cloning

Cloning advance could lead to designer babies

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 06:59:59 -0400

A new cloning method that relies on skin cells is far more efficient and easier to use than the antiquated methods employed to create Dolly the sheep. And some critics of the science are concerned that the bar may be lowered so far that researchers will be tempted to use the technology to begin to routinely offer designer babies--a realm once exclusively the preserve of science fiction writers. In the new approach, scientists injected skin cells into an early-stage embryo created through in vitro fertilization. The process produced both partial and full clones and can be replicated without the severe defects that afflicted many earlier cloned animals.

"It's unethical and unsafe, but someone may be doing it today," Robert Lanza, chief scientific officer of American biotechnology company Advanced Cell Technology, told The Independent. "Cloning isn't here now, but with this new technique we have the technology that can actually produce a child. If this was applied to humans it would be enormously important and troublesome."

- read the report in The Independent

Related Articles:
Single-parent stem cells may skirt cloning controversy. Cloning report
Mature stem cells prove effective in cloning. Stem cell report
U.S. scientists renew stem cell cloning efforts. Cloning report

Massive skull damage healed by ESCs

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 06:59:59 -0500

Scientists at Johns Hopkins were able to damaged skulls by transplanting human embryonic stem cells directly to the site of massive injuries. Working in the laboratory, the research team took stem cells and created mesenchymal precursor cells which were then seeded on small scaffolds made of a biodegradable material and grafted onto the damaged skulls of mice. Nathaniel Hwang of Johns Hopkins University was the lead researcher in the study--presented at the American Society for Cell Biology's 47th annual meeting--which is believed to be the first that demonstrates the ability of ESCs to trigger musculoskeletal tissue regeneration. The discovery has a variety of potentially revolutionary applications.

- read the report from the Sydney Morning Herald

Related Articles:
In breakthrough, scientists reprogram skin cells into ESCs. Report
Mature stem cells prove effective in cloning. Report
Single-parent stem cells may skirt cloning controversy. Report
Researcher promises cloned embryonic stem cells. Report

Dolly creator scraps cloning, takes new approach

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 06:59:59 -0500

The renowned cloning scientist Ian Wilmut says he's abandoning cloning as a source of medical cures in favor of a new approach that creates stem cells from skin fragments. The new stem cell approach was first developed in Japan by Professor Shinya Yamanaka. Wilmut, who famously cloned Dolly the sheep 10 years ago, calls Yamanaka's discovery "extremely exciting and astonishing." By creating various stem cells from skin fragments, scientists believe they can invent cures for a variety of human ailments, like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and more. And by using a patient's own skin tissue, they can avoid the threat of rejection. Wilmut's high profile could add to the move away from cloning human embryos as a source of therapeutic stem cells--a field that has been mired in controversy even as it advances steadily closer to the reach of scientists. Only last week we reported about a major advance in cloning primate embryos.

- check out the article from The Guardian

Related Articles:
Ian Wilmut discusses how regulations affect stem cell science. Report
Mature stem cells prove effective in cloning. Report
Single-parent stem cells may skirt cloning controversy. Report
Disgraced scientist back at work on cloned embryos. Report
Researcher promises cloned embryonic stem cells. Report

Cloning project makes a major breakthrough

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 06:59:59 -0500

The Independent is reporting that scientists at the Oregon National Primate Research Center are on the verge of announcing that they have developed a new technique for cloning embryos from adult monkeys. Their work is expected to make it much simpler to turn human eggs into cloned embryos. And that would offer a big step toward creating human embryonic stem cells from cloning

The research team has extracted stem cells from the cloned embryos and coaxed them into transforming into heart cells and brain neurons. Professor Alan Trounson told the newspaper that the work represented a key breakthrough in making cloned primate embryos from adult cells. The scientists say that the work was made possible by abandoning the use of ultraviolet light and dyes and relying on a microscopic technique. So far, no cloned embryo implanted into the wombs of rhesus macaque monkeys has led to a birth, though researchers say that could just be a case of "bad luck."

- read the article in The Independent

ALSO: "Failure to outlaw reproductive cloning means it is just a matter of time until cloned individuals share the planet," Brendan Tobin of the Irish Center for Human Rights in Galway, Ireland and one of the chief authors of the UN study told AFP. Report

Related Articles:
Mature stem cells prove effective in cloning. Report
Single-parent stem cells may skirt cloning controversy. Report
Disgraced scientist back at work on cloned embryos. Report
Researcher promises cloned embryonic stem cells. Report

ALSO NOTED: Geron faces critics' wrath;New diagnostics work targets prostate cancer;

Tue, 24 Jul 2007 06:59:58 -0400

Stem Cell Research

Critics maintain that Geron's repeated assertion that it is a year away from beginning trials on its stem cell program serves as an example of research companies that bilk investors for funding work that will never produce results. Blog

Scientists in China say they have created the first cloned rabbit by using a new procedure that takes cells from a fetus. Biotech leaders in the country say the project represents China's advance into the forefront of cloning science. Report

Germany moved one step closer to ending a five-year ban on embryonic stem cell research. Scientists in the European have long complained that the ban was stifling research. Report

A new method of adult stem cell growth, designed in the Area of Cellular Therapy of the University Clinic (University of Navarra), has demonstrated its efficacy in growing cornea stem cells. Report

Fears that therapeutic cloning could become illegal in Missouri have chilled researchers' new-found interest in the state. Report

Cancer Research

The protein IKK-alpha, which is largely absent in a type of skin cancer, serves to guard a gene against mutations, according to researchers at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. "Although IKK-alpha can protect the checkpoint gene 14-3-3-sigma from silencing, IKK-alpha itself is frequently impaired in cancer cells," says Yinling Hu, Ph.D., senior author of the paper. "We are going to define specific downstream targets of IKK-alpha involved in regulating DNA methylation of the checkpoint gene." Release

Doctors at the University of Rochester's James P. Wilmot Cancer Center are first in the world to study a new, targeted agent that zeroes-in on B-cell lymphomas. The new twice-a-day pill offers patients with recurrent disease another choice as their options grow thin. Release

Australian researchers have concluded that the number of stem cells involved in the growth of tumors has been grossly underestimated. In some cancers, all the cells in the tumor contribute to their growth, instead of a small group of stem cells. Report

More Research

Scientists in the UK say they have tested a compound that stopped Alzheimer's from killing brain cells in animal models. They believe that the compound may eventually help lead to a cure to the disease. Report

A rise in the number of animal experiments used for medical research made the UK the most active country in Europe for such work, raising criticism that scientists are too often given a free hand to test animals. Report

Rice University physicists have unveiled an innovative way of finding out how proteins get their shape based on how they unfold when pulled apart. The experimental method could be of widespread use in the field of protein folding science, which has grown dramatically in the past decade, due in part to the discovery that misfolded proteins play a key role in diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Release

Researchers at McGill University have found a clue in developing new drug candidates to fight the hepatitis C virus by identifying a defense mechanism in the virus similar to resistance found in HIV. Report

Researchers at the Center for Genome Sciences at Allegheny General Hospital say that they have demonstrated how bacterial strains can scavenge DNA from each other, making it possible to defend themselves against broad-spectrum antibiotics. Report

A University of Nottingham researcher has been awarded more than £440,000 by the Parkinson's Disease Society to investigate the causes of the condition. Report

Researchers at the University of Michigan say that their investigation into the way that bacteria forms fibers is revealing new clues about the role of protein tangles in diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Report

Coming soon: Protein synthesis without amino acids. Report

Scientists say that certain genetic variations may help HIV patients control their viral loads. Report

Scientists in the U.K. have identified six common genetic variations linked to an increased risk of heart disease. That work would help diagnostics work in the field. Report

A variant of the C3 gene significantly raises the risk of age-related macular degeneration, according to a new study. Report

Disgraced scientist back at work on cloned embryos

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 20:01:39 -0400

In what is shaping up as one of the toughest rehab jobs in science, disgraced Korean scientist Hwang Woo-suk is logging long hours in his new lab. Hwang was accused of one of the biggest frauds in scientific history when he claimed in 2005 to have cloned human embryos and developed embryonic stem cells from them. Hwang apologized for the scam but insisted that he should be allowed to go on with his work. He appears to be doing just that, after he and 30 loyal researchers made the switch from the university to a private lab outside of Seoul. Some experts like Dr. Curt Civin at Johns Hopkins say he just might pull it off--even though his work is likely to get a tremendous amount of scrutiny.

One researcher at the lab says that they have taken stem cells from cloned animal embryos. They believe that they are ready to do the same for human embryos.

- here's the article from The Washington Post

Related Articles:
Magazine retracts discredited paper on embryonic stem cells. Report
Korean scientist faked all evidence of stem cell cloning. Report
S. Korean team to attempt first monkey clone. Report

Genetically modified cows to produce cheap insulin

Mon, 23 Apr 2007 20:01:39 -0400

Scientists working for Bio Sidus in Argentina have developed a genetically modified cow that can produce insulin in its milk. The company says the four cloned calves will start producing the insulin-rich milk when they reach maturity. To clone the cows, scientists insert a human gene into an embryo, which is then implanted in the mother. The insulin is later extracted from the milk. Bio Sidus said that the procedure can be used to develop insulin for 30 percent less than current methods and that 25 of the cows would be enough to provide insulin for all 1.5 million diabetics in Argentina. There are 200 million diabetics worldwide. Bio Sidus is one of a number of companies involved in transgenics.

- read the report on the new insulin manufacturing process from The Standard

Related Article:
EMEA panel recommends goat-milk therapy. Report

ALSO NOTED: Cloning scientist forecasts new approach to stem cells; Leukemia cell linked to relapse is identified;

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 20:01:38 -0400

Stem Cells

Acclaimed scientist Ian Wilmut told an audience in Connecticut that efforts on embryo cloning--often thwarted by government regulators--may be overtaken by research on reprogramming DNA so that adult stem cells can be used to create new stem cells. Report

NPR reports on state funding for stem cell research, and the researchers angling to use the funds to set up the leading programs that will guide most of the work around the globe. Report

In a first of its kind study, researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine have developed a new technique that transports therapeutic stem cells in a multilayer microcapsule that not only protects the cells from being attacked by the body's immune system but also enables them to be seen on X-ray. Release

In a study in rats, neural progenitor cells derived from human fetal stem cells have been shown to protect the vision of animals with degenerative eye disease similar to the kinds of diseases that afflict humans. The new study appears March 28 in the journal Public Library of Science One. Release

An Australian legal ethicist says that a new law on therapeutic cloning will encourage scientists to stay in Australia rather than emigrate. Having research based in Australia also would lure investments, says Loane Skene, and lead to more training for the next generation of scientists. Report

Cancer Research

Scientists at the Children's Cancer Institute Australia have identified the leukemia cell that is responsible for the most common kind of relapse in children. Report

An Institute of Medicine report says that a lack of standards and confusing regulatory authority have hampered the development of biomarkers needed to fight cancer. Report

A study by the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota reports short-term success in using percutaneous cryoablation to freeze kidney tumors. Release

Scientists have discovered how an unusual protein helps a cell bypass damage when making new DNA, thereby averting the cell's self-destruction. But they also discovered that this protein, an enzyme called Dpo4, often makes errors when copying the genomic DNA sequence that later might cause the cell to become cancerous. Release

Preliminary results from an on-going multi-center study presented last week by independent researchers in Europe indicate that a new Gen-Probe PCA3-based test for prostate cancer yielded greater diagnostic accuracy than the free prostate specific antigen test on men with previous negative biopsy. Release

By mimicking nature's way of distinguishing one type of cell from another, University of Wisconsin-Madison scientists now report they can more effectively seek out and kill cancer cells while sparing healthy ones. Report

More Research

Japanese researchers say they have identified a protein that may contribute to the unhealthy buildup of synovial fluid linked to rheumatoid arthritis. The protein, Decoy receptor 3, offers a new approach to developing a medication to treat RA. Report

A conference sponsored by the National Institutes of Health brought together a number of researchers to discuss possible cures for epilepsy. Report

Researchers are developing scaffold-like materials designed to be injected into the body where they will quickly solidify to fit any space, repairing damaged bones, spinal cords, arteries and other tissues. Because the material starts out as a liquid, it fills in the gaps between damaged or missing tissue before hardening into a gel, or "three-dimensional matrix" that eventually disintegrates as it is replaced by healthy tissue, said Alyssa Panitch, an associate professor in Purdue University's Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering. Release

Researchers at Thomas Jefferson University and Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children have found identified a protein that contributes to the wound healing process after a heart attack. Release

Soil bacteria could play a role in fighting depression by activating the neurons that create serotonin. Report

In studying the postmortem brain tissue of adults diagnosed with schizophrenia, researchers found that levels of miRNAs were lower among schizophrenia patients than in persons who were free of psychiatric illness. Release

Researchers at the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease announced they have identified a critical genetic factor in the control of many aspects of heart form and function. Release

Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have shown in a laboratory study that revving up a crucial set of muscle genes counteracts the damage caused by a form of muscular dystrophy. Report

Scientists at Maryland's Johns Hopkins University say they have identified the genetic mutations that trigger a hereditary form of fatal lung disease. Release

The immune system's response against amyloid-beta, the protein that forms plaques in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease, appears to protect the brain from damage in early stages of the devastating neurological disorder. A report from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers finds that lack of a protein required for recruitment of the brain's primary immune cell led to increased amyloid-beta deposits and earlier death in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. The paper will appear in the journal Nature Medicine. Report

Researchers at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and its Donald W. Reynolds Cardiovascular Clinical Research Center received $12.6 million from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation to study cardiac death. Report

The Atlantic Philanthropies is donating $50 million toward the cost of UC San Francisco's new cardiovascular research center. Report

Researchers at Delft University of Technology can predict how nanostructuring--the extreme reduction of structure--will affect the performance of Li-ion batteries. The nanostructuring of battery materials is likely to be common practice in the future, but it is not always performance-enhancing. Report

Preliminary research suggests that use of a novel, potent drug to treat cholesterol disorders decreases triglycerides and increases HDL-C, the "good" cholesterol, but also raises some safety concerns, according to a study in the March 28 issue of JAMA. The study is being released early to coincide with its presentation at the American College of Cardiology's annual conference. Release

Researchers at UC San Diego have discovered that iron-containing nanoparticles being tested for use in several biomedical applications can be toxic to nerve cells and interfere with the formation of their signal-transmitting extensions. Release

Among low-risk middle-aged people with subclinical atherosclerosis, the cholesterol-lowering drug rosuvastatin reduces the rate of progression of arterial thickening and stops but does not reverse atherosclerotic disease, according to a study in the March 28 issue of JAMA. The study is being released early to coincide with its presentation at the American College of Cardiology's annual conference. Release

For depressed people with bipolar disorder who are taking a mood stabilizer, adding an antidepressant medication is no more effective than a placebo (sugar pill), according to results published online on March 28, 2007, in the New England Journal of Medicine. Release

A mutation in one gene HNF4A, associated with diabetes in the young, has been shown to be associated with an average increase in birth weight of 790g. Release

Interspecies stem cells one step closer in Korea

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 19:01:39 -0500

A team of Korean researchers has come close to creating interspecies stem cells by combining monkey cells with cow ova. The resulting blastocyst--a source of stem cells--did not thrive. But researchers say they feel confident that their approach will deliver batches of fresh cells. Culturing new stem cell lines from animal ova would advance research testing new therapies as well as offer an approach that could conceivably avert having to use cloned human embryonic stem cells in therapeutic research. It may also substitute one controversy in exchange for another, as the scientific community confronts a reaction against the development of animal chimeras.

- read the Korea Times report

Researcher promises cloned embryonic stem cells

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 19:01:39 -0500

A top South Korean scientist on the verge of opening a new laboratory in Seoul says he is six months away from creating cloned embryonic stem cells. Professor Park Se-pill at Cheju National University said a team of researchers was preparing to start work in the field, which has been overshadowed by an earlier research hoax involving cloned stem cells by Hwang Woo-suk. Researchers are adamant that patient-specific stem cells offer one of the brightest therapeutic hopes for many people with severe diseases. Cloning the embryonic stem cells can create a perfect match for patients with diseases like diabetes and Alzheimer's.

- read the report on stem cell research from The Korea Times

ALSO: The hype around cloned embryonic stem cell research is obscuring important work in the field that may prove far more effective in treating diseases, according to Professor Austin Smith of the University of Cambridge. Working with stem cells drawn from IVF embryos and adult tissue has received far less attention, says Professor Smith, but may likely offer a much more direct route to new therapies. Report

Related Article:
Magazine retracts discredited paper on embryonic stem cells. Report
Scientists tout adult stem cell study results. Report
Researchers encounter stem cell success, setback. Report