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Epigenetics to shape stem cell future
February 20, 2007Everyone hopes that one day stem cell-based regenerative medicine will help repair diseased tissue. Before then, it may be necessary to decipher the epigenetic signals that give stem cells their unique ability to self-renew and transform them into different cell types.
The hype over epigenetic research is because it opens up the possibility of reprograming cells. By manipulating epigenetic marks, cells can be transformed into other cell types without changing their DNA. It is simply a question of adding or removing the chemical tags involved.
Stem cells rely heavily on epigenetic signals. As a stem cell develops, chemical tags on the DNA or its surrounding histone proteins switch genes on or off, controlling a cell's fate.
European labs are breaking ground in both the epigenetic and stem cell arenas. To build on this expertise and stimulate the exchange on novel technologies, the European Science Foundation organised the EuroSTELLS workshop 'Exploring chromatin in stem cells.' The event held on 23- 24 January, 2007 attracted 106 researchers from 15 countries to Montpellier, France.
"Epigenetics and stem cell biology are such clear strengths in the European research community," remarked Bradley Bernstein, a guest speaker from Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. "We've found ourselves working very hard in the US to catch up."
Epigenetic research has benefited tremendously from genome technology, and work in the field is advancing at break-neck speed. "If you think that the first enzymes controlling histone methylation were found in 2001, the acceleration is tremendous," says Robert Feil, a EuroSTELLS researcher based at the CNRS Institute of Molecular Genetics in Montpellier. "We are making good use of past investments in genome sequencing. In the next five years the technology will be ten times faster than it has been so far."
Conference goers reported that new high-throughput approaches and refined analytical techniques promise to fill in some big gaps in understanding how epigenetic tags define a stem cell and how they can be manipulated. With this knowledge on board, researchers will be boosting the odds that one day stem cell therapies will reach the clinic.
EuroSTELLS is the European Collaborative Research (EUROCORES) programme on "Development of a Stem Cell Tool Box" developed by the European Science Foundation.
European Science Foundation
European labs are breaking ground in both the epigenetic and stem cell arenas. To build on this expertise and stimulate the exchange on novel technologies, the European Science Foundation organised the EuroSTELLS workshop 'Exploring chromatin in stem cells.' The event held on 23- 24 January, 2007 attracted 106 researchers from 15 countries to Montpellier, France.
"Epigenetics and stem cell biology are such clear strengths in the European research community," remarked Bradley Bernstein, a guest speaker from Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston. "We've found ourselves working very hard in the US to catch up."
Epigenetic research has benefited tremendously from genome technology, and work in the field is advancing at break-neck speed. "If you think that the first enzymes controlling histone methylation were found in 2001, the acceleration is tremendous," says Robert Feil, a EuroSTELLS researcher based at the CNRS Institute of Molecular Genetics in Montpellier. "We are making good use of past investments in genome sequencing. In the next five years the technology will be ten times faster than it has been so far."
Conference goers reported that new high-throughput approaches and refined analytical techniques promise to fill in some big gaps in understanding how epigenetic tags define a stem cell and how they can be manipulated. With this knowledge on board, researchers will be boosting the odds that one day stem cell therapies will reach the clinic.
EuroSTELLS is the European Collaborative Research (EUROCORES) programme on "Development of a Stem Cell Tool Box" developed by the European Science Foundation.
European Science Foundation
Epigenetic Current Events and Epigenetic News RSSIs hepatic differentiation of embryonic stem cells induced by valproic acid and cytokines?
Embryonic stem (ES) cells, known for their capacity to proliferate indefinitely and differentiate into almost all types of cells including hepatocytes, have raised the hope of cellular replacement therapy for liver failure.
Expectant moms, babies subjects of new Singapore study to prevent obesity and diabetes in adults
Three Singapore biomedical institutions have launched a major, long-term study of pregnant mothers and their fetuses as well as infant children to determine just how profoundly environmental factors early in life influence the onset of diseases such as obesity and diabetes in later years.
Researcher Solves Mystery about Proteins that Package the Genome
A Florida State University College of Medicine researcher has solved a century-old mystery about proteins that play a vital role in the transfer of the human genetic code from one cell to another. The discovery could lead to finding new ways to help the body fight a variety of diseases, including cancer.
MDC scientists show how hematopoietic stem cell development is regulated
During cell division, whether hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) will develop into new stem cells (self-renewal) or differentiate into other blood cells depends on a chemical process called DNA methylation.
Gerton Lab determines the composition of centromeric chromatin
The Stowers Institute's Gerton Lab has provided new evidence to clarify the structure of nucleosomes containing Cse4, a centromere-specific histone protein required for proper kinetochore function, which plays a critical role in the process of mitosis. The work, conducted in yeast cells, was published in the most recent issue of Molecular Cell.
Changes to DNA linked to diabetes
Genes that regulate the energy consumption of cells have a different structure and expression in type II diabetics than they do in healthy people, according to a new study from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet published in Cell Metabolism.
Evolutionarily preserved mechanism governs use of genes
Researchers at Uppsala University have found that the protein coding parts of a gene are packed in special nucleosomes. The same type of packaging is found in the roundworm C elegans, which is a primeval relative of humans.
Scientists Take Early Steps Toward Mapping Epigenetic Variability
The study of eipigenetic variability in cells and tissues could someday help diagnose diseases more precisely and provide more targeted treatments for chronic ailments.
What makes stem cells tick?
Investigators at the Burnham Institute for Medical Research (Burnham) and The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) have made the first comparative, large-scale phosphoproteomic analysis of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and their differentiated derivatives.
Gene shut-down may offer early warning of chronic leukemia
A new study shows that certain genes are turned off early, before clinical signs of the disease appear, in the development of chronic leukemia.
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