Labslink Research News

University of Illinois biophysicists measure mechanism that determines fate of living cells

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:53:40 PDT

Cells in the human body do not function in isolation. Living cells rely on communication with their environment—neighboring cells and the surrounding matrix—to activate a wide range of cellular functions, including reproduction of new cells, differentiation of stem cells into distinct cell types, cell adhesion, and migration of white blood cells to fight bodily infections. This cellular communication occurs on the molecular level and it is reciprocal: a cell receives cues from and also transmits function-activating cues to its neighbors.........> Full story

Keeping stem cells strong

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:20:51 PDT

When infections occur in the body, stem cells in the blood often jump into action by multiplying and differentiating into mature immune cells that can fight off illness. But repeated infections and inflammation can deplete these cell populations, potentially leading to the development.......> Full story

Herpes infections: Natural killer cells activate hematopoiesis

Thu, 16 May 2013 16:11:38 PDT

Balanced hematopoiesis is essential for the function of the immune system. During fetal development, hematopoiesis takes place mainly in the liver and the spleen. Later the process is delegated to the bone marrow, and this tissue normally serves as the sole source of blood cells for the rest of one’s lifetime. However, certain infections........> Full story

Heart cells change stem cell behavior

Thu, 02 May 2013 16:14:19 PDT

Stem cells drawn from amniotic fluid show promise for tissue engineering, but it’s important to know what they can and cannot do. A new study by researchers at Rice University and Texas Children’s Hospital has shown that these stem cells can communicate with mature heart cells and form electrical couplings with each other similar to those found in heart tissue. But these electrical connections alone do not prompt amniotic cells to become cardiac cells........> Full story

Stem cells enable personalized treatment for bleeding disorder

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 19:24:24 PDT

Scientists have shed light on a common bleeding disorder by growing and analysing stem cells from patients’ blood to discover the cause of the disease in individual patients.......> Full story

Penn researchers show stem cell fate depends on 'grip'

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 17:07:54 PDT

The field of regenerative medicine holds great promise, propelled by greater understanding of how stem cells differentiate themselves into many of the body’s different cell types. But clinical applications in the field have been slow to materialize, partially owing to difficulties in replicating the conditions these cells naturally experience........> Full story

Researchers find novel mechanism regulating replication of insulin-producing beta cells

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:14:26 PDT

Bringing scientists a step closer to new treatments for diabetes, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and The Mount Sinai Medical Center have discovered a novel mechanism that regulates the replication of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. The findings were recently published online ahead of print in Diabetes, a journal of the American Diabetes Association.........> Full story

Protein paves the way for correct stem cell differentiation

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 15:08:40 PDT

Our new results show that this molecule is required for the function of one of the most important molecular switches that constantly regulates the activity of our genes. If Fbxl10 is not present in embryonic stem cells, the cells cannot differentiate properly and this can lead to developmental defects”, says Professor Kristian Helin, who heads the research group behind the new findings.......> Full story

Cells 'flock' to heal wounds

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 15:06:49 PDT

Like flocks of birds, cells coordinate their motions as they race to cover and ultimately heal wounds to the skin. How that happens is a little less of a mystery today........> Full story

Putting the squeeze on cells

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 19:04:15 PDT

Living cells are surrounded by a membrane that tightly regulates what gets in and out of the cell. This barrier is necessary for cells to control their internal environment, but it makes it more difficult for scientists to deliver large molecules such as nanoparticles for imaging, or proteins that can reprogram them into pluripotent stem cells........> Full story

Modifications of a nanoparticle can change chemical interactions with cell membranes

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 18:59:31 PDT

Researchers at Syracuse University’s Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering at L.C. Smith College of Engineering and Computer Science are studying the toxicity of commonly used nanoparticles, particles up to one million times smaller than a millimeter that could potentially penetrate and damage cell membranes.........> Full story

Target Meeting’s 2nd World Molecular & Cell Biology Online Conference Held on February 5-8, 2013: Join for Free

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:34:12 PDT

A Free Virtual Molecular & Cell Biology Conference at Targetmeeting.com featuring 80+ live presentations (17 sessions) from academic and industry experts around the world. Computer and internet connection are required. Do not need any special equipment or software. All the attendees just connect to the online conference's server to participate in real time with their distinguished counterparts from across the globe. They can participate from their home or office depending on their convenience, which will save them the trouble of traveling and in utilizing their time optimally. Furthermore, attendees can earn the free Certificates of Attendance. It is a great opportunity to learn about recent advances in the field of molecular & cell biology without travel and money cost.

Major sessions (17 sessions) include
Cell signaling pathways
Cell death
RNA biology
Stem cells
GPCR structure & function
Protein structure & modification
Animal model
Cancer biology & therapy
Cell adhesion & migration
Neuron biology & neurological diseases
And many more…

Keynote & Featured Speakers (80+) include
Devyn M. Smith, Chief Operating Officer, Neusentis Research Unit at Pfizer, USA.
Richard G. Pestell, Chairman & Associate Dean, Thomas Jefferson University, USA.
Rolf D Hubmayr, Walter and LeonoreAnnenberg Professor, Mayo Clinic, USA.
Rakesh Srivastava, Tyler Endowed Professor, University of Kansas Medical Center, USA.
Min Du, Professor & Chair, University of Wyoming, USA.
Leif Hertz, Professor, University of Saskatchewan, SK, Canada.
David Hecht, Professor, Chemistry, Southwestern College, USA.
Jacek Jawien, Professor & Chair, Jagiellonian University School of Medicine, Poland.
Steven Stacker, Head, PeterMacCallum Cancer Centre, Australia.
Dan Tulpan, Professor, University of Moncton, Canada.
Romano Maria Fiammetta, Professor, Federico II University of Naples, Italy.
Farid Menaa, Director R&D, Fluorotronics, Inc. USA.
Kathleen L. Hefferon, Professor& Director, Cornell University, USA.
Yin-Yuan Mo, Professor, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, USA.
Ming Pei, Director, West Virginia University, USA.
View all speaker profiles, visit www.targetmeeting.com

Researchers, medical professionals, and other related people can enjoy many benefits by participating in the 2nd World Molecular & Cell Biology Online Conference. They can know, learn and follow up on major developments taking place in the areas of interest. You can have the rare privilege of meeting the best international speakers and world-renowned researchers in real time. You can have that much-needed opportunity of networking and exchanging views with the target audience directly. Participants get a worldwide platform to express their opinions and ideas. With their experience and expertise, they can build a solid reputation and create a tremendous and lasting impact on the community. The 2nd World Molecular & Cell Biology Online Conference can create new opportunities for the leading life science professionals and can help them establish new associations with fellow researchers. According to Target Meeting, all presentations and discussions happen in real time. Importantly, they save the participants the hassle of travel; help them use their valuable time effectively and save money. Participants can ask questions, discuss problems, and exchange their ideas on the online platform. The conference presents them the ultimate opportunity to discuss their proposals and initiatives with global experts, something that perhaps would not have been possible using other methods of communication or correspondence. Target Meeting is a leading online life science conference organizer. Thousands of international speakers and ten thousands of attendees participated in the online symposiums and conferences at Target Meeting. With the persistent efforts, Target Meeting has achieved a well-respected reputation among the attendees and within life science communities, based on the quality of organizers, speakers and scientific programs, as well as excellent attendee experience. They have a solid record of having created outstanding opportunities for scientists and clinicians to share their latest research and in inspiring breakthrough ideas. The conferences are a great way to establish and maintain professional relationships with the best brains in medical science. Sign up early (free) to secure your seat, please visit http://www.targetmeeting.com. Upcoming Free Online Conferences at Target Meeting
• February 5-8, 2013, TM’s 2nd world molecular & cell biology online conference.
• March 19-21, 2013, TM’s 2nd world immunology online conference.
• April 16-18, 2013, TM’s 2nd world virology & microbiology online conference.
• May 21-23, 2013, TM’s 2nd world genetics & genomics online conference.
• June 18-20, 2013, TM’s 2nd world neuroscience online conference.
And many more… Contact: William Smith Target Meeting Williams @ targetmeeting dot com
Address: Belliare, TX, 77401, USA

Stem cell research helps to identify origins of schizophrenia

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:24:33 PDT

New University at Buffalo research demonstrates how defects in an important neurological pathway in early development may be responsible for the onset of schizophrenia later in life.........> Full story

The cell that isn't

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:58:22 PDT

This may look like yet another video of a dividing cell, but there’s a catch. You are looking at chromosomes (red) being pulled apart by the mitotic spindle (green), but it’s not a cell, because there’s no cell membrane. Like a child sucking an egg out of its shell, Ivo Telley from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg.......> Full story

Plvap/PV1 critical to formation of the diaphragms in endothelial cells

Thu, 03 Jan 2013 16:40:12 PDT

Dartmouth scientists have demonstrated the importance of the gene Plvap and the structures it forms in mammalian physiology in a study published in December by the journal Developmental Cell........> Full story

Stem cell 'sticky spots' recreated by scientists

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 17:11:01 PDT

Using synthetic foam type materials to mimic the natural process – known as the extracellular matrix or ECM – scientists, from the University of Sheffield and University of California San Diego, created the random stickiness required for stem cells to properly adhere........> Full story

Study sheds light on how cells transport materials along crowded intercellular 'highways'

Fri, 14 Dec 2012 17:09:37 PDT

The interior of an animal cell is like a small city, with factories—called organelles—dedicated to manufacturing, energy production, waste processing, and other life functions. A network of intercellular "highways," called microtubules, enables bio-molecular complexes, products, and other cargo to move speedily about the cell to keep this vital machinery humming........> Full story

Multitasking plasmonic nanobubbles kill some cells, modify others

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 18:33:38 PDT

Researchers at Rice University have found a way to kill some diseased cells and treat others in the same sample at the same time. The process activated by a pulse of laser light leaves neighboring healthy cells untouched..........> Full story

What keeps a cell's energy source going

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 14:43:14 PDT

Most healthy cells rely on a complicated process to produce the fuel ATP. Knowing how ATP is produced by the cell’s energy storehouse – the mitochondria -- is important for understanding a cell’s normal state, as well as what happens when things go wrong, for example in cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurodegeneration, and many rare disorders of the mitochondria.......> Full story

East Asia faces unique challenges, opportunities for stem cell innovation

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 14:40:51 PDT

Specifically, tension between intellectual property policies and scientific norms of free exchange, but also between eastern and western cultures, national and international interests, and privatized vs. nationalized health care systems........> Full story

Stem cells develop best in 3-D

Wed, 21 Nov 2012 16:06:36 PDT

Stem cells are responsible for tissue growth and tissue repair after injury. Therefore, the discovery that these vital cells grow better in a three-dimensional environment is important for the future treatment of disease with stem cell therapy........> Full story

New technique for sorting live cells may expedite biomedical research

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 16:34:53 PDT

We think this is important because it will make it faster and easier for researchers to sort out the live cells they need for research ranging from disease study to drug development,” says Dr. Xiaoning Jiang, an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and adjunct professor of biomedical engineering at NC State and co-author of a paper on the work........> Full story

Reprogramming cell identity in the pituitary gland

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 13:00:02 PDT

A team of researchers at the IRCM, supervised by Dr. Jacques Drouin, reprogrammed the identity of cells in the pituitary gland and identified critical mechanisms of epigenetic cell programming. This important discovery, published today by the scientific journal Genes & Development, could eventually lead to new pharmacological targets for the treatment of Cushing’s disease........> Full story

Physics explains how sickling cells make people sick

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 12:58:53 PDT

Researchers at Drexel University have identified the physical forces in red blood cells and blood vessels underlying the painful symptoms of sickle cell disease. Their experiment, the first to answer a scientific question about sickle cell disease using microfluidics engineering methods.........> Full story

Cells control energy metabolism via hedgehog signalling pathway

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 18:44:02 PDT

Hedgehog was initially identified as an important protein for embryonic development across various organisms. Without hedgehog, the physiological partitions of the embryo become indistinct. However, hedgehog also influences replication, migration and specialisation of cells – that is, the processes that also play a role in carcinogenesis.......> Full story

Adult stem cells change their epigenome to generate new organs

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 17:35:40 PDT

The team led by Manel Esteller, director of the Cancer Epigenetics and Biology Program in the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Professor of Genetics at the University of Barcelona and ICREA researcher, has identified epigenetic changes that occur in adult stem cells to generate different body tissues. The finding is published this week in The American Journal of Pathology.......> Full story

Researchers harness the immune system to improve stem cell transplant outcomes

Mon, 01 Oct 2012 17:14:00 PDT

A novel therapy in the early stages of development at Virginia Commonwealth University Massey Cancer Center shows promise in providing lasting protection against the progression of multiple myeloma following a stem cell transplant by making the cancer cells easier targets for the immune system.......> Full story

JoVE article shows steps to isolate stem cells from brain tumors

Tue, 25 Sep 2012 17:22:51 PDT

A new video protocol in Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE) details an assay to identify brain tumor initiating stem cells from primary brain tumors. Through flow cytometry, scientists separate stem cells from the rest of the tumor, allowing quick and efficient analysis of target cells. This approach has been effectively used to identify similar stem cells in leukemia patients........> Full story

Molecular beacons light up stem cell transformation

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 13:51:17 PDT

A novel set of custom-designed “molecular beacons” allows scientists to monitor gene expression in living populations of stem cells as they turn into a specific tissue in real-time. The technology, which Brown University researchers describe in a new study.......> Full story

Study identifies human melanoma stem cells

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 16:36:29 PDT

Cancer stem cells are defined by three abilities: differentiation, self-renewal and their ability to seed a tumor. These stem cells resist chemotherapy and many researchers posit their role in relapse.......> Full story

Catalan researchers identify a key component of cell division

Tue, 21 Aug 2012 16:48:53 PDT

A study by the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) and the Center for Genomic Regulation (acronym in Catalan CRG) highlights the protein Nek9 as a decisive factor in cell division, a fundamental process for both the development of an organism and tissue maintenance. Headed by the researchers Joan Roig at IRB Barcelona and Isabelle Vernos at the CRG, the study describes that Nek9 is required for a cell........> Full story

How the cell swallows

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 16:54:06 PDT

Scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, have combined the power of two kinds of microscope to produce a 3-dimensional movie of how cells ‘swallow’ nutrients and other molecules by engulfing them. The study, published today in Cell, is the first to follow changes in the shape of the cell’s membrane and track proteins thought to influence those changes. It also provides ample data to investigate this essential process further........> Full story

Fragile X and Down syndromes share signalling pathway for intellectual disability

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 16:51:03 PDT

Intellectual disability due to Fragile X and Down syndromes involves similar molecular pathways report researchers in The EMBO Journal. The two disorders share disturbances in the molecular events that regulate the way nerve cells develop dendritic spines, the small extensions found on the surface of nerve cells that are crucial for communication in the brain.........> Full story

Finished heart switches stem cells off

Fri, 13 Jul 2012 06:43:33 PDT

It's a long road from a cluster of cells to a finished heart. Cell division transforms what starts out as a collection of only a few cardiac stem cells into an ever-larger structure from which the various parts of the heart, such as ventricles, atria, valves and coronary vessels, develop. This involves the stem and precursor cells undergoing a complex process.......> Full story

Regulation of telomerase in stem cells and cancer cells

Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:27:06 PDT

Telomeres are the end caps of chromosomes that play a very important role in the stability of the genome. Telomeres in stem cells are long and become shorter during differentiation or with age, but lengthen again in tumour cells........> Full story

The cell's 'New World'

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 16:30:32 PDT

In one of the most famous faux pas of exploration, Columbus set sail for India and instead ‘discovered’ America. Similarly, when scientists at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, set out to find enzymes – the proteins that carry out chemical reactions inside cells – that bind to RNA, they too found more than they expected: 300 proteins previously unknown to bind to RNA – more than half as many as were already known to do so. The study, published online today in Cell, could help to explain the role of genes that have been linked to diseases like diabetes and glaucoma........> Full story

Optical tweezers help researchers uncover key mechanics in cellular communication

Fri, 01 Jun 2012 16:28:31 PDT

By using a laser microbeam technology called optical tweezers, UC Irvine and UCLA researchers have uncovered fundamental properties of a key molecular signaling system involved with development, cancer and cardiovascular disease........> Full story

Researchers identify mechanism that maintains stem cells readiness

Thu, 31 May 2012 16:41:04 PDT

An immune-system receptor plays an unexpected but crucially important role in keeping stem cells from differentiating and in helping blood cancer cells grow, researchers at UT Southwestern report today in the journal Nature........> Full story

Researchers identify a 'life-and-death' molecule on chronic leukemia cells

Wed, 30 May 2012 16:43:14 PDT

A new study has identified a life-and-death signaling role for a molecule on the surface of the immune cells involved in the most common form of chronic leukemia. The finding could lead to more effective therapy for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), an as yet incurable cancer that occurs in more than 16,000 Americans annually........> Full story

Math predicts size of clot-forming cells

Fri, 25 May 2012 17:04:29 PDT

UC Davis mathematicians have helped biologists figure out why platelets, the cells that form blood clots, are the size and shape that they are. Because platelets are important both for healing wounds and in strokes and other conditions, a better understanding of how they form and behave could have wide implications........> Full story

New key mechanism in cell division discovered

Sun, 20 May 2012 17:12:33 PDT

Researchers from the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) have identified the mechanism by which protein Zds1 regulates a key function in mitosis, the process that occurs immediately before cell division. The result has been achieved in the online edition of the Journal of Cell Science and opens the door to developing targeted and direct therapies against cancer........> Full story

A cell's first steps: Building a model to explain how cells grow

Sun, 20 May 2012 17:11:05 PDT

A collaboration between Lehigh University physicists and University of Miami biologists addresses an important fundamental question in basic cell biology: How do living cells figure out when and where to grow?.......> Full story

How human cells 'hold hands'

Mon, 30 Apr 2012 16:41:25 PDT

University of Iowa biologists have advanced the knowledge of human neurodevelopmental disorders by finding that a lack of a particular group of cell adhesion molecules in the cerebral cortex—the outermost layer of the brain where language, thought and other higher functions take place —disrupts the formation of neural circuitry........> Full story

great tool to find conference and courses

Sat, 28 Apr 2012 02:36:59 PDT

Hey guys

Some people working at the NKI (Netherlands Cancer Institute) have setup a
search engine for scientific meetings. check the description and the website
as well, if interested...
This website, called biomeeter (www.biomeeter.com) is really well done as it
gives a nice overview of the upcoming meetings organized, and the search can
be done by field or keyword, or even by location (as it's always possible to
combine business with pleasure ;-)).
Another great characteristic of Biomeeter is that you can add yourself
meetings to the website and share the info. And last but not least: you can
get informed with an email alert about upcoming meetings in your field.
So, check it out and if you like it, spread the word in your lab and
institute!

Studies reveal how cells distinguish between disease-causing and innocuous invaders

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:05:07 PDT

The specific mechanisms by which humans and other animals are able to discriminate between disease-causing microbes and innocuous ones in order to rapidly respond to infections have long been a mystery to scientists. But a study conducted on roundworms by biologists at UC San Diego has uncovered some important clues to finally answering that question........> Full story

Stem cells 'by default'

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:01:56 PDT

2 April 2012In spite of considerable research efforts around the world, we still do not know the determining factors that confer stem cells their main particular features: capacity to self-renew and to divide and proliferate........> Full story

UGA researchers use nanoparticles, magnetic current to damage cancerous cells in mice

Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:39:06 PDT

Using nanoparticles and alternating magnetic fields, University of Georgia scientists have found that head and neck cancerous tumor cells in mice can be killed in half an hour without harming healthy cells.......> Full story

Somatic stem cells obtained from skin cells for first time ever

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:28:00 PDT

Up until now, pluripotent stem cells were considered the 'be-all and end-all' of stem cell science. Historically, researchers have obtained these 'jack-of-all-trades' cells from fully differentiated somatic cells. Given the proper environmental cues, pluripotent stem cells are capable.......> Full story

Cytori breast reconstruction cell therapy trial results published

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 16:42:51 PDT

RESTORE-2 is a 71 patient multi-center, prospective clinical trial using autologous adipose-derived regenerative cell (ADRC)-enriched fat grafting for reconstruction of the breast after cancer surgery. The majority of patients underwent radiation prior to the procedure, creating an unfavorable ischemic environment for which breast reconstruction with ADRC-enriched fat grafting appears to be ideally suited.......> Full story

Researchers print live cells with a standard inkjet printer

Fri, 16 Mar 2012 10:45:46 PDT

Researchers from Clemson University have found a way to create temporary holes in the membranes of live cells using a standard inkjet printer. The method will be published in JoVE, the Journal of Visualized Experiments, on March 16........> Full story