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Advances reshape stem cell research

By NEVAGiles23

A decade ago, a dream team of researchers from Pittsburgh to South Korea claimed a medical invention that promised to reshape a culture war.

The scientists said they custom-designed stem cells from cloned human embryos. The scientific breakthrough was celebrated around the globe.

Then the bottom fell out.

A scandal erupted over fabricated data, and University of Pittsburgh biologist Gerald Schatten was forced to pull back the findings. Critics cast the 2004 discovery as a farce, a high-profile fraud that forced the journal Science into a rare retraction in January 2006.

Eight years later, the push to use stem cells as a medical treatment continues, but scholars balk at the suggestion that anyone is trying to make genetically identical individuals.

We're not here to clone human beings, for gosh sakes, said John Gearhart, a stem cell researcher and University of Pennsylvania professor in regenerative medicine. Instead, he said, scholars are working to manipulate stem cells to produce heart cells for cardiac patients, brain cells for neurological patients and other custom transplants that could match a person's genetic makeup.

Schatten's work continues at the Magee-Womens Research Institute at Pitt, where university officials cleared him of scientific misconduct, and he remains a vice chairman for research development. He focuses on educating and training physician-scientists and other scientists, a school spokeswoman wrote in a statement. She said Schatten was traveling and was unable to speak with the Tribune-Review.

Researchers have turned the onetime myth of developing stem cells into reality.

At the Oregon Health and Science University, researchers succeeded by blending unfertilized human eggs with body tissue to mold stem cells. Scholars say the cells could let doctors grow customized organs for transplants and other therapies.

The approach engineered by biologist Shoukhrat Mitalipov's research team last year in Portland is among two that scientists are using to forge laboratory-made stem cells the so-called master cells that can transform into other body parts without relying on donated human embryos. Federal law tightly controls the use of taxpayer money for embryonic research.

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Latest Hair Loss Research : Stem Cell Therapy and Stem Cell Nutrition for Hair Loss – Video

By daniellenierenberg


Latest Hair Loss Research : Stem Cell Therapy and Stem Cell Nutrition for Hair Loss
For More Details Like Us : https://www.facebook.com/SuperStemCellNutrition.

By: Palu Sot

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Spinal cord has successfully been grown in a lab

By Dr. Matthew Watson

Researchers from the University of Dresden have usedembryonic stem cells to grow an intact spinal cord in a petri dish, the team reported this week. Its an enormous achievement in a field that has long viewed neural tissue as the ultimate challenge, and one which could give hope to millions of people suffering fromspinal cord injuries.

Neurons, the cells that form the thinking matrix of your brain and carry its orders to the rest of your body, are very difficult to grow. For a long time growing neurons was thought to be impossible, but then it was discovered that olfactory neurons regrow. This is why you can lose your sense of smell for a few days then slowly regain it; the neuron ends, basically open-ended synapses facing into your nasal cavity, areburned away by corrosive smells, butslowly growback. Intense study followed this discovery, as scientists tried to track down how our olfactory neurons regrow, and others packed them directly into severed spinal cords with real success. In the image above, olfactory neurons have granted a lab rat regains some ability to walk again after being paralyzed (though to be fair, those same researchers are the ones who paralyzed it).

Even if you can grow one, the spinal cord still needs to form connections with an incredible number of body parts.

Now, rather than trying toforceour spinal neurons to act like nasalones, this German teammay have a way of making new ones from scratch. Certain diseases and massive injuries could easily render a spine beyond all hope of repair, but in such a situation a full replacement might still work. Remember, though, that one of the reasons neurons are hard to work with is that they must form complex synaptic connections with other neurons to work properly; just growing the spinal cord is only half the battle, and the patients body still has to accept the new routing hardware and integrate it properly.Still, even just the ability to closelyobserve the growth ofa full spinal cord could move neuronal research forward by leaps and bounds.

This technique worked essentially by letting the stem cells go to work and getting as far out of the way as possible; rather than introducing some novel new growth factor, the researchers basically just created an environment where the spine could grow just like it would in a body. Their setup involved inserting small bubbles of stem cells into a nutrient-rich growth mediumand letting them go from there.Given all the opportunities they required, the cells naturally started coordinating andshuntinggrowth factors around most notably the trio of hedgehog signaling molecules.

The teams diagram shows inserted ESC colonies growing into larger cysts which eventually associate.

The most famous of the three-member band, both for its name and its function, is Sonic Hedgehog, which can stimulate directed neuron growth through itsconcentration gradient. A high concentration of Sonic Hedgehog leads the cord to growmotor neurons tocarry the brains muscular commands, while a lower concentration near the top of the cord will lead to interneurons that wire up the spine itself. This is roughly analogous to growth factors in trees, where the widen the trunk molecule is made at the bottom and ferried up, and the split the trunk into branches molecule is made at the top and ferried down; the two opposing concentration gradients lead to the tree-shaped trees we all know so well, with branches becoming less common toward the bottom, where trunk-width takes priority.

In this case, the stem cells and spinal cord were froma mouse, which allowed for lower cost and ethical considerations, butthe principles of growth and signaling should bethe same. This technique made use of embryonic stem cells (ESCs), which in humans must be collected from fertility clinics and similar, but the ultimate human progenitor cell might not be necessary to further research. As scientists come to understand the mechanics of this breakthrough better, and replicate its results a few more times, it would presumably become possible to begin thisprocesswithinduced stem cells made from adult tissue. If not, this will remain an interesting research tool with little real-world applicabilitydue to the costs and regulatory problemswith ESCs.

Star Trek had a spinal transplant episode but even in the 24th century, its an experimental procedure.

Lab-grown organs are coming far, fast. Somewhere in the world today there are gel baths and petri dishes growing human bladders, eyes, and penises, esophagi, livers, and breasts. Even the quest for lab grown meatfalls under the same basic research umbrella, as scientists use similartechniques to create high quality chicken andbovine skeletal muscle. As with this spinal cord, each of these areas of research is trying to create laboratory conditions that perfectly mimic the body, so cells grow and develop normally.

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Bone Marrow Stem Cell Harvest

By Dr. Matthew Watson

Author: Ian Murnaghan BSc (hons), MSc - Updated: 11 September 2014 | Comment

A bone marrow stem cell transplant uses stem cells derived from bone marrow to provide a fresh and healthy source of new blood cells which in turn, allows for a patient to receive higher doses of chemotherapy to treat certain types of cancer such as leukaemia. This ultimately means that a person has a better chance of surviving cancer. The bone marrow stem cells may be allogeneic and therefore donated by a family member of stranger, or they may be autologous, which utilizes a patient's own stem cells.

Bone marrow stem cells are found in bone marrow and in a person's blood. After stem cells multiply, they form immature blood cells, which are then subject to a collection of changes that allow them to develop into mature blood cells. Once mature, the blood cells migrate from the marrow and are introduced into the bloodstream, where they provide important functions in keeping the body alive and healthy.

A patient will usually receive some chemotherapy to reduce cancer cells before stem cells are collected. The harvested stem cells are also treated to ensure that no cancer cells remain. Higher doses of chemotherapy are then given, sometimes alongside complete body radiation, to confirm that no cancer remains. Stem cells are then transplanted back into the body via a rapid injection. Stem cells will eventually migrate to the bone marrow, where they latch onto other cells there and develop into the different blood cells.

Stem cells are then infused into the patient via an intravenous line over several hours. Stem cells travel to the patient's bone marrow where they develop and produce the blood cells necessary for blood functioning. Patients may also still be given drug therapy for some time to reduce the chances of immune rejection.

Bone marrow stem cell harvests are clearly a life saving technique for those suffering from certain cancers such as leukaemia. They are one of the 'older' stem cell therapies and have been proven effective for decades now. There are, however, still issues of rejection that warrant further development and refinement of stem cell harvesting techniques. It is hoped that scientists will continue to focus on research to improve the odds of success for this important treatment.

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Cell Therapy Limited on Crowdcube – Repairing Broken Hearts – Video

By raymumme


Cell Therapy Limited on Crowdcube - Repairing Broken Hearts
HeartcelTM is a novel stem cell therapy that can regenerate the heart following heart failure - a Cell Therapy Ltd Medicine.

By: Cell Therapy Ltd

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Stem Cells Enhancement Naturally! – Video

By Dr. Matthew Watson


Stem Cells Enhancement Naturally!
How to Enhance Your Bone Marrow Stem Cells.

By: Dave W Easter

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Stranger Donates Stem Cells In Hopes Of Curing New York Woman With Leukemia

By NEVAGiles23

CBS New York (con't)

Affordable Care Act Updates: CBSNewYork.com/ACA

Health News & Information: CBSNewYork.com/Health

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) A New York woman battling leukemia was especially grateful this Thanksgiving, as she credited the kindness of a total stranger with helping save her life.

They found the donor, and it was just basically like a weight lifted off my shoulders, said Jeanine Walsh, 38.

As CBS2s Dr. Max Gomez reported Thursday, Walsh the mother of two young children has been battling leukemia for the second time in two years.

I was in total and complete shock, she said.

No members of Walshs family were a match for her, but a willing donor was found through the national registry. Peripheral stem cells were collected from the donor, located in the Western U.S., earlier this week.

The process took just a few hours.

We attach the patient, that is the donor, to a machine. The machine takes blood form the donor, filters out the stem cells if you will, and returns the rest of the blood to the donor, said Dr. Michael Schuster, director of stem cell transplantation at Stony Brook University Hospital.

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Stranger Donates Stem Cells In Hopes Of Curing New York Woman With Leukemia

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Stem Cell Therapy Project – Video

By JoanneRUSSELL25


Stem Cell Therapy Project
Daniel, John, Magno, Thahn, Victor, Vivian show the world just exactly what stem cells really are.

By: John Peterman

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Stem Cell Therapy – BioLogic Anti-Aging Skin Cream – Video

By raymumme


Stem Cell Therapy - BioLogic Anti-Aging Skin Cream
http://www.ReadTheReviewsFirst.com Truvisage Anti-Aging Skin Care International Is Better Than Botox!

By: Greg Smith

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Stem Cell Therapy to Treat Equine Tendon Injuries – Video

By NEVAGiles23


Stem Cell Therapy to Treat Equine Tendon Injuries
A brief explanation of tendon injuries and how stem cell therapy can be used to treat them.

By: Animal Science

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Swiss Apple Stem Cells for perfect skin. What do plant …

By NEVAGiles23

This active ingredient won the prize in European Innovation Best Active Ingredient in 2008. It is a revolutionary technology designed to protect human skin stem cells with the help of stem cells from a rare Swiss apple. The clinical trials conducted by the company who discovered this ingredient showed that 100% of the participants saw a reduction in fine lines and wrinkles after using a solution containing 2% PhytoCellTech Malus Domestica.

According to the Bible, Adam bit into an apple (coaxed on by us femme fatales) and deprived Earth of Heaven...was he attracted by the delicious taste or did he already know of the amazing youth-boosting properties of this fruit?

PhytoCellTec Malus Domestica is an award-winning patented liposomal preparation, so containing tiny bubbles made out of the same material as cell membranes, based on the stem cells of a rare Swiss apple called Uttwiler Sptlauber that derives from a seedling planted in the middle of the18th century. Uttwiler Sptlauber is an endangered apple variety that is well-known for its ability to be stored for long periods without shrivelling and thus its longevity potential. The apples are rich in phytonutrients, proteins and long-living cells. A novel technology has now been developed enabling the cultivation of rare and endangered species like Uttwiler Sptlauber. Thanks to this technology, plant stem cells can be obtained and incorporated into skin care products to enhance the longevity of skin cells. Not only does it protect the skins own stem cells but has been shown to have excellent age-delaying and anti-wrinkle properties, and is currently one of the most pioneering and exciting ingredients in skin care.

Stem Cells and Longevity

Longevity is related to specific cells called stem cells which have a unique growth characteristic. These cells can make identical copies of themselves as well as differentiate (in other words, split) to become separate, specialised cells. Two basic types of stem cells are present in the human body:

Embryonic stem cells found in blastocysts (structures found in the human pre-embryonic stage) can grow and differentiate into one of the more than 220 different cell types which make up the human body;

Adult stem cells located in some adult tissues can only differentiate into their own or related cell types. These cells act as a repair system for the body but also maintain the normal turnover of regenerative organs such as blood, skin or intestinal tissues.

Research on Stem Cells and Applications

Currently in medicine, adult stem cells are already used particularly in transplant medicine to treat leukemia and severe burns. In the cosmetic field, scientists are focusing their research on adult stem cells located in the skin. They are studying the potential of this type of cells, their functioning and aging. This research is helping us understand how to protect skin stem cells.

Stem Cells in the Human Skin

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Scientists use stem cells to correct skin defects

By LizaAVILA

New research has found evidence that stem cells could be used to correct genetic defects in skin and to treat certain rare diseases.

Three separate studies by scientists in the US, Europe and Japan have raised hopes that the methods could be used to develop treatments for a range of problems, including epidermolysis bullosa.

It is a disorder wheresufferers are born with extensive blistering and patches of missing skin.

They areleft with extremely fragile skin for all of their lives.

In the first study, the researchers used Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) - adult cells that are reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell-like state.

The scientists took diseased cells from three adult patients withepidermolysis bullosa.

The researchers converted the cells into iPSCs and used specialist tools to edit and fix the mutation in the genetic code responsible for defective collagen protein production, which causes the condition.

They then grew pieces of human skin that produced the correct collagen, and grafted them into mice where they lasted for three weeks.

It i's hoped the risk of rejection in humans will be minimal because the skin is made from the patient's own cells.

A second study confirmed these findings in the lab, showing that it is possible to genetically correct iPSCs from mice with epidermolysis bullosa and use the repaired cells to heal blistered skin.

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Scientists use stem cells to correct skin defects

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Ageless Derma Introduces Their Latest Innovation: Swiss Apple Stem Cell Mask

By Sykes24Tracey

Irvine, California (PRWEB) November 27, 2014

The Ageless Derma skin care company has just released their latest development in the form of a facial mask that exfoliates skin with ingredients such as apple stem cells to renew the complexion and correct texture and tone. The companys Swiss Apple Stem Cell Mask incorporates the cells of a long-living rare apple with other revitalizing ingredients from nature to result in a gentle mask that is effective and calming.

The Swiss apple, Malus Domestica, has its beginnings that go as far back as 18th century Switzerland. Ageless Derma recognized the importance of this plants stem cell extract for its ability to keep the fruit fresh for extended periods of time without wrinkling or shriveling. The Swiss Apple Stem Cell Mask contains the scientific advances that come from the cultivation of these stem cells, having incorporated it into a powerful and effective facial mask to rejuvenate skin and keep wrinkles at bay.

The Swiss Apple Stem Cell Mask contains other natural ingredients that work together to keep skin at its purest and return youthful life to the complexion. Kaolin Clay from the earth absorbs toxins that can enter the skins surface due to environmental pollutants in the air. The clay helps draw out grime and purify skin. Sweet Almond Oil nourishes skin, and adds much needed moisture and smoothness. Safflower Oil improves the texture of skin; especially skin that has become roughened with time and sun exposure. The Safflower Oil in Swiss Apple Stem Cell Mask also locks in moisture and tones skin for a flawless and radiant complexion.

Ageless Derma added fruit extracts to the Swiss Apple Stem Cell Mask for added health and radiance. Pumpkin Fruit Ferment, Pineapple Enzyme, and Papaya Enzyme make this mask luscious and plush. Age-defying antioxidants are also included, with Green Tea Extract and Aloe Leaf Extract added for soothing and fighting free radicals.

The developers at Ageless Derma Skin Care know they are making something extraordinary happen. Their line of physician-grade skin care items incorporates an important philosophy: promoting overall skin health by delivering the most cutting-edge biotechnology and pure, natural ingredients to all of the skin's layers. This attitude continues to resonate to this day with the companys founder, Dr. Farid Mostamand, who nearly a decade ago began his journey to deliver the best skin care alternatives for people who want to have healthy and beautiful looking skin at any age. About this latest Ageless Derma product, Dr. Mostamand says, This natural enzymatic Swiss Apple Stem Cell Mask gently exfoliates dead skin cells that are blocking new cell turnover for a renewed and radiant complexion. This is accomplished without the use of unnatural chemicals that can harm your skins delicate balance.

Ageless Derma products are formulated in FDA-approved Labs. All ingredients are inspired by nature and enhanced by science. Ageless Derma products do not contain parabens or any other harsh additives, and they are never tested on animals. The company has developed five unique lines of products to address any skin type or condition.

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Tremendous progress in the development of skin stem cell treatments for butterfly children

By JoanneRUSSELL25

27.11.2014 - (idw) IMBA - Institut fr Molekulare Biotechnologie der sterreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften GmbH

Scientists at IMBA Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna have made a major advancement towards a future therapy for butterfly children. A treatment with fibroblasts generated from induced pluripotent stem cells has been highly successful in mice. The next step is to establish this method in humans. Butterfly children suffer from Epidermolysis Bullosa (EB), a debilitating skin disease. It is caused by a genetic defect that leads to a deficiency or complete lack of various structural proteins. In one particularly severe form, the protein collagen 7 is either missing or present only in insufficient amounts. If that bond is missing, the skin forms blisters or tears at the slightest mechanical pressure, leading to wounds and inflammation that require extensive treatment with creams and bandages. Often these constant lesions also lead to aggressive forms of skin cancer.

Presently there is no cure for this disease. But there are promising approaches that could lead to successful treatments in the future. One of them is a method called fibroblast injection. In this procedure, fibroblasts are injected between the layers of the skin, where they can produce the necessary collagen 7.

Researchers at IMBA under the leadership of Arabella Meixner have now been successful in developing this method to treat mice affected by EB. The individual steps of this treatment have been worked out and carefully tested in many years of laboratory work, and the results have now been published in the scientific journal Science Translational Medicine.

First the scientists returned skin cells of the diseased mice to the stem cell stage and then repaired the genetic defect, the root cause of the disease. Then the researchers transformed stem cells back into fibroblasts.

Before the repaired fibroblasts could be reintroduced into the organism, measures to prevent inflammation or rejection were necessary. In this study the researchers conducted a type of toxicity test, and the results were very promising. After several months of observation, no adverse immune reactions occurred, and the risk of skin cancer did not increase. That is an important consideration because butterfly children already have a greatly increased risk of skin cancer.

The next step is to establish this skin stem cell treatment in humans. To achieve that, the IMBA scientists intend to look for partners with clinical experience. For severe forms of Epidermolysis Bullosa, a systemic application needs to be developed to spread the cells throughout the entire body via the bloodstream to reach epithelial tissues that are more difficult to access, for example the mucous membranes in the mouth or bowels. Often in butterfly children with milder forms of the disease, only certain areas of the skin are affected. The skin stem cell therapy with local injections successfully tested on mice could lead to a valuable treatment method in the very near future.

The project conducted by IMBA scientists was initiated by the patient organization DEBRA Austria, and has had the financial support of the association and of other generous supporters since 2009. DEBRA's mission is to ensure that butterfly children receive competent specialized medical care and to promote research into options to relieve and cure EB. Further thanks also go to our funding and cooperation partners sterreichische Lotterien and FK Austria Wien.

Original publication: Wenzel et. al., iPSC-based cell therapy for Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa. Science Translational Medicine. 2014.

Scientific Contact: Dr. Arabella Meixner, Research Lead Tel. +43 664 2018084 arabella.meixner@imba.oeaw.ac.at Weitere Informationen:http://www.imba.oeaw.ac.at

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Blistering skin disease may be treatable with 'therapeutic reprogramming,' researchers say

By raymumme

PUBLIC RELEASE DATE:

26-Nov-2014

Contact: Krista Conger kristac@stanford.edu 650-725-5371 Stanford University Medical Center @sumedicine

Induced pluripotent stem cells made from patients with a form of blistering skin disease can be genetically corrected and used to grow back healthy skin cells in laboratory dishes, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have found. They've termed the new technique "therapeutic reprogramming."

The skin cells formed normal human skin when grafted onto the backs of laboratory mice, they said.

The findings represent a major advance in the battle against the disease, epidermolysis bullosa, in which the top layer of skin, called the epidermis, sloughs off with the slightest friction, leaving open wounds that are difficult to heal. Severely stricken children who survive into their late teens or early 20s often die from invasive squamous cell carcinoma, a skin cancer that can arise during repeated cycles of skin wounding and healing.

"Epidermolysis bullosa is a truly horrible, debilitating skin disease in which the top layer of skin is not properly anchored to the underlying layers," said Anthony Oro, MD, PhD, professor of dermatology. "When they are born, the trauma of birth rips away their skin, and they continue to suffer severe skin wounds that require constant bandaging and medical attention throughout their lives."

Stanford has one of the largest epidermolysis bullosa clinics in the world, with an extremely active and engaged population of patients and their families eager to help researchers. The Stanford Department of Dermatology has been working to find new treatments for the disease for over 20 years. The latest advance, in which researchers replaced the mutated, disease-causing gene in the donor-made induced pluripotent stem cells with a healthy version, was funded by an $11.7 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

New avenue of treatment

"This treatment approach represents an entirely new paradigm for this disease," Oro said. "Normally, treatment has been confined to surgical approaches to repair damaged skin, or medical approaches to prevent and repair damage. But by replacing the faulty gene with a correct version in stem cells, and then converting those corrected stem cells to keratinocytes, we have the possibility of achieving a permanent fix -- replacing damaged areas with healthy, perfectly matched skin grafts."

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Leah Still to undergo stem cell therapy

By raymumme

CINCINNATI -- The daughter of a Cincinnati Bengal who has already been through a lot spent another day in the hospital for treatment Tuesday.

Leah Still -- Devon Stills daughter -- underwent a stem cell transplant procedure at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The stem cell treatment is an effort to regenerate her bone marrow and stem cells.

Stem cells definitely smell like corn...yall wasn't lying

Still flew to Philadelphia Monday to be with Leah. They went shopping at a mall.

The smile you have after shutting down the mall, literally. This girl had security and the... http://t.co/HHWtLhf4pf pic.twitter.com/QFRMJsdlCX

Still tweeted another photo Tuesday while they waited for her treatment to begin.

Selfies in the hospital to pass time by as we wait for the stem cells http://t.co/q6JZOIyi9q pic.twitter.com/ogB0J0Gitg

Leah was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma in June. She had surgery to remove a tumor from her abdomen in September, followed by chemotherapy to try to remove the cancer from her bone marrow.

She has already been treated with a round of chemotherapy and radiation.

Still said the family hopes that will be her only round of chemo and radiation but that it depends on how her results come back. He said it will take four to six weeks to determine if more treatments are necessary.

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Leah Still to undergo stem cell therapy

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Researchers find stem cells that help nails regenerate

By raymumme

Calorie counts mandated at chain restaurants Calorie counts mandated at chain restaurants

New rules announced Tuesday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will have many restaurant chains posting calorie counts on their menus, and the rules even apply to movie theater popcorn and ice cream parlor fare.

New rules announced Tuesday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will have many restaurant chains posting calorie counts on their menus, and the rules even apply to movie theater popcorn and ice cream parlor fare.

Eating a serving a day of yogurt may lower your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, new research suggests.

Eating a serving a day of yogurt may lower your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, new research suggests.

Dutch researchers have developed a device that may reduce the discomfort many women feel during a mammogram while preserving the quality of the image.

Dutch researchers have developed a device that may reduce the discomfort many women feel during a mammogram while preserving the quality of the image.

A brain abnormality may be responsible for more than 40 percent of deaths from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), a new study suggests.

A brain abnormality may be responsible for more than 40 percent of deaths from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), a new study suggests.

Driving a large vehicle and being a young male are among the factors that improve a person's chances of surviving a car crash, a new study finds.

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Pain and itch in a dish: Scientists convert human skin cells into sensory neurons

By NEVAGiles23

A team led by scientists from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) has found a simple method to convert human skin cells into the specialized neurons that detect pain, itch, touch and other bodily sensations. These neurons are also affected by spinal cord injury and involved in Friedreich's ataxia, a devastating and currently incurable neurodegenerative disease that largely strikes children.

The discovery allows this broad class of human neurons and their sensory mechanisms to be studied relatively easily in the laboratory. The "induced sensory neurons" generated by this method should also be useful in the testing of potential new therapies for pain, itch and related conditions.

"Following on the work of TSRI Professor Ardem Patapoutian, who has identified many of the genes that endow these neurons with selective responses to temperature, pain and pressure, we have found a way to produce induced sensory neurons from humans where these genes can be expressed in their 'normal' cellular environment," said Associate Professor Kristin K. Baldwin, an investigator in TSRI's Dorris Neuroscience Center. "This method is rapid, robust and scalable. Therefore we hope that these induced sensory neurons will allow our group and others to identify new compounds that block pain and itch and to better understand and treat neurodegenerative disease and spinal cord injury."

The report by Baldwin's team appears as an advance online publication in Nature Neuroscience on November 24, 2014.

In Search of a Better Model

The neurons that can be made with the new technique normally reside in clusters called dorsal root ganglia (DRG) along the outer spine. DRG sensory neurons extend their nerve fibers into the skin, muscle and joints all over the body, where they variously detect gentle touch, painful touch, heat, cold, wounds and inflammation, itch-inducing substances, chemical irritants, vibrations, the fullness of the bladder and colon, and even information about how the body and its limbs are positioned. Recently these neurons have also been linked to aging and to autoimmune disease.

Because of the difficulties involved in harvesting and culturing adult human neurons, most research on DRG neurons has been done in mice. But mice are of limited use in understanding the human version of this broad "somatosensory" system.

"Mouse models don't represent the full diversity of the human response," said Joel W. Blanchard, a PhD candidate in the Baldwin laboratory who was co-lead author of the study with Research Associate Kevin T. Eade.

A New Identity

For the new study, the team used a cell-reprogramming technique (similar to those used to reprogram skin cells into stem cells) to generate human DRG-type sensory neurons from ordinary skin cells called fibroblasts.

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Pain and itch in a dish: Scientists convert human skin cells into sensory neurons

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Pain-Sensing Neurons Created From Human, Mouse Skin Cells

By daniellenierenberg

November 25, 2014

Chuck Bednar for redOrbit.com Your Universe Online

Two different teams of researchers, one led by scientists from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) and the other involving members of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) have discovered ways to create the neurons that detect pain, itch and other sensations in laboratory conditions out of human and mouse skin cells.

The TSRI study, which was published online Monday in the journal Nature Neuroscience, used what the authors referred to as a simple technique to create neurons that normally reside in clusters called dorsal root ganglia (DRG) along the outer spine. Those neurons are often affected by spinal cord injuries and a neurodegenerative condition known as Friedreichs ataxia.

According to the researchers, DRG sensory neurons extend their nerve fibers into skin, muscle and joints located throughout the body. The neurons are capable of alternately detecting gentle touch, painful contact, heat, cold, wounds, inflammation, chemical irritants, itch-inducing agents and fullness of the bowels and bladder. They also relay information about the position of the body and limbs, and have been linked to aging and autoimmune disease.

Due to the difficulties involved in culturing adult human neurons, most research relating to DRG neurons has been done in mice. However, the rodents are of limited use in understanding the human version of this somatosensory system, TSRI explained. The new discovery will allow this type of human neurons and their associated sensory mechanisms to be studied with relative ease in laboratory conditions, according to the study authors.

We have found a way to produce induced sensory neurons from humans where these genes can be expressed in their normal cellular environment, associate professor Kristin K. Baldwin, an investigator in TSRIs Dorris Neuroscience Center, said in a statement. This method is rapid, robust and scalable. Therefore we hope that these induced sensory neurons will allow our group and others to identify new compounds that block pain and itch and to better understand and treat neurodegenerative disease and spinal cord injury.

Similarly, the HSCI-led study, which included experts from Boston Childrens Hospital (BCH) and Harvards Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology (HSCRB), was able to successfully convert mouse and human skin cells into pain-sensing neurons that responded to several different types of stimuli responsible for causing both acute and inflammatory pain.

The authors of this study, which also appeared in Wednesdays online edition of Nature Neuroscience, said that their research could help scientists better understand the different types of pain that we experience, as well as better identify why people respond to pain in different ways and why some individuals are more or less likely to develop chronic pain. It could also result in the development of improved pain-relieving medications.

The six-year project resulted in the creation of neuronal pain receptors that respond to both the types of intense stimuli triggered by a physical injury, and the more subtle stimuli triggered by inflammation which results in pain tenderness. The researchers report that the fact the neurons can respond to both the gross and fine forms of stimulation which produce separate types of pain in humans confirm that they are functionally normal.

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Pain-Sensing Neurons Created From Human, Mouse Skin Cells

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UCLA Researchers Identify Protein Key To The Development Of Blood Stem Cells

By NEVAGiles23

November 25, 2014

Provided by Peter Bracke, UCLA

Understanding the self-replication mechanisms is critical for improving stem cell therapies for blood-related diseases and cancers

Led by Dr. Hanna Mikkola, a member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research, UCLA scientists have discovered a protein that is integral to the self-replication of hematopoietic stem cells during human development.

The discovery lays the groundwork for researchers to generate hematopoietic stem cells in the lab that better mirror those that develop in their natural environment. This could in turn lead to improved therapies for blood-related diseases and cancers by enabling the creation of patient-specific blood stem cells for transplantation.

The findings are reported online ahead of print in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

Researchers have long been stymied in their efforts to make cell-based therapies for blood and immune diseases more broadly available, because of an inability to generate and expand human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in lab cultures. They have sought to harness the promise of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), which can transform into almost any cell in the human body, to overcome this roadblock. HSCs are the blood-forming cells that serve as the critical link between PSCs and fully differentiated cells of the blood system. The ability of HSCs to self-renew (replicate themselves) and differentiate to all blood cell types, is determined in part by the environment that the stem cell came from, called the niche.

In the five-year study, Mikkola, Dr. Sacha Prashad and Dr. Vincenzo Calvanese, members of Mikkolas lab and lead authors of the study, investigated a HSC surface protein called GPI-80. They found that it was produced by a specific subpopulation of human fetal hematopoietic cells that were the only group that could self-renew and differentiate into various blood cell types. They also found that this subpopulation of hematopoietic cells was the sole population able to permanently integrate into and thrive within the blood system of a recipient mouse.

Mikkola and colleagues further discovered that GPI-80 identifies HSCs during multiple phases of human HSC development and migration. These include the early first trimester of fetal development when newly generated human hematopoietic stem cells can be found in the placenta, and the second trimester when HSCs are actively replicating in the fetal liver and the fetal bone marrow.

We found that whatever HSC niche we investigated, we could use GPI-80 as the best determinant to find the stem cell as it was being generated or colonized different hematopoietic tissues, said Mikkola, associate professor of molecular, cell and development biology at UCLA and also a member of the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. Moreover, loss of GPI-80 caused the stem cells to differentiate into mature blood cells rather than HSCs. This essentially tells us that GPI-80 must be present to make HSCs. We now have a very unique marker for investigating how human hematopoietic cells develop, migrate and function.

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UCLA Researchers Identify Protein Key To The Development Of Blood Stem Cells

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