Brain tumour following neural stem cell transplant
February 23, 2009
A disturbing case report was published this week in the journal PLOS Medicine. A boy afflicted with ataxia telangiectasia, a rare neurodegenerative condition that affects motor and speech control, had received multiple neural stem cell transplants in a Moscow hospital starting in the year 2001. The transplants involved taking fetal neural stem cells and injecting them into the patient’s brain and spinal cord, in the hope that the cells would integrate properly and alleviate some disease symptoms. By 2005 the boy was suffering from severe headaches with led doctors to investigate and identify abnormal growths in his brain and spinal cord. The spinal cord tumour was subsequently removed, and through a range of genetic tests it was conclusively shown that the tumour originated from the injected stem cells. The stem cells meant to alleviate his condition had in fact developed into life-threatening tumours.
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The Birth of Cancer Stem Cells
February 20, 2009
A little over a decade ago, something happened here at SickKids: the field of cancer stem cell biology was born. In 1994, John Dick’s group published a seminal study in the journal Nature, announcing the identification of human acute myeloid leukemia (AML)-initiating cells.
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Time to catch up on your stem cell reading
February 20, 2009
I read an interesting article in Time magazine today. The article “Stem Cell Research: The Quest Resumes” appeared in the February 9th issue of Time, and is freely available on-line. By focusing the story around one prominent researcher who is driven to help his two diabetic children through a stem cell-based therapy, the journalist does a nice job of capturing the very personal nature of research into human disease.
Although brief, the article manages to touch on a number of important topics in stem cell research; the political and scientific repercussions of the current funding restrictions on human ES research, the evolving research around induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS), and the methods by which these discoveries may be applied to help patients overcome disease. If you have a minute, check out the article, it’s a nice introduction to the topic of stem cell research for those who need it, yet still contains some interesting facts for those who follow the field a little closer.
The truth hurts
February 12, 2009
The truth often hurts….but everyone seems to prefer a painful truth over a happier, yet more deceptive statement or position. In current politics it seems that at least some of Obama’s popularity is due to the perception that he is presenting a more level, or truthful assessment of the current economic and political issues that are occurring world-wide. Indeed it seems to be part of the political strategy right now to separate the Obama team from past administrations by being completely candid and frank.
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Rett Syndrome and induced Pluripotent Stem cells goes “Green”
June 17, 2009 by Aaron Cheung
Stem cell researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children have now devised a method, reported in the scientific journal Nature Methods, that will facilitate the generation of induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells. I have previously blogged about the promise of iPS cells (see related articles). iPS cells are cells which have been reprogrammed from a differentiated somatic cell (such as your skin cells) to a pluripotent stem cell (like an embryonic stem cell, only that you don’t need to use embryos!). The generation of iPS cells is inherently very rare which occurs at a frequency of about 0.01% meaning you can generate about one iPS cell line out of hundred thousand cells. Out of which, many lines fail to satisfy the different rigorous tests necessary to be given the prestigious name of “iPS cell”.
Continue reading Rett Syndrome and induced Pluripotent Stem cells goes “Green”
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Stem Cell Origins
Cancer stem cells
Stem Cells and the Nervous System
