Research News
December 6, 2007
Reprogrammed adult cells treat sickle-cell anemia in mice
This is the first proof of principle for using adult cells reprogrammed to an embryonic-stem-cell-like state, combined with gene and cell therapy, for successful disease treatment in mice.
December 6, 2007
Heads or tails? Scientists identify gene that regulates polarity in regenerating flatworms
Inhibiting one gene resulted in animals making a head instead of a tail at the site of the wound.
December 1, 2007
DNA methylation shown to promote development of colon tumors
A promising pathway that may lead to prevention, diagnosis and treatment of certain cancers with minimal side effects.
November 29, 2007
Hotspots found for chromosome gene-swapping
Work will lead to a better understanding of chromosome abnormalities and birth defects.
October 10, 2007
Adult stem cells lack key pluripotency regulator
The protein Oct4, which helps to maintain embryonic stem cells, has been shown to be virtually absent in adult stem cells.
October 3, 2007
Cancer cells enlist adult stem cells to promote metastasis
The conscripts secrete a protein that fosters cell movement and invasion.
September 26, 2007
MicroRNA convicted of triggering metastasis
Overabundance of a single microRNA can cause tumors to spread to distant tissues in mice.
September 20, 2007
Heat shock proteins are co-opted for cancer
A Jekyll-Hyde mechanism that both protects healthy cells and enables cancer cells could be the basis for new cancer-fighting drugs.
August 27, 2007
Scientists identify embryonic stem cells by appearance alone
Scientist can now identify pluripotent stem cells based solely on their physical appearance.
August 13, 2007
Newly created cancer stem cells could aid breast cancer research
After being injected with just 100 cells, mice develop tumors that metastasize.
August 8, 2007
Special Fellow Defne Yarar investigates actin
in action
She studies the microfilaments that help to give cells structure, allow
them to move, divide them, and let muscles contract.
July 12, 2007
Cells take risks with their identities
Contrary to textbook models, many genes that should be “off” in embryonic
stem cells and specialized adult cells remain primed to produce master regulatory
proteins, leaving those cells vulnerable to identity changes.
July 11, 2007
White blood cells are picky about sugar
Neutrophils recognize and respond to a particular form of sugar contained on
the surface of pathogenic fungi.
June 21, 2007
New Whitehead Member Iain Cheeseman to study key mechanism in cell division
His work focuses on the kinetochore, a structure that
helps to divvy up DNA molecules shortly before cells divide.
June 12, 2007
Exposing the genetic roots of metastasis
A key gene enhances cancer cell motility and invasiveness.
June 11, 2007
Hazel Sive named associate dean of MIT School
of Science
Her new role she will focus on educational issues and
initiatives.
June 7, 2007
Reprogrammed fibroblasts identical to embryonic stem cells
Researchers have manipulated mouse fibroblasts and turned
them into cells with such developmental elasticity
that they appear identical to embryonic stem cells.
May 23, 2007
Out of sequence?
Scientists debate whether it’s time to tackle tumor genomes and epigenomes.
May 14, 2007
DNA-damage test could aid drug development
Researchers have developed a cell culture test for assessing a compound’s genetic toxicity
that may prove dramatically cheaper than existing animal tests.
May 9, 2007
Scientists identify prion's infectious secret
Small regions within prions help them change
other proteins' shapes.
April 25, 2007
Network news
Hui Ge sifts through oceans of data to explore how
genes collaborate.
April 18, 2007
Mouth to mouth
What can a frog mouth tell us about human birth defects
and evolution?
April 12, 2007
The unusual suspect
Cancer researchers look beyond the genome to the epigenome—and
the role of methyl marks.
April 6, 2007
A slow saga of success
If you've ever wondered why the journey from lab discovery
to the clinic takes so long, follow the decades-long
story of Gleevec.
March 8, 2007
New drug target
for herpes viruses?
Researchers have solved the complex structure of a recently
discovered protein that is found in a wide range of
herpes viruses.
March 8, 2007
New Whitehead
Fellow Kate Rubins studies infectious disease
She investigates poxviruses, a class that includes not
only smallpox but cowpox, monkeypox and vaccinia—the
virus from which the smallpox vaccine is developed.
February 22, 2007
MicroRNA helps
prevent tumors
A microRNA directly regulates a gene implicated in human
cancers.
January 25, 2007
Cancer pathway
exposed
Scientists find crucial component of brain and prostate
cancer.
January 21, 2007
Cracking open
the black box of autoimmune disease
Researchers have identified a key set of genes that
lie at the core of autoimmune disease.
January 10, 2007
Scientists discover
new class of RNAs
Their uniform structure strongly indicates an important
biological role.
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Last updated December 6, 2007. |
