Neural Cell News Volume 4.34 | Sep 1 2010

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    Neural Cell News 4.34, September 1, 2010.
    In this issue:  Science News |  Current Publications |  Industry News |  Policy News |  Events
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    TOP STORY

    Live Imaging Puts New Light on Stem Cell Division  ShareThis
    A long-held assumption about asymmetrical division of stem cells has cracked. Researchers report that the mitotic spindle does not act alone — that cortical proteins help to position a cleavage furrow in the right location. A three-member team focused on Drosophila neural stem cells, long known for dividing asymmetrically. [Press release from the University of Oregon discussing online prepublication in Nature]

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    SCIENCE NEWS


    Insulin Resistance, Type 2 Diabetes Linked to Plaques Associated With Alzheimer’s Disease
    People with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes appear to be at an increased risk of developing plaques in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease, according to new research. [Press release from ScienceDaily discussing online prepublication in Neurology]

    New Study Sheds Light on Painkilling System in Brain
    Repeatedly boosting brain levels of one natural painkiller soon shuts down the brain cell receptors that respond to it, so that the painkilling effect is lost, according to a surprising new study. [Press release from The Scripps Research Institute discussing online prepublication in Nature Neuroscience]

    Scripps Research Scientists Uncover New Mechanism of Memory Formation
    Scientists have discovered a mechanism that plays a critical role in the formation of long-term memory. The findings shed substantial new light on aspects of how memory is formed, and could lead to novel treatments for memory disorders. [Press release from The Scripps Research Institute discussing online prepublication in Neuron]

    Double-Therapy Approach Effectively Inhibited Brain Cancer Recurrence
    Researchers have identified a novel approach of combining chemotherapy with a targeted therapy to decrease the recurrence of glioblastoma multiforme. [Press release from the University of Massachusetts Medical School discussing online prepublication in Cancer Research]

    Gene Therapy to Treat Epilepsy a Step Closer
    Researchers introduced genes that increase the expression of certain receptors for neuropeptides in the brain. [Press release from Lund University discussing online prepublication in Brain]

    UBC Researchers Unveil “Toolbox of MiniPromoters” for Gene Research and Therapy
    University of British Columbia researchers have led the development of a new “toolbox of MiniPromoters” for research and future therapies on brain, spinal cord and eye function. [Press release from The University of British Columbia discussing online prepublication in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences]

     
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    CURRENT PUBLICATIONS (Ranked by Impact Factor of the Journal)


    Alpha-Synuclein Promotes SNARE-Complex Assembly in Vivo and in Vitro
    Here, researchers find that maintenance of continuous presynaptic SNARE-complex assembly required a nonclassical chaperone activity mediated by synucleins. [Science]

    Chronic Monoacylglycerol Lipase Blockade Causes Functional Antagonism of the Endocannabinoid System
    Prolonged exposure to drugs of abuse, such as cannabinoids and opioids, leads to pharmacological tolerance and receptor desensitization in the nervous system. Researchers found that a similar form of functional antagonism was produced by sustained inactivation of monoacylglycerol lipase, the principal degradative enzyme for the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol. [Nat Neurosci]

    Myosin IIb Regulates Actin Dynamics during Synaptic Plasticity and Memory Formation
    In this study, researchers show that myosin II motor activity is downstream of LTP induction and is necessary for the emergence of specialized actin structures that stabilize an early phase of LTP. [Neuron]

    Adeno-Associated Viral Vector-Induced Overexpression of Neuropeptide Y Y2 Receptors in the Hippocampus Suppresses Seizures
    Results demonstrate that overexpression of Y2 receptors (alone or in combination with neuropeptide Y) could be an alternative strategy for epilepsy treatment. [Brain]

    A Regulatory Toolbox of MiniPromoters to Drive Selective Expression in the Brain
    Genes with brain expression patterns of interest are subjected to bioinformatic analysis to delineate candidate regulatory regions, which are then incorporated into a panel of compact human MiniPromoters to drive expression to brain regions and cell types of interest. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA]

    Insulin Resistance is Associated with the Pathology of Alzheimer Disease
    Researchers examined the association between diabetes-related factors and pathology of Alzheimer disease (AD) to evaluate how diabetes affects the pathogenic process of AD. [Neurology]

    Myoblast-Derived Neuronal Cells Form Glutamatergic Neurons in the Mouse Cerebellum
    The findings suggest that although activation of REST-target genes can reprogram myoblasts to assume a general neuronal phenotype, the subtype specificity may then be directed by the brain microenvironment. [ Stem Cells]

    MicroRNA Signature and Expression of Dicer and Drosha Can Predict Prognosis and Delineate Risk Groups in Neuroblastoma
    To investigate the microRNA (miRNA) profile and role of Dicer and Drosha in neuroblastoma (NB), researchers have assessed the expression of 162 human miRNAs, Dicer and Drosha in 66 NB tumors by using real-time PCR methods. [Cancer Res]

    The Effect of Nanofiber-Guided Cell Alignment on the Preferential Differentiation of Neural Stem Cells
    Here researchers investigate the influence of aligned substratum topography on the cell morphology and subsequently, the neuronal differentiation capabilities of adult neural stem cells. [Biomaterials]
     



    INDUSTRY NEWS


    Neuralstem Files FDA Application for First Chronic Spinal Cord Injury Stem Cell Trial
    Neuralstem, Inc. announced that it has filed an Investigational New Drug application with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin a Phase I safety clinical trial for chronic spinal cord injury with its spinal cord stem cells. [Neuralstem, Inc. Press Release]

    UTHealth Neuroscientist Wins Prominent NIH Director’s Pioneer Award
    Valentin Dragoi, Ph.D., an associate professor of neurobiology and anatomy at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), is one of 17 researchers to win a 2010 National Institutes of Health Director’s Pioneer Award. [The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Press Release]

    Preliminary Data in Support of Investigational Anti-JCV Antibody Assay Published in the Annals of Neurology
    Biogen Idec and Elan Corporation, plc announced data has been published in the Annals of Neurology on an investigational, two-step assay to detect anti-JC virus (JCV) antibodies in human serum and plasma. [Elan Corporation Press Release]



    POLICY NEWS


    Obama Administration Appeals Stem Cell Injunction
    The Obama administration appealed a ruling that blocked federal funding of embryonic stem cell research and asked the judge who issued the
    injunction to put it on hold pending the appeal. [Obama Administration, United States]

    NIH Orders Immediate Shutdown of Intramural Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research
    Responding to a court order, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) ordered intramural researchers studying human embryonic stem cells to
    shut down their experiments. [National Institutes of Health, United States]

    NIH Asks Judge to Suspend Stem Cell Research Injunction
    Warning of a “devastating impact” on ongoing research, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) asked a federal court to stay a preliminary
    injunction that last week forced NIH to suspend future grant payments to study human embryonic stem cells (hESC) and shut down its in-house research on hESCs. [National Institutes of Health, United States]

    NIH Director’s Response to Stem Cell Injunction [National Institutes of Health, United States]

    Request for Comments on Synthetic Biology (FR Doc. 2010-21359) [Department of Health and Human Services, United States]
     
    Notice of Meeting: Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Genetics, Health, and Society (FR Doc. 2010-21532) [Department of Health and Human
    Services, United States]

    National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; Notice of Meetings [Department of Health and Human Services, United States]

    Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health; Notice of Meeting (FR Doc. 2010-20861) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

    Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings (FR Doc. 2010-21357) [National Institutes of Health, United States]
     
    National Cancer Institute; Notice of Closed Meeting (FR Doc. 2010-21282) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

    National Center for Research Resources; Notice of Closed Meeting (FR Doc. 2010-21280) [National Institutes of Health, United States]
     
    Guidance for Industry: Electronic Submission of Lot Distribution Reports for Biological Products [Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, United States]

    Food and Drug Administration Clinical Trial Requirements, Regulations, Compliance, and Good Clinical Practice; Public Workshop [FR Doc.
    2010-20834] [Food and Drug Administration, United States]



    EVENTS (Listed by Date)


    EMBO/EMBL Structures and Function of Neural Circuits
    September 5-8, 2010
    Heidelberg, Germany

    International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT)-Europe 2nd Regional Meeting
    September 11-14, 2010
    Belgirate, Italy

    Joint Metastasis Research Society – American Association of Cancer Research Conference on Metastasis and the Tumor Microenvironment
    September 12-15, 2010
    Philadelphia, United States

    Stem Cells USA & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2010
    September 13-15, 2010
    Philadelphia, United States

    International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy of Cancer (ISCGT) Congress
    September 27-29, 2010
    Doha, Qatar

    4th American Association of Cancer Research International Conference on Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development
    September 27-30, 2010
    Denver, United States

    6th International Symposium on Neuroprotection and Neurorepair
    October 1-4, 2010
    Rostock, Germany

    2010 World Stem Cell Summit
    October 4-6, 2010
    Detroit, United States

    18th Annual BioPartnering Europe
    October 10-12, 2010
    London, United Kingdom

    Institute for Genomic Medicine Inaugural Symposium
    October 11-12, 2010
    San Diego, United States

    5th Annual Translational Stem Cell Research Conference
    October 12-13, 2010
    New York City, United States

    Translational Cancer Research for Basic Scientists
    October 17-22, 2010
    Boston, United States

    Fraunhofer Life Science Symposium 2010
    October 29-30, 2010
    Leipzig, Germany

    Stem Cell Society Singapore Symposium 2010: Translating Science to Therapy
    November 2-3, 2010
    Singapore City, Singapore

    40th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience 2010
    November 13-17, 2010
    San Diego, United States

    Stem Cell Network 10th Annual Scientific Meeting
    November 22-24, 2010
    Calgary, Canada

    The American Society for Cell Biology 50th Annual Meeting
    December 11-15, 2010
    Philadelphia, United States

    Adult Neurogenesis
    January 9-14, 2011
    Taos, New Mexico

    Select Biosciences 5th Annual Stem Cells World Congress
    January 24-25, 2011
    San Diego, United States

    Phacilitate 7th Annual Cell & Gene Therapy Forum 2011
    January 24-26, 2011
    Washington, DC, United States

    Trends in Central Nervous System Malignancies
    March 25-26, 2011
    Bucharest, Romania

    Wiring the Brain: Making Connections
    April 12-15, 2011
    Powerscourt, Ireland

    Visit our events page to stay up to date with the latest events in the cell, gene and immunotherapy community.

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