TOP STORIES

Shared Survival Mechanism Explains Why 'Good' Nerve Cells Last and 'Bad' Cancer Cells Flourish
Cancer cells and nervous system neurons may not look or act alike, but both use strikingly similar ways to survive, according to new research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine.

SCIENCE

Visit our events page to stay up to date with the latest events in the cell, gene and immunotherapy community.

Company Eyes Brain Implant of Pig Cells for Parkinson's
Living Cell Technologies claimed recently that rat studies show brain cells taken from pigs and wrapped in seaweed gel may be useful to combat Parkinson's disease.

Team Sheds Light on Alzheimer's Mystery
In work that could lead to new drugs to target Alzheimer's disease, MIT researchers and colleagues have shed light on one of the molecular mysteries surrounding this common form of dementia.

Rice University Study Finds Possible Clues to Epilepsy, Autism
Taking an unplanned detour from neurofibromatosis research, Eric Howlett found something interesting: a potential clue to the roots of epilepsy, autism, schizophrenia and other neurological disorders.

Cellular 'Brakes' May Slow Memory Process in Aging Brains
University of Florida researchers may have discovered why some brain cells necessary for healthy memory can survive old age or disease, while similar cells hardly a hairsbreadth away die.

Cylene Pharmaceuticals Initiates Phase II Clinical Trial of Quarfloxin (CX-3543) in Patients with Carcinoid/Neuroendocrine Tumors
Cylene Pharmaceuticals recently announced the initiation of a Phase II clinical trial of quarfloxin (CX-3543) in patients with carcinoid/neuroendocrine tumors, which are malignant cancers arising from neural crest cells.

ABSTRACTS

Content

Cells of Adult Brain Germinal Zone have Properties Akin to Hair Cells and can be Used to Replace Inner Ear Sensory Cells after Damage
Here, the researchers report that in the adult brain of both rodents and humans, the ependymal layer of the lateral ventricle contains cells with proliferative potential, which share morphological and functional characteristics with hair cells.

Length-scale Mediated Adhesion and Directed Growth of Neural Cells by Surface-patterned Poly(ethylene glycol) Hydrogels
The researchers engineered surfaces that permit the adhesion and directed growth of neuronal cell processes but that prevent the adhesion of astrocytes.

Destabilization of the Postsynaptic Density by PSD-95 Serine 73 Phosphorylation Inhibits Spine Growth and Synaptic Plasticity
This study determined that activity-dependent growth of apical spines of CA1 pyramidal neurons is accompanied by destabilization of the PSD that results in transient loss and rapid replacement of PSD-95 and SHANK2.

Expression of Disabled 1 Suppresses Astroglial Differentiation in Neural Stem Cells
To determine the role of Dab1, a cytoplasmic adaptor protein, in neural stem cell differentiation the researchers established a culture of neurospheres derived from the embryonic forebrain of the Dab1−/− mice, yotari.

BAC Transgenesis in Human Embyronic Stem Cells as a Novel Tool to Define the Human Neural Lineage
Here the researchers describe a novel technology for the genetic identification of defined hESC-derived neural cell types using bacterial artificial chromosome transgenesis.

Development of Human Nervous Tissue upon Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells in Three Dimensional Culture
In this study, the researchers report an air/liquid interface-based culture of human ESC that allows three-dimensional cell expansion and neural differentiation in the absence of added growth factors.

INDUSTRY

For Biotech, a Tax Break Spells Hope
Biotechnology industry executives plan to visit Congress on Wednesday to ask for a temporary change in the tax law that would let money-losing companies get cash from the government now, in exchange for tax credits they would pledge not to take if they eventually become profitable.

Banyan Biomarkers Announces Issuance of U.S. Patent for Biomarkers for Traumatic Injury
Banyan Biomarkers, Inc. announced recently that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted U.S. Patent No. 7,456,027, " Proteolytic Biomarkers for Traumatic Injury to the Nervous System", licensed exclusively by Banyan Biomarkers from the University of Florida with the company as co-inventor.

POLICY

ISSCR Releases New Guidelines for the Clinical Translation of Stem Cells
Recently, the ISSCR released new guidelines that examine the scientific, clinical, regulatory, ethical and societal issues that must be addressed to ensure that basic stem cell research is responsibly transitioned into appropriate clinical applications.

Daschle Will Oversee Health Reform Office
Former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle will pull double duty in the Obama administration, where he will serve not only as the Health and Human Services secretary but also oversee a new White House Office of Health Reform.

Critics Top Shortlist for FDA Head
A doctor who once denounced Pfizer Inc. for holding a marketing event in a pool hall is leading President-elect Barack Obama's team formally assessing the troubled Food and Drug Administration, boosting his chances of becoming the next FDA commissioner.

Klein Will Get Paid to Head California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
California's stem cell agency has agreed to start paying a salary to Chairman Robert Klein, who has served unpaid since the institute began four years ago.

Schwarzenegger Nominates San Diegan as Stem Cell Institute Vice Chair
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday nominated Duane Roth, a San Diego biotechnology industry veteran and board member of the state stem cell institute, to serve as the institute's vice chairman.

Vatican Issues Instruction on Bioethics
The Vatican issued its most authoritative and sweeping document on bioethical issues in more than 20 years on Friday, taking into account recent developments in biomedical technology and reinforcing the church's opposition to in vitro fertilization, human cloning, genetic testing on embryos before implantation and embryonic stem cell research.