Update from Dr. Chi-Wei Lu
on Monday 01 December 2008 - 08:24:16 | by MatthewDr. Chi-Wei Lu is an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences of UMDNJ. She obtained her doctoral degree from the Department of Biochemistry of UMDNJ and postdoctoral training from Harvard Medical School. In the laboratory of George Daley, her postdoctoral mentor, Dr. Lu worked on generating blood cells from embryonic stem cells. With the intention to generate leukemia out of these blood cells, she accidentally found that one of the transforming oncogene, Ras, can actually transform embryonic stem cells into placental precursor cells and hence uncover the power of embryonic stem cells for studying embryogenesis.
“Instead of using the whole embryo to study embryogenesis” she said, “ we can now study early embryonic development in a much more efficient manner without harming the embryos”. As the director of the Human Embryonic Stem Cell Core Facility, Dr. Lu will continue her research on engineering human embryonic stem cells for studying early human embryonic development and cancer formation. The goal of this facility is to work primarily on cell lines that are currently being restricted for obtaining federal funding support. Similar to other developmental process, cancer also starts from a small number of precursor cells and later grows into a complex of heterogeneous cells. Many complex genetic factors can contribute to the same phenotypes - people with different ethnicities and life styles can develop the same type of cancer. Therefore, it is important to work with a wide variety of cell lines with a variety of genetic backgrounds. Early human embryonic development is an area that has not been systemically investigated. To date, we have no knowledge in most cases why embryo development stops and spontaneous abortion happens. Dr. Lu’s goal is to study developmental restrictions of those embryonic stem cells harboring specific genetic defects, in order to eventually develop diagnostic tools and therapeutic interventions for improving reproductive success.
Shooting Down Cancer
on Wednesday 12 November 2008 - 09:59:51 | by MatthewI just came across this excellent article from
the Economist pertaining to the ability of stem cells to treate "the most terrifying of diseases."
It took a while, but proof of that theory led to antibiotics that can destroy a whole range of infections. For cancer, a similar moment of enlightenment may now have arrived...Like infections, cancers have prominent features in common, yet they are bafflingly different in their details. But, borrowing an idea from another part of biology, oncologists are coming to believe that most—possibly all—cancers involve stem cells, or something very like them. They are, in other words, caused and sustained by a small number of cells whose daughters grow into the tissue of a tumour rather as the daughters of healthy stem cells grow into the normal tissues that make up a body...This opens new ways of thinking about and treating the cancers. If its stem cells are eradicated, the rest of a tumour may die off. And if the secondary tumours—the truly feared killers in many forms of cancer—are the result of stem cells escaping from a primary tumour, as looks likely, then this knowledge may make them yield more easily to treatment.
Click
HERE to read the whole article
Fundrasier: Thank You & Pictures
on Wednesday 12 November 2008 - 09:46:33 | by MatthewThank you for making our first annual LFR fundraiser a huge success!
We would like to thank everyone for their generous and overwhelming support. It is because of your greatly appreciated donations that we can support young stem cell researchers in potentially finding cures that can not only save lives, but restore quality of life in so many. We are pleased to announce that, with your support, Living Free for Research was able to raise almost $80,000 this past year! We will keep you updated with regard to foundation news, next summer's event, new card sets, the work of our guest speaker, stem cell researcher Dr. Kiwi Lu, and the young researchers whom we will chose to support in the coming months!
Click HERE To View More Pictures of the Fundraiser!
Sincere thanks and warm regards,
- Matthew J. Lynch and Lauren E. Chen 
Obama election signals change in stem cell fight
on Saturday 08 November 2008 - 10:58:50 | by LaurenMSNBC contributor, Arthur Caplan, says that Obama's election certainly signifies "change" for the US. In particular, Caplan anticipates that restrictions on bioethical issues such as stem cell research will be loosened. There are currently 10 states that allow embryonic stem cell research and Caplan believes that these 10 will be receiving an executive order that includes more federal funding for the research shortly.
click here to read more Michigan voters approve stem cell research measure
on Saturday 08 November 2008 - 10:46:30 | by LaurenOn Tuesday, Michigan voters said 'yes' to Proposal 2, a ballot measure that loosens restrictions on stem cell research! The proposal legalizes the donations of left over embryos from fertility treatments for scientific research. With 93% voter turnout, 52% of the people voted for the proposal and 48% voted against it.
click here to read more Chemical Procedure Augments Therapeutic Potential of Stem Cells
on Saturday 01 November 2008 - 15:34:22 | by LaurenWhen left in a lab dish for too long, adult stem cells lose key surface proteins. Researchers have recently discovered a technique that can be used to rejuvenate these cells after long periods of time. The procedure requires adding a molecule called SLeX to the surface of the stem cells and it takes 45 minutes to restore the cells.
click here to read more 
