January 04, 2010
Scripps Research Team Develops Technique to Determine Ethnic Origin Of Stem Cell Lines
Cells more representative of the US and world populations could lead to more accurate research and safer, more effective therapies
An international team of scientists led by researchers at The Scripps Research Institute has developed a straightforward technique to determine the ethnic origin of stem cells.
The Scripps Research scientists initiated the study—published in the January 2010 edition of the prestigious journal Nature Methods—because the availability of genetically diverse cell lines for cell replacement therapy and drug development could have important medical consequences. Research has shown that discordance between the ethnic origin of organ donors and recipients can influence medical outcomes for tissue transplantation, and that the safety and effectiveness of specific drugs can vary widely depending on ethnic background.
The team's analysis of a variety of human embryonic stem cell lines currently in use in research laboratories around the world found that these cells originated largely from Caucasian and East Asian populations, with little representation from populations originating in Africa. In response to these results, the scientists used skin cells from an individual of West African Yoruba heritage to create a new stem cell line, the first to carry the genetic profile of this ethnic group.
"Ethnic origin is a critical piece of information that should come with every cell line," said Scripps Research Professor Jeanne Loring, Ph.D., who is senior author of the paper. "Everyone who works with stem cells should be doing this kind of analysis."
"Knowing that a big push in the future is using these lines in the clinic and in drug development, there's a need to have an ethnically diverse population of cells," added Louise Laurent, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and research associate at Scripps Research, who is first author of the paper with Caroline Nievergelt, Ph.D., also an assistant professor at UCSD.
Continue reading "Scripps Research Team Develops Technique to Determine Ethnic Origin Of Stem Cell Lines"Institute of Medicine Recommends Stricter Resident Duty Hour Regulations to Prevent Medical Errors
At the request of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce as part of an investigation into preventable medical errors, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) has issued a report recommending further restrictions regarding duty hours for resident physicians and other actions to reduce resident fatigue and ensure patient safety, according to an article published in the January issue of the Journal of the American College of Radiology (JACR).
Continue reading "Institute of Medicine Recommends Stricter Resident Duty Hour Regulations to Prevent Medical Errors"MyoD Helps Stem Cells Proliferate In Response to Muscle Injury
The master regulator of muscle differentiation, MyoD, functions early in myogenesis to help stem cells proliferate in response to muscle injury, according to researchers at Case Western Reserve University. The study appears online Jan. 4 in the Journal of Cell Biology (www.jcb.org).
MyoD is a transcription factor that activates muscle-specific genes as myoblast precursors differentiate and fuse to form mature muscle fibers. But MyoD is also expressed at an earlier stage of myogenesis when quiescent stem cells rapidly expand in number to generate the myoblasts needed to repair tissue damage. The transcription factor's function in this proliferative phase is unknown.
Continue reading "MyoD Helps Stem Cells Proliferate In Response to Muscle Injury"Finally, An Excuse for Pregnant Women to Eat Bacon and Eggs
New epigenetic study in the FASEB Journal shows a link between maternal diet and brain development in gestating mice
Finally, an excuse for pregnant women to eat bacon and eggs
New epigenetic study in the FASEB Journal shows a link between maternal diet and brain development in gestating mice
If you're pregnant and looking for an excuse to eat bacon and eggs, now you've got one: a new research study published in the January 2010 print issue of the FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org) by a team of University of North Carolina researchers shows that choline plays a critical role in helping fetal brains develop regions associated with memory. Choline is found in meats, including pork, as well as chicken eggs.