Adult Stem Cell Doc Blog

The extent to which protein targets are modulated by drugs or small molecule compounds depends on a number of factors, including the expression levels of the target, the effective concentration of the compound, and the time needed for the compound to perturb the target. One of the limitations of current multidimensional phenotypic profiling approaches is that typically a single time point is chosen to assess the effect of compounds.

Researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) have been awarded $2.9 million in grants from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to support research into stem cell discoveries that lay the foundation for future therapies. The Basic Biology Awards received formal approval Thursday from the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee (ICOC), the 29-member governing board of the institute.

Scientists in Switzerland have discovered a way to block the growth of human colon cancer cells, preventing the disease from reaching advanced stages and the development of liver metastases. The research, published today in EMBO Molecular Medicine, shows that blocking the so-called Hedgehog-GLI pathway can prevent the growth of tumours, metastatic lesions and cancer stem cells, the cells thought to lie at the root of cancer growth.