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Building stronger bones, 1 stem cell at a time
January 25, 2008Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are bone marrow-derived cells that are capable of giving rise to various cell types through a process known as differentiation. Although it has been proposed that drugs targeting the in vivo differentiation of these cells might provide a new strategy for regenerative medicine, identifying drugs that are capable of specifically targeting MSCs and that can also regulate their differentiation has proven an enormous obstacle. In a new study, David Scadden and colleagues at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, have determined that the antitumor drug bortezomib (Bzb) targets MSCs and leads to bone cell-specific differentiation. Human and mouse MSCs treated with Bzb effectively differentiated into osteoblasts, the cell type responsible for bone formation. Bzb treatment increased bone formation in normal mice and recovered bone loss in mice with an induced form of osteoporosis. The authors therefore concluded that Bzb might be a novel therapy for bone loss in individuals with some types of cancer as well as those with osteoporosis. The clinical importance of these data for the treatment of patients with cancer accompanied by severe bone disease, such as often occurs in individuals with myeloma, is further highlighted in an accompanying commentary by David Roodman at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System.
Journal of Clinical Investigation
Stem Cell Current Events and Stem Cell News RSSMayo researchers explore issues related to multiple myeloma treatment
Multiple myeloma (MM) is a cancer of plasma cells that affects approximately 3 in 100,000 people each year. Although there is no cure for this disease, researchers have developed treatments that help relieve pain, control complications, and slow the progress of MM in many patients.
Emerging model organisms featured in CSH Protocols
Biological research has long relied on a small number of model organisms, species chosen because they are amenable to laboratory research and suitable for the study of a range of biological problems.
Reversible 3-D cell culture gel invented
Singapore's Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (IBN), which celebrates its fifth anniversary this year, has invented a unique user-friendly gel that can liquefy on demand, with the potential to revolutionize three-dimensional (3D) cell culture for medical research.
What to do with leftover embryos in fertility clinics?
The majority of infertility patients are in favor of using left-over embryos for stem cell research and would also support selling left-over embryos to other couples, according to a recent survey.
Pittsburgh researchers identify source of multipotent stem cells with broad regenerative potential
In a promising finding for the field of regenerative medicine, stem cell researchers at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC have identified a source of adult stem cells found on the walls of blood vessels with the unlimited potential to differentiate into human tissues such as bone, cartilage and muscle.
Stem cells may solve mystery of early pregnancy breast cancer protection
The answer to why an early pregnancy seems to protect against breast cancer could rest with a decrease in stem cells found after animals have given birth, said researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in a report that appears in the current issue of the journal Stem Cell.
Scientists identify genes capable of regulating stem cell function
Scientists from The Forsyth Institute, Boston, MA, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the University of Utah School of Medicine have developed a new system in which to study known mammalian adult stem cell disorders.
Embryonic stem cells might help reduce transplantation rejection
Researchers have shown that immune-defense cells influenced by embryonic stem cell-derived cells can help prevent the rejection of hearts transplanted into mice, all without the use of immunosuppressive drugs.
Stem cell regeneration repairs congenital heart defect
Mayo Clinic investigators have demonstrated that stem cells can be used to regenerate heart tissue to treat dilated cardiomyopathy, a congenital defect.
OU Cancer Institute Scientists Identify New Cancer Stem Cell Marker; Developing Drug to Stop Cancer Recurrence
After years of working toward this goal, scientists at the OU Cancer Institute have found a way to isolate cancer stem cells in tumors so they can target the cells and kill them, keeping cancer from returning.
More Stem Cell Current Events and Stem Cell News Articles
 | The Human Embryonic Stem Cell Debate: Science, Ethics, and Public Policy (Basic Bioethics) CHOICE Outstanding Academic Book for 2002 Human embryonic stem cells can divide indefinitely and have the potential to develop into many types of tissue. Research on these cells is essential to one of the most intriguing medical frontiers, regenerative medicine. It also raises a host of difficult ethical issues and has sparked great public interest and controversy. This book offers a... |
 | Stem Cell Now by Christopher Thomas Scott The essential account of the most important scientific advance—and most volatile ethical debate—of our time While many believe stem cell research holds the key to curing a wide range of ailments, others see this research as opening a Pandora’s box that will devalue human life. In Stem Cell Now, Christopher Scott—executive director of Stanford University’s Stem Cells and Society... |
 | Sex, Science, and Stem Cells by Diana DeGette In August 2001, President George W. Bush announced with fanfare that federal funds would be made available to scientists conducting research on human embryonic stem cell lines—with restrictions. Reading his words, not his lips, was Congresswoman Diana DeGette of Colorado’s First Congressional District, and what she read was this: a ban. “As a practical matter,” scientists could no longer... |
 | The Stem Cell Controversy: Debating the Issues (Contemporary Issue Series) Stem cell research is headline news. Researchers are eager to move forward, state governments and private foundations are rushing to support it, and the sick and afflicted are desperate for its benefits. Yet powerful forces in our society—led by President George W. Bush—find it morally troubling and they are doing all in their powers to restrict its development beyond a very limited scale. ... |
 | Essentials of Stem Cell Biology by Robert Lanza, E. Donnall Thomas, James Thomson, Roger Pedersen, John Gearhart, Brigid Hogan, Douglas Melton, Michael West This abridged version of the bestselling reference Handbook of Stem Cells, Two-Volume Set attempts to incorporate all the essential subject matter of the original two-volume edition in a single volume. The material has been reworked in an accessible format suitable for students and general readers interested in following the latest advances in stem cells, including full color presentation... |
 | Basic Questions on Genetics, Stem Cell Research and Cloning: Are These Technologies Okay to Use? (Biobasics Series) (BioBasics Series) by Linda K. Bevington, Ray G. Bohlin, Gary P. Stewart, John F. Kilner Cutting-edge medical ethics issues are addressed by nationally recognized experts. The BioBasics Series confronts the maze of challenging questions with biblical responses and uncompromising respect for all human... |
 | The Stem Cell Divide: The Facts, the Fiction, and the Fear Driving the Greatest Scientific, Political, and Religious Debate of Our Time by Michael Bellomo There has been much recent debate about the merits, dangers, and nature of stem cell research. Some see in it the answer to every debilitating disease known to man, while others see it as a step away from human cloning. While the battle has raged, research is moving ahead, and California has already passed a measure that will give $3 billion in support to stem cell research. But as politics,... |
 | Stem Cell Research: Medical Applications And Ethical Controversy (The New Biology) by Joseph, Ph.D. Panno |
 | Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Methods and Protocols (Methods in Molecular Biology) For over forty years, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been scrutinized and studied, garnering much attention due to their broad therapeutic efficacy. In Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Methods and Protocols, leaders in the field were assembled to contribute detailed methodologies for the isolation and characterization of human and rodent MSCs. Recently, these vital cells have shown therapeutic... |
 | Fundamentals of the Stem Cell Debate: The Scientific, Religious, Ethical, and Political Issues Few recent advances in science have generated as much excitement and controversy as human embryonic stem cells. The potential of these cells to replace diseased or damaged cells in virtually every tissue of the body heralds the advent of an extraordinary new field of medicine. Controversy arises, however, because current techniques required to harvest stem cells involve the destruction of the... |
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