Human stem cells used to cure brain disorder in mice
Jun 4, 2008
Human stem cells have been used to correct abnormal brain development in mice with fatal brain disorders, offering hope for treating a range of neurological disorders including some deadly childhood genetic diseases. Those behind the new treatment hope that human clinical trials could be just a few years away. The treatment uses human glial progenitor cells — cells that can differentiate into the glial cells that, among other things, make up myelin. Myelin, a protein that insulates the long 'arms' of nerve cells, called axons, helps the conduction of neural signals throughout the nervous system. A team led by Steven Goldman, at the University of Rochester in New York, took the progenitor cells from white matter in the fetal human brain and injected them into the spinal cords of mutant shiverer mice shortly after their birth.

Success in mice could be a breakthrough for disorders such as multiple sclerosis.
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Discovery of new family of genetic mutations involved in inflammatory intestinal disease
Jun 2, 2008
Researchers have reporting finding common origins for two inflammatory diseases of the bowel. The research provides further support for the theory that common genetic factors are involved in a range of auto-immune and inflammatory diseases.

Using a genome-wide search, Dr. Zhernakova's team analysed genetic variants in 778 coeliac cases, and in 1422 controls from the UK. In phase II of this study the extensive collection of more than 5000 coeliac cases and controls from the UK Ireland and the Netherlands were followed up for the top 1000 variants detected in phase I. The researchers found genetic mutations in eight new areas, seven of which contained genes involved in controlling immune responses.

Dr. Festen's team analysed the genetic variants in the immune pathway in a three-step design in a group of 1851 patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and 1936 controls. The two most common manifestations of this condition are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
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Researchers Find Abnormalities in Gene for Melanoma
May 29, 2008
Researchers have discovered that there are several different kinds of DNA abnormalities that can occur in a gene called the KIT gene. These abnormalities are associated with different kinds of acral and mucosal melanomas, which are less common, but highly malignant forms of skin cancer. Acral melanomas are found on the palms of hands, the soles of feet and under nails. Mucosal melanomas are found in the mucous membranes of some organs of the body.

In the current study, researchers studied 129 samples gathered from people with different types of melanoma and found that there is a high rate of mutations in these cancers.
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