Stem cell research puts interstate rivalry on holdSeptember 04, 2008Victoria and New South Wales have put aside their competitive interstate rivalry to collaborate on a stem cell research project, as announced by Innovation Minister Gavin Jennings and NSW Minister for Science and Medical Research, Verity Firth, today. Scientists from the Monash Institute of Medical Research (MIMR) and colleagues from New South Wales will compare two different methods of creating patient-specific stem cells: somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS). SCNT, or therapeutic cloning, is one method used to produce a source of individually-tailored stem cells. One aspect to this project will be to source oocytes, or immature egg cells to generate SCNT embryos from which embryonic stem cells are harvested. Both conventional sources (IVF Clinics) and novel sources (adult ovaries and altruistic donors) will be explored. Unlike SCNT, iPS cells are derived from adult cells, such as skin, which are reprogrammed to behave like embryonic stem cells. Dr Paul Verma, Program Leader of MIMR's Stem Cell Biology Program and the Chief Investigator of the Victorian project team, will create the iPS cells for this project. His lab was the first in Australia to create iPS cells in mouse models. This project will allow him to create human iPS cells in Australia for the first time. "On paper, iPS cells appear to be a preferable alternative to working with human embryonic stem cells, but it's too early to make this assumption. Currently, iPS cell lines show variability in their potential to produce mature cells. If we can overcome this, they could certainly offer a great alternative to embryonic stem cells. "Once our team produces the iPS cells, we will compare the properties of iPS versus cells developed through SCNT. Both methods need to be investigated further so we can determine which will produce the most robust cell lines," Dr Verma said. The NSW project team, led by Professor Bernie Tuch, will investigate another method of obtaining oocytes - from consenting adult cancer patients who have had their ovaries removed. Professor Tuch's team will also use their proficiencies in characterising human embryonic stem cell lines and bioinformatics. Mr Jennings said changes to the Victorian Infertility Treatment Act and the NSW Human Cloning and Other Prohibited Practices Act have opened up new opportunities for stem cell research in Australia. "Australia is already a global leader in overall stem cell research and this new and clear regulatory framework gives us an opportunity to extend our leadership into SCNT which could transform how we treat diabetes, heart diseases and Parkinson's," Mr Jennings said. Monash University |
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| Related Stem Cells Current Events and Stem Cells News Articles First use of antibody and stem cell transplantation to successfully treat advanced leukemia For the first time, researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have reported the use of a radiolabeled antibody to deliver targeted doses of radiation, followed by a stem cell transplant, to successfully treat a group of leukemia and pre-leukemia patients for whom there previously had been no other curative treatment options. Magnetic nanoparticles to simultaneously diagnose, monitor and treat Whether it's magnetic nanoparticles (mNPs) giving an army of 'therapeutically armed' white blood cells direction to invade a deadly tumour's territory, or the use of mNPs to target specific nerve channels and induce nerve-led behaviour (such as the life-dependant thumping of our hearts), mNPs have come a long way in the past decade. Of mice and men: Stem cells and ethical uncertainties The recent creation of live mice from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) not only represents a remarkable scientific achievement, but also raises important issues, according to bioethicists at The Johns Hopkins University's Berman Institute of Bioethics. NIH-funded researchers transform embryonic stem cells into human germ cells Researchers funded in part by the National Institutes of Health have discovered how to transform human embryonic stem cells into germ cells, the embryonic cells that ultimately give rise to sperm and eggs. Stem cell therapy may offer hope for acute lung injury Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine have shown that adult stem cells from bone marrow can prevent acute lung injury in a mouse model of the disease. Placental precursor stem cells require testosterone-free environment to survive Trophoblast stem cells (TSCs), cells found in the layer of peripheral embryonic stem cells from which the placenta is formed, are thought to exhibit "immune privilege" that aids cell survivability and is potentially beneficial for cell and gene therapies. Endocrine Society calls for expanded scope and funding for stem cell research Stem cell research holds great promise for the treatment of millions of Americans with debilitating and possibly fatal diseases. Experimental treatments restore partial vision to blind people Two experimental treatments, a retinal prosthesis and fetal tissue transplant, restored some vision to people with blinding eye diseases. The findings, presented at Neuroscience 2009, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world's largest source of emerging news on brain science and health, may lead to new treatments for the blind. Scientists demonstrate link between genetic defect and brain changes in schizophrenia Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine have found that the 22q11 gene deletion - a mutation that confers the highest known genetic risk for schizophrenia - is associated with changes in the development of the brain that ultimately affect how its circuit elements are assembled. Small mechanical forces have big impact on embryonic stem cells Applying a small mechanical force to embryonic stem cells could be a new way of coaxing them into a specific direction of differentiation, researchers at the University of Illinois report. Applications for force-directed cell differentiation include therapeutic cloning and regenerative medicine. More Stem Cells Current Events and Stem Cells News Articles |
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