Category Archives: Georgia Stem Cells

Boron deficiency is one of the most widespread causes of reduced crop yield. Missouri and the eastern half of the United States are plagued by boron deficient soil and, often, corn and soybean farmers are required to supplement their soil with boron; however, little is known about the ways in which corn plants utilize the essential nutrient.

Now, researchers at the University of Missouri have found that boron plays an integral role in development and reproduction in corn plants. Scientists anticipate that understanding how corn uses the nutrient can help farmers make informed decisions in boron deficient areas and improve crop yields.

"Boron deficiency was already known to cause plants to stop growing, but our study showed that a lack of boron actually causes a problem in the meristems, or the stem cells of the plant," said Paula McSteen, associate professor in the Division of Biological Sciences and a researcher in the Bond Life Sciences Center at MU.

"That was completely unknown before. Through a series of experiments involving scientists from several disciplines at MU, we were able to piece together the puzzle and reach a new conclusion."

Meristems comprise the growing points for each plant, and every organ in the plant is developed from these specialized stem cells. Insufficient boron causes these growing points to disintegrate, affecting corn tassels and kernels adversely. When tassels are stunted, crop yields are reduced, McSteen said.

The research evaluated a group of plants stunted by its ability to grow tassels. Kim Phillips, a graduate student in McSteen's lab, mapped the corn plant's genome and found that a genetic mutation stunted tassel growth because it was unable to transport boron across the plant membranes, inhibiting further growth in the plants.

Amanda Durbak, a post-doctoral fellow in the College of Arts and Science at MU, also helped prove boron's usefulness to meristems. She treated two groups of tassel-less corn, one with a boron fertilizer and the other with only water. The group that was treated with boron grew normally, while the group treated with water withered.

Further testing revealed that, at the cellular level, the affected plants' meristems had altered pectin which is strengthened with boron and stabilizes the plant cell. Without the pectin, plant meristems disintegrate.

"By using various techniques and expertise at MU, including genomics, translational experiments with frog eggs, research in the field, cellular testing, and evaluations at the MU Research Reactor Analytical Chemistry facility and at MU Plant and Soil Analysis Facility, the study team drew conclusions that will help corn producers make informed decisions about raising crops in boron deficient zones," McSteen said.

For related video, please go here.

Go here to see the original:
Boron Facilitates Stem Cell Growth and Development in Corn

Georgia has an impressive academic and clinical research history in biomedical science. In 1998 physicians at Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta (in partnership with Emory University) performed the first allogenic umbilical cord blood stem cell transplant on a child for sickle cell disease, resulting in a cure. To attract technology industry professionals, the Georgia Research Alliance creates a collaborative network of researchers. Georgia promotes nonembryonic stem cell and related research, and researchers are performing work on National Institutes of Health-approved human embryonic stem cells to discover treatments for human disease.

No federal legislation in the United States regulates stem cell research except the executive order to not allow federal funding for embryonic stem cell research in cell lines created after August 9, 2001; each state is responsible for determining policy, regulation, and funding. Georgia legislators considered and failed to pass bills in 2006 and 2007 regarding umbilical cord blood banking and stem cell research on nonembryonic sourced stem cells.

Georgias current policy comes from an April 14, 2006, executive order to create the Governors Commission for New Born Umbilical Cord Blood Research and Medical Treatment to establish statewide cord blood banking networks and promote nonembryonic stem cell research, though not providing state funding for this research. Public funding is available through competitive grants from federal sources, such as the National Institutes of Health, and state research funds, as well as private foundations and biotech companies.

The Georgia Research Alliance is a private, nonprofit corporation begun in 1990 to enhance Georgias economy through collaboration by academia, business, and government to encourage technology research and development by attracting top scientists and fostering new business development. Funding is provided by the state, universities, and private sources. The alliances four areas of focus include eminent scholars, research laboratories and equipment, national centers for research and innovation, and technology transfer.

The research universities affiliated with the alliance that have researchers focused on stem cell research include the University of Georgia, the Medical College of Georgia, Emory University, Clark Atlanta University, and the Georgia Institute of Technology. With past investments of over $400 million, the alliance has attracted over 50 eminent scholars, 17 of whom specialize in stem cell research.

The Regenerative Bioscience Center at the University of Georgia conducts research on National Institutes of Health-approved human stem cell lines for translation into clinical therapy to alleviate human diseases. The center promotes cross-discipline and multi-institutional research within the Georgia Research Alliance with the Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State, the Medical College of Georgia, and Emory University. The center increases knowledge, facility, and technology resources to gain external funding. In addition to research, the center provides education to national/international researchers, graduate and undergraduate classes taught by the faculty, and high school students interested in biomedical science careers through the young scholars program.

The Human Embryonic Stem Cell Workshop at the University of Georgia includes four days of hands-on laboratory education and lectures for participants to learn about innovations and the techniques for working with human embryonic stem cell lines. The laboratory portion includes how to propagate, maintain, and cryopreserve undifferentiated stem cells, as well as differentiation techniques using feeders and karyotyping of stem cells. Human Embryonic Stem Cells Symposia are held in conjunction with the workshop to discuss the latest news in stem cell research, tissue engineering, and clinical applications for treating human disease.

Steven Stice, director of the center and professor at the University of Georgia, in collaboration with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, created a kit containing neural cells grown from human embryonic stem cells to detect a broad spectrum of chemical weapons. The device is designed to detect changes in cell activity.

The Stem Cell/Restorative Program at the Medical College of Georgia uses adult stem cells for the treatment of brain injuries. The current studies are in animal models, with the hope of translating them into clinical therapy for adults and children with cerebral palsy and stroke, using adult stem cells.

The Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience opened at the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1995. Researchers at the institute enjoy collaborative relationships across academic disciplines. The institute fosters partnerships or multiple-university research in regenerative medicine and stem cell research.

Read more:

Georgia (Stem Cell) - what-when-how

During the 2006 Georgia General Assembly Session, Georgia Bio (GaBio) opposed passage of Senate Bill 596 that would have banned embyronic stem cell research and therapeutic cloning. The legislation was not approved. Subsequently Georgia Bio commissioned a poll of Georgia voters to assess their opinions on the issues. Results of the poll and other information related to the 2006 Legislative session are below.

During the 2007 General Assembly Session, GaBio opposed passage Senate Bill 148 as written. GaBio supported the efforts of SB 148 to establish a newborn umbilical cord blood bank and provide access to this tissue and blood for research and medical treatment; but opposed references in the bill to embryonic stem cell research as unnecessary to the bills purpose and in some cases unscientific. GaBio's press release on SB 148 is below.

During the 2009 General Assembly Session, GaBio opposed passage of Senate Bill 169. It would criminalize embryonic stem cell research and therapeutic cloning by defining an in vitro embryo as a human being, and prohibiting the creation of an embryo by therapeutic cloning or somatic cell nuclear transfer.

There are numerous scientific and medical organizations that fully support embryonic stem cell research. The area of stem cell research holds incredible promise for the developing treatments and cures for a host disease. GaBio has urged that all forms of stem cell research be pursued including adult stem cells, stem cells derived from post natal tissues and embryonic stem cells.

Georgia Bio, Stem Cell Research Position Statement, Adopted May 11, 2006, by the Board of Directors

Georgia Bio, Position Statement on SB 169, Adopted March 5, 2009

SB 169

Substitute SB 169

4/10/2007: GBP Urges Amending SB 148 To Remove Language Hostile to Stem Cell Research 9/30/2006: Poll: Significant Majority of Georgians Back Embryonic Stem Cell Research and Therapeutic Cloning 7/20/2006: Chambliss, Isakson Vote No on HR 810 7/14/2006: Governor Appoints Umbilical Cord Blood Research Commission 4/12/2006: GBP President Responds to Governor Perdues Order Creating a Cord Blood Research Commission 2/28/2006: Georgia Biomedical Partnership Responds To Georgia Senate Bills 596 and 537

Complete Press Packet (Includes Survey of Georgia Registered Voters Regarding Stem Cell Research issued by Ayres, McHenry & Associates, Inc.)

Read the original post:

Stem Cells in GA - Georgia Bio

Stem Cells COPD Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease(COPD), also known aschronic obstructive lung disease(COLD),chronic obstructive airway disease(COAD),chronic airflow limitation(CAL) andchronic obstructive respiratory disease(CORD), is the co-occurrence ofchronic bronchitisandemphysema, a pair of commonly co-existing diseases of the lungs in which theairwaysbecome narrowed.This leads to a limitation of the flow of air to and from the lungs, causingshortness of breath(dyspnea). In clinical practice, COPD is defined by its characteristically low airflow onlung function tests.In contrast toasthma, this limitation is poorly reversible and usually gets progressively worse over time.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease(COPD), also known aschronic obstructive lung disease(COLD),chronic obstructive airway disease(COAD),chronic airflow limitation(CAL) andchronic obstructive respiratory disease(CORD), is the co-occurrence ofchronic bronchitisandemphysema, a pair of commonly co-existing diseases of the lungs in which theairwaysbecome narrowed.This leads to a limitation of the flow of air to and from the lungs, causingshortness of breath(dyspnea). In clinical practice, COPD is defined by its characteristically low airflow onlung function tests.In contrast toasthma, this limitation is poorly reversible and usually gets progressively worse over time.

COPD is caused by noxious particles or gas, most commonly fromtobacco smoking, which triggers an abnormalinflammatory responsein the lung.The inflammatory response in the larger airways is known aschronic bronchitis, which is diagnosed clinically when people regularly cough upsputum. In thealveoli, the inflammatory response causes destruction of the tissues of the lung, a process known asemphysema. The natural course of COPD is characterized by occasional sudden worsenings of symptoms called acute exacerbations, most of which are caused byinfectionsorair pollution.

Thediagnosisof COPD requireslung function tests. Important management strategies aresmoking cessation,vaccinations,rehabilitation, and drug therapy (often usinginhalers). Some patients go on to requirelong-term oxygen therapyor lung transplantation.

Worldwide, COPD ranked as the sixth leading cause of death in 1990. It is projected to be the fourth leading cause of death worldwide by 2030 due to an increase in smoking rates and demographic changes in many countries. COPD is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S. and the economic burden of COPD in the U.S. in 2007 was $42.6billion in health care costs and lost productivity.

The twofold nature of the pathology has been studied in the past.Furthermore, also in recent studies, many authors found that each patient could be classified as presenting a predominantly bronchial or emphysematous phenotype by simply analyzing clinical, functional, and radiological findings or studying interesting biomarkers.

Bronchitis Lung damage and inflammation in the large airways results in chronic bronchitis. Chronic bronchitis is defined in clinical terms as a cough with sputumproduction on most days for 3months of a year, for 2 consecutive years.In the airways of the lung, the hallmark of chronic bronchitis is an increased number and increased size of thegoblet cellsand>mucous glandsof the airway. As a result, there is more mucus than usual in the airways, contributing to narrowing of the airways and causing a cough with sputum.

Emphysema Lung damage and inflammation of the air sacs results in emphysema.Emphysemais defined as enlargement of the air spacesdistalto the terminal bronchioles, with destruction of their walls.The destruction of air space walls reduces thesurface areaavailable for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxideduring breathing. It also reduces the elasticity of the lung itself, which results in a loss of support for the airways that are embedded in the lung. These airways are more likely to collapse causing further limitation to airflow. The effort made by patients suffering from emphysema during exhalation, causes a pink color in their faces, hence the term commonly used to refer to them, Pink Puffers.

Diagnosis Spirometry can help to determine the severity of COPD. The FEV1 (measured after bronchodilator medication) is expressed as a percentage of a predicted normal value based on a persons age, gender, height and weight: Severity of COPD (GOLD scale) FEV1 % predicted Mild (GOLD 1) 80 Moderate (GOLD 2) 5079 Severe (GOLD 3) 3049 Very severe (GOLD 4) The severity of COPD also depends on the severity of dyspnea and exercise limitation. These and other factors can be combined with spirometry results to obtain a COPD severity score that takes multiple dimensions of the disease into account.

Prognosis COPD usually gradually gets worse over time and can lead to death. The rate at which it gets worse varies between individuals. The factors that predict a poorer prognosis are:

See the rest here:

Stem Cells COPD | Stem Cell Treatments

What Are Stem Cells?

Stem cells are generically defined as precursor or progenitor cells that have the potential to differentiate into a wide variety of tissue. Although often categorized as either embryonic or adult, they actually represent a continuum of cell types that eventually transform into our end-product tissue meaning stem cells can regenerate themselves into any needed type of cell to serve the body. Umbilical blood, dental pulp (from baby teeth, molars and most extracted teeth), and fat tissue (adipose) are rich sources of stem cells (eliminating the ethical issues seen in politics and religion with embryonic stem cells). From Medical Waste to Life-Saving Promise. In the past, extracted teeth and related liposuction surgery adipose tissue has been viewed as medical waste and discarded at a high cost, resulting in the loss of this potential life-saving resource. Now these cells can be saved through a secure collection, processing and banking solution, to take full advantage of the rapidly developing treatments, cures, and therapies as the future of regenerative medicine and life-enhancing alternatives. A new source of adult stem cells that are:

Cells make up all the bodys tissue and organs such as the heart, liver, brain, and skin; serving both a structural and a functional role while performing a wide range of actions to enable the body to work in a normal and healthy state. Most cells in the body have already become what they are programmed to be and will not change. (i.e. a heart cell will always be a heart cell, a liver cell will always be a liver cell).

Stem cells, however, can divide and change into particular types of cells, which under controlled conditions, can grow into organs, bone and tissue. Developed stem cells can help repair the immune system or create replacement cells for those that are lost or damaged by injury or disease. The stem cells found in dental pulp and adipose tissue are a type of non-controversialadult stem cell known as Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). Mesenchymal stem cells can differentiate or mature into whatever cell type is needed in the body (tissue cells). The limitless potential of stem cells from dental & adipose (fat) tissue in use today includes:

This multi-potent potential makes these cells an excellent candidate for regenerative medicine and tissue engineering applications. With all the emerging applications using Mesenchymal stem cells, it is important to understand that these miraculous cells may indeed be the future of medicine for mainstream cellular-therapy applications, including the potential treatment of Parkinsons, Alzheimers, Diabetes Type I & II, Heart Attack, Stroke, MS, ALS, Nerve and Spinal Injury, Cirrhosis of the Liver, and others.

Stem cells from teeth and fatty tissue (Mesenchymal) are different from those found in bone marrow and cord blood (Hematopoietic). Marrow and blood stem cells can be used to treat blood disorders such as leukemia. Stem cells from tissue are different, and can be used to grow a range of tissues including bone, nerve, fat, skin, muscle and cartilage, and maybe even entire organs. Both types appear to be one of the bodys chief tools for self-repair. Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC): Adipose (fat) tissue is a dynamic multi-functional tissue that is found throughout the human body. The stem cells originated from adipose (and teeth) are Mesenchymal stem cells, having the ability to differentiate into bone, muscle, fat, nerve, and cartilage. MSCs are easy to obtain and often considered a waste product in several cosmetic and surgical procedures. Now the medical community is realizing the value of banking these cells to take full advantage of the treatments, cures, and therapies as the future of medicine.

These autologous (cells from the same person for whom they are to be used) adult stem cells are capable of performing three important functions with unique abilities:

Hematopoietic Stem Cells (HSC): While it is not common knowledge, bone marrow transplants are essentially a stem cell transplant. And in December 2012, we had our 1 millionth transplant of hematopoietic stem cells. HSCs are used to treat blood disorders such as leukemia and sickle cell anemia. Emerging stem cell therapies are dependent on the presence of a rich and abundant source of stem cells. Bone marrow and cord blood is a rich source of hematopoietic stem cells.

HSCs are defined by their ability to replenish all blood cell types and their ability to self-renew. It is known that a small number of HSCs can expand to generate a very large number of daughter HSCs. This phenomenon is used in bone marrow transplants, when a small number of HSCs reconstitute the blood system. There is much interest in the molecular requirement for HSC self-renewal, as understanding the ability of HSC to replenish themselves will eventually allow for in vitro renewal and propagation.

Human stem cell banks collect, test, preserve, store and deliver stem cells from individual donors for future use in the preparation of cell lines for use in cures, therapies, or treatments of diseases and age reversing developments. As the wide-ranging benefits become fully understood, the applications for stem cell treatment and uses are growing exponentially.

Read the original here:

Stem Cells Atlanta GA, Stem Cell Therapy, Dental Stem Cells

A genetic variation linked to schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and severe depression wreaks havoc on connections among neurons in the developing brain, a team of researchers reports. The study, led by Guo-li Ming, M.D., Ph.D., and Hongjun Song, Ph.D., of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and described online Aug. 17 in the journal Nature, used stem cells generated from people with and without mental illness to observe the effects of a rare and pernicious genetic variation on young brain cells. The results add to evidence that several major mental illnesses have common roots in faulty "wiring" during early brain development.

"This was the next best thing to going back in time to see what happened while a person was in the womb to later cause mental illness," says Ming. "We found the most convincing evidence yet that the answer lies in the synapses that connect brain cells to one another."

Previous evidence for the relationship came from autopsies and from studies suggesting that some genetic variants that affect synapses also increase the chance of mental illness. But those studies could not show a direct cause-and-effect relationship, Ming says.

One difficulty in studying the genetics of common mental illnesses is that they are generally caused by environmental factors in combination with multiple gene variants, any one of which usually could not by itself cause disease. A rare exception is the gene known as disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (DISC1), in which some mutations have a strong effect. Two families have been found in which many members with the DISC1 mutations have mental illness.

To find out how a DISC1 variation with a few deleted DNA "letters" affects the developing brain, the research team collected skin cells from a mother and daughter in one of these families who have neither the variation nor mental illness, as well as the father, who has the variation and severe depression, and another daughter, who carries the variation and has schizophrenia. For comparison, they also collected samples from an unrelated healthy person. Postdoctoral fellow Zhexing Wen, Ph.D., coaxed the skin cells to form five lines of stem cells and to mature into very pure populations of synapse-forming neurons.

After growing the neurons in a dish for six weeks, collaborators at Pennsylvania State University measured their electrical activity and found that neurons with the DISC1 variation had about half the number of synapses as those without the variation. To make sure that the differences were really due to the DISC1 variation and not to other genetic differences, graduate student Ha Nam Nguyen spent two years making targeted genetic changes to three of the stem cell lines.

In one of the cell lines with the variation, he swapped out the DISC1 gene for a healthy version. He also inserted the disease-causing variation into one healthy cell line from a family member, as well as the cell line from the unrelated control. Sure enough, the researchers report, the cells without the variation now grew the normal amount of synapses, while those with the inserted mutation had half as many.

"We had our definitive answer to whether this DISC1 variation is responsible for the reduced synapse growth," Ming says.

To find out how DISC1 acts on synapses, the researchers also compared the activity levels of genes in the healthy neurons to those with the variation. To their surprise, the activities of more than 100 genes were different. "This is the first indication that DISC1 regulates the activity of a large number of genes, many of which are related to synapses," Ming says.

The research team is now looking more closely at other genes that are linked to mental disorders. By better understanding the roots of mental illness, they hope to eventually develop better treatments for it, Ming says.

Read this article:

Stem cells reveal how illness-linked genetic variation affects neurons