Skin cells turned directly into the cells that insulate neurons

Apr. 15, 2013 ? Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have succeeded in transforming skin cells directly into oligodendrocyte precursor cells, the cells that wrap nerve cells in the insulating myelin sheaths that help nerve signals propagate.

The current research was done in mice and rats. If the approach also works with human cells, it could eventually lead to cell therapies for diseases like inherited leukodystrophies -- disorders of the brain's white matter -- and multiple sclerosis, as well as spinal cord injuries. The study will be published online April 14 in Nature Biotechnology.

Without myelin to insulate neurons, signals sent down nerve cell axons quickly lose power. Diseases that attack myelin, such as multiple sclerosis, result in nerve signals that are not as efficient and cannot travel as far as they should. Myelin disorders can affect nerve signal transmission in the brain and spinal cord, leading to cognitive, motor and sensory problems.

Previous research in rodent disease models has shown that transplanted oligodendrocyte precursor cells derived from embryonic stem cells and from human fetal brain tissue can successfully create myelin sheaths around nerve cells, sometimes leading to dramatic improvements in symptoms. "Unfortunately, the availability of human fetal tissue is extremely limited, and the creation of OPCs from embryonic stem cells is slow and tedious," said the study's senior author, Marius Wernig, MD, assistant professor of pathology and a member of Stanford's Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. "It appeared we wouldn't be able to create enough human OPCs for widespread therapeutic use, so we began to wonder if we could create them directly from skin cells."

Nan Yang, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in the Wernig laboratory and lead author of the study, pointed out that there is another advantage to using this technique. "By using the patient's own skin cells, we should be able to generate transplantable OPCs that are genetically identical to the patient's natural OPCs," Yang said. "This allows us to avoid the problem of immune rejection, which is a major complication in transplantation medicine."

Last year, Wernig's team successfully created human nerve cells out of skin cells. Other researchers had successfully used a similar process to turn skin cells into embryonic-like cells called induced pluripotent stem cells, and then grow those iPS cells into nerve cells, but Wernig's lab was the first to convert skin cells directly into nerve cells without the intermediate iPS cell step.

The team's current research project also involved directly converting skin cells into OPCs without having to create iPS cells. The researchers showed that mouse and rat skin cells could be directly converted into OPCs, and that these cells would successfully myelinate nerve cells when transplanted into the brains of mice with a myelin disorder.

Next, the team plans to reproduce the research in human cells; if successful, the approach could lay the groundwork for therapies for a wide array of myelin disorders and spinal cord injury.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Stanford University Medical Center. The original article was written by Christopher Vaughan.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Nan Yang, J Bradley Zuchero, Henrik Ahlenius, Samuele Marro, Yi Han Ng, Thomas Vierbuchen, John S Hawkins, Richard Geissler, Ben A Barres, Marius Wernig. Generation of oligodendroglial cells by direct lineage conversion. Nature Biotechnology, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/nbt.2564

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/c6P1AiDhxCc/130415124807.htm

school shooting in ohio shooting at chardon high school sasha baron cohen stacy keibler stacy keibler oscar red carpet daytona 500 start time

Identical Triplet Boys Shine In Top Cuba Ballet School (PHOTOS)

HAVANA -- Visitors to the elite feeder school for Cuba's renowned National Ballet might be forgiven for thinking they're suddenly seeing triple.

Identical triplets Angel, Cesar and Marcos Ramirez wear matching black leotards and white socks as they leap, prance and twirl across the linoleum floor of the mirrored studio. They share the same wiry build, olive complexion, mussed hairstyles and coffee-colored eyes. And they speak the same fast-paced Spanish in the high-pitched voice of children.

Even their instructors have trouble telling the Ramirez boys apart, but they say the 13-year-olds have already separated themselves from their peers technically and artistically, and all three have the talent to make a big splash in the ballet world when they grow up.

If they succeed, they will join a long line of celebrated dancers trained in Cuba, where fans from every social stratum follow the careers of ballet stars like Carlos Acosta and Rolando Sarabia as closely as those of baseball players or boxers.

"I want to be a dancer. The National Ballet of Cuba turns out great male dancers," said Marcos, sweat dripping from his face after a recent workout in the steamy studio as his brothers nodded in agreement. "And go on tour in many countries and travel the world by dancing."

Toward that end, the Ramirez brothers spend 12 hours a day at the National School of Ballet, housed in a graceful, cream-porticoed building that occupies a full half-block in colonial Old Havana. Classes include not only dance, but more mundane subjects like language, math and history.

A former social club with broad hallways and a majestic marble staircase, this is where the creme de la creme of young dancers from across the country train for a shot at stardom.

The school was founded seven decades ago by famed prima ballerina assoluta Alicia Alonso, now age 92, who is probably the most recognized person in Cuba not named "Castro."

"This school means a lot to us," Angel said. "It gives us the training to graduate as ballet dancers, which is the thing we want most."

While the odds are tough, Mirlen Rodriguez, a 24-year-old teacher and former student at the school, says the brothers all have a chance of making their careers onstage.

"They are at a level that is beyond high," Rodriguez said.

The three have already beaten long odds simply by being born.

According to 2010 data compiled by the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, only 0.14 percent of births that year were triplets or higher-order multiple births.

Naturally born identical triplets, involving a single egg separating into three fetuses rather than multiple eggs being fertilized, are much rarer.

Mothers of Supertwins, a U.S. nonprofit group that provides support, education and research on higher-order multiple births, says about one of every 62,500 pregnancies results in identical triplets ? or 0.0016 percent.

The Ramirezes, born into a family that lives in the gritty neighborhood of Center Havana, say they are extremely close.

In conversation they often finish each other's thoughts. They also seem to have fun with their uniqueness, introducing themselves to a reporter as if their relationship wasn't apparent.

"My name is Angel Jesus Ramirez Castellanos, and I'm 13 years old," the first said with a sly smile, followed in turn by the others:

"My name is Marcos Abraham Ramirez Castellanos, and I'm 13 years old."

"My name is Cesar Josue Ramirez Castellanos, and I'm 13 years old."

While some identical siblings find it difficult to carve out their own identities, the Ramirezes say they relish their tripleness.

"For me it's a real stroke of luck being a triplet, being able to count on my brothers," Cesar said. "The disadvantage is that sometimes they scold you or correct you for something that another one did."

Instructors rely on tricks to tell them apart.

"There's one that has a little mark above the eyebrow. Another one gets dimples when he laughs," Rodriguez said.

"Then there's another that doesn't have dimples or a mole. During exams you have to put one of them there, another one here, the other way over there, and they have to stay in that formation."

She added, however, that while the boys share the same DNA and have been trained by the same instructors, they have unique personalities that show up in their dance. One is more mischievous, another more serious, the third the most talkative.

"They have the same physical form, the same configuration of legs and arms, but in their minds, each one is unique," Rodriguez said.

The triplets say they fell in love with dance in 2007 when their mother took them to a performance of "The Nutcracker," which is put on every Christmas season and costs just pennies to attend.

All three said it never occurred to them to worry about being teased for taking up dance. Ballet is broadly popular in Cuba, and the idea of a man donning a leotard has remarkably little stigma attached to it for a society that in other ways retains some macho attitudes.

The Ramirezes enrolled in the ballet school at age 10 after passing a rigorous exam and being selected over dozens of other children with similar dreams. More than 300 boys and girls train here in eight different grades, all hoping to make it to the National Ballet.

"It's a virus that can't be cured with antibiotics," said Ramona de Saa, the school's director. "And all that passion can be felt in the school."

The grueling day runs from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Mornings are devoted to traditional school subjects, while afternoons are for perfecting demi plies and barre work.

"One, two, three, four!" an instructor's voice called out during a recent rehearsal as the Ramirezes twirled around and around on tiptoe. "Again!"

"It's a career that requires a lot of sacrifice. It takes away much of your childhood," Rodriguez said. "While others maybe are at home watching cartoon movies, they have to be at rehearsal."

___

Associated Press writer Peter Orsi contributed to this report.

___

Follow Andrea Rodriguez on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ARodriguezAP

Also on HuffPost:

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/14/cuba-triplets-ballet-dancers_n_3079947.html

Tropical Storm Isaac path Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Isaac Path Isaac Hurricane earthquake san diego Hurricane Isaac Sam Claflin

INOVA Microlight STS ? Keychain flashlight with touch controls

EDC flashlights are usually either of the clicky or twisty variety. The INOVA Microlight STS (Swipe to Shine) just blew my mind because it is ?a touch controlled light for your keychain. That’s right, this small 16 lumen LED flashlight does not have any buttons or switches that you have to press or slide in [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/04/13/inova-microlight-sts-keychain-flashlight-with-touch-controls/

country music awards 2012 wrestlemania 28 results earl scruggs wrestlemania 28 game of thrones season 2 dierks bentley kenny chesney

Netherlands' Rijksmuseum opens to the public

AMSTERDAM (AP) ? Amid brass bands and a daytime fireworks display, the Netherlands' Queen Beatrix on Saturday officially reopened the Rijksmuseum, the country's national museum, after a 10-year, 375 million euro ($480 million) renovation.

The museum houses the largest collection of treasures from the Netherlands' cultural history, including works painted by Dutch masters Jan Steen, Johannes Vermeer and Rembrandt van Rijn in the country's 17th-century Golden Age. Then the Netherlands was a major naval power and Amsterdam was one of the world's most influential and wealthy cities.

The renovation by Spanish architectural firm Cruz y Ortiz sought to bring light into the courtyards at the center of the 1885 brick structure, which resembles a fairytale castle. Meanwhile the museum's displays were completely redone to modern standards, with cultural items displayed alongside artwork from the same period ? and sometimes even directly related to the art or artist.

For instance, one room houses paintings portraying the June 1667 Raid on the Medway, a naval battle in which the Dutch defeated the English. The room centers on an intricate model of a ship from the period more than two meters (yards) long. It displays an actual sword and goblet once owned by the victorious Dutch Adm. Michiel de Ruyter.

And above one doorway hangs the actual metal stern-piece from the English flagship HMS Royal Charles, which features a lion and a unicorn. De Ruyter's forces towed the ship away during the battle, and then took it back to the Netherlands.

Only one of the 8,000 works in the Rijksmuseum's collection returns to its original display position: Rembrandt's "The Night Watch," widely considered his greatest masterpiece. It sits at the end of the museum's main gothic-style Gallery of Honor, acting as the symbolic altarpiece of a secular church.

That enormous canvas ? 4.35 meters wide and 3.79 meters high (14.86 x 12.43 feet) ? portrays a company of Amsterdam volunteer militiamen, rather than a religious work.

In honor of the opening by Queen Beatrix, who is the head of the Netherlands' ruling House of Orange, the museum has been outfitted with a large orange carpet leading to its new entrance. At an opening ceremony broadcast live on national television, museum Director Wim Pijbes handed the queen a ceremonial key to the museum.

Then the museum was opened to the public. It will remain open until midnight, free of charge. Tickets will normally cost 15 euros ($19).

The museum expects to welcome thousands of visitors Saturday, and up to 2 million visitors per year now that it is open again.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/netherlands-rijksmuseum-opens-public-101558648.html

Microsoft Tropical Storm Isaac amber portwood Phyllis Diller Darla Moore newsweek Tony Scott

Verizon confirms 12-month Device Payment Plan for phones is launching April 21st

Look: we know many on Verizon aren't happy that the carrier has revealed plans to lengthen its upgrade intervals right as smartphone update season is hitting full stride. However, there may be a consolation prize. As of April 21st, "some devices" in its smartphone range, not just the existing tablets, will qualify for a Device Payment Plan that spreads out the full costs over the course of a year, letting those who crave the latest mobile hardware (presumably, you) upgrade without either having to sign a contract or pay everything up front. Sounds like a very UnCarrier thing to do, doesn't it? Not quite, unfortunately. The carrier tells us that these payments sit on top of existing service plans, not inside them -- the base service rate won't go down in year two. T-Mobile will remain the better bargain for anyone constantly replacing handsets, then, but those on Verizon will at least have a degree of freedom.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile, Verizon

Comments

Via: Droid-Life

Source: Verizon

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/R0PFhai8UAY/

mega millions results lotto numbers susan powell megamillions winners university of louisville louisville ky lotto winners

New film boosts immigration fight

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The immigration overhaul pending before Congress is picking up more high-profile support as Apple co-founder Steve Jobs' widow, Laurene Powell Jobs, bankrolls a new documentary to promote the effort, directed by Academy Award-winner Davis Guggenheim.

Guggenheim directed Al Gore's film on global warming, "An Inconvenient Truth," and 2010's "Waiting for Superman," on the wretched state of the nation's public schools.

His new effort, "The Dream is Now," tells the stories of immigrant youths here illegally who are eager to succeed in America but can't because they lack legal status.

Jose is trained as a mechanical engineer, but working as a construction laborer because he can't get a job in his chosen profession.

Ola hopes to become a surgical oncologist, but fears deportation even as she pursues her studies.

The 30-minute film was screened at the Capitol for members of the House and Senate earlier this week and it will be shown on college campuses and elsewhere in coming weeks.

"My hope is that people will watch this film, it'll open their minds about what's really at stake in immigration reform," Guggenheim said in an interview with The Associated Press. "You see firsthand what happens if we don't fix this broken system we have."

Laurene Powell Jobs chairs Emerson Collective, a nonprofit that supports education reform and other efforts. Through her work in education she encountered youths here illegally who couldn't advance because of their status, and became interested in their stories, Guggenheim said.

The youths in the film would benefit from legislation called the DREAM Act because it would allow citizenship to people brought here in their youths who fulfill certain requirements. Congress has tried but failed to pass that measure but it's expected to be incorporated in a comprehensive immigration overhaul bill to be released next week by bipartisan Senate negotiators.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/film-boosts-immigration-fight-155048779.html

augusta national blake griffin pau gasol marlins park marbury v. madison 2013 lincoln mkz burger king mary j blige

Teenager, 17, died from leukaemia 10 days after doctors sent her ...

• Sophie Coldwell's parents blame no one for her death and hope what happened to her can help save other lives
  
• Sent home from NHS walk-in centre but died in hospital 10 days later
• Boyfriend's tribute to 'amazing' girl: 'My world, my rock, my shoulder'
  

By Hugo Gye

PUBLISHED: 05:14 EST, 11 April 2013 | UPDATED: 06:22 EST, 12 April 2013

A teenage girl died from a rare form of leukaemia just 10 days after doctors told her she was only suffering from tonsillitis and fatigue.

Sophie Coldwell, 17, had been feeling tired for some time, but her parents attributed it to the increased burden of schoolwork.

In fact, she was suffering from a cancer so aggressive that a hospital consultant said he had never seen anything like it - and now her family hopes to save others by raising awareness of the devastating condition.

Tragic: Sophie Coldwell, 17, died after falling victim to a rare and aggressive form of leukaemia last month

Sophie visited an NHS walk-in centre on March 7, but was sent home after being diagnosed with chronic fatigue, tonsillitis and inflamed gums.

But her condition failed to improve in the following days, and on March 16 her parents called an ambulance to their home in Yardley, Birmingham when her breathing became shallow and raspy.

She lost consciousness on the way to Solihull Hospital and although she was later transferred to Heartlands Hospital she never recovered, dying in the early hours of March 17 from suspected acute monoblastic myeloid leukaemia.

Helpless: Doctors sent her home 10 days earlier, and her parents thought she was just tired from working harder at school

Sophie's father Andy, 46, a manager at Jaguar Land Rover, said today that he hoped the news of her sudden death could save lives in the future.

'Sophie wasn't feeling that well,' he said. 'She couldn't eat because her mouth was that sore. She had a tough 10 days, really.

'She felt tired. At the time, we put that down to it being her first year in college, it was longer hours - it didn't really raise any concerns at the time.

'As a father, I question everything I did and whether any more could have been done. The fact it took everybody by surprise doesn't mean you still don't do that as parents.

'The consultant said teams would learn from this because of how aggressive and quickly it happened.'

Her mother Sherry, 46, a receptionist at a doctor's surgery, added: 'The consultant said he had never seen anything so aggressive. How quickly it happened was just something he had not seen before.'

Sophie was a student at Solihull Sixth Form College, and had been going out with her boyfriend Matt Robinson since November last year.

The 18-year-old knew his girlfriend was unwell, but had no idea how serious her condition would turn out to be.

In a moving last text he wrote to Sophie, he said: 'You've gone from a girl I added on Facebook to being my life, my heart, my soul, my world, my rock, my shoulder, my everything.

'You're just amazing. Everything about you is stunning, from your smile to your eyes, from your hair to your half-painted nails, from your freckles on top of your shoulders to the freckles on your forehead my perfection.'

Death: Sophie lost consciousness on the way to Heartlands Hospital, pictured, and never recovered

Her sister Katie, 14, wrote a poignant letter to Sophie which was printed in the order of service at her funeral.

SYMPTOMS OF LEUKAEMIA

The five most common signs of cancer in young people aged 13 to 24 are persistent and unexplained pain, extreme tiredness, weight loss, an unexplained lump, bump or swelling or changes in a mole.

Other symptoms of acute myeloid leukaemia include: pale skin, breathlessness, having repeated infections over a short space of time, unusual and frequent bleeding (such as bleeding gums or nose bleeds).

Easily bruised skin, excessive sweating and bone and joint pain are others.

She wrote: 'Your life was only just beginning, there is so much that you're going to miss out on, but I know that you will be watching over me and making sure that I make the right decisions, which is all I can ask from you.

'I hope that you are okay up there and I bet you're still saying "Get out of my room". One day, we will be together again. I just wish that I was there to say goodbye.'

Mr Coldwell said: 'Every day is a struggle, and that's really down to how quickly it happened. It's taken a while for us to get our heads around.

'We have had really fantastic support from family, friends and Sophie's friends, who are taking Katie out and promise to look after her.

'She met Matt in November. I'm a typical father but Matt, right from the start, hit it off with Sophie and with us. From a dad point of view, he ticked all the boxes straight away. You could almost see the connection they had.'

For more information: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Leukaemia-acute/Pages/Symptoms.aspx
http://www.teenagecancertrust.org/

Tagged : No tags for this article

Latest Blog

Madonna: Malawi president is 'furious' after her office attacks star without her approval

President Joyce Banda was 'unaware' that the statement had been releasedIt's the latest development in a war of words since Madonna's recent visitThe singer had hit back yesterday calling Banda's statement 'lies' By Steve Nolan PUBLISHED: 06:37 EST, 12 April 2013 | UPDATED: 06:39 EST, 12 April 2013 Malawi President Joyce Banda has denied calling Madonna a 'bully' amid claims that she had not approved...

0 comments

Mother, 54, choked to death in pub eating competition after swallowing boiled egg

Tributes paid to 'full-of-life' mother who died after choking on eggMs Dixon had taken part in an eating competition By Conor Sheils PUBLISHED: 06:34 EST, 12 April 2013 | UPDATED: 06:37 EST, 12 April 2013 A popular mother died after choking on a boiled egg during a pub eating contest.Sharon Dixon, 54 was taking part in the egg eating competition at the Wellington Arms, Grimsby,...

0 comments

Germany's Nurburgring racetrack closed after vandals paint 30ft PENIS on tarmac

Vandals daubed a huge penis on the track at the NurburgringStony-faced officials stopped racing until it was demurely coveredBut racers found the puerile graffiti most amusing By Sam Webb PUBLISHED: 11:44 EST, 11 April 2013 | UPDATED: 06:34 EST, 12 April 2013 Stewards were forced to close the world's best-known racetrack - after vandals painted this 30ft penis on the tarmac.Hundreds of Brits head to...

0 comments

Police seeking Joshua Dean Wilson, 23, after Leeds University student's death in Harrogate

Joshua Dean Wilson, of Harrogate, may have seen woman before she diedDeceased is thought to have been a student at Leeds UniversityNorth Yorkshire police are treating her death as unexplained By Harriet Arkell PUBLISHED: 06:24 EST, 12 April 2013 | UPDATED: 06:24 EST, 12 April 2013 Joshua Dean Wilson, 23, of Harrogate, is wanted by North Yorkshire Police as they believe he may have...

0 comments

Margaret Thatcher's heartfelt letter to my grieving mother by Tom Utley

By Tom Utley PUBLISHED: 17:07 EST, 11 April 2013 | UPDATED: 06:23 EST, 12 April 2013 Lady Thatcher attended her good friend, and Tom Utley's father, T.E. 'Peter' Utley's funeral, arriving more than an hour before the rest of the mourners At my father?s funeral in 1988, Margaret Thatcher arrived more than an hour before the rest of the mourners. She took her place in...

0 comments

Talk about that Paw-casso! Talented tigers show off their painting skills at Florida zoo

Big cats use their paws, tongues and noises to create artworkPaintings can sell for up to ?130Profits are pumped back into the Big Cat Rescue Sanctuary in TampaMaking art keeps the animals mentally stimulated By Janine Yaqoob PUBLISHED: 06:22 EST, 12 April 2013 | UPDATED: 06:23 EST, 12 April 2013 Meet the paw-casso painters creating artworks worth up to ?130 at a Florida zoo -...

0 comments

Tagged : No tags for this article

Source: http://news1.ghananation.com/latest-news/304746-teenager-17-died-from-leukaemia-10-days-after-doctors-sent-her-home-saying-she-had-tonsillitis.html

nate mcmillan clooney arrested southern miss rod blagojevich rod blagojevich uconn vcu