Monthly Archives: February 2014

FameLab Hong Kong 2014 Finalist: "Pluripotency - The power of stem cells" by Lo Lok Man
Subject: Pluripotency - The power of stem cells.

By: famelabhk

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FameLab Hong Kong 2014 Finalist: "Pluripotency - The power of stem cells" by Lo Lok Man - Video

21.02.2014 - (idw) Universitt Bern

Researchers in Bern have discovered that, during a viral infection, immune cells control the blood stem cells in the bone marrow and therefore also the body's own defences. The findings could allow for new forms of therapy, such as for bone marrow diseases like leukaemia. During a viral infection, the body needs various defence mechanisms amongst other things, a large number of white blood cells (leukocytes) must be produced in the bone marrow within a short period of time. In the bone marrow, stem cells are responsible for this task: the blood stem cells. In addition to white blood cells, blood stem cells also produce red blood cells and platelets.

The blood stem cells are located in specialized niches in the bone marrow and are surrounded by specialized niche cells. During an infection, the blood stem cells must complete two tasks: they must first recognise that more blood cells have to be produced and, secondly, they must recognise what kind of.

Now, for the first time, researchers at the Department of Medical Oncology at the University of Bern and Bern University Hospital headed by Prof. Adrian Ochsenbein have investigated how the blood stem cells in the bone marrow are regulated by the immune system's so-called T killer cells during a viral infection. As this regulation mechanism mediated by the immune system also plays an important role in other diseases such as leukaemia, these findings could lead to novel therapeutic approaches. The study is being published in the peer-reviewed journal Cell Stem Cell today.

T Killer cells trigger defences

This mechanism is important in order to fight pathogens such as viruses or bacteria. However, various forms of the bone marrow disease leukaemia are caused by a malignant transformation of exactly these blood stem cells. This leads to the formation of so-called leukaemia stem cells. In both cases, the mechanisms are similar: the good mechanism regulates healthy blood stem cells during an infection, whilst the bad one leads to the multiplication of leukaemia stem cells. This in turn leads to a progression of the leukaemia.

This similarity has already been investigated in a previous project by the same group of researchers. We hope that this will enable us to better understand and fight infectious diseases as well as bone marrow diseases such as leukaemia, says Carsten Riether from the Department of Clinical Research at the University of Bern and the Department of Medical Oncology at Bern University Hospital and the University of Bern.

Publication details Christian M. Schrch, Carsten Riether, Adrian F. Ochsenbein: Cytotoxic CD8+ T cells stimulate hematopoietic progenitors by promoting cytokine release from bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells, Cell Stem Cell, 20 February 2014, in press. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.stem.2014.01.002 Weitere Informationen:http://www.kommunikation.unibe.ch/content/medien/medienmitteilungen/news/2014/bl...

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Immune cells regulate blood stem cells

Durham, NC (PRWEB) February 21, 2014

A new study released today in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine shows that many patients with defects to the skull, face or jaw bone might benefit from reconstructive surgery combining stem cells taken from adipose (fat) tissue seeded on resorbable scaffolds.

These defects can be due to congenital malformations, such as cleft lip and palate, or to traumatic injuries or surgery to remove a tumor. The use of a patients own bone is still considered the gold standard for reconstructing these defects, but this requires yet another surgery to harvest the bone for the reconstructive procedure. The STEM CELLS Translational Medicine study tracked the case of 13 patients undergoing regenerative medicine procedures.

To our knowledge, this study represents the first GMP-compliant application for autologous adipose-derived stem cells in the treatment of defects at various sites of the cranio-maxillofacial skeleton, said the studys lead investigator, George K. Sndor, M.D., DDS, Ph.D., of the University of Tampere (UT), Tampere, Finland. He and Susanna Miettinen, Ph.D., were lead investigators on the study conducted by scientists and clinicians who, in addition to UT, came from the University of Oulu (Oulu, Finland) and Central Hospital (Jyvskyl, Finland).

Isolated reports of hard tissue (bone) reconstruction in the skull, face or jaw (cranio-maxillofacial skeleton) exist, but multi-patient case series are lacking. This study aimed to review the experience of 13 people with hard tissue defects at four anatomically different sites: the frontal sinus (three cases), cranial bone (five cases), the jaw (three cases) and the nasal septum (two cases).

Stem cells were harvested from adipose tissue in each patients abdomen, treated in the lab and then seeded onto resorbable scaffold materials for implantation back into the patient. The scaffolds were constructed with either bioactive glass or -TCP (a bone graft substitute). In some cases a protein called rhBMP-2, which plays an important role in the development of bone and cartilage, was added, too.

The results were promising. All three of the frontal sinus cases and three of the five cranial defect cases were successfully treated. (The other two cranial cases in which non-rigid resorbable containment meshes were used sustained bone resorption to the point that they required a redo procedure.) One of the two septal perforations failed after a year due to an infection resulting from the patients own actions, but the other healed successfully.

The three patients with reconstructed jaw defects also had good results; in fact, two of them chose to have dental implants placed directly into the stem cell-seeded grafts after healing, allowing these patients to once again enjoy a normal diet.

While the resorption of some of the constructs in the cranial defects was more than expected, Nevertheless, Dr. Sndor said, the majority of these challenging defects 10 of 13 were successfully treated with integration of the stem cell-seeded constructs to the surrounding skeleton at the defect sites. Dr. Miettinen added that the next steps should involve more animal studies and tracking of long-term results in humans.

This case series, involving various sites of defect, illustrates the potential promise of engineering replacement bone in the lab to avoid harvesting bone from the patient, commented Anthony Atala, M.D., editor of STEM CELLS Translational Medicine and director of the Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

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Stem Cells from Fat Tissue Show Promise in Reconstructive Surgeries for Face and Skull

There are reports in the news that scientists are attempting to grow human organs in the laboratory, to use 3D printing to replicate tissues, and to tap into the regenerative power of stem cells.

The science behind the headliines will be discussed in Tissue Regeneration, the next offering in the Science in the News series of free public lectures presented by Yale Science Diplomats. The talk will take place at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25 in the New Haven Free Public Library, 133 Elm St.

Yale Science Diplomats is a group of graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who are dedicated to making science fun and accessible to people of all ages and backgrounds. In their presentations, the group members (and invited researchers) deconstruct complex scientific topics and explain them in a way that is easy to understand.

In Tissue Regeneration, for instance, participants will learn about planaria, tiny worms that can be cut into hundreds of pieces and still regenerate a whole new worm (some live planaria will be on hand). The presentation will also look at cutting-edge research in regeneration biology and how how scientists are working to translate it from the lab to the clinic.

Yale Science Diplomats aims to provide people with a better understanding of the science underpinning many of the complex issues featured in the news every day; to attract students to STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics); and to help policymakers make well-informed decisions on issues related to science. The group members also give presentations at elementary and high school classes in the community and work with teachers to develop hands-on curricula for their classrooms.

The next offerings in the Science in the News series will be: The Origin of Life (March 25), GMOs (April 29), and Quantum Computing (May 27).

For more information, visit the Yale Science Diplomats website.

Continued here:
From worms to stem cells: Talk gives peek into science of tissue regeneration

CBS Pittsburgh (con't)

Affordable Care Act Updates: CBSPittsburgh.com/ACA

Health News & Information: CBSPittsburgh.com/Health

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) After injuries from gymnastics and dance when she was younger, Linda Morning-Starpoole was having terrible knee pain.

Sitting and standing up and getting up and moving, Linda said.

The news from her orthopedic surgeon was not encouraging.

I was sent off with a prescription, and basically said, take this, and when it gets so bad, well take out your knees. And that was really upsetting to me. It was such an ugly picture that was painted for my future, Linda said.

Traditional treatment might involve steroid injections, physical therapy, and joint replacement.

But Linda wanted an alternative. When she first heard about using stem cell injections, she was very intrigued.

The thought of me healing me with my own self is what sold me on the procedure, Linda said.

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Stem Cells Being Used To Treat Knee, Joint Pain