Archive for the ‘Gene Therapy’ Category
Virus-free technique enables Stanford scientists to easily make stem cells pluripotent
STANFORD, Calif. – Tiny circles of DNA are the key to a new and easier way to transform stem cells from human fat into induced pluripotent stem cells for use in regenerative medicine, say scientists at the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Researchers develop new tool for gene delivery
BOSTON (January 27, 2010) — Researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine and the Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences at Tufts have developed a new tool for gene therapy that significantly increases gene delivery to cells in the retina compared to other carriers and DNA alone, according to a study published in the January issue of The Journal of Gene Medicine.
Researchers find new insights into inherited retinal disease
An international team of scientists, led by researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have discovered new links between a common form of inherited blindness affecting children and a gene known as Abelson helper integration site-1 (AHI1).
Animal behavioral studies can mimic human behavior
NEW YORK (Jan. 14, 2010) — Studying animals in behavioral experiments has been a cornerstone of psychological research, but whether the observations are relevant for human behavior has been unclear.
Researchers discover molecular security system that protects cells from potentially harmful DNA
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have discovered a molecular security system in human cells that deactivates and degrades foreign DNA. This discovery could open the door to major improvements in genetic engineering and gene therapy technologies.
Sleeping Beauty hooks up with herpes to fight brain disease
Neuroscientists have forged an unlikely molecular union as part of their fight against diseases of the brain and nervous system.
The team has brought together the herpes virus and a molecule known as Sleeping Beauty to improve a technology known as gene therapy, which aims to manipulate genes to correct for molecular flaws that cause disease.
Gene Therapy and Stem Cells Save Limb
Blood vessel blockage, a common condition in old age or diabetes, leads to low blood flow and results in low oxygen, which can kill cells and tissues. Such blockages can require amputation resulting in loss of limbs. Now, using mice as their model, researchers at Johns Hopkins have developed therapies that increase blood flow, improve movement and decrease tissue death and the need for amputation. The findings, published online last week in the early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, hold promise for developing clinical therapies.
Gene Therapy May Stall Inherited Emphysema
A new type of gene therapy may help stop the progression of emphysema in young people who have an inherited form of the deadly disease.
Researchers say previous attempts to correct the gene mutation that predisposes young people to emphysema have failed to achieve lasting results.
But a new study shows a different approach that targets cells known as alveolar macrophages to deliver the gene therapy to the lungs of mice with this form of inherited emphysema was successful in treating the condition for two years.
Emphysema is a progressive lung disease that causes severe shortness of breath. There is no cure for the disease.
Researchers discover gene therapy to prevent progression of emphysema
(Boston) — Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) have discovered a new gene therapy that may prevent the progression of emphysema. The study, which appears on-line in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, describes a method to express therapeutic genes in lung tissue for a lifetime after only a single treatment.
Cornell researchers identify a weak link in cancer cell armor
ITHACA, N.Y. — The seeming invincibility of cancerous tumors may be crumbling, thanks to a promising new gene therapy that eliminates the ability of certain cells to repair themselves.
Treatment to improve degenerating muscle gains strength
A study appearing in Science Translational Medicine puts scientists one step closer to clinical trials to test a gene delivery strategy to improve muscle mass and function in patients with c
Iowa State University researcher discovers key to vital DNA, protein interaction
AMES, Iowa — A researcher at Iowa State University has discovered how a group of proteins from plant pathogenic bacteria interact with DNA in the plant cell, opening up the possibility for what t
Researchers explore new ways to prevent spinal cord damage using a vitamin B3 precursor
NEW YORK (November 5, 2009) — Substances naturally produced by the human body may one day help prevent paralysis following a spinal cord injury, according to researchers at Weill Cornell Medical C
Researchers explore new ways to prevent spinal cord damage using a vitamin B3 precursor
NEW YORK (November 5, 2009) — Substances naturally produced by the human body may one day help prevent paralysis following a spinal cord injury, according to researchers at Weill Cornell Medical C
Caltech researchers show efficacy of gene therapy in mouse models of Huntington’s disease
Researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have shown that a highly specific intrabody (an antibody fragment that works against a target inside a cell) is capable of stalling the
Toward bold new anti-cancer medicines
Bold new strategies in the battle against cancer may turn forms of the disease that presently are incurable into manageable conditions that can be controlled for long periods of time, according to
Master regulator found for regenerating nerve fibers in live animals
Boston, Mass. — Researchers at Children’s Hospital Boston report that an enzyme known as Mst3b, previously identified in their lab, is essential for regenerating damaged axons (nerve fibers) in a live animal model, in both the peripheral and central nervous systems.
No Data, No Results, No Problem, No Bel!
As a fan of professional science, I was thrilled to hear that the Nobel Peace Prize was offered to President Obama, and not just because I want to hear someone yell “you lie!” during his speech in Oslo before getting tazed by agents of the King. My hope is that the bold initiative taken by the Peace Prize committee will finally extend to all the other Nobel categories.
Michigan hospital launches gene therapy study for Parkinson’s disease
WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. — A Michigan hospital is embarking on a research study for advanced Parkinson’s disease using a state-of-the-art treatment called gene transfer.
The clinical trial will test whether gene transfer therapy is able to restore better mobility in Parkinson’s patients who have lost responsiveness to drug therapy.
And the beat goes on: Scientists jump-start the heart by gene transfer
Scientists from the Universities of Michigan and Minnesota show in a research report published online in the FASEB Journal (http://www.fasebj.org) that gene therapy may be used to improve an ailing heart’s ability to contract properly.
Teen attitudes toward smoking linked to likelihood of drinking and using drugs
NEW YORK (Sept. 30, 2009) — New research by Weill Cornell Medical College researchers looks at the specific ways parents and peers influence teenagers to smoke, drink and use marijuana in combination. Among their findings: attitudes toward smoking influenced teenagers’ use of multiple drugs (smoking, drinking and marijuana), and that this manifested itself differently in boys and girls.
Protein inhibitor helps rid brain of toxic tau protein
Tampa, FL (September 30, 2009) — Inhibiting the protein Hsp70 rapidly reduces brain levels of tau, a protein associated with Alzheimer’s disease when it builds up abnormally inside nerve cells affecting memory, neuroscientists at the University of South Florida found. The study is reported online today in the Journal of Neuroscience.
