24 Januar 2012

I USA har to kvinner blitt bedre av uhelbredelige øyesykdommer ved bruk av stamceller. - Dette har vi ventet på, det ser veldig lovende ut, sier førsteamanuensis og netthinnekirurg ved Oslo Universitetssykehus Morten C. Moe.

Les mer om dette på:
http://www.nrk.no/vitenskap-og-teknologi/1.7966666

13 January 2012

Metakaryotic biology, a revolution in
cancer stem cell research

by Professor William G. Thilly
Professor of Genetics, Toxicology and Biological Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Friday January 13 at 11 A.M. The auditorium at the research building, Radium Hospital.

Metakaryotic biology: stem cells of organogenesis and carcinogenesis

The stem cells of human organ development and tumor growth are not eukaryotic cells! They are "metakaryotic"
cells with hollow bell shaped nuclei appended to rather than enclosed in the cytoplasm. They divide by both
symmetric and asymmetric amitoses creating the eukaryotic (mitotic) cells of tissue and tumor parenchyma. Their
"chromosomes" appear to be continuous, joined at telomeres. They create a double stranded RNA/DNA replicative
intermediate prior to and during cytokinesis. They are strongly resistant to x-rays and chemo-"therapeutic" agents.
Multiple agents that kill them in cell culture have been found.

Friday January 13 at 1 P.M. The auditorium at the research building, Radium Hospital.

Metakaryotic biology: stem cell mutation and age-specific cancer mortality rates

Fetal/juvenile organogenic stem cells appear to have very high mutation rates. "Initiation" is presented as blockage
of maturation of organogenic stem cells resulting in a slowly growing mutator/hypermutable preneoplastic stem cell
population. A modified Armitage-Doll two stage cancer model is offered and discussed in terms of colorectal cancer
mortality rates, heritable cancer risk and immigrant cancer pattern shifts.

1 December 2011 

Marked proteins provide instructions for gene expression after fertilization

When a sperm fertilizes an egg, their individual genes combine to form a new genome in what is known as a zygote. Basically, activation of the zygotic genome represents the transfer of developmental control from the parents to the offspring. The factors that regulate expression of the zygotic genome have not been explored and are not well understood. Now, a new study published by Cell Press on December 1^st in the journal Developmental Cell identifies "decorations" that mark the zygotic genes before they are activated and may serve to regulate expression of critical developmental genes.

It is well established that one major mechanism for regulating gene expression is histone modification. Histones are proteins that are like spools around which the long strands of DNA are wound.  Histones can be altered to repress or promote gene transcription. "Previous work has demonstrated that developmental genes are marked by modified histones in sperm, and this suggests a potential predictive role for histone modification in the regulation of zygotic genome activation," suggests senior study author, Dr. Philippe Collas from the University of Oslo and the Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research. 

In collaboration with colleagues at the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science, the University of Birmingham and the Genome Institute of Singapore, Dr. Collas examined histone modifications on zebrafish genes before and after activation of the zygotic genome. They were able to accomplish this because after fertilization, there is a brief period during which the zebrafish zygote undergoes several rounds of cell division before any of the zygotic genes are activated. They found that histone modifications of inactive zygotic genes guided the developmental gene expression program.

Taken together, the results suggest that there is a "pre-patterning" of the developmental program that is in place prior to gene activation."Intriguingly, these findings suggest that early developmental instructions may be provided by specific marking of the sperm and egg genomes by modified histones, which may be transmitted to the embryo through fertilization," explains Dr. Collas.

Listen to podcast interview with Philippe Collas here
 

15 November 2011

Dr. Gareth Sullivan has been hired as new group leader in the area of human pluripotent stem cell biology. Sullivan, who at the time of hiring had been working at the MRC Center of Regenerative Medicine, University of Edinburgh, brings to the Center very strong expertise in human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells. With a research plan focused on endoderm differentiation and the development of novel  methodologies for reprogramming somatic cells, and with past experience in both academic and biotech industry sectors, Sullivan greatly strengthens the Center's capabilities in this dynamic and innovative research area. Of particular importance is Sullivan's commitment to develop cell-based drug testing platforms and to build translational bridges to the clinic. The Center extends a warm welcome to Gareth and looks forward to a highly fruitful and collaborative interaction in the coming years.

Read Forskningsrådets presentation of Sullivan
(in Norwegian only) here

The 8th Annual Norwegian Stem Cell Meeting was held at Losby Gods on October 17-18. 95 participants attended, and heard a program featuring 26 lectures and short research presentations, including keynote and guest lectures by Rolf Bjerkvig (Bergen), Peter Andrews (UK), Colin Bishop (USA), Barbara Stecca (Italy), Herwig Schüler (Sweden), and Massimo Pasqualetti (Italy).

Five themes were represented covering a broad segment of current stem cell research in Norway and internationally: Pluripotency (hES and hiPS cells), Stem Cell Signaling, Cancer Stem Cells, Translational Efforts using Ocular and Mesenchymal Stem Cells, and Making Neurons.

A feature article about the meeting (in Norwegian) has been published on the Norwegian Research Council Stem Cell Program website - see the article here

26 October 2011

Principles of Stem Cell Biology (MF9410)
A one-day lecture course on what stem cells are, how they behave, how they are regulated and how they can be used clinically.

Where: Domus Odontologica, Auditorium GA02 A1.1001, University of Oslo

Program

Litterature

Presentations 

28 oktober 2011

Sted: Øyeavdelingen, Oslo Universitetssykehus Ullevål, Auditoriet, kl. 14-16,

Hornhinnen og Regenerativ Medisin - Lagring og Tissue Engineering

Professor Jesper Hjortdal, Danmark: "Oppbevaring av hornhinner til transplantasjon"
**
Professor Liv Drolsum, Øyeavdelingen OUS/UiO: Stamcellesvikt - stamcelleoperasjoner og protese"
**
MD James McPherson, Øyeavdelingen OUS: "Aminosyrer - hva skjer under lagring av hornhinner"
**
MD PhD Goran Petrovski, Ungarn: "Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Human Corneal Stroma Grown in media containing Human Serum as the Only Supplement."
**
MSc Erik Otter Johnsen, Øyeavdelingen OUS: "Epigenetiske reguleringsmekanismer i hornhinnestamceller"
**
MD Jesintha Navaratnam / PhD Aboulghassem Shahdadfar: "Endotelstamceller i hornhinnen?"

Det vil bli servert drikke og lett servering.
VELKOMMEN !

Oslo universitetssykehus HF - Universitetet i Oslo - Blindemissionen IL

17-18 October 2011

The Eighth Annual Stem Cell Networking Meeting, for all Norwegian stem cell researchers, will take place at the idyllic Losby Gods location, a short drive outside of Oslo.

 Program

19 May 2011 

Magnar Bjørås, Arne Klungland, Gunnar Kvalheim and Judith Staerk

Four new research groups have joined the Norwegian Center for Stem Cell Research. The groups are headed by Magnar Bjørås, Arne Klungland, Gunnar Kvalheim and Judith Staerk.

Magnar Bjørås is located at Oslo University Hospital-National Hospital in the Department of Microbiology. His group studies DNA repair mechanisms in neural stem and progenitor cells and their relation to the control of neural proliferation and survival. His research activities strengthen the Center by adding a perspective on basic molecular mechanisms involved in neurogenesis and neural stem cell biology.

Arne Klungland is located at Oslo University Hospital-National Hospital in the Department of Microbiology. His group studies DNA repair mechanisms, early events in embryogenesis related to the establishment of pluripotency and has also established a human ES cell platform for studying neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington's disease. His research activities provide the Center with additional expertise relating to pluripotency and the use of hES cells to study human pathologies.

Gunnar Kvalheim is located at Oslo University Hospital-Radium Hospital in the Department of Cellular Therapy. He heads one of the newest and largest GMP-approved facilities in Europe for the clinical preparation of human cells for cell transplantation treatments, and is involved in clinical trials using autologous human hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem and progenitor cells in the treatment of blood cancers. His activities expands the Center's capabilities for initiating clinical stem cell trials.

Judith Staerk has recently taken a position at the Norwegian Center for Molecular Medicine and brings to the Center top international expertise in iPS cell technology. Her research focuses on the production and characterization of iPS cells derived from blood cells and the use of these to investigate normal and pathological processes in hematopoietic lineages.

Stem cell differentiation: MicroRNA and transcription factors as determinants of cell phenotypes (MF9430)

Primo April, 2012

A 40-60 h (10 day) module consisting of lectures, guest lectures, research seminars, group work (including the use of Mir@nt@n-based informatics) and practical course.

Objective
To describe microRNA and transcription factor (TF) interaction as a key regulatory system in the determination of cell phenotype through regulation of marker gene expression. To describe how microRNA signatures of cell phenotypes are determinant for normal organ functioning and pathophysiology. Contact info: j.o.gordeladze@medisin.uio.no, professor, PhD