Cambridge, MA, USA – Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences were able to produce healthy mice with two mothers that went on to have normal offspring of their own. Mice from two dads were also born but only survived for a couple of days.
Denver, CO, USA – CDK1 is a “normal” protein – its presence drives cells through the cycle of replication. And MHC Class I molecules are “normal” as well – they present bits of proteins on the surfaces of cells for examination by the immune system. But a University of Colorado Cancer Center study published in the journal Cancer Research shows that a population of cancer cells marked by MHC Class I molecules and high CDK1 is anything but normal.
Atlanta, GA, USA – Cells' metabolic needs are not uniform across the brain, researchers have learned. "Knocking out" an enzyme that regulates mitochondria, cells' miniature power plants, specifically blocks the development of the mouse cerebellum more than the rest of the brain. The results are scheduled for publication in Science Advances.
Los Angeles, CA, USA – UCLA researchers have discovered a common process in the development of late-stage, small cell cancers of the prostate and lung. These shared molecular mechanisms could lead to the development of drugs to treat not just prostate and lung cancers, but small cell cancers of almost any organ.
Kanazawa, Japan – A Japan-based research team led by Kanazawa University has identified the MAPK Erk5 as a novel player controlling skeletogenesis. Their research sheds light on the question of how the complex our skeleton generates.
Barcelona, Spain – Researchers at the Centre for Genomic Regulation in Barcelona, Spain, have identified the mechanism by which an important enzyme involved in the differentiation of stem cells is brought to the DNA.
Cleveland, OH, USA – In two newly published papers, a scientific team at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine reports on the discovery and implementation of a new, more efficient method for generating an important brain stem cell in the laboratory. The findings pave the way for greater understanding of the underlying mechanisms of neurological disorders of myelin and ultimately, possible new treatment and prevention options. The studies were published in the September issues of Nature Communications and Stem Cell Reports.
Durham, NC, USA – Biomedical engineers at Duke University have found a critical component for growing self-healing muscle tissues from adult muscle – the immune system. The discovery in mice is expected to play an important role in studying degenerative muscle diseases and enhancing the survival of engineered tissue grafts in future cell therapy applications. The results appeared online October 1 in Nature Biomedical Engineering.
Copenhagen, Denmark – A new method enables non-invasive monitoring of oxygen metabolism in cells that are 3D bioprinted into complex living structures. This has great implications for studies of cell growth and interactions e.g. under tissue-like conditions, as well as for the design of 3D printed constructs facilitating higher productivity of microalgae in biofilms or better oxygen supply for stem cells used in bone and tissue reconstruction efforts.
Singapore, Singapore – A new method developed by researchers at Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) can potentially ensure patient safety for future stem cell-based therapies, by enhancing native stem cell bioelectric signals.
