Protein identified as central to immune system
21 September, 2010 by David BinningResearchers from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) have identified the one protein without which the body is unable to regulate immune cells.
US stem cell researchers get temporary stay on funding ban
13 September, 2010 by Staff WritersAlmost $US80 million earmarked for human embryonic stem cell research in the US is on its way to the intended recipients after a federal appeals court suspended an earlier injunction placed on US federal funding for the controversial work until Monday next week.
Stem cell funding ban upheld in the US
08 September, 2010 by Staff WritersA U.S judge is refusing to yield to pressure to reverse a ban issued last month on funding for human embryonic stem cell research which the Obama administration says is putting millions of dollars of federal funding and some 1300 jobs at risk, the New York Times reports.
Garvan researchers overturn T cell “dogma”
16 August, 2010 by Tim DeanResearchers from Sydney's Garvan Institute have challenged the dominant view in immunology circles as to how a special type of immune cell, called a T follicular helper cell (Tfh), is generated.
UK study shows single neurons can think for themselves
13 August, 2010 by Staff WritersBritish researchers have shown that individual neurons are capable of processing far more complex information than traditionally thought.
First child stem cell trachea transplant a success
09 August, 2010 by Staff WritersAn 11-year old Irish boy has become the world’s first child to receive a transplant of a new trachea grown from his own stem cells, the BBC has reported.
Common sea sponge may yield clues to early cell development
06 August, 2010 by Staff WritersIt’s not normally something that would inspire scuba divers to do a double take, but a species of sponge commonly found on the Great Barrier Reef has researchers all in a lather at the prospect of learning about the genesis of cell behaviour.
Feature: Hunting for a hepatitis vaccine
04 August, 2010 by Fiona WylieProfessor Andrew Lloyd of the University of New South Wales is one of the central figures in the HITS study (Hepatitis C Incidence and Transmission Study) is a long-term prospective cohort study of eligible prison inmates in NSW. Lloyd’s cohort comprises high-risk, uninfected injecting drug users, who are followed at regular intervals longitudinally.
Causes of gluten intolerance discovered
22 July, 2010 by David BinningResearchers at the Walta and Eliza Hall Institute (WEHI) reported today that they have found the three key protein fragments in gluten that cause an immune response in those with coeliac disease.
Studies reveal iPS cells stay true to their roots
22 July, 2010 by Staff WritersTwo research groups connected with the Harvard Stem Cell Institute this week published the results of studies which highlight crucial differences between embryonic and induced pluripotent stem iPS cells.
Athlomics launches biomarker test for sepsis
20 July, 2010 by Staff WritersBrisbane-based molecular diagnostics company, Athlomics, has provided the first of its SeptiCyte Lab kits for the diagnosis of sepsis to Brisbane’s Mater Pathology.
Feature: Weapons of mass infection
19 July, 2010 by Fiona WylieHartland and her team at the University of Melbourne study highly specialised systems used by many pathogenic bacteria to boost their own virulence. One such bacterial system is the Type III secretion system (T3SS), which was identified in the early 1990s in Yersinia, a genus of bacteria infamous for causing plague.
Feature: Secrets of stem cell differentiation
28 May, 2010 by Fiona WylieHow does an embryonic stem (ES) cell ‘know’ how to become one of the 200 plus adult cells into which it can transform? What does it need in terms of chemical, signalling and environmental cues to become, for example, blood, skin, nerve, heart or pancreas?
The two faces of embryonic stem cells
26 May, 2010 by Tim DeanEmbryonic stem (ES) cells - those karyotypically normal immortal cell lines that can give rise to all other cell types of that organism - are believed to hold great promise for therapeutic applications.
Feature: At the frontier of stem cell research
20 May, 2010 by Staff WritersThe developmental fate of cells was once thought to be determined when they began travelling down the road of differentiation, but research has shown that the identity of adult cells can be manipulated, opening intriguing prospects of using cellular reprogramming for therapeutic purposes.
