Discoveries
LSI faculty member Sean Morrison and colleagues probe limits of "cancer stem-cell model"
December 12, 2008 - A recent study by LSI faculty member Sean Morrison shows that previous estimates from conventional melanoma models severely underestimate the tumor causing potential of melanoma cells.
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New study led by LSI faculty member Sean Morrison uncovers new links between stem cells, aging and cancer
October 17, 2008 - LSI faculty member Sean Morrison and colleagues have shown in a recent study that identified four genes previously implicated in the control of cancer also play key roles in the aging process and stem-cell regulation. These four genes were found to switch stem cells on and off in a coordinated fashion as cells age to reduce cancer risk and also function to shut down stem-cell function in aging tissues, limiting regeneration.
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Stem-cell sentry sounds the alarm to maintain balance between cancer and aging, U-M researchers find
October 15, 2008 - Yukiko Yamashita and colleagues have discovered a "checkpoint" mechanism in adult stem cells of Drosophilia that is thought to be essential in preventing abnormal cell proliferation, which could lead to cancer.
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Secrets of cellular signaling shed light on new cancer stem cell therapies
April 9, 2008 - By revealing the inner workings of a common cell-to-cell signaling system, University of Michigan biologists have uncovered new clues about mysterious and contentious creatures called cancer stem cells.
The aim is to use so-called Notch inhibitors to attack cancer stem cells, the small fraction of stem cells inside a tumor that help it survive and that fuel its growth.
New results from the U-M's Dr. Ivan Maillard and his colleagues showed that blood-forming stem cells in mice survive just fine when the Notch signaling pathway is experimentally blocked.
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U-M Researchers Identify Cells That Cause Nervous System Disease
February 4, 2008 - Two teams of University of Michigan researchers have tracked down the cells responsible for neurofibromatosis type 1, a disfiguring, incurable condition and one of the most common hereditary disorders.
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Sean Morrison interviewed on WJR about new stem cell discoveries
November 21, 2007 - LSI faculty and director of the Center for Stem Cell Biology is interviewed on News/Talk 760 WJR about stem cell discoveries published earlier this week.
Listen to the interview on wjr.com's podcast site (mp3)
Comment on breaking research in Cell and Science
November 20, 2007 - This research seems to be very well done and follows on the heels of similar work by the Yamanaka laboratory in mouse cells that was independently confirmed by other laboratories. The discovery that it is possible to reprogram adult human cells to pluripotency using a simple combination of genes is an important breakthrough...
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U-M researchers dispute widely held ideas about stem cells
August 29, 2007 - ...in this week's issue of the journal Nature, University of Michigan stem cell researcher Sean Morrison and his colleagues deal a mortal blow to the immortal strand, at least as far as blood-forming stem cells are concerned...
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LSI team identifies gene that regulates blood-forming fetal stem cells
July 26, 2007 - A new study led by LSI’s Sean Morrison adds to mounting evidence that stem cells in the developing fetus are distinct from both embryonic and adult stem cells.
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Older Stem Cells Don't Just Wear Out, They Actively Shut Themselves Down
September 1, 2006 - The natural consequences of growing old include slower wound-healing and a brain that makes fewer new neurons because old tissues have less regenerative capacity. What has not been clear is why. A trio of papers published on-line Sept. 6 in the journal Nature shows that old stem cells don't simply wear out, they actively shut themselves down, probably as a defense against becoming cancerous from genetic defects that accumulate with age...
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Michigan Team Singles Out Cancer Stem Cells for Attack
May 25, 2006 - Close on the heels of the discovery that cancer has its own rejuvenating stem cells, a University of Michigan research team has found a way to distinguish these bad-actors from the normal stem cells that they so closely resemble, and to kill the cancer stem cells without harming the normal stem cells in the same tissue...
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UM scientists discover identifying markers that change as primitive blood-forming stem cells morph into progenitor cells
June 30, 2005 - Scientists at the University of Michigan Medical School have discovered the biological equivalent of a grocery store bar code on the surface of primitive, blood-forming stem cells in mice. Called hematopoietic stem cells, they give rise to all the different types of specialized cells found in blood.
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UM scientists find genetic "fountain of youth" for adult stem cells
Oct. 22, 2003 - Scientists at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center have identified a gene that controls the amazing ability of adult stem cells to self-renew, or make new copies of themselves, throughout life.
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Doubt cast on adult stem-cell plasticity studies
Oct. 13, 2003 - In a study that calls into question the plasticity of adult stem cells, Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) researchers have demonstrated that adult bone marrow cells can fuse with brain, heart and liver cells in the body. The phenomenon of fusion would give the appearance that bone marrow stem cells are altering themselves to become mature cells in other tissues, when in fact they are not, according to one of the study's senior authors, HHMI investigator Sean J. Morrison at the University of Michigan.
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UM scientists find "stem cells" in human breast cancer
Feb. 24, 2003 - Of all the neoplastic cells in human breast cancers, only a small minority - perhaps as few as one in 100 - appear to be capable of forming new malignant tumors, according to just-published research by scientists in the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. The discovery could help researchers zero in on the most dangerous cancer cells to develop new, more effective treatments.
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Stem cells found in adult peripheral nervous system
Aug. 14, 2002 - Scientists at the University of Michigan Medical School have found neural crest stem cells - primitive cells that generate the peripheral nervous system - in the gut of adult laboratory rats. The U-M discovery upsets the widely held belief that neural crest stem cells disappear in animals before birth, once the peripheral nervous system develops.
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Neural stem cells move to damaged areas of brain after injury
Feb. 18, 2002 - Primitive neural cells in the brains of laboratory rats respond to acute brain injuries by moving to the injured area and attempting to form new neurons, according to University of Michigan neurologist Jack M. Parent, M.D. Understanding how this self-repair mechanism works could someday help physicians reduce brain damage caused by strokes or neurodegenerative diseases.
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