TOP STORIES

StemCells, Inc. Announces Preclinical Results Showing its Proprietary Human Neural Stem Cells can Prevent Vision Loss
StemCells, Inc. reported recently that its proprietary HuCNS-SC (R) product candidate (purified human neural stem cells), when transplanted into a well-established animal model, can protect the retina from progressive degeneration.

SPECIAL FEATURE

PROTOCOL: Isolation, Culture and Differentiation of Progenitor Cells from the Central Nervous System
Here, Cold Spring Harbor describes methods for the isolation, culture, and differentiation of neural progenitors from the developing mouse and adult cortex.

SCIENCE

Membrane Fusion at the Synapse: Janus Faced Synaptotagmin-1 Helps to Keep the Fast Pace
Dr. Christian Rosenmund and graduate student Mingshan Xue describe the action of synaptotagmin-1, which acts to catalyze the fusion of the membranes of tiny neurotransmitter-filled bubbles called vesicles with the wall membrane of a neuron.

Penn Researchers Find Key to Sonic Hedgehog Control of Brain Development
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine researchers have discovered how the expression of the Sonic hedgehog gene is regulated during brain development and how mutations that alter this process cause brain malformations.

Without Glial Cells, Animals Lose Their Senses
Rockefeller University scientists show that while neurons play the lead role in detecting sensory information, a second type of cell, the glial cell, pulls the strings behind the scenes.

Brain Development Takes an Unexpected Bend
Researchers in the lab of Whitehead Member Hazel Sive reveal a process called "basal constriction" during which cells of the neural tube's epithelium constrict on the outside to actively shape a conserved and crucial early fold in the brain.

Professor Unveils Research on 'Jennifer Aniston Neuron'
Professor Rodrigo Quian Quiroga discovered that a remarkable type of neuron in the brain fired in an 'abstract' manner to completely different pictures of familiar persons, for example Jennifer Aniston or Halle Berry.

ABSTRACTS

3-Substituted Indolones as Novel Therapeutic Compounds for Neurodegenerative Conditions
Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas and Southern Methodist University have identified a class of compounds, 3-substituted indolones, that can protect neurons from degeneration.

Evidence for a Detrimental Role of Nitric Oxide Synthesized by Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase after Peripheral Nerve Injury
The researchers suggests that nitric oxide of endothelial origin slows down muscle reinnervation by means of detrimental actions on axonal regeneration after peripheral nerve injury.

A Quantitative Assessment of Glutamate Uptake into Hippocampal Synaptic Terminals and Astrocytes: New Insights into a Neuronal Role for Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 2
The relative distribution of the excitatory amino acid transporter 2 between synaptic terminals and astroglia, and the importance of EAAT2 for the uptake into terminals is revealed in this study.

In Vitro Cell Alignment Obtained with a Schwann Cell Enriched Microstructured Nerve Guide with Longitudinal Guidance Channels
This study concludes that orientated 3D nerve guides (decorated with Schwann cells) with their physical and molecular properties may hold great promise in the repair of peripheral nerve lesion and serve as a basis for future experimental regeneration studies.

Evaluation of Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) Conduits for Peripheral Nerve Regeneration
With its strong mechanical properties, good nerve regeneration ability and non-toxicity of its degradation products, poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) nerve conduits can be developed into a useful material to repair nerve damage.

INDUSTRY

BioLife Solutions HypoThermosol(R) Adopted by MicroIslet for Processing Pancreatic Islet Cells to Treat Diabetes
BioLife Solutions Inc. recently announced that MicroIslet Inc. has adopted HypoThermosol for preserving, transporting, and storing pancreatic source material.

POLICY

Australian Embryonic Stem Cell Debate to Begin
State Parliament will begin debating a bill to allow embryonic stem cell research in South Australia.

Cuba Seeks Stronger Economic Ties with Malaysia through Biotechnology
Cuba is seeking for more long-term partnerships with Malaysia in research and development in the biotechnology sector to further strengthen its economic ties with the country.

Missouri Science Board Seeks to Block Suit Over Funding
An attorney for the state urged a judge Wednesday to dismiss a lawsuit by opponents of embryonic stem cell research seeking to block funding to Missouri's Life Sciences Research Board.

More Universities Plan Stem Cell Research
The Irish government is coming under increasing pressure to legislate on stem cell research as two more Irish colleges are expected to follow University College Cork and carry out trials.