Last week, the scientific journal Nature retracted two papers which claimed that skin cells could be turned into stem cells. PBS NewsHour interviewed lead author Dr. Charles Vacanti of Brigham and Womens Hospital about the studies in January.

Vacanti and scientists from the RIKEN Institute in Japan claimed that bathing adult mouse cells in a mild acid made the cells behave like embryonic stem cells. It appeared to be an inexpensive way to create stem cells without destroying an embryo.

Controversy surrounding embryonic stem cells has slowed research progress. While it is possible to make stem cells from other sources, doing so is costly and takes time. If true, the finding would have opened new avenues for stem cell-related research and therapies.

But other scientists could not recreate stimulus-triggered acquisition of pluripotency (STAP) cells. An investigation in April found that RIKEN Institute junior scientist Haruko Obokata had falsely identified some of the images in the study, and plagiarized some of the descriptions in the paper. The studies authors pointed to five more errors when the journal printed its retraction last week, including images that claimed to show two different things, but actually showed the same thing.

We apologize for the mistakes included in the Article and Letter, the authors wrote in a statement. These multiple errors impair the credibility of the study as a whole and we are unable to say without doubt whether the STAP-SC phenomenon is real.

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Scientific journal Nature retracts controversial stem cell papers

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After Stem Cell Therapy - Patient Interview
Patient Interview with #39;Josh #39; after stem cell treatment with Dr Mike Belich of Integrative Medical Clinics. The benefits of stem cell therapy and Regenerative Medicine.

By: Integrative Medical Clinics

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After Stem Cell Therapy - Patient Interview - Video

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HPV-targeted adoptive T Cell therapy may provide new strategy for cervical cancer
Visit http://ecancer.org/ for more. At a press conference at ASCO 2014, Dr Hinrichs (Center for Cancer Research, Bethesda, US) presents his work which looks ...

By: ecancer medicalscience

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HPV-targeted adoptive T Cell therapy may provide new strategy for cervical cancer - Video

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A female patient in the US has grown a nose on her back following a failed experimental stem cell treatment that was intended to cure her paralysis. The nose-like growth, which was producing a thick mucus-like material, has recently been removed as it was pressing painfully on herspine. If you ever needed an example of the potential perils of stem cell therapy, and just how little we actually know about the function of stem cells, this is it. Its also notable that this stem cell therapy was carried out in a developed country, as part of an approved trial (apparently unwanted growths are more common in developing nations with less stringent medical safeguards).

Eight years ago, olfactory stem cells were taken from the patients nose and implanted in her spine. The stem cells were meant to turn into nerve cells that would help repair the womans spine, curing her of paralysis. Instead, it seems they decided to do what they were originally meant to do and attempt to build a nose. Over a number of years, the nose-like growth eventually became big enough and nosy enough to cause pain and discomfort to the patient. As reported by New Scientist, surgeons removed a 3-centimetre-long growth, which was found to be mainly nasal tissue, as well as bits of bone and tiny nerve branches that had not connected with the spinal nerves. [DOI: 10.3171/2014.5.SPINE13992 - "Autograft-derived spinal cord mass following olfactory mucosal cell transplantation in a spinal cord injury patient"]

Your olfactory system. 1 is the olfactory bulb (the bit of your brain that processes smells); 6 is the olfactory receptors that bind to specific chemicals (odors). [Image credit: Wikipedia]

What went wrong, then? Basically, at the top of your nasal passages there is the olfactory mucosa. This region contains all of the machinery for picking up odors, and the neurons for sending all of that data off to your brains olfactory bulb for processing. Cells from this region can be easily and safely harvested, and with the correct processing they behave just like pluripotent embryonic stem cells that can develop into many other cell types. These olfactory stem cells could develop into cartilage, or mucus glands, or neurons. The researchers obviously wanted the latter, to cure the patients spinal nerve damage but seemingly they got it wrong, and thus she sprouted a second nose. Moving forward, newer olfactory stem cell treatments have an isolation stage to prevent this kind of thing from happening. [Read:The first 3D-printed human stem cells.]

Its important to note that medicine, despite being carried out primarily on humans, is still ultimately a scientific endeavor that requires a large amount of trial and error. In the western world, its very, very hard to get a stem cell therapy approved for human trials without lots of animal testing. Even then, the therapies are often only used on people who have nothing to lose. Obviously its hard to stomach news like this, and Im sure that stem cell critics will be quick to decry the Frankensteinian abomination created by these scientists. But when you think about the alternative no advanced medicine and significantly reduced lifespans for billions of people then really, such experimental treatments are nothing to sneeze at.

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Woman grows a nose on her spine after experimental stem cell treatment goes awry

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Human genetics research - Is it ethical?

Human genetics research and the resulting potential medical advances constitute a revolution sweeping medical science. It is the fourth revolution since Hippocrates some 2400 years ago found that the workings of the body (as opposed to life itself) can be explained by the laws of nature rather than the supernatural. The first revolution occurred in 1854. It identified that cholera is spread by contaminated water and led to sanitation systems. The second revolution was the use of surgery with anesthesia. The third revolution was the introduction of vaccines and antibiotics allowing many infectious diseases to finally be prevented or cured.

This fourth revolution in human genetics research leading to gene therapy and genetic engineering could lead to real cures and potentially enhanced humans. However, these effects could be felt far beyond medicine and could affect every aspect of our culture. Used carefully, it could increase health and happiness. But if used unwisely, the genetic engineering on human beings could endanger everything we value, including who and what we are. One of pioneers of human genetic engineering predicts that within 30 years, there will be a gene-based therapy cure for most diseases. But he fears the profound dangers of his own work.

Human genetics research is the first step down a potentially slippery slope. Research, the science of learning new information, itself is not an ethical issue. However, the current ethical controversy over human genetic research is directed at how the research is done rather than the research itself. The ethical concern is the use of embryonic stem cells in the research rather than the use of adult stem cells. The extraction of the stem cells from a human embryo destroys the embryo, thus destroying the potential for life. At its core, this issue forces us to confront fundamental questions about the beginnings of life and the ends of science.

The goals of the research include gene therapy and gene-line engineering. Gene therapy is directed toward curing disease in people without affecting inherited traits. Gene-line engineering is directed toward permanent change in disease resistance and aesthetic and functional enhancements. Ethical concerns with gene therapy, although significant, are minimal compared with intentional human engineering. These gene therapy concerns include inadvertent changes to the reproductive system and other undesirable side effects similar to the side effects of drugs.

However, the ethical concerns with intentional gene-line engineering are many and profound. The two main concerns are those associated with an enhanced super-race and a potential Frankenstein syndrome. The super-race would be the elite with the normal race being subjugated. The Frankenstein race would either have to be controlled in some way or be eliminated or it may eliminate us. These are situations that we do not want to deal with. Consequently, we must proceed very carefully in all aspects of human genetic research and engineering.

From a Christian Theistic worldview, intentionally making changes in the human blueprint is playing god. This is something that would not be condoned. Alternatively, from the opposite humanist worldview, human engineering is no more than helping evolution along and it would be negligent not to improve our lot. Our position on this issue like so many other cultural issues is dependent upon our belief on a more fundamental worldview truth.

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Human Genetics Research - AllAboutPopularIssues.org

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Recursion Pharmaceuticals has received support for focused work to identify a treatment for Rett Syndrome by the Rett Syndrome Research Trust. Recursion will apply its innovative drug discovery platform immediately to investigate the gene MECP2 in an effort to identify new therapeutics for the condition.

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a physically disabling disease, and one of the most common genetic causes of severe impairment in young females. There is no cure for RTT despite the strong efforts of researchers and patient groups. Over 95% of RTT patients are identified to have mutations within the MECP2 gene, many of which are predicted to cause a loss of function of the gene.

Dr. Chris Gibson, CEO of Recursion Pharmaceuticals adds: We are thrilled to be working to find a treatment for Rett Syndrome. The Rett Syndrome Research Trust has generously provided us with support and trust to do just that, and we will work diligently to apply our technology in the search for unexpected treatments for the condition.

Rett Syndrome is an ideal candidate for Recursions novel research approach due to: (1) its strong genetic basis, (2) its postnatal onset, and (3) convincing evidence for successful rescue of the phenotype in an adult animal model. Recursion Pharmaceuticals efficient drug discovery technology has the potential to rapidly bring FDA approved drugs to Rett Syndrome patients.

Recursion combines experimental biology and bioinformatics in a unique drug screening platform. Recursion creates human cellular models of disease and establishes a disease profile based on identifying changes in thousands of structural (morphological) and functional (activity) parameters. These structural and functional changes are then used as the basis of a chemical suppressor screen to identify compounds with strong potential for efficacy in the disease model. This unbiased approach to rescue of the disease profile has proven successful where other target-centric hypotheses have failed.

About the Rett Syndrome Research Trust The Rett Syndrome Research Trust is a non-profit exclusively devoted to global research on Rett Syndrome and related MECP2 disorders. Their goal is to heal children and adults who will otherwise suffer the effects of these disorders for the rest of their lives. Their partners in supporting this work are parents organizations worldwide including Reverse Rett (UK), Rett Syndrome Research & Treatment Foundation (Israel), Rett Syndrome and CDKL5 Ireland, Skye Wellesley Foundation (UK), Stichting Rett Syndrome (Holland), Rett Syndrom Deutschland e.V., and American organizations, Girl Power 2 Cure , the Kate Foundation for Rett Syndrome Research, Eva Fini Fund at RSRT, Rocky Mountain Rett Association, Anastasi Fund, Claires Crusade and the New Jersey Rett Syndrome Association. See http://www.RSRT.org for more information.

About Recursion Pharmaceuticals - Recursion Pharmaceuticals, LLC, is a drug discovery company founded in 2013 in Salt Lake City, Utah. Recursion uses a novel drug screening platform to efficiently reposition drugs to treat rare genetic diseases. The companys focus on rare genetic diseases is much-needed, as there are more than 5,000 such conditions that together affect millions of Americans, and more than 95% of these diseases have no approved therapy. Recursions novel drug screening platform combines experimental biology and bioinformatics in a massively parallel system to quickly and efficiently identify treatments for multiple rare genetic diseases. The core of the approach revolves around high-throughput automated screening using high-content assays in human cells, which allows the near simultaneous modeling of hundreds of genetic diseases. Rich data from these assays is probed using advanced statistical and machine learning approaches, and the effects of thousands of known drugs and shelved drug candidates can be investigated efficiently to identify those holding the most promise for the treatment of any one rare genetic disease.

See http://www.recursionpharma.com for more information.

Contact: Recursion Pharmaceuticals, LLC. Chris Gibson, CEO. Phone (801) 587-1629 Email: chris.gibson@recursionpharma.com

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Recursion Pharmaceuticals Announces Funding for Rett Syndrome Research

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Dark Agenda ~ Bio Genetic Engineering with Nanotechnology
Changing you and your world from within and without.

By: Vexstar

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Dark Agenda ~ Bio Genetic Engineering with Nanotechnology - Video

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Published: Tuesday, July 8, 2014 at 18:17 PM.

Genetic engineering is such a polarizing topic that it is hard to have an even-handed debate of the issue.

Some opponents of genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, spread false claims about safety while ignoring the vast amount of research to the contrary.

That frustrates University of Florida researchers who have made advances in genetic engineering that might provide benefits in fighting crop diseases and reducing the need for pesticides if they could get beyond public misconceptions.

University of Florida researchers have taken a gene found in bell peppers and transferred it to tomatoes. The process has made tomatoes that are resistant to a particularly troublesome crop disease and have a higher yield.

Contrary to scare stories about so-called Frankenfoods, these methods represent a more technologically advanced way of doing the kind of crop breeding that has been happening for millennia.

But tomato growers worry they wouldnt be able to sell a GMO product, hampering the ability of researchers to attract investors.

People are afraid, they dont understand why, they are just told they should be, said Sam Hutton, a UF plant scientist involved in the research. The anti-GMO crowd screams really loud, and there is a lot of fearmongering. It sounds bad to people who dont understand the science.

Other GMOs being developed at the University of Florida include a strawberry that can be grown without fungicides. A researcher involved in that effort observed that the crop likely wont go beyond the lab without a change in public attitudes.

You have solutions that can help the environment, help farmers and help people in the developing world, and you cant use it, said Ken Folta, professor and chairman of the universitys Horticultural Sciences Department.

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Editorial: Fanning the fears on genetics issues

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Wednesday, July 09, 2014

Since the end of 2013, US exports of corn to China have dropped 85 percent after Beijing blocked shipments containing a specific strain of modified gene. So far the Chinese government has approved only 15 genetically modified corn strains for import.

However, a recent episode reveals perhaps the ban is nothing but a form of protectionism.

Mo Yun, wife of Beijing Dabeinong Technology Group's chairman, was arrested in the United States for stealing corn seeds from fields owned by Monsanto and DuPont. She was charged with stealing trade secrets.

The stolen seeds, currently available only in the United States, are genetically pure and uniform. These pure breeds are used by the seed companies to create high- yield hybrid seeds to be sold to farmers.

The hybrids sold in the market, despite favorable traits - such as resistance to drought and diseases, and super high yield - often come with a technology called terminator genes making the second-generation seeds sterile.

Sterile super seeds are good, but farmers must rely on a handful of companies for their supply. Governments and NGOs representing the developing nations often fear that the one-sided relationship threatens their food security.

The Chinese government welcomes super seeds, but prefers them to be homegrown. Weak intellectual property rights protection, however, has discouraged private investment in R&D in the area. Funding to public institutions has also crowded out private initiatives.

The vested interests in the public sector have perversely created a regime to limit research partnership, hence stifling innovation.

In fact a subsidiary of DuPont partnered with a Chinese company to develop seeds for the mainland market. However the government limited its marketing out of fear that it threatens the nation's food independence. At the end of the day it is not only science, but also politics and economics that determine what and how well we eat. Simon Lee is a business consultant

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GM food scare stories tough to swallow

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

8-Jul-2014

Contact: Lucia Lee newsmedia@mssm.edu 212-241-9200 The Mount Sinai Hospital / Mount Sinai School of Medicine

Two genetic mutations in liver cells may drive tumor formation in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA), the second most common form of liver cancer, according to a research published in the July issue of the journal Nature.

A team led by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Harvard Medical School has discovered a link between the presence of two mutant proteins IDH1 and IDH2 and cancer. Past studies have found IDH mutations to be among the most common genetic differences seen in patients with iCCA, but how they contribute to cancer development was unknown going into the current effort.

iCCA strikes bile ducts, tube-like structures in the liver that carry bile, which is required for the digestion of food. With so much still unknown about the disease, there is no first-line, standard of care and no successful therapies.

"iCCA is resistant to standard treatments like chemotherapy and radiation," said Josep Maria Llovet, MD, Director of the Liver Cancer Program, Division of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and contributing author. "Understanding the molecular mechanism of the disease is the key to finding a treatment that works."

Dr. Llovet and colleagues demonstrated that the expression of mutant IDH in the adult liver of genetically engineered mice impairs liver cell development and liver regeneration a process in which the liver responds to injury and increases the number of cells to form a tumor. Moreover, mutant IDH were found to work with activated KRAS, a gene essential in cancer development, causing the development of premalignant lesions and a progression to metastatic iCCA.

"Our findings provide novel insights into the development iCCA and offers a possible treatment option for patients suffering from this fatal disease," said Dr. Llovet.

By pinpointing one pathway of iCCA, this study opens up a new line of investigation to identify biomarkers of the disease. Already, Phase 1 clinical trials are being conducted with specific IDH1/2 mutations. The hope is that results of these and future studies can help doctors make life-saving decisions for their patients.

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Gene mutation may lead to treatment for liver cancer

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Perfect Genetics Update 1 | Rosalina
Here #39;s the first update for the Perfect Genetics Challenge, hope you enjoy meeting the people... CAS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8V3yVNjyfk Auberon: http://alexs3cc.tumblr.com/post/87110073...

By: greendaybowser

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Perfect Genetics Update 1 | Rosalina - Video

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

Genetics Home Reference is the National Library of Medicine's web site for consumer information about genetic conditions and the genes or chromosomes related to those conditions.

Genetics Home Reference is a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, part of the National Institutes of Health, an agency of the Department of Health and Human Services.

There is no advertising on this site, nor does Genetics Home Reference endorse any company or product.

Genetics Home Reference is developed by a Staff comprising genetics and public health professionals and computer and information scientists. Expert Reviewers perform a comprehensive review of each condition, gene, gene family, and chromosome summary before it is posted to Genetics Home Reference, and with each substantial revision thereafter. Genetics Home Reference also engages patient support and advocacy groups to provide feedback on website content. The date of the last comprehensive review is noted in each summary.

Genetics Home Reference extracts some gene information automatically from online scientific databases. This information is clearly marked, and it is not further reviewed before being posted to the Genetics Home Reference website.

Genetics Home Reference provides access to information from the National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health, and other U.S. Government agencies.

To complement U.S. Government sources, Genetics Home Reference links to selected nonfederal web sites, consistent with Selection Criteria for Web Links. The links do not constitute an endorsement. We are not responsible for the content of those web sites.

An icon () signals that a link leaves Genetics Home Reference.

Before seeking medical or health information on the web, consumers may review the MedlinePlus topic on Evaluating Health Information.

Several Learning Activities are available to help you explore the web site and find out about human genetics.

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About Genetics Home Reference - National Institutes of Health

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Peachfaced Lovebird Genetics Calculator Version 1.5 - Program by Doug Bedwell

Welcome to the Peachfaced Lovebird Genetics Calculator. This program is written in the Java (tm) programming language. Most web browsers now support JAVA code, but If all you see below this text is an empty space, then you are not using a Java compatible web browser. Sorry.

This program allows you to quickly calculate the possible color combinations that can result from a pairing of any two peachfaced lovebirds. I have tried to include the most commonly available peachfaced mutations, though some have been omitted. All known mutations will be included in a later version of the program.

Several caveats about this program: 1. You will need to know enough about your parent birds to tell the program what mutations they carry. 2. The program only uses the accepted names for color mutations, and does not insert special names for combinations. For example, a "Creamino" will be shown as a "Dutch Blue Lutino", and a "Slate" will be shown as a "Dark Dutch Blue."

Future improvements may include: Percentage possibilities of each color combination occurring. Ability to print out results. Additional mutations (American Yellow, etc.) Seperate listings of visual and non-visual combinations. The ability to select what bird you want, and determine what parent birds you would need.

If there is an interest, I will create a similar program for the Eye-Ring Lovebirds

Program written by: Doug Bedwell; Resources and development time provided courtesy of: CodeWeavers, Inc. Special thanks to Paul Crow, Janet Landvater, Darren Bedwell, Doree Bedwell, and Erika Garcia for their advice, help locating bugs, and Beta Testing.

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Lovebird Color Genetics Calculator - African Love Bird Society

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MEDIA RELEASE For Immediate Release 9 July 2014

Liberty Genetics bull teams make major genetic gains over past decade

Herd improvement company, Liberty Genetics, today released ten years of breeding worth (BW) statistics on its Jersey, Friesian and Crossbred bull teams.

The numbers show that the BW values of its bull teams are ranking well against the other top sire teams in the country.

Dr Dave Hayman, Liberty Genetics Manager of Genetic Development, said, On average, across our three sire teams theres only around five BW difference between our sire team and other top performing teams. This includes NZ Animal Evaluations adjustments for young bulls.

Dr Hayman has overseen the companys breeding programme since 2006. He said the most impressive statistics are for Liberty Genetics Jersey bull team, which show an average annual BW gain of $15 year-on-year over the past decade; a gain of 146 BW in ten years.

Our team is right up with the top Jersey teams in New Zealand with the average BW for our 2014 Jersey bull team sitting at $243.

BW is the basis on which New Zealand ranks dairy bulls and cows based on their expected ability to produce profitable and efficient replacements. The traits currently included in BW calculations are: protein, milkfat, milk volume, liveweight, fertility, residual survival and somatic cell count. (source: http://www.nzael.co.nz)

Dr Hayman says Liberty Genetics BW improvements are impressive as its breeding programme is young compared to the industry, as it was only formed in 1998.

When it comes to BW gain, the cow population lags behind the bulls. Cow population gains have typically been around nine to ten BW per year for the past ten to fifteen years. Whereas the New Zealand sire population has typically gained around twelve to thirteen BW per year over that same period.

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Liberty Genetics bull teams make major genetic gains

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The University of Tennessee Health Science Center is amplifying its research, teaching and medical care involving genetics with the creation of a genetics department, officials announced.

Robert W. Williams, an experimental neurogeneticist on the universitys faculty for 25 years, is the founding chairman of the new Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics.

Williams is the UT-ORNL Governors Chair in Computational Genomics, a program funded by the state and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Forming this department significantly improves our research prospects in the next wave of human genetics, while building on strengths in experimental, molecular and quantitative genetics, Williams said.

The new department is starting with a core faculty of five. Others will be added from UTHSC and elsewhere, including St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital and the University of Memphis.

The department will function as a cross-disciplinary, interdepartmental and intercollegiate unit, and serve as a catalyst for research and teaching, said Dr. David Stern, executive dean of the universitys College of Medicine.

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New department at UT in Memphis focuses on genetics

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The general approach of gene therapy is nothing more than an extension of the technique for clone selection by functional complementation (Chapter 12). The functions absent in the recipient as a result of a defective gene are introduced on a vector that inserts into one of the recipients chromosomes and thereby generates a transgenic animal that has been genetically cured. The technique is of great potential in humans because it offers the hope of correcting hereditary diseases. However, gene therapy is also being applied to mammals other than humans.

The first example of gene therapy in a mammal was the correction of a growth-hormone deficiency in mice. The recessive mutation little (lit) results in dwarf mice. Even though a mouses growth-hormone gene is present and apparently normal, no mRNA for this gene is produced. The initial step in correcting this deficiency was to inject homozygous lit/lit eggs with about 5000 copies of a 5-kb linear DNA fragment that contained the rat growth-hormone structural gene (RGH) fused to a regulatorpromoter sequence from a mouse metallothionein gene (MP). The normal job of metallothionein is to detoxify heavy metals, so the regulatory sequence is responsive to the presence of heavy metals in the animal. The eggs were then implanted into pseudopregnant mice, and the baby mice were raised. About 1 percent of these babies turned out to be transgenic, showing increased size when heavy metals were administered in the course of development. A representative transgenic mouse was then crossed with a homozygous lit/lit female. The ensuing pedigree is shown in . We can see in that mice two to three times the weight of their lit/lit relatives are produced in subsequent generations, with the rat growth-hormone transgene acting as a dominant allele, always heterozygous in this pedigree. The rat growth-hormone transgene also makes lit+ mice bigger ().

The rat growth-hormone gene (RGH), under the control of a mouse promoter region that is responsive to heavy metals, is inserted into a plasmid and used to produce a transgenic mouse. RGH compensates for the inherent dwarfism (lit/lit) in the mouse. RGH (more...)

Transgenic mouse. The mice are siblings, but the mouse on the left was derived from an egg transformed by injection with a new gene composed of the mouse metallothionein promoter fused to the rat growth-hormone structural gene. (This mouse weighs 44g, (more...)

The site of insertion of the introduced DNA in mammals is highly variable, and the DNA is generally not found at the homologous locus. Hence, gene therapy most often provides not a genuine correction of the original problem but a masking of it.

Similar technology has been used to develop transgenic fast-growing strains of Pacific salmon, with spectacular results. A plasmid containing a growth-hormone gene placed next to a metallothionein promoter (all derived from salmon) was microinjected into salmon eggs. A small proportion of the resulting fish proved to be transgenic, testing positive when their DNA was probed with the plasmid construct. These fish were on average 11-fold heavier than the nontransgenic controls (). Progeny inherited the transgene in the same manner as the mice in the earlier example.

Effect of introducing a hormone transgene complex with a strong promoter into Pacific salmon. All salmon shown are the same age. (R. H. Devlin, T. Y. Yesaki, C. A. Biagi, E. M. Donaldson, P. Swanson, and W.-K. Chan, Extraordinary Growth, (more...)

Perhaps the most exciting and controversial application of transgenic technology is in human gene therapy, the treatment and alleviation of human genetic disease by adding exogenous wild-type genes to correct the defective function of mutations. We have seen that the first case of gene therapy in mammals was to cure a genotypically dwarf fertilized mouse egg by injecting the appropriate wild-type allele for normal growth. This technique () has little application in humans, because it is currently impossible to diagnose whether a fertilized egg cell carries a defective genotype without destroying the cell. (However, in an early embryo containing only a few cells, one cell can be removed and analyzed with no ill effects on the remainder.)

Two basic types of gene therapy can be applied to humans, germ line and somatic. The goal of germ-line gene therapy () is the more ambitious: to introduce transgenic cells into the germ line as well as into the somatic cell population. Not only should this therapy achieve a cure of the person treated, but some gametes could also carry the corrected genotype. We have seen that such germinal therapy has been achieved by injecting mice eggs. However, the protocol that is relevant for application to humans is the removal of an early embryo (blastocyst) with a defective genotype from a pregnant mouse and injection with transgenic cells containing the wild-type allele. These cells become part of many tissues of the body, often including the germ line, which will give rise to the gonads. Then the gene can be passed on to some or all progeny, depending on the size of the clone of transgenic cells that lodges in the germinal area. However, no human germ-line gene therapy has been performed to date.

We have seen that most transforming fragments will insert ectopically throughout the genome. This is a disadvantage in human gene therapy not only because of the possibility of the ectopic insert causing gene disruption, but also because, even if the disease phenotype is reversed, the defective allele is still present and can segregate away from the transgene in future generations. Therefore, for effective germinal gene therapy, an efficient targeted gene replacement will be necessary, in which case the wild-type transgene replaces the resident defective copy by a double crossover.

Excerpt from:
Gene therapy - An Introduction to Genetic Analysis - NCBI ...

Recommendation and review posted by Bethany Smith

A young paraplegic woman who underwent spinal stem cell therapy developed a growth in her back made up of nasal cells eight years later.

The team from the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics that removed and investigated the growth has reported the anomaly in a paper published in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine. Although the case is a rare occurrence (the first of its kind, that we know of) the authors admit this may simply be because patients that undergo therapy are not monitored long enough, and either way it provides ample evidence attesting to our lack of understanding around programming and controlling stem cell proliferation and differentiation post-transplant.

Human trials for this type of therapy are still at the very early stages, but animal trials have had some promising results. Several different types of cells have been experimented with for implantation including schwann cells (these surround nerves and sometimes grow on the spinal cord post-injury), foetal neural cells (with successes in rat studies) andnasal olfactory ensheathing cells (these are extracted from the lining of the nose and were the ones used in this particular case study).

The patient in question was just 18 years old when she suffered an injury during a car accident. She had been paraplegic for three years when she opted to undergo surgery, implanting olfactory mucosal cells into the injury site. These cells originate in the roof of the nasal cavity and have the ability to take on the characteristics of other cells in the body because they are partially made up of progenitor cells (adult stem cells). They also contain olfactory ensheathing cells, often used in spinal cord therapy trials. This is all despite, as the authors note, the fact that: "the ability of these cell types to differentiate into organised neural tissue in humans or support new neural growth in humans in the setting of spinal cord injury is unclear."

The location of the transplantation was not divulged in the Spine paper, but the New Scientist reports that it was carried out as part of an early stage trial in the Hospital de Egas Moniz in Lisbon, Portugal. In a paper, the Lisbon team revealed that out of 20 candidates, 11 regained some sensation and one person's paralysis actually worsened.

The woman's therapy did not flag up any issues at the time of implantation, but eight years down the line she complained of worsening back pain that had already been ongoing for a year. Scans at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics revealed a mass, thick like mucus and surrounded by fibrous walls, on the spinal cord, at the site of the cell implantation. The investigators explain that the mass was made up "mostly of cysts lined by respiratory epithelium, submucosal glands with goblet cells, and intervening nerve twigs". Nasal elements were growing.

The mass was pressing against the spinal cord, causing the patient discomfort and threatening her spine. When it was extracted, the team could confirm it came from the neural stem-like cells implanted eight years earlier, because the cysts contained a network of non-functioning nerves that were separate from the spine (suggesting they were new) and bone.

"The presence of these nerves within the mass indicates the capacity of olfactory mucosa to support nerve fibre regeneration or new nerve formation," write the team.

In total, the mass was made up of two major parts, measuring 1.4 x 0.8 x 0.7 cm and 1.6 x 1.3 x 0.7 cm. When they were removed, the patient's pain immediately subsided.

These kinds of trials have been ongoing for years, but the fears have been that stem cells -- which have the ability to turn into any cell in the body if programmed to -- could just as easily mutate into something that is not intended, and create tumours in the long term.

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Stem cell therapy caused nasal tumour on paraplegic's back

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Sarasota Stem Cell Specialist Inject Knees for Bone on Bone as alliterative
http//:Geckojoiontandspine.com Using adipose and bone marrow stem cells combined as well as PRP or the growth factors from the blood she was able to avoid a ...

By: AskDoctorJL

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Sarasota Stem Cell Specialist Inject Knees for Bone on Bone as alliterative - Video

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By Marcus Johnson

Researchers at Brown University have found that adipose-derived human stem cells (ASCs) might be highly resistant to methotrexate (MTX), a common chemotherapy drug. ASCs can ultimately become bone and other vital tissues throughout the body, which could be key for researchers looking to protect bone tissue from the damage caused by MTX treatment. MTX, which is used to treat a number of different cancers including acute lymphoblastic leukemia, causes the loss of bone density and has an adverse effect on bone marrow derived stem cells.

Kids undergo chemotherapy at such an important time when they should be growing, but instead they are introduced to this very harsh environment where bone cells are damaged with these drugs, said Olivia Beane, a Brown University graduate student in the Center for Biomedical Engineering and lead author of the study. That leads to major long-term side effects including osteoporosis and bone defects. If we found a stem cell that was resistant to the chemotherapeutic agent and could promote bone growth by becoming bone itself, then maybe they wouldnt have these issues.

Beane examined how MTX affects stem cells and certain tissues in the body and said that the resistance of certain stem cells to the drugs toxicity could mean new possibilities in the drug development realm. The researchers are now looking to find a way to make their study practical for doctors that are treating patients suffering from cancer. The next step is to test ASC survival in animal trials, where researchers will determine how the cells fare in mice that are also hit with the chemotherapy drug.

The study was published in the journal, Experimental Cell Research.

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Brown University Researchers Discover Chemo Resistant Stem Cells

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A woman in the US has developed a tumour-like growth eight years after a stem cell treatment to cure her paralysis failed. There have been a handful of cases of stem cell treatments causing growths but this appears to be the first in which the treatment was given at a Western hospital as part of an approved clinical trial.

At a hospital in Portugal, the unnamed woman, a US citizen, had tissue containing olfactory stem cells taken from her nose and implanted in her spine. The hope was that these cells would develop into neural cells and help repair the nerve damage to the woman's spine. The treatment did not work far from it. Last year the woman, then 28, underwent surgery because of worsening pain at the implant site.

The surgeons removed a 3-centimetre-long growth, which was found to be mainly nasal tissue, as well as bits of bone and tiny nerve branches that had not connected with the spinal nerves.

The growth wasn't cancerous, but it was secreting a "thick copious mucus-like material", which is probably why it was pressing painfully on her spine, says Brian Dlouhy at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, the neurosurgeon who removed the growth. The results of the surgery have now been published.

"It is sobering," says George Daley, a stem cell researcher at Harvard Medical School who has helped write guidelines for people considering stem cell treatments. "It speaks directly to how primitive our state of knowledge is about how cells integrate and divide and expand. "

The case shows that even when carried out at mainstream hospitals, experimental stem cell therapies can have unpredictable consequences, says Alexey Bersenev, a stem cell research analyst who blogs at Cell Trials. "We have to realise complications can also happen in a clinical trial," he says.

Stem cells have the prized ability to divide and replenish themselves, as well as turn into different types of tissues. There are several different stem cells, including ones obtained from an early embryo, aborted fetuses, and umbilical cord blood. There are many sources within adult tissues, too, including bone marrow.

While often hailed as the future of medicine, stem cells' ability to proliferate carries an inherent danger and the fear has always been that when implanted into a person they could turn cancerous.

Still, a few stem cell therapies have now been approved, such as a treatment available in India that takes stem cells from the patient's eye in order to regrow the surface of their cornea, and a US product based on other people's bone stem cells.

Many groups around the world are investigating a wide range of other applications, including treating heart attacks, blindness, Parkinson's disease and cancer. Research groups at universities and hospitals need to meet strict safety guidelines for clinical trials but some small private clinics are offering therapies to people without research or marketing approval. There is a growing number of lawsuits against such clinics and a few cases have been reported of tumours or excessive tissue growth (see "Ongoing stem cell trials" below).

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Stem cell treatment causes nasal growth in woman's back

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a restored functional cornea following transplantation of human ABCB5-positive limbal stem cells to limbal stem cell-deficient mice.Kira Lathrop, Bruce Ksander, Markus Frank, and Natasha Frank.

Boston researchers have successfully regrown human corneal tissue a feat that could potentially restore vision in the blind.

The achievement also marks one of the first times that scientists have constructed tissue using adult-derived human stem cells.

In a new study published in the journal Nature, researchers from Massachusetts Eye and Ear Institute, Boston Childrens Hospital, Brigham and Womens Hospital and the VA Boston Healthcare System detailed their groundbreaking research. According to the paper, the key to the studys success revolves around a molecule known as ABCB5, which serves as a biomarker for previously elusive limbal stem cells.

Residing in the eyes limbus the border of the cornea and the whites of the eye the limbal stem cells are responsible for maintaining and recreating corneal tissue. Because of their regenerative ability, scientists have long hoped to harness these stem cells for regrowing human tissue in those with blindness due to corneal injury or disease.

The only problem? Theyve been rather difficult to track down.

[The corneal tissue] this is a tissue that has inherent turnover capacity; the cells are being shed and being replaced continuously, lead researcher Dr. Markus Frank, of Boston Childrens Hospital, told FoxNews.com. This capacity to restore is produced by the limbal stem cell population, and while its known that such cells exist, the identity and their exact molecular markershave not been known.

Franks lab originally discovered the crucial ABCB5 molecule over 10 years ago, finding that it was present in skin and intestine precursor cells. But more recently, his team revealed that ABCB5 was also an important component of the eyes limbal stem cells, preventing them from undergoing apoptosis or cell death.

To further prove ABCB5s role in the eye, Frank and his team created two groups of mice ones lacking a functional ABCB5 gene and ones with a fully functioning ABCB5 gene. The mice lacking ABCB5 lost their population of limbal stem cells and were unable to repair injuries to their corneas.

When we found thiswe thought if we could enrich or isolate these ABCB5-positive cells and transplant them, they should be able to cure corneal disease, Frank said.

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Researchers regrow corneas using adult human stem cells ...

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Loves Lancer Lift Serum Intense, which speeds up cellular regeneration Fan of 30 This Works In Transit Camera Close Up Cheaper product is a mask, moisturiser and primer in one Has also been tweeting love of superfoods in recent weeks

By Bianca London

Published: 05:47 EST, 8 July 2014 | Updated: 06:49 EST, 8 July 2014

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Victoria Beckham may have turned forty this year but with her glowing, wrinkle-free skin, but looks younger than ever, despite managing a hectic work schedule and raising four children.

Gracing the cover of Vogue's August edition, the mother-of-four showcased an enviable complexion - but what's her secret?

The prolific tweeter, who seemingly hasn't aged a day since she burst onto the scene with the Spice Girls in the noughties, has shared two of her secret weapons via the social medium.

What's your secret, Victoria? Mrs Beckham, who has an enviably smooth complexion, has reveled a few of her favourite products

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Is Victoria Beckham's youthful skin thanks to electromagnetically-neutral GOLD?

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Why stem cell therapy is not available in Europe or United States of America
In conversation with Dr Alok Sharma (MS, MCh.) Professor of Neurosurgery Head of Department, LTMG Hospital LTM Medical College, Sion, Mumbai. Explains, Why stem cell therapy is not available...

By: Neurogen Brain and Spine Institute

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Why stem cell therapy is not available in Europe or United States of America - Video

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A young paraplegic woman who underwent spinal stem cell therapy developed a growth in her back made up of nasal cells eight years later.

The team from the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics that removed and investigated the growth has reported the anomaly in a paper published in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine. Although the case is a rare occurrence (the first of its kind, that we know of) the authors admit this may simply be because patients that undergo therapy are not monitored long enough, and either way it provides ample evidence attesting to our lack of understanding around programming and controlling stem cell proliferation and differentiation post-transplant.

Human trials for this type of therapy are still at the very early stages, but animal trials have had some promising results. Several different types of cells have been experimented with for implantation including schwann cells (these surround nerves and sometimes grow on the spinal cord post-injury), foetal neural cells (with successes in rat studies) andnasal olfactory ensheathing cells (these are extracted from the lining of the nose and were the ones used in this particular case study).

The patient in question was just 18 years old when she suffered an injury during a car accident. She had been paraplegic for three years when she opted to undergo surgery, implanting olfactory mucosal cells into the injury site. These cells originate in the roof of the nasal cavity and have the ability to take on the characteristics of other cells in the body because they are partially made up of progenitor cells (adult stem cells). They also contain olfactory ensheathing cells, often used in spinal cord therapy trials. This is all despite, as the authors note, the fact that: "the ability of these cell types to differentiate into organised neural tissue in humans or support new neural growth in humans in the setting of spinal cord injury is unclear."

The location of the transplantation was not divulged in the Spine paper, but the New Scientist reports that it was carried out as part of an early stage trial in the Hospital de Egas Moniz in Lisbon, Portugal. In a paper, the Lisbon team revealed that out of 20 candidates, 11 regained some sensation and one person's paralysis actually worsened.

The woman's therapy did not flag up any issues at the time of implantation, but eight years down the line she complained of worsening back pain that had already been ongoing for a year. Scans at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics revealed a mass, thick like mucus and surrounded by fibrous walls, on the spinal cord, at the site of the cell implantation. The investigators explain that the mass was made up "mostly of cysts lined by respiratory epithelium, submucosal glands with goblet cells, and intervening nerve twigs". Nasal elements were growing.

The mass was pressing against the spinal cord, causing the patient discomfort and threatening her spine. When it was extracted, the team could confirm it came from the neural stem-like cells implanted eight years earlier, because the cysts contained a network of non-functioning nerves that were separate from the spine (suggesting they were new) and bone.

"The presence of these nerves within the mass indicates the capacity of olfactory mucosa to support nerve fibre regeneration or new nerve formation," write the team.

In total, the mass was made up of two major parts, measuring 1.4 x 0.8 x 0.7 cm and 1.6 x 1.3 x 0.7 cm. When they were removed, the patient's pain immediately subsided.

These kinds of trials have been ongoing for years, but the fears have been that stem cells -- which have the ability to turn into any cell in the body if programmed to -- could just as easily mutate into something that is not intended, and create tumours in the long term.

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Stem cell therapy caused nasal tumour on paraplegic's back

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Newswise Charlottesville, VA (July 8, 2014). A spinal mass was identified in a young woman with complete spinal cord injury 8 years after she had undergone implantation of olfactory mucosal cells in the hopes of regaining sensory and motor function. The case is reported and discussed in Autograft-derived spinal cord mass following olfactory mucosal cell transplantation in a spinal cord injury patient. Case report, by Brian J. Dlouhy, MD, Olatilewa Awe, MD, Rajesh C. Rao, MD, Patricia A. Kirby, MD, and Patrick W. Hitchon, MD, published today online, ahead of print, in the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine (http://thejns.org/doi/full/10.3171/2014.5.SPINE13992). The authors state that this is the first report of a spinal cord mass arising from spinal cord cell transplantation and neural stem cell therapy, and they caution that physicians should be vigilant in their follow-up of patients who undergo stem cell interventions.

In its natural state, the olfactory mucosa lines the roof of the nasal cavity, adjacent to the respiratory mucosa that lines the lower nasal cavity. In addition to smell receptor neurons, the olfactory mucosa contains progenitor cells (also known as adult stem cells) and olfactory ensheathing cellsboth of which have been shown to aid in the repair of the injured spinal cord in laboratory studies and in humans. The respiratory mucosa, on the other hand contains mucus-secreting goblet cells and mucus and serous fluidproducing cells.

The patient was 18 years old when she sustained a fracture dislocation at the 10th and 11th thoracic vertebral level in a motor vehicle accident. Despite surgery to stabilize the spine, the injury rendered the patient paraplegic. Three years later, in the hopes of regaining sensory and motor function in her lower limbs, the young woman underwent additional surgery at an institution outside the United States, during which an autograft of olfactory mucosa was placed in her spinal canal at the site of injury. Eight years after the experimental therapy, the woman sought medical care for mid- to lower-back pain at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. On neurological examination, she showed no sign of clinical improvement from the olfactory mucosal cell implantation, and imaging studies revealed a mass in her spinal canal pressing against the spinal cord. This mass was the source of the patients pain.

Following surgery to remove the symptom-producing mass at the University of Iowa, a tissue analysis showed that the mass contained a small proportion of nonfunctional tiny nerve branches, whose appearance led the authors to suspect the nerve branches developed from transplanted neural stem-like cells. The tissue analysis also demonstrated that most of the mass consisted of multiple cysts lined with respiratory mucosa and underlying submucosal glands and goblet cells. Abundant mucus-like material was also found in the mass. Accumulation of this material over time produced the patients symptoms.

The authors describe various ways of extracting olfactory mucosa cells for implantation. In this particular case, a portion of olfactory mucosa was transplanted; in other trials, olfactory ensheathing cells have been extracted from olfactory mucosa and purified prior to implantation. The authors suggest that the choice of bulk olfactory mucosa rather than purified olfactory ensheathing cells or stem cells as an autograft may lead to the development of a mass containing functional respiratory mucosal cells.

The authors point out that a rare case of spinal cord complication such as this should not discourage stem cell research and/or the transition of promising research to the clinical setting. However, the authors indicate the need for a better understanding of what can occur and urge clinicians to extend the monitoring period in patients treated with neural stem cell therapy for many years in case an adverse event such as this should arise. In summarizing the take-away message of the paper, Dr. Brian Dlouhy stated: "Exhaustive research on how transplanted cells divide, differentiate, and organize in animal models of disease, especially spinal cord injury, is critical to providing safe and effective treatments in humans."

Dlouhy BJ, Awe O, Rao RC, Kirby PA, Hitchon PW. Autograft-derived spinal cord mass following olfactory mucosal cell transplantation in a spinal cord injury patient. Case report. Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, published online, ahead of print, July 8, 2014; DOI: 10.3171/2014.5.SPINE13992.

Disclosure: The authors report no conflict of interest concerning the materials or methods used in this study or the findings specified in this paper.

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Spinal Cord Mass Arising From Neural Stem Cell Therapy

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