8 hours ago Stem cells show auxeticity; the nucleus expands, rather than thins, when it's stretched. Credit: Effigos AG

Looking at stem cells through physicists' eyes is challenging some of our basic assumptions about the body's master cells.

One of the many mysteries surrounding stem cells is how the constantly regenerating cells in adults, such as those in skin, are able to achieve the delicate balance between self-renewal and differentiation in other words, both maintaining their numbers and producing cells that are more specialised to replace those that are used up or damaged.

"What all of us want to understand is how stem cells decide to make and maintain a body plan," said Dr Kevin Chalut, a Cambridge physicist who moved his lab to the University's Wellcome Trust-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute two years ago. "How do they decide whether they're going to differentiate or stay a stem cell in order to replenish tissue? We have discovered a lot about stem cells, but at this point nobody can tell you exactly how they maintain that balance."

To unravel this mystery, both Chalut and another physicist, Professor Ben Simons, are bringing a fresh perspective to the biologists' work. Looking at problems through the lens of a physicist helps them untangle many of the complex datasets associated with stem cell research. It also, they say, makes them unafraid to ask questions that some biologists might consider 'heretical', such as whether a few simple rules describe stem cells. "As physicists, we're very used to the idea that complex systems have emergent behaviour that may be described by simple rules," explained Simons.

What they have discovered is challenging some of the basic assumptions we have about stem cells.

One of those assumptions is that once a stem cell has been 'fated' for differentiation, there's no going back. "In fact, it appears that stem cells are much more adaptable than previously thought," said Simons.

By using fluorescent markers and live imaging to track a stem cell's progression, Simons' group has found that they can move backwards and forwards between states biased towards renewal and differentiation, depending on their physical position in the their host environment, known as the stem cell niche.

For example, some have argued that mammals, from elephants to mice, require just a few hundred blood stem cells to maintain sufficient levels of blood in the body. "Which sounds crazy," said Simons. "But if the self-renewal potential of cells may vary reversibly, the number of cells that retain stem cell potential may be much higher. Just because a certain cell may have a low chance of self-renewal today doesn't mean that it will still be low tomorrow or next week!"

Chalut's group is also looking at the way in which stem cells interact with their environment, specifically at the role that their physical and mechanical properties might play in how they make their fate decisions. It's a little-studied area, but one that could play a key role in understanding how stem cells work.

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Stem cell physical

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Researchers have developed a technique to jump-start the body's systems for creating blood vessels, opening the door for potential new treatments for diseases whose impacts include amputation and blindness.

The international team, led by scientists at the Indiana University School of Medicine, is targeting new therapies for illnesses such as peripheral artery disease, a painful leg condition caused by poor blood circulation. The disease can lead to skin problems, gangrene and sometimes amputation.

While the body has cells that specialize in repairing blood vessels and creating new ones, called endothelial colony-forming cells, these cells can lose their ability to proliferate into new blood vessels as patients age or develop diseases like peripheral arterial disease, said Mervin C. Yoder Jr., M.D., Richard and Pauline Klingler Professor of Pediatrics at IU and leader of the research team.

Peripheral artery disease patients can be given medication to improve blood flow, but if the blood vessels to carry that improved flow are reduced in number or function, the benefits are minimal. If "younger," more "enthusiastic" endothelial colony forming cells could be injected into the affected tissues, they might jump-start the process of creating new blood vessels. Gathering those cells would not be easy however -- they are relatively difficult to find in adults, especially in those with peripheral arterial disease. However, they are present in large numbers in umbilical cord blood.

Reporting their work in the journal Nature Biotechnology, the researchers said they had developed a potential therapy through the use of patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells, which are normal adult cells that have been "coaxed" via laboratory techniques into reverting into the more primitive stem cells that can produce most types of bodily tissue. So, in one of the significant discoveries reported in the Nature Biotechnology paper, the research team developed a novel methodology to mature the induced pluripotent stem cells into cells with the characteristics of the endothelial colony-forming cells that are found in umbilical cord blood. Those laboratory-created endothelial colony-forming cells were injected into mice, where they were able to proliferate into human blood vessels and restore blood flow to damaged tissues in mouse retinas and limbs.

Overcoming another hurdle that has been faced by scientists in the field, the research team found that the cord-blood-like endothelial colony-forming cells grown in laboratory tissue culture expanded dramatically, creating 100 million new cells for each original cell in a little less than three months.

"This is one of the first studies using induced pluripotent stem cells that has been able to produce new cells in clinically relevant numbers -- enough to enable a clinical trial," Dr. Yoder said. The next steps, he said, include reaching an agreement with a facility approved to produce cells for use in human testing. In addition to peripheral artery disease, the researchers are evaluating the potential uses of the derived cells to treat diseases of the eye and lungs that involve blood flow problems.

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The above story is based on materials provided by Indiana University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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New cells meant to form blood vessels developed, treat peripheral artery disease

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Newswise INDIANAPOLIS -- Researchers have developed a technique to jump-start the body's systems for creating blood vessels, opening the door for potential new treatments for diseases whose impacts include amputation and blindness.

The international team, led by scientists at the Indiana University School of Medicine, is targeting new therapies for illnesses such as peripheral artery disease, a painful leg condition caused by poor blood circulation. The disease can lead to skin problems, gangrene and sometimes amputation.

While the body has cells that specialize in repairing blood vessels and creating new ones, called endothelial colony-forming cells, these cells can lose their ability to proliferate into new blood vessels as patients age or develop diseases like peripheral arterial disease, said Mervin C. Yoder Jr., M.D., Richard and Pauline Klingler Professor of Pediatrics at IU and leader of the research team.

Peripheral artery disease patients can be given medication to improve blood flow, but if the blood vessels to carry that improved flow are reduced in number or function, the benefits are minimal. If "younger," more "enthusiastic" endothelial colony forming cells could be injected into the affected tissues, they might jump-start the process of creating new blood vessels. Gathering those cells would not be easy however -- they are relatively difficult to find in adults, especially in those with peripheral arterial disease. However, they are present in large numbers in umbilical cord blood.

Reporting their work in the journal Nature Biotechnology, the researchers said they had developed a potential therapy through the use of patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells, which are normal adult cells that have been "coaxed" via laboratory techniques into reverting into the more primitive stem cells that can produce most types of bodily tissue. So, in one of the significant discoveries reported in the Nature Biotechnology paper, the research team developed a novel methodology to mature the induced pluripotent stem cells into cells with the characteristics of the endothelial colony-forming cells that are found in umbilical cord blood. Those laboratory-created endothelial colony-forming cells were injected into mice, where they were able to proliferate into human blood vessels and restore blood flow to damaged tissues in mouse retinas and limbs.

Overcoming another hurdle that has been faced by scientists in the field, the research team found that the cord-blood-like endothelial colony-forming cells grown in laboratory tissue culture expanded dramatically, creating 100 million new cells for each original cell in a little less than three months.

"This is one of the first studies using induced pluripotent stem cells that has been able to produce new cells in clinically relevant numbers -- enough to enable a clinical trial," Dr. Yoder said. The next steps, he said, include reaching an agreement with a facility approved to produce cells for use in human testing. In addition to peripheral artery disease, the researchers are evaluating the potential uses of the derived cells to treat diseases of the eye and lungs that involve blood flow problems.

A short video explaining the research is available here: http://youtu.be/nyPk_5bLdzs

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Researchers Develop New Cells Meant to Form Blood Vessels, Treat Peripheral Artery Disease

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Beverly Hills, California (PRWEB) October 13, 2014

Top Beverly Hills and LA orthopedic doctor, Dr. Raj, is now offering platelet rich plasma therapy for sports injuries and all types of degenerative arthritis. The treatment option has recently been added to Dr. Raj's regenerative medicine therapies such as bone marrow derived stem cell procedures and amniotic derived stem cell therapies. Call (310) 247-0466 for more information and scheduling.

Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy, known as PRP for short, has been increasing in popularity due to the success shown in several research studies. There was a recent study out of HSS showing amazing outcomes for degenerative knee arthritis, with preservation of cartilage and significant pain relief. Results with rotator cuff tendonitis, tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis and knee/achilles tendonitis have also been excellent as well.

Athletes in all types of sports have benefited from PRP therapy including golf, tennis, basketball, football, baseball and more. Whether or not an athlete is professional or amateur, the PRP treatment can be instrumental in helping patients avoid surgery and get back on the field quickly.

PRP therapy at Beverly Hills Orthopedic Institute involves an outpatient procedure that begins with a simple blood draw from the patient's arm of approximately 30 to 60 millileters. The blood is placed into a centrifuge and spun rapidly for 15-20 minutes. The platelets become concentrated in the middle layer, and this is what is utilized for the platelet rich plasma therapy in Beverly Hills.

The PRP therapy is injected under sterile conditions into the painful area. Results are typically seen over the ensuing weeks. Along with the PRP treatment, Dr. Raj also offers bone marrow and amniotic stem cell therapy. Typically, the best regenerative medicine therapy option is decided upon in conjunction with the patient.

Dr. Raj is a Double Board Certified Beverly Hills and Los Angeles orthopedic surgeon, who is also an ABC News Medical Correspondent along with a WebMD expert. For those interested in PRP and stem cell therapy Beverly Hills trusts, call (310) 247-0466.

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What is genetic research?

The field of genetic research works towards finding the genes that cause disease.

Nearly every disease we know of has a genetic component. Depending on the disease, the genetic contribution may be very large, very small, or, most often, somewhere in between. Researchers are studying nearly every disease to find out how genetic factors may contribute. We inherit our genes from our parents. Genes tell our bodies how to develop and function. There are about 25,000 genes that make the things our bodies need to develop and work. Each gene is made up of DNA. DNA is a very long code that uses only 4 letters. We know that variations in this code can alter the way a gene works. Sometimes the variation is in only one letter. This is referred to as a SNP. Most SNPs dont cause problems. They either contribute to the normal differences from one person to another, or have no known effect at all. However, a small number of SNPs can alter the way the gene works and contribute to disease. Sometimes the DNA code is altered by pieces that are missing or are extra. The missing or extra pieces may be as small as a one letter or as large as thousands. Depending on what is missing or extra, this may also contribute to health issues.

Diseases such as autism, Alzheimer disease, heart disease, and cancer are common. Approximately 1 out of every 110 children is affected by autism, 1 in 10 adults will develop Alzheimer disease and 1 in 3 adults will develop cancer in their lifetime. Since these are common diseases, we expect to see that sometimes more than one person in a family may have the condition. However, when a family health history is taken, some families have a much higher number of people with a certain complex disease than other families do. For example, imagine a family in which a great-grandmother, grandfather, and mother (three generations) were all affected by Alzheimer disease. We known that closely related members of a family share many of their genes. In fact, we share half our genes with our parents, brothers and sisters, and children! It is likely that there are genes shared by members of that family that are involved in the development of Alzheimer disease. By involving this family in genetic research, scientists can learn which genetic differences are shared by the family members who have Alzheimer disease, but not found in others in the family. These genetic differences narrow down the region where a gene might be. This technique of finding genes using a family is called a family study, or linkage analysis.

Another way of doing genetic research is to do DNA testing on two large groups of people. One group of people has the disease, and the other does not. Those who do not are sometimes referred to as controls. Most often, the people in this type of study are not related to one another. This technique is called association. Association studies rely on the use of thousands to millions of SNPs (described above) in our DNA. If you could imagine our DNA as huge roadmap, SNPs would be like mile markers on the highway. Scientists know the location of millions of SNPs throughout human DNA. Scientists also know that at the location of these SNPs, there is variation in the DNA code from one person to the next. For example, at one SNP, one person may have a letter T (thymine), while another person has a G (guanine). If a particular DNA SNP is seen more often in those with a disorder, such as autism or Alzheimer disease, it is possible that this SNP is associated with or is near an area of DNA that is associated with the disorder. Association studies are very large projects and require the participation of hundreds to, preferably, thousands of people with a disease and without a disease.

When trying to find genes that contribute to a disorder, sometimes researchers will look specifically at candidate genes. Candidate genes are those that researchers think might be involved in a disorder either because of what they do, and/or because they are located in an area of the DNA that looks interesting based on family studies or association studies described above. For example, some of the candidate genes that have been looked at for autism are known to be involved in behavior or language.

It is important for all ethnic groups to be represented in genetic research. This is because people of the same ethnic group share many of the same changes and variations in their DNA with each other that they may not share with people of a different ethnic group. If only one ethnic group is involved in genetic research, we learn only about the variations in DNA that are associated with disease in that particular ethnic group.

When genetic research searching for genes involved in breast cancer was just beginning, most women who participated in genetic research studies were Caucasian. That research lead to the discovery of two very important genes (BRCA1 and BRCA2) that are now known to put women who have mutations in these genes at high risk for breast and ovarian cancer. It was found out that many mutations in the BRCA genes can lead to a high risk for cancer. However, only those mutations that were common in the Caucasian population were discovered through the initial research projects. This meant that when a non-Caucasian woman was tested for mutations in the BRCA genes by her doctor, there was a high chance that the results would not be conclusive. After many years of additional research, genetic testing for breast cancer has greatly improved for non-Caucasian women and testing of these genes is now more beneficial for them. By including all ethnic groups in genetic research, all ethnic groups can benefit from the findings of genetic research.

At the John P. Hussman Institute for Human Genomics at the University of Miamis Miller School of Medicine, our research efforts are aimed to ensure that all people, regardless of race or ethnicity, are able to benefit from the research that is done at our institute. Our researchers invite participation from the diverse South Florida community as well as larger national and international communities. Participation in a research study at the HIHG is completely voluntary. While details may vary from study to study, trained members of our team will conduct family history interviews and diagnostic evaluations. In addition, our team members will retrieve a blood or saliva sample. Some research studies ask for one-time participation only, while others request that participants are involved in several appointments. There is no cost or payment for your participation. We maintain the highest standards of confidentiality for all participants and families. Your private information is not given out to other researchers or companies. Your participation will help us to better understand the genetic and environmental causes of diseases and disorders, which may eventually lead to improved treatments and prevention methods, and hopefully a cure. Some research studies offer compensation for participation.

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What is genetic research? | Genetics Awareness Project at ...

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Animations and Videos

"The Mitochondria" by BioVisions at Harvard University. Incredible animation that shows in detail the inner workings of the mitochondria.

Clickherefor a complete list of biology-related animations (by topics) from MolecularMovies.org, "A Portal to Cell & Molecular Animation."

Biochemistry and Molecular Structure Resources

3D Molecules

Protein Data Bank (PDB) Search for the protein structures and either print, view online, or download to view with an appropriate plug-in (some of which can be downloaded from the site). Features a "molecule of the month." Also, visit the extensive Educational Resources Section.

NCBI's Structure Pageallows you to view structures with a simple view, Cn3D, available for download from the site. It also maintains its own structure database, MMDB, which is a subset of the PDB.

Biotechnology and Molecular Biology Curriculum

Genetic Science Learning Center Offers many valuable resources for teaching and learning about biotechnology.

Iowa State Biotechnology Resources for Educators Includes thirteen laboratory activities, curriculum units, and more. Topics include DNA extraction, fingerprinting, bacteria transformation, bioluminescence, plant micro propagation, a PCR activity, and a soybean flavor demonstration.

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Advanced Bioinformatics: Genetic Research | NWABR.ORG

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The mutations were familiar, but the patients conditions seemed baffling at first. A team lead by Rockefeller University researchers had linked variations in an immune gene to rare bacterial infections. Shortly afterward, Chinese scientists told them of three children in that country with mutated versions of the same gene. However, the Chinese children had no history of the severe bacterial infections. Instead, they had seizures and unusual calcium deposits deep in their brains.

This discrepancy led to the discovery of an immune protein with paradoxical roles: It both aids and tamps down aspects of an immune system response, according to research conducted in Jean-Laurent Casanovas St. Giles Laboratory of Human Genetics of Infectious Diseases at Rockefeller in collaboration with scientists in China and elsewhere. The teams report was published today (October 12) in Nature.

It has turned out that mutations in a single gene eliminate the immune protein ISG15, giving rise to two different problems: an inability to resolve harmful inflammation, which can lead to autoimmune disease, and susceptibility to infections caused by the tuberculosis bacterium and its cousins, Casanova says. By identifying the source of this genetic disorder, we have taken a first step toward finding treatments for those facing the autoimmune disease and severe TB-related infections it may produce.

When under attack, the immune system releases signaling proteins known as interferons, which further activate the bodys defenses. In previous research, Dusan Bogunovic, a former postdoc in the lab now an Assistant Professor at the Department of Microbiology at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, linked a lack of ISG15 to an unusual vulnerability to infections by mycobacteria, a group of common bacteria that include the TB bug. He and colleagues found three children, one from Turkey, two from Iran, who became severely ill after receiving the anti-tuberculosis BCG vaccine. Normally, ISG15 protects against infection by mycobacteria by prompting the release of type 2 interferon, but all three children had two copies of a defective form of the ISG15 gene, and became infected by a TB-related component of the vaccine.

After this discovery, ISG15s story continued to unfold. Bogunovic and his colleagues reported this link, and then scientists in China reached out saying they had also seen loss-of-function mutations in three patients, all from a single family. But none of these three had had unexplained mycobacterial infections, such as those caused by the vaccine.

We asked, why were they patients? Bogunovic recalls. Our Chinese colleagues said these kids had seizures; in fact, one child had died from them. When we looked into their BCG vaccination history, we found these children, who were born at home in a remote village, never received their shots, so they never became sick. Next we looked back at our first set of patients. None of them had ever had seizures, but we performed brain scans that found abnormal calcium deposits in a deep part of the brain involved in controlling movement just like the deposits in brains of the Chinese children.

The researchers recognized the calcium deposits as a feature of a group of autoinflammatory diseases, including the neurodevelopmental disorder Aicardi-Goutieres syndrome. These are thought to occur when type 1 interferon, which normally helps fight viral infections, runs amok, triggering harmful and unnecessary inflammation, leading to disease. When Bogunovic and his colleagues then looked for evidence something similar was happening to the six patients, they found unusually high expression of genes stimulated by type 1 interferon.

Using cells from the patients, the researchers found that when they restored the ISG15 gene, the cells became able to resolve the inflammation. Further experiments performed in collaboration with Sandra Pellegrini at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France, revealed the mechanics that linked a lack of ISG15 with an increase in type 1 interferon signaling: Under normal conditions, ISG15 prevents the degradation of another protein, USP18, which is responsible for turning down the dial on type 1 interferon. With no ISG15, and as a result, little USP18, interferon becomes too active.

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Single Gene Links Susceptibility to Rare Infections with Predisposition to Autoimmune Disease

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What is genetic engineering? Genetic engineering is the process of manually adding new DNA to an organism. The goal is to add one or more new traits that are not already found in that organism. Examples of genetically engineered (transgenic) organisms currently on the market include plants with resistance to some insects, plants that can tolerate herbicides, and crops with modified oil content.

Understanding Genetic Engineering: Basic Biology To understand how genetic engineering works, there are a few key biology concepts that must be understood.

Small segments of DNA are called genes. Each gene holds the instructions for how to produce a single protein. This can be compared to a recipe for making a food dish. A recipe is a set of instructions for making a single dish.

An organism may have thousands of genes. The set of all genes in an organism is called a genome. A genome can be compared to a cookbook of recipes that makes that organism what it is. Every cell of every living organism has a cookbook.

CONCEPT #2: Why are proteins important? Proteins do the work in cells. They can be part of structures (such as cell walls, organelles, etc). They can regulate reactions that take place in the cell. Or they can serve as enzymes, which speed-up reactions. Everything you see in an organism is either made of proteins or the result of a protein action.

How is genetic engineering done? Genetic engineering, also called transformation, works by physically removing a gene from one organism and inserting it into another, giving it the ability to express the trait encoded by that gene. It is like taking a single recipe out of a cookbook and placing it into another cookbook.

1) First, find an organism that naturally contains the desired trait.

2) The DNA is extracted from that organism. This is like taking out the entire cookbook.

3) The one desired gene (recipe) must be located and copied from thousands of genes that were extracted. This is called gene cloning.

4) The gene may be modified slightly to work in a more desirable way once inside the recipient organism.

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UNL's AgBiosafety for Educators

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13-Oct-2014

Contact: Rachel Seroka rseroka@aan.com 612-928-6129 American Academy of Neurology @GreenJournal

MINNEAPOLIS A new guideline from the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM) recommends guidance on how doctors should evaluate the full picturefrom symptoms, family history and ethnicity to a physical exam and certain lab test resultsin order to determine what genetic tests may best diagnose a person's subtype of limb-girdle or distal muscular dystrophy. The guideline is published in the October 14, 2014, print issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology. To develop the guideline, researchers reviewed all of the available studies on the disorders, which cause muscles to waste away.

"These are rare muscle diseases that can be difficult to diagnose," said guideline lead author Pushpa Narayanaswami, MD, of Harvard Medical School in Boston and a Fellow of the AAN and AANEM. "With an accurate diagnosis, unnecessary tests or treatments may be avoided. Knowing the specific subtype is important for getting the best possible care."

"Limb girdle" refers to the hip and shoulder areas, where the limbs attach to the body. Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy most affects muscles close to the center of the body, such as in the areas near the tops of the arms and legs. Distal muscular dystrophy most affects muscles farther away from the center of the body, such as muscles in the hands and feet. There are several known subtypes of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy and distal muscular dystrophy. Experts continue to discover new subtypes.

Certain signs and symptoms and other information such as family history can help doctors determine a person's subtype. "Looking at a range of clinical signs and symptomssuch as which muscles are weak and if there is muscle wasting or enlargement, winging out of the shoulder blades, early signs of contracted limbs, rigidity of the neck or back, or heart or lung involvementcan help doctors determine which genetic test to order," said senior author Anthony A. Amato, MD, also of the Harvard Medical School and a Fellow of the AAN and AANEM. "This in turn can shorten the time to diagnosis and start of treatment while helping avoid more extensive and expensive testing."

While there is no cure for these disorders, complications can be managed. The guideline makes recommendations about treating and managing complications, which may include muscle symptoms, heart problems and breathing problems.

"Before this publication, there were no care guidelines that covered both limb-girdle muscular dystrophy and distal MD and were based on the evidence," said Julie Bolen, PhD, MPH, team lead, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). "We hope that this guideline will fill that gap for both the people who live with these rare disorders and the health care professionals who treat them."

The guideline recommends that care for people with these disorders should be coordinated through treatment centers specializing in muscular dystrophy. People with these disorders should tell their doctors about any symptoms such as the heart beating too fast or skipping beats, shortness of breath and pain or difficulty in swallowing, as treatments may be available. People should also talk to their doctors about exercises that are safe.

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Guideline offers direction in genetic testing for certain types of muscular dystrophy

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Stem cell facts Stem cells are primitive cells that have the potential to differentiate, or develop into, a variety of specific cell types. There are different types of stem cells based upon their origin and ability to differentiate. Bone marrow transplantation is an example of a stem cell therapy that is in widespread use. Research is underway to determine whether stem cell therapy may be useful in treating a wide variety of conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, Parkinson's disease, and spinal cord injury. What are stem cells?

Stem cells are cells that have the potential to develop into many different or specialized cell types. Stem cells can be thought of as primitive, "unspecialized" cells that are able to divide and become specialized cells of the body such as liver cells, muscle cells, blood cells, and other cells with specific functions. Stem cells are referred to as "undifferentiated" cells because they have not yet committed to a developmental path that will form a specific tissue or organ. The process of changing into a specific cell type is known as differentiation. In some areas of the body, stem cells divide regularly to renew and repair the existing tissue. The bone marrow and gastrointestinal tract are examples areas in which stem cells function to renew and repair tissue.

The best and most readily understood example of a stem cell in humans is that of the fertilized egg, or zygote. A zygote is a single cell that is formed by the union of a sperm and ovum. The sperm and the ovum each carry half of the genetic material required to form a new individual. Once that single cell or zygote starts dividing, it is known as an embryo. One cell becomes two, two become four, four become eight, eight to sixteen, and so on; doubling rapidly until it ultimately creates the entire sophisticated organism. That organism, a person, is an immensely complicated structure consisting of many, many, billions of cells with functions as diverse as those of your eyes, your heart, your immune system, the color of your skin, your brain, etc. All of the specialized cells that make up these body systems are descendants of the original zygote, a stem cell with the potential to ultimately develop into all kinds of body cells. The cells of a zygote are totipotent, meaning that they have the capacity to develop into any type of cell in the body.

The process by which stem cells commit to become differentiated, or specialized, cells is complex and involves the regulation of gene expression. Research is ongoing to further understand the molecular events and controls necessary for stem cells to become specialized cell types.

Medically Reviewed by a Doctor on 1/23/2014

Stem Cells - Experience Question: Please describe your experience with stem cells.

Stem Cells - Umbilical Cord Question: Have you had your child's umbilical cord blood banked? Please share your experience.

Stem Cells - Available Therapies Question: Did you or someone you know have stem cell therapy? Please discuss your experience.

Medical Author:

Melissa Conrad Stppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Stem Cells: Get Facts on Uses, Types, and Therapies

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MIAMI (PRWEB) October 13, 2014

Regenestem, one of the largest membership networks of regenerative medicine clinics worldwide, has announced the launch of a new stem cells clinic in Antofagasta, Northern Chile. The clinic, to be headed by renowned stem cell specialists DRA Maria G. Soledad Gonzalez and Angel Gallegos Freire, M.D., will provide the latest advancements in stem cell treatments and protocol for a variety of eye conditions and diseases including macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa, as well as the latest anti-aging and aesthetic treatments and therapies.

Soledad Gonzalez specializes in opthamology at the Laser Surgery Clinic in Higher Vision of Antofagasta since 2003, where he focuses on refractive surgery to treat conditions like myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism and presbyopia. He incorporated minimally invasive aesthetic medicine protocols to his practice in 2012 and specializes in the harvest, preparation, activation and application of stem cell therapies for a number of chronic degenerative diseases.

Gallegos Freire, Medical Director, Policlinico Bhpbilliton M: BHP Billiton Spencea in Ubicacin, Chile, specializing in aesthetic and anti-aging stem cell medicine. Gallegos Freire in an active member of the Argentina Society of Aesthetic Medicine (SOARME), Institutional Member of the Medical Association of Argentina (AMA), the Pan-American Society of Aesthetic Medicine (PASAM) and the Antiaging & Aesthetic Medicine International Society (AAAMISO).

The Antofagasta Regenestem clinic is the companys third international stem cell treatment center opened since Global Stem Cells Group opened the Regenestem Asia Clinic in Manila, Philippines in June and the Regenestem Mexico Clinic in Villahermosa Tabasco. These new, state-of-the-art regenerative medicine facilities join the company's growing global presence that includes clinics in Miami, New York, Los Angeles and Dubai. Regenestem Asia facility marks the first Regenestem brand clinic in the Philippines.

The Global Stem Cells Group and Regenestem are committed to providing the highest of standards in service and technology, expert and compassionate care, and a philosophy of exceeding the expectations of their international patients.

For more information, visit the Regenestem website, email info(at)regenstem(dot)com, or call 305-224-1858.

About Regenestem:

Regenestem, a division of the Global Stem Cells Group, Inc., provides stem cell treatments for a variety of diseases and conditions including arthritis, autism, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes and multiple sclerosis at various facilities worldwide. Each Regenestem clinic offers an international staff experienced in administering the leading cellular therapies available.

Regenestem is certified for the medical tourism market, and staff physicians are board-certified or board-eligible. Regenestem clinics provide services in more than 10 specialties, attracting patients from the United States and around the world.

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Updated: 10/12/2014 4:19 PM Created: 10/11/2014 11:51 PM WNYT.com By: Steve Flamisch

LOUDONVILLE Four years ago, Doris Calderon was diagnosed with a form of blood cancer called Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS). Doctors told her she needed a bone marrow transplant.

"They were looking for a donor because I had no siblings that could match, and my children are not a good match," said Calderon, of Halfmoon. "We didn't have anybody, so we just figured we'd wait."

More than 800 miles away, in Illinois, a total stranger made a fateful decision later that year. Chad LaMont wanted to donate blood to at his employers "Good Deed Day," but his iron was too low.

LaMont went over to the "Be The Match" table and signed up to be a marrow donor, instead. He turned out to be the match for Calderon, later donating the stem cells and T-cells that saved her life.

"Ive encouraged so many people to get on the list because you never know who you can save, and whose life you can change at the end of the day," LaMont said.

On Friday, Calderon and LaMont met for the first time at Albany International Airport. On Saturday, they took part in the Light the Night Walk at Siena College, raising money to fight blood cancer.

"To have the man responsible for saving my mother's life with us on such a momentous occasion is just such a blessing," said Calderons daughter, Lisa Calderon-Haun. "He couldn't be more wonderful."

Calderon has been in remission for more than two years and her prognosis is good. To learn more about how to become a bone marrow donor, visit "Be The Match."

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Saratoga Co. woman meets marrow donor who saved her life

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MADISON Winning the State Cow of the Year award at the 2014 World Dairy Expo on Oct. 3 was only the second biggest thing that happened while the Peterson family of Cashton was in Madison that week.

The most important came a few days later, on the west side of the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, when stem cells from Kurt Petersons bone marrow began flowing into the blood stream of his brother, giving Scot Peterson, 45, a new immune system and a good shot of beating adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Hes a man of few words, says Scot, of his younger brother, Kurt, 40. But you know he really loves you to do something like this.

Its been a good news/bad news kind of a year for the Peterson brothers, who co-own the Coulee Crest farm in the rolling hills of Monroe County, and the states queen of cows, Coulee Crest Nick Lorilyn. Guernseys are the caramel brown and white cows known for the richness of their milk. And Lorilynn won the crown because she, her mother, and one of her daughters have each produced 40,000 pounds of milk in a year.

The last weekend in June, the National Guernsey Association held its national convention in La Crosse. The Petersons hosted a tour of their farm and a dinner event for 475 convention goers at their farm.

Scot Peterson, a burly guy who competed in Sweden for the world tug-of-war championship when he was younger, felt pains in his legs, odd bruises, and general exhaustion.

I thought I was tired from all the work of getting the farm ready, Scot Peterson says. He got through the convention and the national sale on June 30. That was another high point for the farm, with one of Lorilyns daughters topping the sale at $19,000.

By the next day, there was bad news.

By the middle of the day on July 1, I was in the hospital, finding out my diagnosis of leukemia, he recalls.

His oncologist, Dr. Wayne Bottner of Gundersen Health System in La Crosse, told Scot that he had a type of leukemia, ALL, in which the bone marrow makes too many lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell. ALL is more common and easier to treat in children. Adults fare better if they can find a match that allows them to have a stem cell transplant from a donors bone marrow. So Bottner referred Peterson to the UW Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center in Madison.

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Cashton man goes from winning state award to battling cancer

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MANHATTAN Konza Prairie researcher Gene Townes final day at Kansas State University falls three months after public release of a research study suggesting ranchers could burn grassland outside the April time frame that served as university agronomy department gospel for decades.

He hadnt anticipated a 26-year career would flame out Oct. 31, but a supervisor decided his annual contract wouldnt be renewed. Biology division administrator John Blair said in an interview there were budget issues, that Towne lacked technical skills and his handling of the research project was below par.

Blair shared additional thoughts, much more, in emails to Towne.

In Townes view, the final straw was the paper on range burning that stood in conflict with the historical outlook at Kansas State. The university has held spring, especially late April, to be the sweet spot for eradicating unwanted plant growth. Towne thinks there is convincing evidence fall and winter are viable as well.

It raises controversy that some people want to avoid, Towne said. Any time you question it, you're tampering with heresy.

The land-grant university has offered advice to ranchers on the controversial subject of controlled prairie fire dating back to the 1930s. For more than two decades, the Konza Prairie has served as a laboratory for Kansas States examination of methods of managing fire, which has been a natural change agent for centuries.

Towne, research associate and Konza Prairie biological station fire chief, and Joseph Craine, research assistant in biology, published the paper examining consequences of burning Flint Hills prairie at different times. Their work was placed in the peer-reviewed journal PLOSONE and the university issued a lengthy news release July 31. Stories appeared on radio and in print, including The Topeka Capital-Journal.

Burning native prairie in Kansas and Oklahoma is acknowledged as integral to reducing the abundance of undesirable trees and shrubs while promoting growth of nutritionally rich grass for grazing cattle.

Towne and Craine concluded fall or winter burning didnt negatively influence grass composition and production compared to spring clearing. It is a compelling perspective for ranch managers as well as urban centers grappling with smog fomented by torching of thousands of acres in April.

They also speculated burning earlier in the year would make better forage available to cattle and that fall or winter burns would reduce fire death among snakes, turtles and nesting birds.

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KSU severs ties to author of controversial prairie-burn research article

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

The arrest of four professors has raised public concern over corruption in China's scientific research system.

The four were arrested for misappropriation of state research funds through false research projects, the anti-corruption watchdog said Friday.

Li Ning, a professor at the Chinese University of Agriculture and member of the elite Chinese Academy of Engineering, is among them. Li is noted for trans-gene research and was the first in China to clone a rare cattle species in 2002.

The four were found to have behaved suspiciously by the National Audit Office in 2012, among seven professors from five universities, according to a release from the Communist Party of China Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

The seven are said to have swindled over 25 million yuan (4 mln U.S. dollars) of state funds.

"At the bottom trans-gene research is the study of how to transport the bucks," wrote Internet user "putuolanjing" on the twitter-like service weibo.com, one of thousands of negative comments.

"Twenty-five million swindled by seven academics... what a tragedy for China," commented "meiwendudemao."

China ranked second in terms of the number of theses published in recognized scientific magazines and journals in 2012, but no Chinese scientist has won a Nobel prize in science in more than a century as behavior like plagiarism and ghostwriting haunt Chinese scientists and students.

The government spent 1 trillion yuan, or about 1.97 percent of GDP on research and development in 2012 and the figure surpassed 2 percent for the first time in 2013. Much of the money has been misused, according to the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST).

A researcher, who refused to be named, told Xinhua that a scientist could gain "a sum of money" from MOST, the Ministry of Agriculture and the National Natural Science Foundation of China, if he is "diligent enough" in establishing contacts in these departments.

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Arrest of professors exposes academic corruption

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Genetic engineering leads to glow-in-the-dark plants
A small biotech company in San Francisco is using genetic engineering to develop plants that emit their own light,

By: CBC News

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Genetic engineering leads to glow-in-the-dark plants - Video

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ICE Genetics Idents Fahsion
ICE GENETICS idents for our #GENETICSfashion With Special Thanks to: Mark Le Grange Photography assisted by Zac Dique Production Company: Robot Director: Stephan Hambsch Producer: Liam ...

By: ICE GENETICS Model and Talent Agency

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Gene therapy offers a safe and effective way to treat bubble boy disease Health Updates
Gene therapy offers a safe and effective way to treat bubble boy disease. #39;Health Updates #39; connects health-conscious individuals with important news and info...

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Spinal cord injuryTow surfingFirst experience Th10
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John K. T4 paraplegic walking in Rifton pacer at Step by Step Therapy, Inc.
John K. T4 paraplegic walking in Rifton pacer at Step by Step Therapy, Inc. taking it One Step At A time to spinal cord injury recovery doing some gait training in a pacer walker. http://www.stepby...

By: Debardeaux

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People with autism spectrum disorder often experience a period of accelerated brain growth after birth. No one knows why, or whether the change is linked to any specific behavioral changes.

A new study by UCLA researchers demonstrates how, in pregnant mice, inflammation, a first line defense of the immune system, can trigger an excessive division of neural stem cells that can cause "overgrowth" in the offspring's brain.

The paper appears Oct. 9 in the online edition of the journal Stem Cell Reports.

"We have now shown that one way maternal inflammation could result in larger brains and, ultimately, autistic behavior, is through the activation of the neural stem cells that reside in the brain of all developing and adult mammals," said Dr. Harley Kornblum, the paper's senior author and a director of the Neural Stem Cell Research Center at UCLA's Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior.

In the study, the researchers mimicked environmental factors that could activate the immune system -- such as an infection or an autoimmune disorder -- by injecting a pregnant mouse with a very low dose of lipopolysaccharide, a toxin found in E. coli bacteria. The researchers discovered the toxin caused an excessive production of neural stem cells and enlarged the offspring's' brains.

Neural stem cells become the major types of cells in the brain, including the neurons that process and transmit information and the glial cells that support and protect them.

Notably, the researchers found that mice with enlarged brains also displayed behaviors like those associated with autism in humans. For example, they were less likely to vocalize when they were separated from their mother as pups, were less likely to show interest in interacting with other mice, showed increased levels of anxiety and were more likely to engage in repetitive behaviors like excessive grooming.

Kornblum, who also is a professor of psychiatry, pharmacology and pediatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, said there are many environmental factors that can activate a pregnant woman's immune system.

"Although it's known that maternal inflammation is a risk factor for some neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism, it's not thought to directly cause them," he said. He noted that autism is clearly a highly heritable disorder, but other, non-genetic factors clearly play a role.

The researchers also found evidence that the brain growth triggered by the immune reaction was even greater in mice with a specific genetic mutation -- a lack of one copy of a tumor suppressor gene called phosphatase and tensin homolog, or PTEN. The PTEN protein normally helps prevent cells from growing and dividing too rapidly. In humans, having an abnormal version of the PTEN gene leads to very large head size or macrocephaly, a condition that also is associated with a high risk for autism.

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Neural stem cell overgrowth, autism-like behavior linked, mice study suggests

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When his infant son Sam was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes two decades ago, Doug Melton made himself a promise: He would cure it. When his daughter Emma was diagnosed with the same autoimmune disease at 14, he redoubled his efforts.

Finally he can see the finish line. In a paper published Thursday in the journal Cell, Melton announces that he has created a virtually unlimited supply of the cells that are missing in people with type 1 diabetes.

By replacing these cellsand then protecting them from attack by the body's immune systemMelton, now a professor and stem cell researcher at Harvard, says someday he'll have his cure.

"I think we've shown the problem can be solved," he said.

In type 1 diabetes, which usually starts in childhood and affects as many as three million Americans, the person's immune system attacks and destroys beta cells in the pancreas. Melton used stem cellswhich can turn into a wide variety of other cell typesto manufacture a new supply of these beta cells, which provide exquisitely fine-tuned responses to sugar levels in the blood.

When you eat, beta cells increase levels of insulin in your blood to process the extra sugar; when you're running on empty, the cells dial down insulin levels.

Since the 1920s, people with type 1 diabetes have been kept alive with insulin injections, though many still face nerve damage, slow wound healing, and even blindness because even the best pumps and monitors are not as effective as the body's beta cells.

The only known cure for type 1 diabetes is a beta cell transplant, which takes the cells from someone who has recently died. But the procedure is complicated, and the patient must remain on drugs forever to prevent the immune system from destroying the cells.

Fewer than 1,000 beta cell transplants have ever been done, said Albert Hwa, senior scientific program manager for beta cell therapies at the diabetes research organization JDRF, which has helped fund Melton's work for more than a decade.

Hope From Stem Cells

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New Stem Cell Treatment, Successful in Mice, May Someday ...

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By Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Oct. 9, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- In what may be a step toward a cure for type 1 diabetes, researchers say they've developed a large-scale method for turning human embryonic stem cells into fully functioning beta cells capable of producing insulin.

Type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disorder affecting upwards of 3 million Americans, is characterized by the body's destruction of its own insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. Without insulin, which is needed to convert food into energy, blood sugar regulation is dangerously out of whack.

Currently, people with type 1 diabetes need daily insulin injections to maintain blood sugar control. But "insulin injections don't cure the disease," said study co-author Douglas Melton, of Harvard University. Patients are vulnerable to metabolic swings that can bring about serious complications, including blindness and limb loss, he said at a teleconference this week.

"We wanted to replace insulin injections using nature's own solution, being the pancreatic beta cell," Melton said. Now, "we are reporting the ability to make hundreds of millions of these cells," he added.

Melton ultimately envisions a credit card-sized package of beta cells that can be safely transplanted into a diabetes patient and left in place for a year or more, before needing to be replaced.

But between then and now, human trials must be launched, a venture Melton thinks could begin in about three years.

If that research pans out, the Harvard team's results may prove to be a benchmark in the multi-decade effort to deliver on the promise of stem cell research as a way to access new treatments for all sorts of diseases.

Melton, co-director of the Stem Cell Institute at Harvard, described his work as a "personal quest," given that he has two children with type 1 diabetes.

He and his colleagues outlined the recent results in the Oct. 9 issue of Cell.

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Stem Cell Success Raises Hopes of Type 1 Diabetes Cure

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96 Year Old Women gets Stem Cell Therapy
96 Year Old Women who suffered from Osteoarthritis uses Stem Cells and no longer needs to use her walker. Dr. Lox | http://www.drloxstemcells.com | 844-440-8503.

By: Dr. Lox

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MANHATTAN Konza Prairie researcher Gene Townes final day at Kansas State University falls three months after public release of a research study suggesting ranchers could burn grassland outside the April time frame that served as university agronomy department gospel for decades.

He hadnt anticipated a 26-year career would flame out Oct. 31, but a supervisor decided his annual contract wouldnt be renewed. Biology division administrator John Blair said in an interview there were budget issues, that Towne lacked technical skills and his handling of the research project was below par.

Blair shared additional thoughts, much more, in emails to Towne.

In Townes view, the final straw was the paper on range burning that stood in conflict with the historical outlook at Kansas State. The university has held spring, especially late April, to be the sweet spot for eradicating unwanted plant growth. Towne thinks there is convincing evidence fall and winter are viable as well.

It raises controversy that some people want to avoid, Towne said. Any time you question it, you're tampering with heresy.

The land-grant university has offered advice to ranchers on the controversial subject of controlled prairie fire dating back to the 1930s. For more than two decades, the Konza Prairie has served as a laboratory for Kansas States examination of methods of managing fire, which has been a natural change agent for centuries.

Towne, research associate and Konza Prairie biological station fire chief, and Joseph Craine, research assistant in biology, published the paper examining consequences of burning Flint Hills prairie at different times. Their work was placed in the peer-reviewed journal PLOSONE and the university issued a lengthy news release July 31. Stories appeared on radio and in print, including The Topeka Capital-Journal.

Burning native prairie in Kansas and Oklahoma is acknowledged as integral to reducing the abundance of undesirable trees and shrubs while promoting growth of nutritionally rich grass for grazing cattle.

Towne and Craine concluded fall or winter burning did not negatively influence grass composition and production compared to spring clearing. It is a compelling perspective for ranch managers as well as urban centers grappling with smog fomented by torching of thousands of acres in April.

They also speculated burning earlier in the year would make better forage available to cattle and that fall or winter burns would reduce fire death among snakes, turtles and nesting birds.

Read the rest here:
KSU severs link to author of controversial prairie-burn research article

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith