Stem Cell Research
The University of Connecticut is putting the finishing touches to a $52 million renovation project that will soon open up as the new Cell and Genomic Sciences research center. "Our goal is to maximize the state's investment in stem cell research by establishing an infrastructure to support scientists in their quest of turning discoveries at the bench into therapies for diseases such as autism and cancer and to advance the field of regenerative medicine," says Marc Lalande, Director of UConn's Stem Cell Institute. Story
Scientists at The Scripps Research Institute have solved the decade-old mystery of why human embryonic stem cells are so difficult to culture in the laboratory, providing scientists with useful new techniques and moving the field closer to the day when stem cells can be used for therapeutic purposes. Release
Researchers are touting the blood vessels they've grown in animals, saying the same procedure may one day replace the synthetic vessels that are now used. Report
Scientists at the University of Montreal have begun a human study of a new stem cell therapy for patients undergoing coronary bypass procedures. Report
Aastrom Biosciences named Daniel R. Salomon, M.D., Karen K. Hirschi, Ph.D., Marc Penn, M.D., Ph.D., FACC, and Mahendra Rao, M.D., Ph.D., to its newly formed scientific advisory board. Aastrom recruited experts in stem cell biology and cardiovascular disease for the board. Release
Genetics
Experts hailed the discovery of 20 different genes that play a role in kidney disease as a "great breakthrough" that could revolutionize the way the disease is treated. Story
Biomedical informatics specialists have created a new application that allows them to change personal health records in a way that protects their data but allows researchers to pursue studies on genetics and disease. Report
Researchers have been expanding their understanding of the role genetics plays in age-related macular degeneration. Story
A new study from the University of Montreal concludes that mutations in the "SHANK3 gene" are linked to schizophrenia. And the same gene could play a role in other brain ailments. Story
Dutch researchers have found new genetic mutations linked to some cases of inherited deafness. Report
Cancer Research
A research team at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, has shown in a study that two closely related enzymes could be targets for the treatment of lung cancer. The discovery was made when the researchers blocked the production of the two enzymes in transgenic mice. Release
The poisonous metalloid arsenic destroys blood cancer by killing the proteins which keep the disease alive, researchers have claimed. Release
Multiple myeloma researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences recently discovered that widespread activity of a specific class of genes can identify aggressive, or high-risk, cases of the disease. Release