Stem cells
A new study co-authored by Robert Lanza, the chief scientific officer at Advanced Cell Technology, concludes that animal eggs are not a good source of embryonic stem cells. Report
Two new human embryonic stem cell lines have been created at the University of Connecticut and will be offered to researchers around the country. Story
Engineers at the University of California at San Diego have come up with a way to help accelerate bone growth through the use of nanotubes and stem cells. Release
Millipore says that its recently announced deal to acquire Guava Technologies will let it develop new kits for stem cell research. Report
South Korea's RNL Bio says that in a first it has cloned dogs using stem cell technology. Story
Genomics
Ken Offit, chief of the clinical genetics service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, is leading a new study into the genetics of women who don't develop breast cancer in order to better understand the molecular machinery at work that can prevent disease. Story
Researchers have found genes that function as long RNA molecules, which could help advance work on immune signaling, stem cell biology, and cancer. Story
Scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Texas A&M Health Center, and the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute at Virginia Tech have uncovered genetic clues about why some strains of the pathogen Coxiella burnetii are more virulent than others. Release
A study led by Laurie Ozelius, Ph.D. at Mount Sinai School of Medicine has identified a gene associated with the development of primary torsion dystonia, also known as DYT6 dystonia. Release
Cancer research
A man-made chemical known as NSC 84093 was used to halt the movement of pigment cells in tadpoles, a process that leads to a frog's distinctive green-brown skin tone. If the same approach could be used effectively in humans, researchers say, it could offer a new approach to fighting the development of skin cancer. Report
A team of scientists from Singapore and the University of Dundee say they have discovered how the p53 gene turns itself on and off, which should advance research into halting tumor progression. Story
Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a protein critical for the growth of pancreatic cancer. Blocking the expression of the protein slowed or prevented tumor growth in mice and made cultured cancer cells vulnerable to the conditions of low oxygen that occur in solid tumors. Release