Yale Rheumatologic Disease Research Core Center and the National Institutes of Health.

Other Yale authors include Elizabeth Deschene, Giovanni Zito, David G. Gonzalez, Ichiko Saotome and Ann M. Haberman.

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In real time, Yale scientists watch stem cells at work regenerating tissue

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The Irish Times - Monday, July 2, 2012

LORNA SIGGINS

WORLD leaders in stem-cell technology are due to exchange knowledge of potential treatments at a conference opening in NUI Galway today.

Researchers from NUIG, University College Cork and NUI Maynooth will participate in the event, which has been billed as the first major conference on stem-cell therapy in Ireland.

Prof Anthony Hollander of the University of Bristol, England who was one of a team which successful created and then transplanted the first tissue-engineered trachea or windpipe is among a number of international speakers presenting findings.

The gathering will focus on the realities of stem-cell treatment, Prof Frank Barry, director of NUIGs National Centre for Biomedical Engineering Science has said.

The therapy is complex and controversial, and sometimes exaggerated claims are made, he said.

The researchers are specialists in Mesenchymal, or adult, stem cells, and will be concentrating on what is likely in the future, he added.

The list of conditions which could be treated successfully by stem cells is small, but growing, Prof Barry said.

Leukaemia and other diseases of the blood appear to respond best.

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Halfway around the world in India, Sivaprakash Ramalingam had heard of Johns Hopkins researchers using a promising new technique for gene therapy that he hoped to integrate with stem cells to cure diseases.

After getting a doctorate in biochemistry in his native country, he came to Baltimore four years ago to study under the technique's pioneer, Srinivasan Chandrasegaran, at Hopkins' Bloomberg School of Public Health. Ramalingam's research has led him down the path of seeking a cure for sickle cell anemia, a painful, life-shortening blood disorder that afflicts many in his home region in southern India. In the United States, the disease affects 70,000-100,000 people, mostly African-Americans, according to the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.

"I couldn't have done this type of research in India," said Ramalingam. "I wanted to use this technique with stem cells to treat disease."

Ramalingam's research was given a lift last month by the state. He was one of 17 researchers who was funded by the Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission, a state entity that has doled out roughly $10 million to $12 million a year in taxpayer funds since its founding in 2006.

The program helps keep Maryland competitive in stem cell research when other states have instituted similar ones to lure scientists and biotechnology companies. More than 100 researchers applied for funding from the program, many from Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland.

"There's definitely a great demand for the awards," said Dan Gincel, the commission's director. "We're trying to figure out how to fund so many researchers."

Gincel said Ramalingam's work is interesting because his approach could have applications beyond sickle cell anemia. It could be used to treat other diseases and, for instance, modify plants and crops to make them resistant to pests.

Ramalingam received a $110,000 award two years ago from the commission to help fund his post-doctoral fellowship; the commission invested more money in his work this year because he was continuing to progress with it, Gincel said.

"The approach can be translated to many other diseases, which is what we want to see with stem cells," said Gincel.

Ramalingam is applying a relatively new technique called zinc finger nuclease, or ZFN, to try to cure sickle cell anemia. With ZFN, Ramalingam is able to target and replace specific, problem-causing sequences of the human genome with healthier genetic material.

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By Laura Pullman

PUBLISHED: 14:40 EST, 30 June 2012 | UPDATED: 03:20 EST, 1 July 2012

With a ferocious heat wave sweeping across the nation, millions of Americans are taking extra measures to keep cool.

But one St Louis family have to go even further to protect themselves from the scorching sun as they have a rare condition which means they physically cannot sweat.

Virginia Higgins and her four-year-old son Zane both have a form of ectodermal dysplasias, a genetic condition that affects sweat glands and causes defects in hair, nails and teeth.

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Keeping it cool: Virginia Higgins and her 4year-old son Zane, right, both have a form of ectodermal dysplasias which stops their ability to sweat, meaning they need to be extra careful in hot weather

Extra careful: Zane's parents use ice blankets and jackets to make sure the 4-year-old doesn't overheat when playing outside; he is pictured here with his dad Brian

Diagnosed with the condition as a child, Ms Higgins has become an expert in forward planning for the hot weather.

The ectodermal dysplasias are inherited disorders that involve defects in the hair, nails, sweat glands and teeth.

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Researchers are hoping to solve more indigenous health problems by overcoming barriers to genetic research in Aboriginal communities.

IT comes as the first research in almost a decade investigating genetic causes of disease in Aboriginal people is set to be released, after widespread opposition to the practice stymied research projects for years.

Melbourne University anthropologist Emma Kowal said research into genetic associations between diabetes and middle-ear infections would shortly be published, while studies into heart disease, kidney disease and vulval cancer started in the past two years.

Dr Kowal, writing in the Medical Journal of Australia on Monday, said ethical concerns around indigenous genetic research internationally - such as its potential to inadvertently reinforce racial stereotypes - had contributed to Australian projects losing or being rejected funding.

"What we've seen in the past couple of years is that tide of opinion start to reverse," Dr Kowal told AAP.

Dr Kowal, from the university's School of Social and Political Sciences, said Australian guidelines needed to be developed for ethical genetic research in indigenous communities.

Similar guidelines had been developed in Canada, including specific guidance on how biospecimens should be collected, stored and used, Dr Kowal said.

Guidelines should also include how to effectively communicate genetic concepts to Aboriginal communities.

Australia's national research body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health, the Lowitja Institute, hosted discussions between the research and indigenous communities in the past two years.

As a result, a team of indigenous and non-indigenous researchers and geneticists formed a group to develop the Australian guidelines.

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Public release date: 1-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Mika OnoScripps Research Institute scientists develop alternative to gene therapy mikaono@scripps.edu 858-784-2052 Scripps Research Institute

LA JOLLA, CA July 1, 2012 Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have discovered a surprisingly simple and safe method to disrupt specific genes within cells. The scientists highlighted the medical potential of the new technique by demonstrating its use as a safer alternative to an experimental gene therapy against HIV infection.

"We showed that we can modify the genomes of cells without the troubles that have long been linked to traditional gene therapy techniques," said the study's senior author Carlos F. Barbas III, who is the Janet and Keith Kellogg II Professor of Molecular Biology and Chemistry at The Scripps Research Institute.

The new technique, reported in Nature Methods on July 1, 2012, employs zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) proteins, which can bind and cut DNA at precisely defined locations in the genome. ZFNs are coming into widespread use in scientific experiments and potential disease treatments, but typically are delivered into cells using potentially risky gene therapy methods.

The Scripps Research scientists simply added ZFN proteins directly to cells in a lab dish and found that the proteins crossed into the cells and performed their gene-cutting functions with high efficiency and minimal collateral damage.

"This work removes a major bottleneck in the efficient use of ZFN proteins as a gene therapy tool in humans," said Michael K. Reddy, who oversees transcription mechanism grants at the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of General Medical Sciences, which helped fund the work, along with an NIH Director's Pioneer Award. "The directness of Dr. Barbas's approach of 'simply' testing the notion that ZFNs could possess an intrinsic cell-penetrating ability is a testament to his highly creative nature and further validates his selection as a 2010 recipient of an NIH Director's Pioneer Award."

Questioning Assumptions

ZFNs, invented in the mid-1990s, are artificial constructs made of two types of protein: a "zinc-finger" structure that can be designed to bind to a specific short DNA sequence, and a nuclease enzyme that will cut DNA at that binding site in a way that cells can't repair easily. The original technology to make designer zinc finger proteins that are used to direct nucleases to their target genes was first invented by Barbas in the early 1990s.

Scientists had assumed that ZFN proteins cannot cross cell membranes, so the standard ZFN delivery method has been a gene-therapy technique employing a relatively harmless virus to carry a designer ZFN gene into cells. Once inside, the ZFN gene starts producing ZFN proteins, which seek and destroy their target gene within the cellular DNA.

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Scripps Research Institute Scientists Develop Alternative to Gene Therapy

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ScienceDaily (July 1, 2012) Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have discovered a surprisingly simple and safe method to disrupt specific genes within cells. The scientists highlighted the medical potential of the new technique by demonstrating its use as a safer alternative to an experimental gene therapy against HIV infection.

"We showed that we can modify the genomes of cells without the troubles that have long been linked to traditional gene therapy techniques," said the study's senior author Carlos F. Barbas III, who is the Janet and Keith Kellogg II Professor of Molecular Biology and Chemistry at The Scripps Research Institute.

The new technique, reported in Nature Methods on July 1, 2012, employs zinc finger nuclease (ZFN) proteins, which can bind and cut DNA at precisely defined locations in the genome. ZFNs are coming into widespread use in scientific experiments and potential disease treatments, but typically are delivered into cells using potentially risky gene therapy methods.

The Scripps Research scientists simply added ZFN proteins directly to cells in a lab dish and found that the proteins crossed into the cells and performed their gene-cutting functions with high efficiency and minimal collateral damage.

"This work removes a major bottleneck in the efficient use of ZFN proteins as a gene therapy tool in humans," said Michael K. Reddy, who oversees transcription mechanism grants at the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of General Medical Sciences, which helped fund the work, along with an NIH Director's Pioneer Award.

Questioning Assumptions

ZFNs, invented in the mid-1990s, are artificial constructs made of two types of protein: a "zinc-finger" structure that can be designed to bind to a specific short DNA sequence, and a nuclease enzyme that will cut DNA at that binding site in a way that cells can't repair easily. The original technology to make designer zinc finger proteins that are used to direct nucleases to their target genes was first invented by Barbas in the early 1990s.

Scientists had assumed that ZFN proteins cannot cross cell membranes, so the standard ZFN delivery method has been a gene-therapy technique employing a relatively harmless virus to carry a designer ZFN gene into cells. Once inside, the ZFN gene starts producing ZFN proteins, which seek and destroy their target gene within the cellular DNA.

One risk of the gene-therapy approach is that viral DNA -- even if the virus is not a retrovirus -- may end up being incorporated randomly into cellular DNA, disrupting a valuable gene such as a tumor-suppressor gene. Another risk with this delivery method is that ZFN genes will end up producing too many ZFN proteins, resulting in a high number of "off-target" DNA cuts. "The viral delivery approach involves a lot of off-target damage," said Barbas.

In the new study, Barbas and his colleagues set out to find a safer ZFN delivery method that didn't involve the introduction of viruses or other genetic material into cells. They experimented initially with ZFN proteins that carry extra protein segments to help them penetrate cell membranes, but found these modified ZFNs hard to produce in useful quantities. Eventually, the scientists recognized that the zinc-finger segments of ordinary ZFNs have properties that might enable the proteins to get through cell membranes on their own.

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29-06-2012 19:46 Clip 4. GENETIC CHILE "Benefitting the Farmer" and "Feeding the Hungry" are two false statements about GMOs. *** GENETIC CHILE, An eye-opening look at the world of genetically modified foods through the lens of New Mexico's iconic chile pepper. The chile pepper defines New Mexican cuisine and is considered a sacred plant by many cultures. Despite overwhelming evidence of gene flow, persistent safety questions, predatory multinational agribusiness corporations and potential economic damage, the State of New Mexico funded research to produce a GMO chile, which is the first time a US state has done so. Because the funding is public, filmmaker Chris Dudley, was able to force a rare interview with a genetic researcher at NMSU. This film is packed with information about the harmful use of GMO technology and the ignorance shown by the proponents of GMO crops. Documentary, by Chris Dudley. In English | 60 minutes. |

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ScienceDaily (June 29, 2012) A recent study led by researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) revealed that the FOXO1 gene may play an important role in the pathological mechanisms of Parkinson's disease.

These findings are published online in PLoS Genetics, a peer-reviewed open-access journal published by the Public Library of Science.

The study was led by Alexandra Dumitriu, PhD, a postdoctoral associate in the department of neurology at BUSM. Richard Myers, PhD, professor of neurology at BUSM, is the study's senior author.

According to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson's disease each year and approximately one million Americans are currently living with the disease.

Parkinson's disease is a complex neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a buildup of proteins in nerve cells that lead to their inability to communicate with one another, causing motor function issues, including tremors and slowness in movement, as well as dementia. The substantia nigra is an area of the midbrain that helps control movement, and previous research has shown that this area of the brain loses neurons as Parkinson's disease progresses.

The researchers analyzed gene expression differences in brain tissue between 27 samples with known Parkinson's disease and 26 samples from neurologically healthy controls. This data set represents the largest number of brain samples used in a whole-genome expression study of Parkinson's disease to date. The novel aspect of this study is represented by the researchers' emphasis on removing possible sources of variation by minimizing the differences among samples. They used only male brain tissue samples that showed no significant marks of Alzheimer's disease pathology, one of the frequently co-occurring neurological diseases in Parkinson's disease patients. The samples also had similar tissue quality and were from the brain's prefrontal cortex, one of the less studied areas for the disease. The prefrontal cortex does not show neuronal death to the same extent as the substantia nigra, although it displays molecular and pathological modifications during the disease process, while also being responsible for the dementia present in a large proportion of Parkinson's disease patients.

Results of the expression experiment showed that the gene FOXO1 had increased expression in the brain tissue samples with known Parkinson's disease. FOXO1 is a transcriptional regulator that can modify the expression of other genes. Further examination of the FOXO1 gene showed that two single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), or DNA sequence variations, were significantly associated with age at onset of Parkinson's disease.

"Our hypothesis is that FOXO1 acts in a protective manner by activating genes and pathways that fight the neurodegeneration processes," said Dumitriu. "If this is correct, there could be potential to explore FOXO1 as a therapeutic drug target for Parkinson's disease."

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ScienceDaily (June 29, 2012) A research team led by Seattle Children's Research Institute has discovered new gene mutations associated with markedly enlarged brain size, or megalencephaly. Mutations in three genes, AKT3, PIK3R2 and PIK3CA, were also found to be associated with a constellation of disorders including cancer, hydrocephalus, epilepsy, autism, vascular anomalies and skin growth disorders.

The study was published online June 24 in Nature Genetics.

The discovery offers several important lessons and hope for the future in medicine. First, the research team discovered additional proof that the genetic make-up of a person is not completely determined at the moment of conception. Researchers previously recognized that genetic changes may occur after conception, but this was believed to be quite rare. Second, discovery of the genetic causes of these human diseases, including developmental disorders, may also lead directly to new possibilities for treatment.

AKT3, PIK3R2 and PIK3CA are present in all humans, but mutations in the genes are what lead to conditions including megalencephaly, cancer and other disorders. PIK3CA is a known cancer-related gene, and appears able to make cancer more aggressive. Scientists at Boston Children's Hospital recently published similar findings related to PIK3CA and a rare condition known as CLOVES syndrome in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

Physician researcher James Olson, MD, PhD, a pediatric cancer expert at Seattle Children's and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center who was not affiliated with the study, acknowledged the two decades-worth of work that led to the findings. "This study represents ideal integration of clinical medicine and cutting-edge genomics," he said. "I hope and believe that the research will establish a foundation for successfully using drugs that were originally developed to treat cancer in a way that helps normalize intellectual and physical development of affected children. The team 'knocked it out of the park' by deep sequencing exceptionally rare familial cases and unrelated cases to identify the culprit pathway." The genes -- AKT3, PIK3R2 and PIK3CA -- all encode core components of the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (P13K)/AKT pathway, the "culprit pathway" referenced by Olson.

The research provides a first, critical step in solving the mystery behind chronic childhood conditions and diseases. At the bedside, children with these conditions could see new treatments in the next decade. "This is a huge finding that provides not only new insight for certain brain malformations, but also, and more importantly, provides clues for what to look for in less severe cases and in conditions that affect many children," said William Dobyns, MD, a geneticist at Seattle Children's Research Institute. "Kids with cancer, for example, do not have a brain malformation, but they may have subtle growth features that haven't yet been identified. Physicians and researchers can now take an additional look at these genes in the search for underlying causes and answers."

Researchers at Seattle Children's Research Institute will now delve more deeply into the findings, with an aim to uncover even more about the potential medical implications for children. "Based on what we've found, we believe that we can eventually reduce the burden of and need for surgery for kids with hydrocephalus and change the way we treat other conditions, including cancer, autism and epilepsy," said Jean-Baptiste Rivire, PhD, at Seattle Children's Research Institute. "This research truly helps advance the concept of personalized medicine."

Drs. Dobyns, Rivire and team made this discovery through exome sequencing, a strategy used to selectively sequence the coding regions of the genome as an inexpensive but effective alternative to whole genome sequencing. An exome is the most functionally relevant part of a genome, and is most likely to contribute to the phenotype, or observed traits and characteristics, of an organism.

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FORT WAYNE Its like copying the blueprint of a blue ribbon pig.

Whiteshire Hamroc is an Albion swine genetics company that grows its herd through artificial insemination. Put another way, its a process that takes DNA from the best pigs with the goal of producing the highest-quality meat. These days, that means leaner cuts of pork.

After enduring the recession, the 30-year-old company has seen business start to pick up. The company posted $15 million in revenue in 2011, up about 5 percent from the previous year. This fall, the company expects to break ground on a multimillion-dollar research and development farm in Noble County a joint venture with a company in China.

Mike Platt is executive director of the Indiana Pork Association.

Platt said consumer demand is the reason behind Whiteshires growth. The public demands better quality food and it cant be left up to chance, Platt said.

People want their pork to be leaner, he said. So, how can you ensure that without (genetic farming)? You cant. The truth is that as science has improved over the last 30 years, it only makes sense to take advantage of it.

And Whiteshire figures to do just that.

The research project venture involves Tangrenshen Co., an integrated pork and feed firm in China. Whiteshire has been teaming with its Asian counterpart since 2007. Terms of the latest deal, announced June 7, were not disclosed. The development will create 25 permanent jobs and more than 100 temporary construction positions for northeast Indiana.

Whiteshire, which employs more than 40 workers, has three buildings over a five-acre site at 4728 N. 200 W. Besides its headquarters and genetic evaluation building, the company has two farms with 1,500 sows. Its main customers include meat packing plants, other pork farms and medical companies that harvest tissue or organs. About 40,000 pigs are sold annually.

Other companies in the state involved at the research center are Gentryville-based Tempel Genetics Inc. and Albany-based Shaffer Superior Genetics Inc. Cedar Ridge Farms of Redbud, Ill., also is participating.

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By Jon Bardin, Los Angeles Times / For the Booster Shots blog 7:01 p.m. EST, June 29, 2012

A new vaccine may help prevent the brain stimulation that keeps smokers from being able to quit. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times / Jun 29, 2012)

Cant kick cigarettes? A vaccine may one day help by preventing nicotine from reaching its target in the brain, according to research published this week.

Most smoking therapies do a poor job of stopping the habit 70% to 80% of smokers who use an approved drug therapy to quit relapse. Scientists say this is because the targets of existing therapies are imperfect, only slightly weakening nicotines ability to find its target in the brain.

So some scientists have been trying a different approach creation of a vaccine. It would work like this: People would inject the vaccine like a shot, and the vaccine would create nicotine antibodies, molecules that can snatch up nicotine from the bloodstream before it reaches the brain. The vaccine could be used by smokers who want to quit or people who are worried about getting addicted to cigarettes in the future.

Researchers have tried to create vaccines in the past, but the ones theyve come up with have not been particularly effective. The authors of the new study say this may be because previous vaccines just didnt create enough antibodies to get rid of all the nicotine.

The new report, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, attempts to solve this problem via gene therapy, in which a new gene is inserted into the body to do a particular job.

First the scientists at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City put a gene that produces a nicotine antibody into mice. The gene was taken into the mices livers, and the liver started producing the antibody. Once produced, the antibody connected with nicotine, trapping it and preventing it from making its way to the brain, where it would otherwise have caused the pleasurable, addictive effects it is so known for.

Because of this trick, the researchers say that the new vaccine should only have to be injected once, and it will work for life, continuing to produce new antibodies in the liver.

The vaccine was effective: When mice were given nicotine intravenously, ones with the vaccine had a 47-fold drop in levels of nicotine in the blood compared with ones that hadnt received the vaccine. The antibody had successfully captured the nicotine in the bloodstream before it could reach the brain.

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Gene therapy for smoking kills pleasure of nicotine

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A curry spice may do more than just add some flavor to your dishes -- it could also help to preserve the ability to walk in people who've had a spinal cord injury, according to a new animal study.

Published in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, found that consuming lots of omega-3 fatty acids -- which have a myriad of health benefits, in their own rite -- and curcumin -- found in the curry spice turmeric -- is linked with maintenance of brain functioning and reparation of nerve cells after damage to the spinal cord.

"While surgery can relieve the pressure and prevent further injury, it can't repair damage to the cells and nerve fibers," study researcher Dr. Langston Holly, an associate professor of neurosurgery at the UCLA School of Medicine, said in a statement. "We wanted to explore whether dietary supplementation could help the spinal cord heal itself."

The study was done in rats who all had something similar to the human cervical myelopathy, which is a spine-related disorder that affects walking. One group of rats was fed a diet high in sugar and saturated fats (mimicking a Western diet), while the second group of rats was fed the same diet but with docosahexaenoic acid (found in omega-3s) and curcumin. The third group of rats was just served a regular rat diet.

Then, the researchers examined how the rats walked week after week. Even after as little as three weeks, researchers found that rats that just ate the saturated fat and sugar diet had more walking problems than the other rats, while rats with the DHA and curcumin had fewer walking problems after six weeks of observation.

Researchers also wanted to see how the diets may have impacted the actual spinal cords. They found that the rats fed the saturated fat and sugar diet had more evidence of damage to the cell membrane. Meanwhile, rats that were fed the DHA and curcumin only had evidence of as much damage as the rats fed the regular rat diet.

In 2010, UCLA researchers published a study in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics showing that curcumin could actually make chemotherapy more powerful against tumors in the head and neck, MyHealthNewsDaily reported.

Specifically, curcumin seemed to enhance cisplatin, which is the chemo drug used to treat those specific cancers, according to MyHealthNewsDaily.

And earlier this year, researchers from Chiang Mai University found that curcumin may help to lower the risk of heart attack among recent heart-bypass patients when taken alongside the normal drug treatment regimen, Reuters reported. That study was published in the American Journal of Cardiology.

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(PRWEB) June 30, 2012

Regenerative medicine may help with Avascular Necrosis, according to A. J. Farshchian MD an Orthopedic Regenerative physician at the Center for Regenerative Medicine.

Avascular necrosis can be quite devastating, and lead to total loss of the ankle joint with arthritis, deformity and pain. Loss of blood supply to the bone can be caused by an injury (trauma-related avascular necrosis) When a joint is injured, as in a fracture or dislocation, the blood vessels may be damaged. This can interfere with the blood circulation to the bone and lead to trauma-related avascular necrosis. Studies suggest that this type of avascular necrosis may develop in more than 20 percent of people who dislocate their hip joint.

Some medicines such as Corticosteroids are commonly used to treat diseases in which there is inflammation, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and vasculitis. Studies suggest that long-term, systemic (oral or intravenous) corticosteroid use is associated with 1/3 of all cases of non-traumatic avascular necrosis. The current theory is corticosteroids may interfere with the body's ability to break down fatty substances. These substances then build up in and clog the blood vessels, causing them to narrow. This makes less blood to gets to the bone. Excessive alcohol use and corticosteroid use are two of the most common causes of non- traumatic avascular necrosis. In people who drink an excessive amount of alcohol, fatty substances may block blood vessels causing a decreased blood supply to the bones that results in avascular necrosis.

Other risk factors or conditions associated with non-traumatic avascular necrosis include Gaucher's disease, pancreatitis, radiation treatments and chemotherapy, and blood disorders such as sickle cell disease. Avascular necrosis strikes both men and women and affects people of all ages. It is most common among people in their thirties and forties. Depending on a person's risk factors and whether the underlying cause is trauma, it also can affect younger or older people.

In the early stages of avascular necrosis, patients may not have any symptoms. As the disease progresses, however, most patients experience joint painat first, only when putting weight on the affected joint, and then even when resting. Pain usually develops gradually and may be mild or severe. If avascular necrosis progresses and the bone and surrounding joint surface collapses, pain may develop or increase dramatically. Pain may be severe enough to limit the patient's range of motion in the affected joint. The period of time between the first symptoms and loss of joint function is different for each patient, ranging from several months to more than a year.

The Center for Regenerative Medicine in Miami, Florida concentrates on helping arthritic and injured people to get back to a functional level of life and their activities using non-surgical techniques and Orthopedic medicine. The center's expertise is in treatment of conditions of spine, knees, shoulders and other cartilage damages. We have developed non-surgical and rehabilitation techniques focused on treatment and management of joint pain. Our team includes health professionals organized around a central theme.

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Regenerative Medicine is Now being Used for Treatment of Avascular Necrosis

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COLUMBIA, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. (OSIR), announced today the expansion of its intellectual property protection around Prochymal (remestemcel-L). The United States Patent and Trademark Office recently granted Osiris two patents that cover multiple mechanisms of action related to cardiac tissue repair. Additionally, Osiris has enhanced its mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) patent estate with the issuance of patents across Europe and Australia covering stem cells expressing all therapeutically useful levels of cell surface receptors for TNF-alpha, a receptor essential to the cell's ability to counteract inflammation. These patents further support Osiris' considerable intellectual property position, which includes 48 issued U.S. patents around the production, composition, testing and use of the mesenchymal stem cell from both allogeneic and autologous sources.

"These recent additions to Osiris patent estate, combined with the existing broad coverage of our pioneering MSC platform technology, reinforce our industry leading IP portfolio and bolster our dominant position regarding the manufacture and use of mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment of a broad range of diseases, said Chris Alder, Chief Intellectual Property Counsel of Osiris. We have invested significant time and resources building our intellectual property estate, and with the commercialization of Prochymal, we are preparing to take the necessary action to enforce our considerable rights.

Prochymal is now approved in Canada and New Zealand, and is currently available in seven other countries including the United States under an Expanded Access Program. With Prochymal (remestemcel-L) entering commerce, Osiris has initiated the process of identifying entities that may be infringing upon its intellectual property rights and will take appropriate action as necessary.

About Prochymal (remestemcel-L)

Prochymal is the worlds first approved drug with a stem cell as its active ingredient. Developed by Osiris Therapeutics, Prochymal is an intravenous formulation of MSCs, which are derived from the bone marrow of healthy adult donors between the ages of 18 and 30 years. The MSCs are selected from the bone marrow and grown in culture so that up to 10,000 doses of Prochymal can be produced from a single donor. Prochymal is truly an off-the-shelf stem cell product that is stored frozen at the point-of-care and infused through a simple intravenous line without the need to type or immunosuppress the recipient. Prochymal is approved in Canada and New Zealand for the management of acute graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) in children and is available for adults and children in eight countries including the United States, under an Expanded Access Program. Prochymal is currently in a Phase 3 trial for refractory Crohns disease and is also being evaluated in clinical trials for the treatment of myocardial infarction (heart attack) and type 1 diabetes.

About Osiris Therapeutics

Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. is the leading stem cell company, having developed the worlds first approved stem cell drug, Prochymal. The company is focused on developing and marketing products to treat medical conditions in inflammatory, cardiovascular, orthopedic and wound healing markets. In Biosurgery, Osiris currently markets Grafix for burns and chronic wounds, and Ovation for orthopedic applications. Osiris is a fully integrated company with capabilities in research, development, manufacturing and distribution of stem cell products. Osiris has developed an extensive intellectual property portfolio to protect the company's technology, including 48 U.S. and 144 foreign patents.

Osiris, Prochymal, Grafix and Ovation are registered trademarks of Osiris Therapeutics, Inc. More information can be found on the company's website, http://www.Osiris.com. (OSIRG)

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Osiris Bolsters its Stem Cell Intellectual Property Estate

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Editor's Choice Main Category: Muscular Dystrophy / ALS Also Included In: Transplants / Organ Donations Article Date: 29 Jun 2012 - 11:00 PDT

Current ratings for: Stem Cells From Muscular Dystrophy Patients Transplanted Into Mice

A new study published in Science Translational Medicine reveals that researchers have, for the first time, managed to turn fibroblast cells, i.e. common cells within connective tissue, from muscular dystrophy patients into stem cells and subsequently changed these cells into muscle precursor cells. After modifying the muscle precursor cells genetically, the researchers transplanted them into mice.

In future, this new technique could be used in order to treat patients with the rare condition of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, which primarily affects the shoulders and hips, and maybe other types of muscular dystrophies. The method was initially developed in Milan at the San Raffaele Scientific Institute and was completed at UCL.

Muscular dystrophy is a genetic disorder, which typically affects skeletal muscles. The condition leads to severely impaired mobility and can, in severe cases result in respiratory and cardiac dysfunction. At present, there is no effective treatment for the condition. A number of new potential therapies, including cell therapy, are entering clinical trials.

The scientists of this study concentrated their research on genetically modifying mesoangioblasts, i.e. a self-renewing cell that originates from the dorsal aorta and differentiates into most mesodermal tissues, which demonstrated its potential for treating muscular dystrophy in earlier studies.

Given that the muscles of patients with muscular dystrophy are depleted of mesonangioblasts, the researchers were unable to obtain sufficient numbers of these cells from patients with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy, and therefore "reprogrammed" adult cells from these patients into stem cells, which enabled them to prompt them to differentiate into mesoangioblast-like cells.The team then genetically corrected these 'progenitor' cells by using a viral vector, and injected them into mice with muscular dystrophy so that the cells targeted damaged muscle fibers.

In a mice study, the same process demonstrated that dystrophic mice were able to run on a treadmill for longer a longer time than dystrophic mice that did not receive the cells.

Research leader, Dr Francesco Saverio Tedesco, from UCL Cell & Developmental Biology, who led the study, explained:

Professor Giulio Cossu, also an author at UCL, concluded:

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Stem Cells From Muscular Dystrophy Patients Transplanted Into Mice

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Editor's Choice Main Category: Huntingtons Disease Also Included In: Stem Cell Research;Neurology / Neuroscience Article Date: 29 Jun 2012 - 14:00 PDT

Current ratings for: Brain Cells Derived From Skin Cells For Huntington's Research

3 (1 votes)

At present, there is no cure for the disease and no treatments are available. These findings open up the possibility of testing treatments for the deadly disorder in a petri dish.

The study is the work of a Huntington's Disease iPSC Consortium, including researchers from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and the University of California, Irvine, and six other groups.

Huntington's disease is an inherited, deadly neurodegenerative disorder. The onset of HD generally occurs during midlife, although it can also strike in childhood - as in the patient who donated the material for the cells generated in this study. The disease causes jerky, twitch-like movements, lack of muscle control, psychiatric disorders and dementia, and ultimately death.

Christopher A. Ross, M.D., Ph.D., a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, neurology, pharmacology and neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and one of the lead researchers of the study, explained:

The team are currently testing small molecules for the ability to block HP iPSC degeneration. According to the researchers, these molecules could potentially be developed into new drugs for Huntington's disease.

Furthermore, the teams ability to create "HD in a dish" may also have implications for similar research in other diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

In the study, the team took a skin biopsy from a 7-year-old patient with very early onset of severe HD. In the laboratory of Hongjun Song, Ph.D., a professor at Johns Hopkins' Institute for Cell Engineering, the skin cells were grown in culture and then created into pluripotent stem cells. In addition, a second cell line was created in the same way in Dr. Ross's lab from an individuals without HD.Simultaneously, other HD and control iPS cell lines were generated as part of the NINDS funded HD iPS cell consortium.

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Brain Cells Derived From Skin Cells For Huntington's Research

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June 29, 2012

Connie K. Ho for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

In 1993, the autosomal dominant gene mutation responsible for Huntingtons Disease (HD) was discovered. However, no treatments are known to slow its progression. New research may pave the way to better understanding of the disease. Researchers at Johns Hopkins recently announced that they were able to produce stem cells from skin cells from a person who had severe, early-onset form of HD; the cells were then changed into neurons that degenerated like the cells affected by HD.

The research was recently published in the journal Cell Stem Cell. The investigators worked with an international consortium in creating HD in a dish. The group was made up of scientists from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, the University of California at Irvine, as well as six other groups. The team looked at many other HD cell lines and control cell lines to verify that the results were consistent and reproducible in other labs. The investigators believe that the findings allow them to better understand and eliminate cells in people in with HD. They hope to study the effects of possible drug treatments on cells that would be otherwise found deep in the brain.

Having these cells will allow us to screen for therapeutics in a way we havent been able to before in Huntingtons disease, remarked lead researcher Dr. Christopher A. Ross, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, neurology, pharmacology and neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, in a prepared statement. For the first time, we will be able to study how drugs work on human HD neurons and hopefully take those findings directly to the clinic.

The team of researchers is studying small molecules for the ability to block HD iPSC degeneration to see if they can be developed into new drugs for HD. As well, the ability to produce from stem cells the same neurons found in HD may have effects for similar research in other neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers and Parkinsons. In the experiment, Ross took a skin biopsy from a patient with very early onset HD. The patient was seven years old at the time, with a severe form of disease and a mutation that caused it. By using cells from a patient who had quickly progressing HD, Ross team were able to mimic HD in a way that could be used by patients who had different forms of HD.

The skin cells were grown in culture and reprogrammed to induce stem cells that were pluripotent. Then, another cell line was created in the same way from someone who didnt have HD. The other HD and control iPS cells were produced as part of the NINDS funded HD iPS cell consortium. Investigators from Johns Hopkins and the other consortium labs changed the cells into typical neurons and then into medium spiny neurons. The process took a total of three months and the scientists found the medium spiny neurons from the HD cells acted how the medium spiny neurons form an HD patient would. The cells demonstrated quick degeneration when cultured in the lab with a basic culture medium that didnt include extensive supporting nutrients. On the other hand, control cell lines didnt demonstrate neuronal degeneration.

These HD cells acted just as we were hoping, says Ross, director of the Baltimore Huntingtons Disease Center. A lot of people said, Youll never be able to get a model in a dish of a human neurodegenerative disease like this. Now, we have them where we can really study and manipulate them, and try to cure them of this horrible disease. The fact that we are able to do this at all still amazes us.

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Skin Cells Create Stem Cells In Huntington Disease Study

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28-06-2012 13:54 About 5 months ago, she came home from the beach with my husband limping on her right back leg. Now 8 weeks later after stem cell therapy... we were happy (well, maybe not so much...) to see her back to her old, wild, hyper self again.

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Ipo 8 weeks after stem cell therapy at Surf Paws Animal Hospital - Video

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29-06-2012 14:27 Of all the methods of gene transfer, lentiviral transduction and retroviral transduction are ideal because they allow development of stably transduced mammalian cell lines. But traditional methods require adding cell-killing additives. Learn how cell-friendly RetroNectin Reagent can dramatically boost transduction efficiency - while keeping your cells happy!

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Efficient Gene Transduction - Make Your Cells Happy! - Video

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29-06-2012 19:25 Clip 1. GENETIC CHILE What is a GMO? Stephen Hanson, PhD from New Mexico State University defines GMO as a genetically modified organism, really refers to organisms that are created through genetic engineering. *** GENETIC CHILE, An eye-opening look at the world of genetically modified foods through the lens of New Mexico's iconic chile pepper. The chile pepper defines New Mexican cuisine and is considered a sacred plant by many cultures. Despite overwhelming evidence of gene flow, persistent safety questions, predatory multinational agribusiness corporations and potential economic damage, the State of New Mexico funded research to produce a GMO chile, which is the first time a US state has done so. Because the funding is public, filmmaker Chris Dudley, was able to force a rare interview with a genetic researcher at NMSU. This film is packed with information about the harmful use of GMO technology and the ignorance shown by the proponents of GMO crops. Documentary, by Chris Dudley. In English | 60 minutes. |

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Genetic Chile Clip 1 - Video

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29-06-2012 19:33 Clip 2. GENETIC CHILE Monsanto, the largest seed company in the world and NMSU working together to create and sell genetically manufactured seeds. *** GENETIC CHILE, An eye-opening look at the world of genetically modified foods through the lens of New Mexico's iconic chile pepper. The chile pepper defines New Mexican cuisine and is considered a sacred plant by many cultures. Despite overwhelming evidence of gene flow, persistent safety questions, predatory multinational agribusiness corporations and potential economic damage, the State of New Mexico funded research to produce a GMO chile, which is the first time a US state has done so. Because the funding is public, filmmaker Chris Dudley, was able to force a rare interview with a genetic researcher at NMSU. This film is packed with information about the harmful use of GMO technology and the ignorance shown by the proponents of GMO crops. Documentary, by Chris Dudley. In English | 60 minutes. |

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Genetic Chile Clip 2 - Video

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29-06-2012 19:42 Clip 3. GENETIC CHILE Are GMOs good for us? No one knows what the long term effects of GMOs will be, but during the first Bush Administration it was decided that GMOs would be "generally regarded as safe". *** GENETIC CHILE, An eye-opening look at the world of genetically modified foods through the lens of New Mexico's iconic chile pepper. The chile pepper defines New Mexican cuisine and is considered a sacred plant by many cultures. Despite overwhelming evidence of gene flow, persistent safety questions, predatory multinational agribusiness corporations and potential economic damage, the State of New Mexico funded research to produce a GMO chile, which is the first time a US state has done so. Because the funding is public, filmmaker Chris Dudley, was able to force a rare interview with a genetic researcher at NMSU. This film is packed with information about the harmful use of GMO technology and the ignorance shown by the proponents of GMO crops. Documentary, by Chris Dudley. In English | 60 minutes. |

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Genetic Chile Clip 3 - Video

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29-06-2012 19:52 Clip 5. GENETIC CHILE The International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAAKSTD) compiled a 600 page comprehensive study titled "Agriculture at a Crossroads" which directly addresses and recommends solutions to world hunger. *** GENETIC CHILE, An eye-opening look at the world of genetically modified foods through the lens of New Mexico's iconic chile pepper. The chile pepper defines New Mexican cuisine and is considered a sacred plant by many cultures. Despite overwhelming evidence of gene flow, persistent safety questions, predatory multinational agribusiness corporations and potential economic damage, the State of New Mexico funded research to produce a GMO chile, which is the first time a US state has done so. Because the funding is public, filmmaker Chris Dudley, was able to force a rare interview with a genetic researcher at NMSU. This film is packed with information about the harmful use of GMO technology and the ignorance shown by the proponents of GMO crops. Documentary, by Chris Dudley. In English | 60 minutes. |

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Genetic Chile Clip 5 - Video

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June 29, 2012

Connie K. Ho for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

The common cold, otherwise known as the flu, can creep up on unsuspecting people. It can leave people with fevers, sore throat, cough, runny nose, chills, fatigue, nausea, among other symptoms. Researchers have been looking into the flu to better understand the bodys responses to viruses. Scientists recently found how a new gene in the influenza virus could control the virus to manage the bodys actions against an infection.

The research was completed by a collaborative team of researchers from the University of Cambridge, University College Cork, the University of Edinburgh, the University of Utah, the Institute of Systems Biology, and the United States National Institutes of Health. The findings are published online in the journal Science.

Even though the virus manages the bodys response, it decreases the influence of the infection. In particular, when mice were infected with the active virus gene PA-X, they often recovered from having the flu. Researchers believe that the findings will help in terms of understanding how the flu can initiate severe infections. They believe that the new research will assist in the development of new treatments.

Just finding this gene in the first place is important, but the find is even more significant because of the role it seems to play in the bodys response to flu, noted Paul Digard, a member of The Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh, in a prepared statement.

The study focused on the how the gene affected the response of the Spanish flu, which is a virulent strain of influenza that initiated a pandemic that occurred in 1918. The researchers discovered the gene by studying the genetic information for patterns of changes. They analyzed thousands of different flu strains.

The flu virus has a very, very small genome just 12 genes. Finding a new gene makes a pretty significant change to our understanding of this virus, commented Dr. Andrew Firth, a researcher at the University of Cambridge, in the statement.

In particular, each of the influenza viruses has a shell that contains eight strains of RNA. RNA is a genetic molecule that is connected to DNA. While some of the strands can encode many different genes, each of the strains creates a different protein. Before the research, scientists thought that there were only eight strains that had 12 different genes. However, the new study shows that there may possibly be 13 different genes. As such, the influenza genome is thought to have overlapping instructions for protein production.

According to Discover Magazine, the new gene discovered by the researchers is also found in the virus third RNA strand that was thought to only have the PA gene. The PA gene assists the virus to make a copy of its genome. When the gene PA allowed the virus to make a copy of the genome, it gave PA-X a different task in cutting up bits of RNA from the viruss host and stopped the host from activating genes. As a result, the host-cell turned off and the host wasnt able to create a defense against the virus. Furthermore, the host ended up producing proteins based off the genetic instructions from the virus rather than eliminating the RNA.

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Gene Study Shows Flu Connection With Severe Infections

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