Stem cell research and regenerative medicine represent two of the most exciting and potentially rewarding disciplines of biomedical science. This resource serves as a reference for some of the recent findings, discoveries and topics.

Hot Topics - 2008

1) Stem cells act through multiple mechanisms to benefit mice with neurodegenerative metabolic disease.
Neural stem cells (NSCs) have a range of therapeutic actions in neurodegenerative diseases. This study investigated the benefit of neural stem cells in a mouse model of Sandhoff disease, which results from a deletion of the b-chain in b-hexosaminidase (Hex), causing deficiencies in the isoenzymes HexA and HexB leading to accumulation of gangliosides within lysosomes throughout the central nervous system. Children with this disease have severe mental retardation and motor dysfunction and death usually occurs in infancy. Click here for additional information.

2) A Novel Function of Interleukin-10 Promoting Self-Renewal of Hematopoietic Stem Cells.
There is evidence that Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs) exhibit the unique ability to self-renew.  However, little is known about the mechanisms associated with promoting this ability during the asymmetric division of HSCs.  This paper examines the role of an immune regulator known as Interleukin-10 (IL-10) on HSC self-renewal using animal models divided into two groups that differed in genotype.  The genotypic difference in the two groups was used in order to identify the origin of the cells being observed as either being derived from the donor or from the recipient (Kang et al, 2007).  Also used in this study was an animal model that lacks the gene for IL-10, known as IL-10 knockout (KO) mice. Click here.

3) Canine Embryo-Derived Stem Cells – Towards Clinical Relevant Animal Models for Evaluating Efficacy and Safety of Cell therapies.

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can generate all types of cells, which could be used to replace damaged cells or to regenerate damaged tissues.  ESCs are of special interest because of their potential clinical application in treating diseases, and replacing pathological cells and tissues.  Currently, ESCs have been extensively studied in mouse; however, understanding the properties of these cells in other animal models is necessary, in particular the animal close to human is need for future development of technologies for humans. Canine (dog) ESCs also have some advantages over mouse ESCs. Canines have a longer life-span than mice; this will enable scientists to do long-term studies with ESCs that are currently impossible in mouse models.  Canine diseases are similar to human diseases; this similarity makes them a better model for human diseases.  The significant size difference between canine and mouse will enable scientist to study and anticipate potential problems when stem cell therapies are scaled up for human delivery.Read more.

4) Functions as a Regulator of Human Hematopoietic Stem Cell or Progenitor Cells.

This summary relates to the role of the Nephroblastoma gene (NOV CCN3) on the functions of Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSCs) and their progenitors. HSCs are present in the adult bone marrow close to the endosteum where the oxygen levels are low. HSCs can self-renew, which provide them with the ability to maintain their total numbers. HSCs demonstrate pluripotency which allows them to differentiate into specialized cells of the immune and blood systems. Hematopoiesis is the process by which blood cells are generated from HSCs. In contrast to HSCs, the progenitors are committed cells and have therefore lost their stemness or pluripotent properties. Due to their limited ability to form multiple lineages, they are referred as multipotent cells.  Read more.

5) Erythropoietin in Cancer: Presumption of Innocence?

One of the major obstacles encountered by drug manufactures developing cancer therapies is the inability to specifically target cancer cells without effecting normal cellular function.  Most drugs currently in use exert their effects by inhibiting various pathways crucial to cell cycling and growth.  In this way, these drugs inhibit tumor growth. The cancer drugs affect normal tissues that rely on continuous cellular renewal, which is the basis for major side effects. These include hair, gut and bone marrow progenitors also inhibited as a side-effect. These inhibitory side effects give rise to the well recognized presentation of hair loss, anemia, and immunosuppression in a patient undergoing chemotherapy. Read more.

6) The Future (R) evolution of Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis/Human Leukocyte Antigen Testing: Ethical Reflections.

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) with HLA (human leukocyte antigen) testing has increasingly become a topic for study as it may prove useful in identifying potentially life-saving properties of umbilical cord blood cells. The ethical issues in conjunction with this type of testing abound, as parents have more reason to conceive another child in order to treat diseased offspring. The method by which parents choose to attain the ends of treating an ill child can vary with regards to PGD/HLA testing, as will be illustrated further in this review. Read more.

7) Isolation, characterization, and in vitro and in vivo differentiation of putative thecal stem cells.

Thecal cells are specialized cells that make up a layer of the ovarian follicles. Their primary purpose is the production of a hormone that is the precursor to estrogen and structural support which are performed by the theca interna and theca externa cells, respectively.  Originally the primary goal of the authors was to isolate female germ line stem cells.  Germ cells are those cells that contain half the DNA necessary for reproduction.  They come from either a male or female and produce the egg and sperm of an organism.  The discovery is that the apparent stem cells were instead, somatic cells rather than germ cells.  Thus, the authors proceeded to characterize the isolated somatic cells as well as functional studies. Read More.

8) Complete Spinal Cord Injury Treatment Using Autologous Bone Marrow Cell Transplantation and Bone Marrow Stimulation with Granulocyte Macrophage-Colony Stimulating Factor: Phase I/II Clinical Trial.

Spinal Cord injury (SCI) patients presently have no curative form of treatments.  The lack of treatments is mainly due to the seeming inability of the Spinal Cord to regenerate after trauma.  Previous experiments have deduced the possibility of Bone Marrow Cell transplantation as a prospect for therapeutic intervention after SCI. The use of bone marrow harvested from the same patient shows a glimpse of hope since these cells have been shown to revive some of the cells which could in turn stimulate the re-growth of the spinal cord.  This re-growth could lead to functional improvement, although the progress may vary without a cure. Read More.

9) BM-MSC Promote Neuronal Networks with Functional Synaptic Transmission After Transplantation into Mice with Neurodegeneration.

Bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) are stem cells found in the bone marrow and have the potential of differentiation into various cell types provided with optimal conditions. Differentiation is a process by which stem cells are naturally or experimentally transformed into other cell types that possess specialized function such as neural cells that are found in the nervous system.  It has been hypothesized that MSCs cells would be able to differentiate and give rise to neural cells within the brain. Researchers believe that by transplanting these cells into damaged tissues may act as an innovative treatment by reversing the damage. One such neurodegenerative disorder is Niemann-Pick Disease type C (NP-C).  NP is an inherited metabolic disorder characterized by accumulation of lipids in the brain due to a defect in cholesterol transport between brain cells. Read More.

10) Selection of Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein-Positive Dopamine Neurons Using the Tyrosine HydroxylasePromoter Is Confounded by Reporter Gene Expression in Immature Cell Populations.  

Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have been proposed for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease (PD) as well as experimental models. Despite their potential, there are scientific problems with ESCs. They are difficult to control mainly to their ease to commit to cells of three germ layers. This uncontrolled growth often leads to unwanted tumor or teratoma formation.  The researchers of this article reasoned that using a mixed population of ESCs would more likely result in teratoma formation than a purified population.  Although fewer dopamine neurons are acquired from a purified population, the researchers argued that teratomas overshadow any behavioral improvement in the PD model.  For this reason, they attempted to eradicate the possibility of teratoma formation by removing the undesired proliferating cells and select for an ideal cell population to derive dopamine neurons. The selected neurons are intended for transplantation into animal model of PD.  Read More.

11) Cardiac stem cells in brown adipose tissue express CD133 and induce bone marrow nonhematopoietic cells to differentiate into cardiomyocytes.

Researchers have been working on a way to repair damaged cardiac tissue after a heart attack. Altering genes and transplanting stem cells into the affected area are two methods that show the most promise of working. This paper focuses on a group of newborn fat cells which could be a source of cardiac cells that could be used for the repair process. The authors also see whether mesenchymal (bone) stem cells when compared with the hematopoietic (blood and immune) stem cells are better at becoming these cardiac cells. Read More

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