Stem cell transplantation increases lifespan for amyloidosis patients

Researchers at the Boston University Medical Center discovered that high-dose chemotherapy and blood stem cell transplantation can result in long-term survival for patients diagnosed with primary systemic light chain (AL) Amyloidosis, a condition where plasma cells in bone marrow produce proteins that mis-fold and deposit in tissues leading to organ failure and eventual death. The research team reviewed the records of 80 patients who received high-dose chemotherapy and blood stem cell transplantation for three years. The median survival period for these patients was about six years and 23% of them are still alive today. That's a significant improvement compared to the 2% of patients who manage to survive 10 years after traditional treatment with melphalan and prednisone. "However, efforts need to continue to be directed upon achieving a complete hematologic response in patients," said Vaishali Sanchorawala, M.D., associate professor of medicine at Boston University. "We are finding that the proportion of patients who ultimately achieve a complete response have the highest rate of long-term survival."

Scientists at the Forsyth Institute discovered a mechanism for controlling the behavior of adult stem cells. The researchers found a novel role for the proteins that are involved in cell-to-cell communication, which may help them understand the nature of the messages that control stem cell regulation. The Forsyth team used planarians (a flatworm) and other animal models to study development and regeneration. Their findings highlighted how direct cell-cell transfer of small molecules between stem cells and their neighbors can provide a blueprint for learning about regeneration. "Further analysis in both planarians and in vertebrates will provide crucial opportunities for understanding what drives stem cell behavior and may help medical science identify novel therapeutic targets," said Nestor J. Oviedo, lead author of the study.

A study published by the journal Cell Stem Cell reported that a new method for comprehensive genetic analysis can help distinguish the type of human embryo that stem cells come from. The scientists completed a thorough genome-wide analysis of the first human embryonic stem cell (or ES) line purportedly generated by Korean scientists using human eggs and somatic cell nuclear transfer, in what is sometimes referred to as cloning. That process would result in stem cells that are nearly genetically identical to a donor, and thus would be easier to use in treatment than stem cells with the genes of a new embryo. The results confirm that ntES (stem cells from "cloning") and pES (stem cells from an unfertilized egg) have distinct DNA recombination signatures. Those made from pES display a telltale genetic pattern close to the center of chromosomes. Using that knowledge, researchers showed that the Korean stem cell line was the first ever successfull pES line, meaning the first successful stem cell line using unfertilized eggs that were chemically tricked into dividing into embryos.

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