Category Archives: Stem Cell Videos

By Kay Fate The Post-Bulletin, Austin MN

AUSTIN A five-year federal grant totaling more than $1.7 million has been awarded for skin cancer research led by Dr. Rebecca Morris, leader of the stem cells and cancer section at the Hormel Institute.

Morris, whose research uses adult, non-human stem cells, has been working to identify stem cell-regulating genes for 10 years. She now has found a gene that appears to be linked to stem cell numbers and helping to protect against skin tumor development.

The gene also might have an immune function in the skin that can fight bacteria and protect against environmental damage. As stem cell research leads to discoveries to improve health, these cells can be obtained through various ways such as from adult tissue stem cells or through bio-engineering to avoid the ethical issues of how to secure stem cells for treatment.

The new project, funded through 2017, will further Morris' research on that gene and the idea that, through using the gene, stem cells could be used to function as a way to protect the body.

The down side of stem cells is that they seem to be targets for cancer development, Morris said.

This is exciting for us because a gene whose function is to protect may do double duty by regulating stem cell activity related to the immune system, she said. If we can identify this gene, then maybe we could find a way to turn off the stem cells if theyre growing too fast, such as in cancer and other diseases involving too rapid cell growth.

With the title Identification of a Keratinocyte Stem Cell Regulatory Gene in the KSC2 Locus, the project is funded through the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.

The key is to find the genes that control the number and growth potential of epidermal stem cells, Morris said. Then scientists could create more stem cells or make them grow faster, for example, to heal an ulcer or the thinning of skin from aging.

Morris, who joined the institute in 2008, focuses her research on stem cells responsible for healing wounds, maintaining normal tissue integrity and cancer. Her lab uses adult stems cells isolated from the skin through a technique Morris developed when she was a post-doctorate at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

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Hormel Institute receives $1.7 million for skin cancer study

24.08.2012 - (idw) University of Gothenburg

Researchers from the Laboratory of astrocyte biology and CNS regeneration headed by Prof. Milos Pekny just published a research article in a prestigious journal Stem Cells on the molecular mechanism that controls generation of new neurons in the brain. Astrocytes are cells that have many functions in the central nervous system, such as the control of neuronal synapses, blood flow, or the brains response to neurotrauma or stroke. Reduces brain tissue damage

Prof. Peknys laboratory together with collaborators have earlier demonstrated that astrocytes reduce the brain tissue damage after stroke and that the integration of transplanted neural stem cells can be largely improved by modulating the activity of astrocytes. Generation of new neurons

In their current study, the Sahlgrenska Academy researchers show how astrocytes control the generation of new neurons in the brain. An important contribution to this project came from bo Academy, one of Sahlgrenskas traditional collaborative partners.

In the brain, astrocytes control how many new neurons are formed from neural stem cells and survive to integrate into the existing neuronal networks. Astrocytes do this by secreting specific molecules but also by much less understood direct cell-cell interactions with stem cells, says Prof. Milos Pekny. Important regulator

Astrocytes are in physical contact with neural stem cells and we have shown that they signal through the Notch pathway to stem cells to keep the birth rate of new neurons low. We have also shown that the intermediate filament system of astrocytes is an important regulator of this process. It seems that astrocyte intermediate filaments can be used as a target to increase the birthrate of new neurons. Target for future therapies

The article Astrocytes Negatively Regulate Neurogenesis through the Jagged1-Mediated Notch Pathway is published in Stem Cells. function fbs_click() {u=location.href;t=document.title;window.open('http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u='+encodeURIComponent(u)+'&t='+encodeURIComponent(t),'sharer','toolbar=0,status=0,width=626,height=436');return false;} html .fb_share_link { padding:2px 0 0 20px; height:16px; background:url(http://static.ak.facebook.com/images/share/facebook_share_icon.gif?6:26981) no-repeat top left; } Share on Facebook Weitere Informationen: http://bit.ly/NCJEdI - article

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Astrocytes control the generation of new neurons from neural stem cells

ScienceDaily (Aug. 23, 2012) Cancer stem cells are defined by three abilities: differentiation, self-renewal and their ability to seed a tumor. These stem cells resist chemotherapy and many researchers posit their role in relapse. A University of Colorado Cancer Center study recently published in the journal Stem Cells, shows that melanoma cells with these abilities are marked by the enzyme ALDH, and imagines new therapies to target high-ALDH cells, potentially weeding the body of these most dangerous cancer creators.

"We've seen ALDH as a stem cell marker in other cancer types, but not in melanoma, and until now its function has been largely unknown," says the paper's senior author, Mayumi Fujita, MD, PhD, investigator at the CU Cancer Center and associate professor in the Department of Dermatology at the CU School of Medicine.

Fujita's group transplanted ALDH+ and ALDH- melanoma cells into animal models, showing the ALDH+ cells were much more powerfully tumorigenic. In the same ALDH+ cells, the group then silenced the gene that creates this protein, finding that with ALDH knocked down, melanoma cells died in cultures and lost their ability to form tumors in animal models. In cell cultures, silencing this ALDH gene also sensitized melanoma cells to existing chemotherapies. When the group explored human tumor samples, they found distinct subpopulations of these ALDH+ cells, which made up about 0.1-0.2 percent of patients' primary tumors. In samples of metastatic melanoma -- the most aggressive form of the disease -- the percentage of ALDH+ cells was greater, even over 10 percent in some tumors, further implying the powerful danger of these cells.

"In these same ALDH+ cells, we find the markers of stem cells are upregulated and those of cell differentiation are downregulated. In addition to these clues, ALDH+ cells generate the heterogeneous cell types seen in the original tumor," says Fujita, meaning that in addition to self-renewal and tumorigenesis, ALDH+ cells fulfill the third criteria for a cancer stem cell: the ability to differentiate.

The study also shows how the ALDH gene and its protein act to create a cell's stem-like properties.

"One way ALDH makes a cancer stem cell is through the retinoic acid signaling pathway," Fujita says. The protein ALDH leads to the overproduction of retinoic acid, which in turn binds to a cell's nuclear receptors and influences the expression of many of the cell's genes -- for example, genes involved in regulating cell survival, repair, and proliferation, all of which combine to confer chemoresistance. Target cells with high ALDH and you target all the downstream effects, including the retinoic acid signaling pathway.

"Our hope is that we can intervene in this signaling, either at the level of ALDH or elsewhere in the pathway, especially to re-sensitize cells to chemotherapy. Using a new drug to take away a melanoma stem cell's chemoresistance could boost the effectiveness of existing drugs," Fujita says.

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Human melanoma stem cells identified

Cancer stem cells are defined by three abilities: differentiation, self-renewal and their ability to seed a tumor. These stem cells resist chemotherapy and many researchers posit their role in relapse. A University of Colorado Cancer Center study recently published in the journal Stem Cells, shows that melanoma cells with these abilities are marked by the enzyme ALDH, and imagines new therapies to target high-ALDH cells, potentially weeding the body of these most dangerous cancer creators.

Weve seen ALDH as a stem cell marker in other cancer types, but not in melanoma, and until now its function has been largely unknown, says the papers senior author, Mayumi Fujita, MD, PhD, investigator at the CU Cancer Center and associate professor in the Department of Dermatology at the CU School of Medicine.

KEY POINTS:

Fujitas group transplanted ALDH+ and ALDH- melanoma cells into animal models, showing the ALDH+ cells were much more powerfully tumorigenic. In the same ALDH+ cells, the group then silenced the gene that creates this protein, finding that with ALDH knocked down, melanoma cells died in cultures and lost their ability to form tumors in animal models. In cell cultures, silencing this ALDH gene also sensitized melanoma cells to existing chemotherapies. When the group explored human tumor samples, they found distinct subpopulations of these ALDH+ cells, which made up about 0.1-0.2 percent of patients primary tumors. In samples of metastatic melanoma the most aggressive form of the disease the percentage of ALDH+ cells was greater, even over 10 percent in some tumors, further implying the powerful danger of these cells.

In these same ALDH+ cells, we find the markers of stem cells are upregulated and those of cell differentiation are downregulated. In addition to these clues, ALDH+ cells generate the heterogeneous cell types seen in the original tumor, says Fujita, meaning that in addition to self-renewal and tumorigenesis, ALDH+ cells fulfill the third criteria for a cancer stem cell: the ability to differentiate.

The study also shows how the ALDH gene and its protein act to create a cells stem-like properties.

One way ALDH makes a cancer stem cell is through the retinoic acid signaling pathway, Fujita says. The protein ALDH leads to the overproduction of retinoic acid, which in turn binds to a cells nuclear receptors and influences the expression of many of the cells genes for example, genes involved in regulating cell survival, repair, and proliferation, all of which combine to confer chemoresistance. Target cells with high ALDH and you target all the downstream effects, including the retinoic acid signaling pathway.

Our hope is that we can intervene in this signaling, either at the level of ALDH or elsewhere in the pathway, especially to re-sensitize cells to chemotherapy. Using a new drug to take away a melanoma stem cells chemoresistance could boost the effectiveness of existing drugs, Fujita says.

SOURCE: University of Colorado Denver

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Study Identifies Human Melanoma Stem Cells

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire -08/23/12)- Stem cells hold great promise for treating and curing numerous diseases; however, a major challenge facing scientists is how to produce stem cells in the massive quantities required for clinical use. The McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine (McEwen Centre) and the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM) are partnering to establish a fund that will drive research in this area.

The McEwen Centre-CCRM Commercialization Impact Prize launches today, and will solicit innovative ideas from regenerative medicine scientists working in labs throughout the McEwen Centre. The winning team(s) will be awarded up to $600,000 to pursue research that will determine how to manufacture stem cells for clinical use and drug screening.

"This private-public funding partnership is an important step forward to accelerating the advance of a discovery from a lab bench to the patient and onto the global market. Scientists at the McEwen Centre are making significant progress towards finding a cure for diseases such as Type 1 diabetes and heart disease. Collaborative partnerships are the key to discovering the cures sooner!" says Rob McEwen, co-founder of the McEwen Centre, and Chief Owner, McEwen Mining.

Deadline for submissions is October 15, 2012. The Prize will fund up to two, 2-year projects that address the following challenges:

"Overcoming the scale-up and manufacturing challenge of stem cells would be a huge advancement for the regenerative medicine (RM) industry and this initiative fits in perfectly with our mandate to bridge the RM commercialization gap," explains Dr. Michael May, CEO of the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine. "We're very pleased to be working with the McEwen Centre, already a partner of ours, to make this happen."

The Commercialization Impact Prize budget template and application form can be found here: http://ccrm.ca/Commercialization-Impact-Prize or http://mcewencentre.com/ccrm.

About McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine

The McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine was founded by Rob and Cheryl McEwen in 2003 and opened its doors in 2006. The McEwen Centre for Regenerative Medicine, part of Toronto-based University Health Network, is a world leading centre for stem cell research, facilitating collaboration between renowned scientists from 5 major hospitals in Toronto, the University of Toronto and around the world. Supported by philanthropic contributions and research grants, McEwen Centre scientists strive to introduce novel regenerative therapies for debilitating and life threatening illnesses including heart disease, spinal cord injury, diabetes, diseases of the blood, liver and arthritis.

About Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine (CCRM)

CCRM, a Canadian not-for-profit organization funded by the Government of Canada's Networks of Centres of Excellence program and six institutional partners, supports the development of technologies that accelerate the commercialization of stem cell- and biomaterials-based technologies and therapies. A network of academics, industry and entrepreneurs, CCRM translates scientific discoveries into marketable products for patients. CCRM launched in Toronto's Discovery District on June 14, 2011.

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New Partnership to Drive Mass Production of Life-Saving Stem Cells

While a draft plank in the Republican Partys platform supporting a constitutional amendment banning abortion has gotten plenty of attention, so far unnoticed is another culture war provision tucked right alongside it an opposition to federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. We oppose the killing of embryos for their stem cells. We oppose Federal funding of embryonic stem cell research, the draft language reads, mirroring previous years platforms. Youd be forgiven for having dj vu from 2004, when stem cell research was at the top of the agenda of both parties and sparked fierce and emotional debate. Its completely vanished from the political scene since what happened?

Stem cells used to be one of the big three social issues dividing Americans, along with abortion and gay rights. It was a cultural debate engulfing our country today, as then-Kansas Sen. and now Gov. Sam Brownback, a staunch social conservative, saidin 2004. The issue played a major role in that years presidential race, with Democrat John Kerry suggesting that millions of lives were at stake by President Bush preventing federal funds from going to the medical research. Bush, buoyed into office by the Christian right, opposed the taxpayer dollars going to the research because it involves the destruction of embryos, which some social conservatives equate with abortion, and thus murder. Bush issued the first veto of his presidency on a 2006 bill passed by Congress to expand stem cell research, and the topic was a reliable piece of the Bush-Rove machine, along with gay marriage, as columnist Frank Rich noted at the time.

But this year, as in 2008, stem cells are completely absent from the presidential election, despite the cycle being unusually dominated by touchy social issues like abortion, in the wake of Rep. Todd Akins comments. A Nexis search of news articles from 2004 and 2006 for embryonic stem cell research returns more than 3,000 results for each year. So far this year, there were only 724 stories written on the subject.

What changed? Two things one scientific, and one political. First, there were great advances in the way the science is conducted, lessening the need for the destruction of new embryos. In 2007, scientists first reported developing human Induced pluripotent (iPS) stem cells. IPS cells are adult cells that have been genetically reprogrammed to behave like embryonic stem cells. They possess many of the same qualities of embryonic cells, and when they emerged, iPS cells were heralded as a replacements for embryonic stem cells all the scientific benefit with none of the controversial political complications. Bush and other social conservatives had long supported stem cell research, as long as embryos were kept out of it, and iPS seemed to offer that solution. Even though research now suggests iPS cells may not ultimately be an effective replacement for embryonic cells, both for scientific and funding reasons, the advent of the cells effectively deescalated the debate over research and helped move it to the back burner.

Meanwhile, as the scientific paradigm was altered, so too was the political calculus. Despite the best efforts of social conservatives to use the issue as a campaign tool, Republicans have found that their party is deeply divided internally on the issue and unable to win on it. Nancy Reagan famously came out in 2004 in favor of expanded research, while her son, Michael Reagan, spoke at the Democratic National Convention in support of the science. Both saw hope in the research for people like their late husband and father, who suffered from Alzheimers. Despite expectations, the battlefront on the issue didnt fall along traditional pro-choice/pro-life lines. A number of staunchly anti-choice senators like Orrin Hatch and Trent Lott voted in favor of the 2006 bill that Bush vetoed. Republican Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist even wrote an Op-Ed in the Washington Post opposing Bushs policy on stem cells and called for an expansion in the number of embryonic lines available.

Dominique Brossard, who studies public perceptions of controversial scientific topics at the University of Wisconsin, which holds many of the usable embryonic cell lines, said she was surprised the Republican Party platform would include language on stem cells in 2012. I was surprised to hear that they were going to add that issue because as far as public opinion is concerned, this is an issue that wasnt really defined by party lines, she told Salon.

In 2006, the country saw a clear case study of what happens when an election becomes about stem cells, and it did not go well for opponents to the research. Just as Claire McCaskill may hold onto her Senate seat this year because of an opponents retrograde views on one social issue abortion her opponents views on stem cell research are widely credited with helping her win her seat in the first place six years ago. As baseball fans tucked into beers and wings at bar stools and couches across Missouri to watch their underdog St. Louis Cardinals take on the San Diego Padres in the first game of the National League Division Series on Oct. 21, 2006, they saw a powerful message about a different contest just weeks away. Visibly shaking and clearly struggling with his words from the late-stage Parkinsons disease he was fighting, Michael J. Fox told Missouri voters that electing McCaskill would help millions of Americans like me. Research showed the ad to be highly effective, and when Rush Limbaugh attacked Fox he must be either off his medication or acting, Limbaugh said of Foxs shaking the ad exploded into a full-blown national controversy. McCaskill squeaked by in one of the nations closest Senate races, helping Democrats take control of the Senate by a single seat.

So while the national public polling has not changed dramatically support for embryonic research is up 4 percent, to 58 percent, according to Gallup the political dynamics for the GOP have moved. The party may have been divided for some time, as a Gallup poll from 2004 showed Republican voters were split almost evenly 36 percent to 37 percent, on one question of research, but that left a third of voters unsure, and in the vacuum, Bush, as leader of the party, was able to set the agenda. But after Republicans 2006 drubbing, and particularly McCaskills win on this issue, and with no leader like Bush opposing research, the party likely realized they had nothing to gain for fighting on this issue, and thus abandoned it. Its no longer a really good issue for the Republican Party. Its low reward and high risk, Jason Owen-Smith, a sociology professor at the University of Michigan who has studied the debate, told Salon.

The last time stem cell research got much attention in Washington was in 2009, when President Obama signed an executive order dismantling many of the barriers put in place by Bush on federal funding for the research. While there was initially some debate over the National Institutes of Healths new guidelines, when they were finalized, this kind of became a closed issue, Owen-Smith said.

But that doesnt mean its necessarily closed forever. Romney hasnt offered a clear position on embryonic stem cell research. Researchers are worried about the prospect of a Romney presidency. Eli Adashi, a professor and former dean of medicine at Brown University, who has advocated for greater freedoms on scientific research, said the Republican Party platform plank on stem cell research is troubling. He told Salon that, if enacted into law, it would be a death blow to the stem cell research and the burgeoning stem cell pharmaceutical industry. He also said that young researchers choosing which field to specialize in are often turned off from pursuing stem cells because of fears that the field would be jeopardized every four years with possible election of a Republican in the White House.

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Stem cells: A culture war gone quiet

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/khwrrx/circulating_tumor) has announced the addition of the "Circulating Tumor Cells (Ctcs) And Cancer Stem Cells (Cscs) Market - Global Industry Size, Market Share, Trends, Analysis, And Forecasts 2012 - 2018" report to their offering.

The rising prevalence of diseases like cancer and the reimbursement support by regulatory bodies in developed countries like United States and Europe are the major factors driving the growth of the CTCs and CSCs market. Though the currently used detection method lacks sensitivity or specificity to track all CTCs particularly the ones that have lost characteristic epithelial features, there is still good scope for pharmaceutical companies in the CTCs and CSCs field. The various sub-types of cancer may have their own classes and it creates an opportunity in the future.

Increase in cancer mortality rate in the past few years and an increase in number of cancer patients offers an opportunity for pharmaceutical companies to enter this sector. Every one person out of eight has the potential of getting affected by cancer and it is estimated that 12 to 37 lives can be saved daily with the help of CTCs and CSCs.

The major geographic markets for CTCs and CSCs are the U.S. and Europe. The U.S. accounted for more than 50% of the worldwide CTCs and CSC market in 2011.

This research is specially designed to estimate and analyze the demand and performance of CTCs and CSC products in a global scenario. The report covers all the major segments of the global CTC and CSC market and provides in-depth analysis, historical data and statistically refined forecast for the segments covered. The study presents a comprehensive assessment of the stakeholder strategies and winning imperatives for them by segmenting the global CTC and CSC market.

Key Topics Covered:

1. Introduction

2. Executive Summary

3. Market Overview

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Research and Markets: Circulating Tumor Cells (Ctcs) And Cancer Stem Cells (Cscs) Market - Global Industry Size ...

SACRAMENTO, CA - At 4-years-old Rydr Rudgers is able to eat, speak, and walk --all thingshis family wasn't sure he'd ever do after being diagnosed with cerebral palsy as an infant.

"He was born without any brain stem functions; no sucking, no swallowing, no breathing," said Rydr's mother Elisa.

When Rydr was 15-months-old, he began stem cell infusions from his cord blood that was saved in a stem cell bank.Rydris making great progress after three infusionsand can even feed himself.

"These are like huge milestones that people don't think about, but actually being able to hold a fork and eat a sandwich is, in our world, an unanticipated milestone and it's amazing," Elisa Rudgers explained.

"Like autism, cerebral palsy or brain injuries of that nature are a diffused population, it's not one cause,"said Dr. Michael Chez, who is the Medical Director of Pediatric Neurology at the Sutter Neuroscience Institute.

Doctors at the Sutter Neuroscience Institute are now beginning research to evaluate cord blood stem cells to help improve language and behavior in autism patients.

The announcement was made on Tuesday morning at Sutter Medical Plaza.It's the first FDA-approved clinical trial that uses a newborn's stem cells from cord blood to treat autism patients.

Doctors will infuse umbilical cord stem cells into the bloodstreams of 30 children diagnosed with autism.

"We feel it will offer a safe and effective answer to the question of whether the cord blood is an effective intervention as a way to introduce stem cell therapy for autism," Chez said.

Autism impacts one in 88 children and one in 54 boys. According to Sutter doctors, a newborn's umbilical cord blood contains a unique population of stem cells that have been used for more than 20 years in medical practice.

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Doctors to study newborn stem cells as treatment for autism

HANS SAUTTER

In December 2010, Robin Ali became suddenly excited by the usually mundane task of reviewing a scientific paper. I was running around my room, waving the manuscript, he recalls. The paper described how a clump of embryonic stem cells had grown into a rounded goblet of retinal tissue. The structure, called an optic cup, forms the back of the eye in a growing embryo. But this one was in a dish, and videos accompanying the paper showed the structure slowly sprouting and blossoming. For Ali, an ophthalmologist at University College London who has devoted two decades to repairing vision, the implications were immediate. It was clear to me it was a landmark paper, he says. He has transformed the field.

'He' is Yoshiki Sasai, a stem-cell biologist at the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe, Japan. Sasai has impressed many researchers with his green-fingered talent for coaxing neural stem cells to grow into elaborate structures. As well as the optic cup1, he has cultivated the delicate tissue layers of the cerebral cortex2 and a rudimentary, hormone-making pituitary gland3. He is now well on the way to growing a cerebellum4 the brain structure that coordinates movement and balance. These papers make for the most addictive series of stem-cell papers in recent years, says Luc Leyns, a stem-cell scientist at the Free University of Brussels.

Sasai's work is more than tissue engineering: it tackles questions that have puzzled developmental biologists for decades. How do the proliferating stem cells of an embryo organize themselves seamlessly into the complex structures of the body and brain? And is tissue formation driven by a genetic program intrinsic to cells, or shaped by external cues from neighbouring tissues? By combining intuition with patient trial and error, Sasai has found that it takes a delicate balance of both: he concocts controlled environments that feed cells physical and chemical signals, but also gives them free rein to 'do their thing' and organize themselves into issues. He sometimes refers to himself as a Japanese matchmaker who knows that, having been brought together, two strangers need to be left alone. They know what to do, he says. They interact in a delicate manner, and if the external cues are too strong, it will override the internal ones.

Sasai's work could find medical applications. Recapitulating embryonic development in three dimensions, it turns out, generates clinically useful cells such as photoreceptors more abundantly and efficiently than two-dimensional culture can, and houses them in an architecture that mirrors that of the human body. Sasai and his collaborators are now racing to implant lab-grown retinas into mice, monkeys and humans. The way Sasai sees it, maturing stem cells in two-dimensional culture may lead to 'next generation' therapy but his methods will lead to 'next, next generation' therapy.

A bit stiff in movement and reserved in manner, Sasai nevertheless puts on a theatrical show with a cocktail shaker at parties held by his institute after international symposia. My second job is bartender, he says, without a trace of a smile. It is, however, the cocktails he mixes in 96-well culture plates that have earned him scientific acclaim.

Like many members of his family, Sasai studied medicine. But he soon became frustrated by the lack of basic understanding in the field, especially when it came to neurological conditions. Without knowing the brain, a doctor cannot do much for the patient and therapeutics will always be superficial, he recalls thinking. There seemed no better way to know the brain than to study how it emerges and folds in the embryo. It's complex and usually complex systems are messy, says Sasai. But it's one of the most ordered. He wanted to know how this elaborate system was controlled.

We set up the permissive conditions. But after that we don't do anything. Keep them growing and let them do their job.

One piece of the puzzle was well known: the Spemann organizer, a node in vertebrate embryos that induces surrounding cells to become neural tissue. How the organizer works had been a mystery since its discovery in 1924; to find out, Sasai accepted a postdoctoral position at the University of California, Los Angeles. The post got off to a difficult start when Sasai was robbed of his money and passports at the airport on his way to California. But his scientific efforts were soon rewarded. He replaced the passports and within a month produced the clones that gave us the famous gene chordin, says his supervisor, developmental biologist Eddy De Robertis.

Sasai and his colleagues discovered that the chordin protein is a key developmental signal released by the Spemann organizer5. Rather than pushing nearby cells to become neurons, they found, chordin blocks signals that would turn them into other cell types6, 7. The work helped to establish the default model of neural induction: the idea that, without other signals, embryonic cells will follow an internal program to become neural cells.

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Tissue engineering: The brainmaker

TUESDAY, Aug. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Stem cells from amniotic fluid might one day help treat stress urinary incontinence, a condition caused by damaged pelvic floor muscles in which bladder leakage is brought on by exercise, coughing or simply laughing, a new study involving mice suggests.

Researchers in Korea found that this new technique repaired the damaged pelvic floor muscles in the mice, and kept the condition from recurring.

Results obtained in animal studies do not necessarily apply to humans, however, and much more research is needed before this might be considered a viable treatment for people.

Looking for an alternative to surgery to treat stress urinary incontinence, the scientists explored the use of stem cells to repair the weak muscles that cause bladder leakage. To do this in a noninvasive way, they used stem cells from amniotic fluid collected during routine amniocentesis (prenatal testing of amniotic fluid).

"These stem cells ... have the ability to become muscle cells when grown under the right conditions," explained the study's leaders, James Yoo and Tae Gyun Kwon, from Kyungpook National University, in a news release. "We found that the stem cells were able to survive for seven days inside the mice but by 14 days they had all disappeared. Nevertheless, they were able to induce regeneration of the mouse's own urethral sphincter muscle."

The study revealed the stem cells were able to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor. This regenerated muscle also had the right nerve connections. The researchers added that amniotic stem cells do not appear to cause an immune response, such as rejection or tumor growth. Exactly how the stem cells are able to regenerate the muscles remains unclear, they noted.

Stress urinary incontinence is common among women during and after pregnancy and in women aged 40 and older. The study authors noted that men also can develop the condition, particularly those who have undergone prostate surgery.

Current treatments for stress urinary incontinence include a combination of surgery, weight loss, pelvic floor exercises and bladder training.

The study was published Aug. 20 in the journal BMC Medicine.

-- Mary Elizabeth Dallas

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Stem Cells Fix Bladder Leakage in Mice, Study Finds