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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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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Science Funding in Hard Economic Times
January 29, 2009
Many aspects of scientific research are inaccessible to the general public; nothing more so than how basic science is funded. For this reason, government funding to basic scientific granting agencies is often an unattractive target for spending in hard economic times.
Obama: “We will restore science to its rightful place”
January 29, 2009
Obama’s early indications and actions and indeed his inaugural speech, from which the title of this blog was taken, has scientists and environmentalists in a positive frame of mind.
Breakthrough of 2008 - Reprogramming
January 26, 2009
In December 2008, the scientific journal Science, named the incredible process of stem cell reprogramming breakthrough of the year 2008. Reprogramming is the reversal of the state of a somatic cell (i.e. a differentiated cell or a cell that has become a skin cell or kidney cell) back to a state reminiscent to that of a pluripotent state (i.e. an embryonic stem cell).
A New Era for Disease Modeling and Drug Screening
December 29, 2008
Induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells are cells that have been reprogrammed from skin fibroblasts back to a state reminiscent of Embryonic Stem (ES) cells. Human iPS cells were first discovered back in November 2007 by pioneer Dr. Shinya Yamanaka at Kyoto University (reported in scientific journal Cell in November 2007). iPS cells are thought to hold the same potential as ES cells in regenerative medicine such as disease modeling, drug screening, and cell replacement therapy, but with additional advantages as it bypasses the ethical issues relating to the use of human embryos.
Luck
December 16, 2008
I had a very lucky week; I was hit by a car.
Last Tuesday night I was walking along a busy downtown street. As I crossed the intersection, a car sped around the corner, struck me, and threw me to the ground. Just a moment before I was hit, I saw the headlights of the car only inches from my knee. Amazingly, the Hollywood clichés about time slowing down seem true. As I was hit, many thoughts went through my mind as if the impact was occurring in slow motion. I thought, “but the light isn’t even yellow, why is the car here in the crosswalk”? Then, “boy, it’s lucky this isn’t a big truck with those steel cages on the front”. I even thought, “damn, this is going to hurt”. But, part of my mind was still a stem cell biologist as I thought, “I hope I don’t snap my spine, because stem cell transplants are not ready yet."
For Cars or Cures?
December 9, 2008
Food for Thought… what if we invested $40 billion into scientific research!?
The US and Canadian automotive sectors are lobbying their governments for $34 billion (US), and $6 billion (CAN) respectively. 40 BILLION dollars all tolled!! And it’s looking like they’re going to get it.
Did you know that the yearly budget for the National Institute for Health (NIH) is $28 billion? Did you know that this amount of money supports “325,000 researchers at over 3,000 universities, medical schools, and other research institutions in every state and around the world”? The predicament in Canada is even more staggering! The total expenditures of the Canadian Institute for Health Research (CIHR) for 2007-08 were less than $1billion: SIX-TIMES LESS than the must-have-to-survive package the Canadian automakers are begging for!
How to Reboot the Human Body: from Maclean’s Magazine
November 13, 2008
Ontario IPS Cell Facility highlighted in Maclean’s Magazine
The Ontario IPS Cell Facility at SickKids was profiled in the October 30 issue of Maclean’s magazine. Connecting for Kids blogger Aaron Cheung, SickKids Cheif of Research, Dr. Janet Rossant and other stem cell staff at SickKids were featured in the article.
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
