Stem Cell Research
Real estate magnate Robert Klein says he will step down as chairman of the California stem cell agency at the end of 2010. Klein led the effort to pass the $3 billion initiative, helped write the legislation and is credited with a lead role in its organization. The announcement comes at a time that the agency is facing financial problems triggered by the economic crisis, which has been particularly acute in California. Report
The NIH is providing a $500,000 grant to ThermoGenesis to back its efforts to build biomaterials that can deliver stem cell therapies. Story
New York Governor David A. Paterson today announced that more than 100 of the state's scientists are gathering in Albany today to discuss progress made in stem cell research. The meeting is the first under the banner of the New York State Stem Cell Science program. Release
Advanced Cell Technology and its collaborators at OHSU reported the long-term safety and efficacy of human embryonic stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelium produced under manufacturing conditions are suitable for human clinical trials. Release
Genetics
A group of Japanese researchers have detailed how stress causes the DNA and stem cell damage that causes a person's hair to turn gray. And they outline the role of a caretaker gene that guards against the process. Report
Researchers at the University of Queensland say they've made a key breakthrough in their work understanding the genetics of multiple sclerosis. Their work indicates that vitamin D could offer one potential treatment. Story
Scientists have cracked the genetic code of a slate of fungal organisms that trigger infections in humans, paving the way to new therapies. Report
Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory's European Bioinformatics Institute have unveiled the Gene Expression Atlas, which offers researchers the chance to search and compare gene expression data. Release
Cancer Research
Researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, on a quest to find lung cancer stem cells, have developed a unique model to allow further investigation into the cells that many believe may be at the root of all lung cancers. Release
A low cellular level of a tiny fragment of RNA appears to increase the spread of breast cancer in mouse models of the disease, according to researchers at Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research. Release
A new study concludes that prostate cancer patients need three years of chemical castration therapy to gain better odds of survival. Report