StemCell Therapy

ScienceDaily (July 18, 2012) To build a tooth, a detailed recipe to instruct cells to differentiate towards proper lineages and form dental cells is needed. Researchers in the group of Professor Irma Thesleff at the Institute of Biotechnology in Helsinki, Finland have now found a marker for dental stem cells. They showed that the transcription factor Sox2 is specifically expressed in stem cells of the mouse front tooth.

Despite the development of new bioengineering protocols, building a tooth from stem cells remains a distant goal. Demand for it exists as loss of teeth affects oral health, quality of life, as well as ones appearance. To build a tooth, a detailed recipe to instruct cells to differentiate towards proper lineages and form dental cells is needed. However, the study of stem cells requires their isolation and a lack of a specific marker has hindered studies so far.

Researchers in the group of Professor Irma Thesleff at the Institute of Biotechnology in Helsinki, Finland have now found a marker for dental stem cells. They showed that the transcription factor Sox2 is specifically expressed in stem cells of the mouse incisor (front tooth). The mouse incisor grows continuously throughout life and this growth is fueled by stem cells located at the base of the tooth. These cells offer an excellent model to study dental stem cells.

The researchers developed a method to record the division, movement, and specification of these cells. By tracing the descendants of genetically labeled cells, they also showed that Sox2 positive stem cells give rise to enamel-forming ameloblasts as well as other cell lineages of the tooth.

Although human teeth dont grow continuously, the mechanisms that control and regulate their growth are similar as in mouse teeth. Therefore, the discovery of Sox2 as a marker for dental stem cells is an important step toward developing a complete bioengineered tooth. In the future, it may be possible to grow new teeth from stem cells to replace lost ones, says researcher Emma Juuri, a co-author of the study.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Helsingin yliopisto (University of Helsinki), via AlphaGalileo.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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One step closer to growing a tooth

(PRWEB) July 05, 2012

Researchers at Adelaide University have developed a potential therapy for stroke victims utilizing dental stem cells to regenerate damaged brain cells.

The study involved the use of human dental pulp stem cells in rats suffering from post- stroke symptoms. The stem cells were transplanted into the damaged brains of the rats with the rats showing significant improvement in brain function, motor skills and cognitive abilities within several weeks. The therapy poses a new possibility for patients who have suffered a stroke. Patients will be able to use stem cells extracted from their own teeth to regenerate damaged brain tissue. The use of autologous stem cells eliminates the risk of rejection and the need for immune-suppression drugs and results in a more positive outcome. The research is so promising that the researchers hope to begin clinical trials within three to four years.

The research is another example of the inherent plasticity of dental stem cells, i.e. their ability to differentiate into a wide range of tissue types that may be utilized to treat a broad array of disease, trauma and injury. Banking your own valuable dental stem cells for use in emerging regenerative therapies is both convenient and affordable and as easy as a trip to the dentists.

To learn more about how you can bank your valuable dental stem cells , visit http://www.StemSave.com or call 877-783-6728 (877-StemSave) today.

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StemSave - Researchers Utilize Dental Stem Cells for Stroke Treatment

SARATOGA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The Myelin Repair Foundation (MRF) today announced the achievement of a myelin repair Phase 1 clinical trial for multiple sclerosis earlier than the foundations goal set for 2014. By establishing its Accelerated Research Collaboration (ARC) Model to advance myelin repair treatments forward into clinical trial Phase 1 within a decade, the Myelin Repair Foundation achieved this critical milestone ahead of its goal, validating the efficiency of the ARC model to speed drug development.

This Phase 1 clinical trial conducted at Cleveland Clinic will examine the efficacy of a new myelin repair therapeutic pathway with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), based on MRF supported research conducted by MRF Principal Investigator Dr. Robert Miller, Professor of Neurosciences and Vice President for Research & Technology Management at Case Western Reserve University. To date, half of the 24 patients planned for this initial trial have been enrolled.

Scientists hope that one day their research will reach clinical trials, and Im thrilled to achieve this milestone in my career, said Dr. Robert Miller. Without the support of Myelin Repair Foundation funding a critical component of our research that is the basis of this trial, this achievement would not have been possible. Our partnership with the Myelin Repair Foundation has helped identify new pathways to treat disease that reverses damage, ultimately accomplishing so much more than the suppression of MS symptoms.

Funded by the Myelin Repair Foundation, Dr. Millers team of scientists identified an innovative clinical pathway through mesenchymal stem cell signals that not only protect myelin, which is damaged by the autoimmune reaction in MS, but also facilitates myelin repair. Current MS drugs on the market only focus on the suppression of the immune system to protect myelin from future damage; patients have no treatment options available to repair myelin once damage occurs in MS.

Our goal to support research that would enter Phase 1 trials within a decade was deemed nearly impossible, said Scott Johnson, president and CEO of the Myelin Repair Foundation. To think we achieved this ambitious goal even earlier than we planned illustrates the effectiveness of our innovative research model that accelerates promising scientific discoveries into clinical trials. Even with this success, we refuse to rest on our laurels and will continue to progress myelin research into multiple clinical trials. We remain focused on our singular goal: To speed the development of an effective myelin repair treatment to reach patients with multiple sclerosis.

For more information about the clinical trial and enrollment, please visit http://www.clinicaltrials.gov.

About the Myelin Repair Foundation

The Myelin Repair Foundation (MRF) (http://www.myelinrepair.org) is a Silicon Valley-based, non-profit research organization focused on accelerating the discovery and development of myelin repair therapeutics for multiple sclerosis. Its Accelerated Research Collaboration (ARC) model is designed to optimize the entire process of medical research, drug development and the delivery of patient treatments.

About Case Western Reserve University

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The Myelin Repair Foundation Achieves Phase 1 Myelin Repair Clinical Trial

Featured Article Academic Journal Main Category: Bones / Orthopedics Also Included In: Stem Cell Research Article Date: 14 Jun 2012 - 4:00 PDT

Current ratings for: 'Fat Stem Cells Grow Bone Faster And Better'

They write about their work in the 11 June online first issue of a paper published in the new peer-reviewed journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine, which aims to span stem cell research and clinical trials.

The two co-senior authors of the study are Chia Soo, vice chair for research at University of California - Lost Angeles (UCLA) Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, and Bruno Pault, professor of Orthopedic Surgery at UCLA. Both are members of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA.

Soo told the press that fat tissue is considered a good source of mesenchymal stem cells, the sort that can be coaxed to form various tissue types such as bone, cartilage and muscle, because there is plenty of it and it is easy to get hold of with procedures like liposuction.

One conventional method of growing these stem cells from fat tissue relies on culturing the fat cells for weeks to isolate the stem cells that form bone. These processes can increase the risk of infection and lead to genetic instability.

Another traditional method, called stromal vascular fraction (SVF), uses fresh, non-cultured cells, but it is not easy to extract SVF cells from fat tissue because there are many kinds of them, not all capabale of forming bone.

For this study, the researchers isolated and purified human perivascular stem cells (hPSC) from fat tissue, and using lab animals, showed these cells are a better option for making bone than SVF cells.

They also showed that a growth factor called NELL-1, speeded up bone formation.

Soo told the press:

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Fat Stem Cells Grow Bone Faster And Better

LOS ANGELES UCLA stem cell scientists who purified a subset of stem cells from fat tissue and used the stem cells to grow bone discovered that the bone formed faster and was of higher quality than bone grown using traditional methods.

The finding may one day eliminate the need for painful bone grafts that use material taken from patients during invasive procedures.

Adipose, or fat, tissue is thought to be an ideal source of mesenchymal stem cells cells capable of developing into bone, cartilage, muscle and other tissues because such cells are plentiful in the tissue and easily obtained through procedures like liposuction, said Dr. Chia Soo, vice chair of research for the UCLA Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Soo and Bruno Pault, the co-senior authors on the project, are members of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA.

Traditionally, cells taken from fat had to be cultured for weeks to isolate the stem cells which could become bone, and their expansion increases the risk of infection and genetic instability. A fresh, non-cultured cell composition called stromal vascular fraction (SVF) also is used to grow bone. However, SVF cells taken from adipose tissue are a highly heterogeneous population that includes cells that aren't capable of becoming bone.

Pault and Soo's team used a cell-sorting machine to isolate and purify human perivascular stem cells (hPSC) from adipose tissue and showed that those cells worked far better than SVF cells in creating bone. They also showed that a growth factor called NELL-1, discovered by Dr. Kang Ting of the UCLA School of Dentistry, enhanced bone formation in their animal model.

"People have shown that culture-derived cells could grow bone, but ours are a fresh cell population, and we didn't have to go through the culture process, which can take weeks," Soo said. "The best bone graft is still your own bone, but that is in limited supply and sometimes not of good quality. What we show here is a faster and better way to create bone that could have clinical applications."

The study was published Monday (June 11) in the early online edition of Stem Cells Translational Medicine, a new peer-reviewed journal that seeks to bridge stem cell research and clinical trials.

In the animal model, Soo and Pault's team put the hPSCs with NELL-1 in a muscle pouch, a place where bone is not normally grown. They then used X-rays to determine that the cells did indeed become bone.

"The purified human hPSCs formed significantly more bone in comparison to the SVF by all parameters," Soo said. "And these cells are plentiful enough that patients with not much excess body fat can donate their own fat tissue."

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Fresh, purified fat stem cells grow bone faster, better

Newswise UCLA stem cell scientists purified a subset of stem cells found in fat tissue and made from them bone that was formed faster and was of higher quality than bone grown using traditional methods, a finding that may one day eliminate the need for painful bone grafts that use material taken from the patient during invasive procedures.

Adipose, or fat, tissue is thought to be an ideal source of cells called mesenchymal stem cells - capable of developing into bone, cartilage, muscle and other tissues - because they are plentiful and easily attained through procedures such as liposuction, said Dr. Chia Soo, vice chair for research at UCLA Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. The co-senior authors on the project, Soo and Bruno Pault, are members of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA.

Traditionally, cells taken from fat had to be cultured for weeks to isolate the stem cells which could become bone, and their expansion increases risk of infection and genetic instability. A fresh, non-cultured cell composition called stromal vascular fraction (SVF) also is used to grow bone. However, SVF cells taken from adipose tissue are a highly heterogeneous population that includes cells that arent capable of becoming bone.

Pault and Soos team used a cell sorting machine to isolate and purify human perivascular stem cells (hPSC) from adipose tissue and showed that those cells worked far better than SVF cells in creating bone. They also showed that a growth factor called NELL-1, discovered by Dr. Kang Ting of the UCLA School of Dentistry, enhanced the bone formation in their animal model.

People have shown that culture-derived cells could grow bone, but these are a fresh cell population and we didnt have to go through the culture process, which can take weeks, Soo said. The best bone graft is still your own bone, but that is in limited supply and sometimes not of good quality. What we show here is a faster and better way to create bone that could have clinical applications.

The study appears June 11, 2012 in the early online edition of the peer-reviewed journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine, a new journal that seeks to bridge stem cell research and clinical trials.

In the animal model, Soo and Paults team put the hPSCs with NELL-1 in a muscle pouch, a place where bone is not normally grown. They then used X-rays to determine that the cells did indeed become bone.

The purified human hPSCs formed significantly more bone in comparison to the SVF by all parameters, Soo said. And these cells are plentiful enough that patients with not much excess body fat can donate their own fat tissue.

Soo said if everything goes well, patients may one day have rapid access to high quality bone graft material by which doctors get their fat tissue, purify that into hPSCs and replace their own stem cells with NELL-1 back into the area where bone is required. The hPSC with NELL-1 could grow into bone inside the patient, eliminating the need for painful bone graft harvestings. The goal is for the process to isolate the hPSCs and add the NELL-1 with a matrix or scaffold to aid cell adhesion to take less than an hour, Soo said.

Excitingly, recent studies have already demonstrated the utility of perivascular stem cells for regeneration of disparate tissue types, including skeletal muscle, lung and even myocardium, said Pault, a professor of orthopedic surgery Further studies will extend our findings and apply the robust osteogenic potential of hPSCs to the healing of bone defects.

Originally posted here:
A Better Way to Grow Bone: Fresh, Purified Fat Stem Cells Grow Bone Better, Faster

Public release date: 11-Jun-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Kim Irwin kirwin@mednet.ucla.edu 310-206-2805 University of California - Los Angeles Health Sciences

UCLA stem cell scientists purified a subset of stem cells found in fat tissue and made from them bone that was formed faster and was of higher quality than bone grown using traditional methods, a finding that may one day eliminate the need for painful bone grafts that use material taken from the patient during invasive procedures.

Adipose, or fat, tissue is thought to be an ideal source of cells called mesenchymal stem cells - capable of developing into bone, cartilage, muscle and other tissues - because they are plentiful and easily attained through procedures such as liposuction, said Dr. Chia Soo, vice chair for research at UCLA Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. The co-senior authors on the project, Soo and Bruno Pault, are members of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA.

Traditionally, cells taken from fat had to be cultured for weeks to isolate the stem cells which could become bone, and their expansion increases risk of infection and genetic instability. A fresh, non-cultured cell composition called stromal vascular fraction (SVF) also is used to grow bone. However, SVF cells taken from adipose tissue are a highly heterogeneous population that includes cells that aren't capable of becoming bone.

Pault and Soo's team used a cell sorting machine to isolate and purify human perivascular stem cells (hPSC) from adipose tissue and showed that those cells worked far better than SVF cells in creating bone. They also showed that a growth factor called NELL-1, discovered by Dr. Kang Ting of the UCLA School of Dentistry, enhanced the bone formation in their animal model.

"People have shown that culture-derived cells could grow bone, but these are a fresh cell population and we didn't have to go through the culture process, which can take weeks," Soo said. "The best bone graft is still your own bone, but that is in limited supply and sometimes not of good quality. What we show here is a faster and better way to create bone that could have clinical applications."

The study appears June 11, 2012 in the early online edition of the peer-reviewed journal Stem Cells Translational Medicine, a new journal that seeks to bridge stem cell research and clinical trials.

In the animal model, Soo and Pault's team put the hPSCs with NELL-1 in a muscle pouch, a place where bone is not normally grown. They then used X-rays to determine that the cells did indeed become bone.

"The purified human hPSCs formed significantly more bone in comparison to the SVF by all parameters," Soo said. "And these cells are plentiful enough that patients with not much excess body fat can donate their own fat tissue."

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A better way to grow bone: Fresh, purified fat stem cells grow bone faster and better

BACKGROUND: Tooth loss, although often associated with a diet high in sugar, has been a problem for as long as mankind has existed. Before the widespread use of refined sugar in food, tooth loss was often a result of disease and malnutrition, although dietary practices also contributed to the problem. Several studies have documented the negative aspects of not having teeth or dentures including impaired nutritional intake, lower self-confidence and self-esteem and reduced quality of life. The three most common tooth replacement options are dental implants, fixed bridges and removable appliances. (Source: perio.org)

STEM CELLS: Stem cells have the remarkable potential to develop into many different cell types in the body during early life and growth. In addition, in many tissues they serve as a sort of internal repair system, dividing essentially without limit to replenish other cells as long as the person or animal is still alive. When a stem cell divides, each new cell has the potential either to remain a stem cell or become another type of cell with a more specialized function, such as a muscle cell, a red blood cell, or a brain cell. (Source: The National Institutes of Health resource for stem cell research)

CLONING TEETH: Nova Southeastern Universitys dental researchers at the College of Dental Medicine are growing and harvesting human dental stem cells in the lab. The cells normally grow in flat layers of single cells in Petri dishes. To get them to form a 3-D tissue structure, researchers seed the cells on tissue engineering scaffolds made from the same polymer material as bio-resorbable surgical sutures. The scaffolds function like those you see around buildings under construction. They provide mechanical support and control the size and shape of a tissue. Once the stem cells are seeded on the scaffolds, researchers add growth factors to signal to the stem cells what type of tissue to grow. The combination of dental stem cells, tissue engineering scaffolds and growth factors allows researchers to engineer new tooth tissues. NSU scientists are working, similar tooth research labs, to create fully functional replacement teeth.

Dental researchers have been successful at regenerating teeth in the laboratory and in animals. They have developed a stem cell therapy for growing new teeth following root canal treatment, and also for replanting teeth that have been knocked out of the mouth. In NSUs technique for regenerating teeth, the pre-clinical trial subjects were able to eat and chew normally. No current studies have examined the ability of animals to eat using completely regenerated teeth because no one has yet regenerated all the teeth in an animal. In NSUs technique, the soft tissue, or pulp, inside teeth was removed and regenerated. The monkey subjects were able to use their teeth normally to eat and chew.

NSU is in the process of patenting a "regeneration kit" that will allow dentists to deliver stem cell therapies to replace dead tissue inside a tooth. In addition, several companies are collecting baby teeth to harvest stem cells through dental offices. The stem cells are being stored for future regenerative therapies, including growing new teeth or growing other replacement organs. (Source: NSU, Sun Sentinel)

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Cloning Teeth: Medicine’s Next Big Thing?

(CBS News) Patients with brain cancer may face devastating side effects from chemotherapy, but a new study offers a possible solution: stem cells.

Yearly dental X-rays raise brain tumor risk, study finds

Memorial Hermann hospital in Houston to live tweet brain tumor surgery

The stem cells form a shield of sorts against the toxic side effects from chemo, according to the researchers behind the study. It was a small trial that involved only three patients with glioblastoma, the most aggressive and common form of a malignant brain tumor that's usually fatal.

Two of the patients survived longer than predicted with help from the stem cell treatment - an average of 22 months - and a third man from Alaska remains alive today with no disease progression almost three years following treatment.

How does it work?

Many patients with the deadly form of brain cancer possess a gene called MGMT. The MGMT gene is typically turned on and counters the effects from some chemotherapy agents, such as temozolomide, rendering them less effective. As such, people with such a gene often have a particularly poor prognosis.

A drug called benzylguanine can block the MGMT gene, thus making tumors more receptive to chemotherapy, but the combination of the drug and chemo are often too toxic for healthy bone marrow cells.

That's where the new stem cell treatment comes in. By combining bone marrow stem cells with a modified version of MGMT in the form of the new treatment, patients' cells were protected from the toxic effects of the cancer drugs and chemotherapy while keeping the tumor cells targeted.

"This therapy is analogous to firing at both tumor cells and bone marrow cells, but giving the bone marrow cells protective shields while the tumor cells are unshielded," study author Dr. Jennifer Adair, a researcher at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, said in a news release.

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Stem cells boost brain tumor treatments for some patients, study finds

Newswise HOUSTON Prostate cancer cells that defy treatment and display heightened tumor-generating capacity can be identified by levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) expressed in the tumor cells, a research team led by scientists at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center reports in the May 3 edition of Cell Stem Cell.

Using a new technique, we were able for the first time to separate low-PSA and high-PSA prostate cancer cells. This led to the discovery of a low-PSA population of cancer stem cells that appears to be an important source of castration-resistant prostate cancer, said study senior author Dean Tang, Ph.D., professor in MD Andersons Department of Molecular Carcinogenesis.

Hormone therapy is used to block production of testosterone, which fuels prostate cancer growth, via either chemical or physical castration. Tumors eventually resist this approach.

In cell lines and mouse model experiments, the low-PSA cells resisted chemotherapy and thrived under hormone deprivation, the two main prostate cancer drug treatments , the researchers found.

Low-PSA cells were found to be both self-renewing and capable of differentiating into other prostate cancer cell types upon division, a hallmark of stem cells called asymmetric cell division.

Asymmetric cell division is the gold standard feature of normal stem cells, Tang said. Using time-lapse fluorescent microscopy, we were able to show asymmetric cell division by filming a low-PSA cell dividing into one high-PSA cell and one low-PSA cell.

Their findings point to the need to develop new therapeutics to target low-PSA prostate cancer cells that can be combined with hormone therapy to wipe out cancer cells and prevent recurrence.

Low-PSA tumors associated with advanced prostate cancer

Previous research by others indicated that low-PSA tumor cells are rare in early stage disease but become more abundant in advanced prostate cancer. And patients whose tumors were composed of more than 50 percent PSA-positive cells enjoyed longer survival.

This made Tang and colleagues wonder whether the two cell types fundamentally differ from each other and so play different roles in prostate cancer progression.

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Scientists Identify Prostate Cancer Stem Cells Among Low-PSA Cells

Probably the simplest way to describe an artificial hip would be to say that its a ball attached to a stem. The stem is often fastened to the open end of the femur using a glass-like polymer known as bone cement, while the ball takes the place of the original hip bones ball joint, rotating within a corresponding implant in the socket of the pelvis. Although problems can occur at that ball-and-socket interface, they can also result when the bone cement cracks, causing the stem to detach from the femur. Scientists at MIT, however, have developed a new type of nanoscale film coating, designed to keep that from happening.

According to MIT, about 17 percent of patients who receive artificial hips will eventually require a total replacement of the implant due to loosening of the stem. That loosening typically causes patients to experience considerable discomfort, and a loss of mobility. When the existing implant is removed and a new one installed, tissue loss occurs, along with the various risks associated with surgery on the elderly the most common recipients of artificial hips.

The MIT film is intended as a substitute for bone cement. Applied at the stem/bone interface, the film ranges in width from 100 nanometers to one micron, and consists of layers of materials that encourage bone to grow from the femur into the implant. One of those materials is a natural component of bone, known as hydroxyapatite. It is composed of calcium and phosphate, and attracts stem cells from the adjacent bone marrow. Also incorporated into the film is a growth factor that causes those attracted stem cells to transform into osteoblasts, which are bone-producing cells.

Once the osteoblasts gets to work, the spaces between the implant and the existing bone are filled in with new bone. Although it takes at least two to three weeks for the implant to become thoroughly attached, patients should still be able to walk and perform physical therapy in the meantime. Not only should the new bone provide a more secure attachment than bone cement, but it should also make infections much less likely when bone cement is used, bacteria can collect within the gaps that remain between the existing bone and the implant.

Previous attempts have been made at coating implants with hydroxyapatite film, and at introducing growth factor, but they reportedly proved unsatisfactory. The films were thick, unstable and thus broke away from the implants, while it was difficult to keep the growth factor from draining away from the implant site. The MIT scientists, however, are able to precisely control the thickness of the film, and the rate at which it dispenses the growth factor.

So far, the film has been used in animal studies, where it has shown promising results. It is believed that it could be used not only for artificial hips, but also for other metal-in-bone applications such as dental implants, fixation plates, and screws used to set bone fractures.

A paper on the research was recently published in the journal Advanced Materials.

Source: MIT

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Nanocoating designed to keep hip implants where they belong

Newswise NEWARK, N.J. -- Sibling growth factors cooperate to maintain a pool of neuron-generating stem cells in the brain, according to a study published in the journal Stem Cells by researchers at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ).

Numerous soluble proteins and receptors help to maintain neural stem cells (NSCs) supportive environment in central nervous system (CNS). NSCs access some of these nurturing factors by sending cellular extensions into the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF), which is rich in stem cell-promoting proteins.

Insulin-like growth factors (IGF-I and IGF-II) are essential for the growth and development of the CNS. But although they are abundant in the brain and CSF, it was not clear whether they are required by NSCs. Steven Levison, PhD, and Teresa Wood, PhD, of UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School and colleagues now show that IGF-I and II cooperate to maintain NSC numbers and the NSCs ability to self-renew. IGF-I maintains NSC numbers by promoting cell division (via the IGF-I receptor), whereas IGF-II drives the expression of proteins essential for NSC self-renewal and stemness (via the insulin receptor).

The role of IGF-I and -II in maintaining NSC numbers and function might help to explain the cognitive impairments associated with aging, as the abundance of both proteins declines with age.

Disclosure: This study was funded by a Deans grant from UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School, NIH grants (R21HL094905, F31NS065607 and T32-HL069752) and a grant from the LeDucq Foundation.

The University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) is New Jerseys only health sciences university with more than 6,000 students on five campuses attending the state's three medical schools, its only dental school, a graduate school of biomedical sciences, a school of health related professions, a school of nursing and New Jerseys only school of public health. UMDNJ operates University Hospital, a Level I Trauma Center in Newark, and University Behavioral HealthCare, which provides a continuum of healthcare services with multiple locations throughout the state.

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Division of Labor in Neural Stem Cell Maintenance

Readmore: Local, Health, Bpa, Bisphenol a, Vom Saal, Food Packaging, Obesity, Soup Cans, Tin Cans, Plastic, Dangerous Chemical, Fda, Government Ruling

TheFood and Drug Administrationhas rejected a petition from environmentalists that would have banned the plastic-hardening chemical BPA, orbisphenol-afrom all food and drink packaging.

The agency said petitioners fromThe Natural Resources Defense Council'sdid not present compelling scientific evidence that the much-debated chemical is dangerous when used in tin food cans, bottles and other packaging. It's also found in other items like dental sealants, household appliances, and even sports equipment.

As federal scientists continue to study the issue, sowill Mid-Missouri researchers. MU biology professorFrederick vom Saalis a leading researcher into bpa. He's expected to release new research soon linking the chemical to obesity in babies.Fox Newsreports vom Saal believes pregnant women who expose their fetuses to BPA run the risk of having obese children.

"During the development of the fetus, BPA exposure alters the development of stem cells,"explains vom Saal. "Think of it as tripping a switch in the DNA. BPA turns out to be a major factor in the number of fat cells that a person will have later in life."

The Natural Resources Defense Council's petition was the latest attempt by safety advocates to prod regulators into taking action against the chemical, which is found in hundreds of household items.

Some scientists believe exposure to bpa, can harm the reproductive and nervous systems, potentially leading to cancer and other diseases. About 90 percent of americans have traces of bpa in their bodies, mainly because it leaches out of food containers. TheEnvironmental Working Grouphas run tests and found the highest concentrations of bpa in cans of soup, pasta and infant formula. The group offers tipsto reduce your exposure, including using metal water bottles, glass baby bottles, or those laeled bpa-free.

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FDA rejects ban on BPA found in food packaging

A controversial chemical called Bisphenol A (BPA), which is used to harden plastics, is contributing to the global obesity epidemic, according to new research.

The claims by biologist Frederick vom Saal come as the Food and Drug Administration is expected to rule this week -- after four years of study -- on whether to ban the plastic additive from use in food packaging.

Vom Saal told The Daily he will soon release a new study showing that mothers who expose their fetuses to BPA run the risk of having obese children.

"During the development of the fetus, BPA exposure alters the development of stem cells," vom Saal, a professor at the University of Missouri, said. "Think of it as tripping a switch in the DNA. BPA turns out to be a major factor in the number of fat cells that a person will have later in life."

BPA first came to public consciousness in 2007 when concerns were raised that it was leaching from reusable water bottles, leading to most companies reformulating their containers. But the organic compound is still so ubiquitous that it has been found in the urine of 93 percent of Americans over age six. It is used to line metal food and beverage cans, and is found in dental sealants, household appliances and sports equipment.

Critics label BPA an "endocrine disruptor" that acts like synthetic estrogen and link it to a wide range of ailments, including cancer. But its scientific defenders -- as well as regulatory agencies in the United States, Australia, the European Union, Japan, and New Zealand -- say there is no evidence that the minuscule exposure that consumers receive poses a health risk.

Vom Saal said his study shows that even trace amounts of the chemical are enough to disrupt a developing child's genetic structure and lead to metabolic disorders.

His findings are just the latest new evidence that BPA may be playing a role in the global obesity epidemic. Another study released in February by a Spanish research team showed that even small amounts of BPA cause human adult islet cells to produce more fat in the body.

After long declaring that BPA was safe in low doses, the FDA amended its position on the chemical in 2010, stating that ongoing research showed that there was cause for "some concern" for its effects on fetuses and children. In response to a court order, the FDA is now reviewing whether BPA should be removed from food containers, and has agreed to make a decision by Saturday.

Click here to read more from The Daily.

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Chemical in bottles and cans is fueling obesity, says scientist

Public release date: 21-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Ingrid L. Thomas ithomas@aadronline.org 703-299-8084 International & American Associations for Dental Research

Tampa, Fla., USA On March 23, during the 41st Annual Meeting & Exhibition of the American Association for Dental Research (AADR), held in conjunction with the 36th Annual Meeting of the Canadian Association for Dental Research, a symposium titled "TMJ: Stem Cell Biology and Engineering toward Clinical Translation" will provide a rare forum for multidisciplinary discussion of the biology, engineering and clinical translation of fundamental discoveries towards novel clinical therapy. The symposium is co-sponsored by the Craniofacial Biology, Mineralized Tissue and Neuroscience Scientific Research Groups of the International Association for Dental Research. The presentations in this multidisciplinary symposium will represent broad and yet comprehensive approaches toward the understanding of the origin, homeostasis, differentiation, hormonal regulation and bioengineering of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) tissues.

TMJ disorders are a poorly understood cluster of diseases, ranging from neuromuscular pain to severe forms of arthritis. Recently, stem/progenitor cells have been identified in TMJ disc and condyle, with potential origin from neural crest cells in development. Putative TMJ stem/progenitor cells are subjected to local, hormonal and other systemic factors in homeostasis in multiple processes that warrant better elucidation. In parallel, there is an acute demand in the clinical community for the regeneration of various TMJ components, including the disc, condyle, synovium and the mandible.

This symposium will not only provide new aspects of a timely and under-studied subject of TMJ biology and therapeutics, but also use TMJ as a model for the study of other dental and craniofacial structures and diseases.

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This is a summary of sequence #87 titled "TMJ: Stem Cell Biology and Engineering toward Clinical Translation" which will feature abstracts to be presented by M. Embree, M. Detamore, A. Le and S. Kapila at the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental Research. This symposium will take place at 8 a.m. on Friday, March 23, 2012, in room 10 of the Tampa Convention Center.

About the American Association for Dental Research

The American Association for Dental Research (AADR), headquartered in Alexandria, Va., is a nonprofit organization with nearly 4,000 members in the United States. Its mission is: (1) to advance research and increase knowledge for the improvement of oral health; (2) to support and represent the oral health research community; and (3) to facilitate the communication and application of research findings. AADR is the largest Division of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR).

To learn more about the AADR, visit http://www.aadronline.org.

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TMJ: Stem cell biology and engineering toward clinical translation

When skin cells are reprogrammed, many of their cellular properties are recalibrated as they aquire stem cell properties and then are induced to become skin cells again. In order for these "induced" stem cells to be viable in treatment for humans (tissue regeneration, personalized wound healing therapies, etc.), researchers need to understand how they retain or even improve their characteristics after they are reprogrammed.

Since the initial discovery of reprogramming, scientists have struggled with the unpredictability of the cells due to the many changes that occur during the reprogramming process. Classifying specific epigenetic signatures, as this study did, allows researchers to anticipate ways to produce cell types with optimal properties for tissue repair while minimizing unintended cellular abnormalities.

The researchers used reprogrammed cells to generate three-dimensional connective tissue that mimics an in vivo wound repair environment. To verify the role of the protein (PDGFRbeta) in tissue regeneration and maintenance, the team blocked its cellular expression, which impaired the cells' ability to build tissue.

"We determined that successful tissue generation is associated with the expression of PDGFRbeta. Theoretically, by identifying the epigenetic signatures that indicate its expression, we can determine the reprogrammed cells' potential for maintaining normal cellular characteristics throughout development," said first author Kyle Hewitt, PhD, a graduate of the cell, molecular & developmental biology program at the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, and postdoctoral associate in the Garlick laboratory at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine (TUSDM).

"The ability to generate patient-specific cells from the reprogrammed skin cells may allow for improved, individualized, cell-based therapies for wound healing. Potentially, these reprogrammed cells could be used as a tool for drug development, modeling of disease, and transplantation medicine without the ethical issues associated with embryonic stem cells," said senior author Jonathan Garlick, DDS, PhD, a professor in the department of oral and maxillofacial pathology and director of the division of tissue engineering and cancer biology at TUSDM.

Jonathan Garlick is also a member of the cell, molecular & developmental biology program faculty at the Sackler School and the director of the Center for Integrated Tissue Engineering (CITE) at TUSDM.

More information: Hewitt KJ, Shamis Y, Knight E, Smith A, Maione A, Alt-Holland A, Garlick JA. Journal of Cell Science. "PDGFRbeta Expression and Function in Fibroblasts Derived from Pluripotent Cells is Linked to DNA Demethylation" Published online February 17, 2012, doi: 10.1242/jcs.099192

Provided by Tufts University

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Epigenetic signatures direct the repair potential of reprogrammed cells

Public release date: 11-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Karin Eskenazi ket2116@columbia.edu 212-342-0508 Columbia University Medical Center

NEW YORK, NY -- A study by Columbia researchers suggests that cells in the patient's intestine could be coaxed into making insulin, circumventing the need for a stem cell transplant. Until now, stem cell transplants have been seen by many researchers as the ideal way to replace cells lost in type I diabetes and to free patients from insulin injections.

The researchconducted in micewas published 11 March 2012 in the journal Nature Genetics.

Type I diabetes is an autoimmune disease that destroys insulin-producing cells in the pancreas. The pancreas cannot replace these cells, so once they are lost, people with type I diabetes must inject themselves with insulin to control their blood glucose. Blood glucose that is too high or too low can be life threatening, and patients must monitor their glucose several times a day.

A longstanding goal of type I diabetes research is to replace lost cells with new cells that release insulin into the bloodstream as needed. Though researchers can make insulin-producing cells in the laboratory from embryonic stem cells, such cells are not yet appropriate for transplant because they do not release insulin appropriately in response to glucose levels. If these cells were introduced into a patient, insulin would be secreted when not needed, potentially causing fatal hypoglycemia.

The study, conducted by Chutima Talchai, PhD, and Domenico Accili, MD, professor of medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, shows that certain progenitor cells in the intestine of mice have the surprising ability to make insulin-producing cells. Dr. Talchai is a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Accili's lab.

The gastrointestinal progenitor cells are normally responsible for producing a wide range of cells, including cells that produce serotonin, gastric inhibitory peptide, and other hormones secreted into the GI tract and bloodstream.

Drs. Talchai and Accili found that when they turned off a gene known to play a role in cell fate decisionsFoxo1the progenitor cells also generated insulin-producing cells. More cells were generated when Foxo1 was turned off early in development, but insulin-producing cells were also generated when the gene was turned off after the mice had reached adulthood.

"Our results show that it could be possible to regrow insulin-producing cells in the GI tracts of our pediatric and adult patients," Dr. Accili says.

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A new approach to treating type I diabetes? Gut cells transformed into insulin factories

Public release date: 7-Mar-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Colleen Sheehan csheehan@nmh.org 312-926-7769 Northwestern Memorial Hospital

CHICAGO New ongoing research published today in the journal Science Translational Medicine suggests organ transplant recipients may not require anti-rejection medication in the future thanks to the power of stem cells, which may prove to be able to be manipulated in mismatched kidney donor and recipient pairs to allow for successful transplantation without immunosuppressive drugs. Northwestern Medicine and University of Louisville researchers are partnering on a clinical trial to study the use of donor stem cell infusions that have been specially engineered to "trick" the recipients' immune system into thinking the donated organ is part of the patient's natural self, thus gradually eliminating or reducing the need for anti-rejection medication.

"The preliminary results from this ongoing study are exciting and may have a major impact on organ transplantation in the future," said Joseph Leventhal, MD, PhD, transplant surgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and associate professor of surgery and director of kidney and pancreas transplantation at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "With refinement, this approach may prove to be applicable to the majority of patients receiving the full spectrum of solid organ transplants."

Leventhal authored the study along with Suzanne Ildstad, MD, director of the Institute of Cellular Therapeutics at the University of Louisville. It is the first study of its kind where the donor and recipient do not have to be related and do not have to be immunologically matched. Previous studies involving stem cell transplants for organ recipients have included donors and recipients who are siblings and are immunologically identical, something that only occurs in about 25 percent of sibling pairs.

"Being a transplant recipient is not easy. In order to prevent rejection, current transplant recipients must take multiple pills a day for the rest of their lives. These immunosuppressive medications come with serious side effects with prolonged use including high blood pressure, diabetes, infection, heart disease and cancer, as well as direct damaging effects to the organ transplant," said Ildstad. "This new approach would potentially offer a better quality of life and fewer health risks for transplant recipients."

In a standard kidney transplant, the donor agrees to donate their kidney. In the approach being studied, the individual is asked to donate part of their immune system as well. The process begins about one month before the kidney transplant, when bone marrow stem cells are collected from the blood of the kidney donor using a process called apheresis. The donor cells are then sent to the University of Louisville to be processed, where researchers enrich for "facilitating cells" believed to help transplants succeed. During the same time period, the recipient undergoes pre-transplant "conditioning," which includes radiation and chemotherapy to suppress the bone marrow so the donor's stem cells have more space to grow in the recipient's body.

Once the facilitating cell-enriched stem cell product has been prepared, it is transported back to Northwestern, where the recipient undergoes a kidney transplant. The donor stem cells are then transplanted one day later and prompt stem cells to form in the marrow from which other specialized blood cells, like immune cells, develop. The goal is to create an environment where two bone marrow systems exist and function in one person. Following transplantation, the recipient takes anti-rejection drugs which are decreased over time with the goal to stop a year after the transplant.

"This is something I have worked for my entire life," said Ildstad, who pioneered the approach and is known for her discovery of the "facilitating" cell.

Less than two years after her successful kidney transplant, 47-year-old mother and actress Lindsay Porter of Chicago, is living a life that most transplant recipients dream of she is currently free of anti-rejection medications and says at times, she has to remind herself that she had a kidney transplant. "I hear about the challenges recipients have to face with their medications and it is significant. It's almost surreal when I think about it because I feel so healthy and normal." Doctors are hopeful that Porter will not need immunosuppressive drugs long-term, given her progress thus far.

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New transplant method may allow kidney recipients to live life free of anti-rejection medication

The women who had chemotherapy fared much worse than the control group on tests of verbal memory, cognitive processing speed, executive function, and psychomotor speed.

Previous studies suggested that "chemo brain" can persist for five years after treatment, but this study is the first to show possible permanent cognitive damage.

- Los Angeles Times

More Americans are turning to the emergency room for routine dental problems - a choice that often costs 10 times more than preventive care and offers far fewer treatment options than a dentist's office, according to an analysis of government data and dental research.

Most of those emergency visits involve trouble such as toothaches that could have been avoided with regular checkups but went untreated, in many cases because of a shortage of dentists, particularly those willing to treat Medicaid patients, the analysis said.

The number of E.R. visits nationwide for dental problems increased 16 percent from 2006 to 2009, and the report released Tuesday by the Pew Center on the States suggests the trend is continuing.

Emergency rooms generally can offer pain relief and medicine for infected gums but not much more for dental patients. And many patients are unable to find or afford follow-up treatment, so they end up back in the emergency room.

Preventive dental care such as routine teeth cleaning can cost $50 to $100, vs. $1,000 for emergency-room treatment.

- Associated Press

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Personal Health: Chemo brain, stem cells and more

Scientists are usinghydrogen sulphide, the chemical found in stink bombs and bad breath, to strengthen the purity of stem cells, according to the Journal of Breath Research.

Though toxic in large quantities, hydrogen sulphide was shown to increase the purity level of stem cells, which keeps them from reverting to other tissues when they are implanted in a new organ.

In this study, stem cells were taken from dental pulp and converted to liver cells. Hopefully, these cells would help regenerate the liver in case the organ was damaged.

Unfortunately, there isn't a ton of dental pulp (the part in the middle of the tooth) to be harvested for this purpose. The study did not say how many stem cells were produced from the dental pulp.

It is nice to know that hydrogen sulphide which is also found in farts can be used productively, if harvested correctly.

(via WedMD)

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Japanese Scientists Use A Chemical In Bad Breath To Produce Stem Cells