Self-renewal of T-cells and chemoresistance
Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it. As you know the fundamental quality of stem cells is self-renewal. Ability to self-renew and differentiate to mature cell types underlies the phenomenon of symmetrical and asymmetrical stem cell division. But not only stem cell can self-renew. It was shown that some subsets of T-lymphocytes (T-cells) can self-renew and divide asymmetrically. But what is biological role of this phenomenon in T-cells? Why do non-stem cells need to self-renew? Can they do it with

Stem Cell Assays
Recently I was very busy working with new project - Stem Cell Assays. I was thinking about total replacement of category “protocols” (which is non-functional here) and didn’t come up with anything better than separate project. It is launched now! Stem Cell Assays is a collaborative online project aimed to bring together professionals working in the field of stem cell research and cell therapy to discuss methodological issues that are holding back progress in the field. I’m starting this

Extramedullary hematopoiesis and niche
Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it. Existence of extramedullar (outside of bone marrow) hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) raises a number of interesting questions: 1. What is the biological role of extramedullar hematopoiesis? 2. Does it appear only in pathological conditions or does it also exist in normal steady-state organism? 3. How is it different from bone marrow hematopoiesis? 4. What is the intrinsic difference between marrow HSC and extramedullar HSC? 5. What is the origin of HSC in extramedullary sites? Do they migrate from bone marrow or just embryogenesis remnants? 6. What is the ni

Targeting of signaling pathways in leukemia and conditioning for bone marrow transplant
Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it. Recently new and exciting techniques were developed for safe (non-myeloablative) treatment, which allow permissive donor hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) engraftment. For example, depletion of host HSC by administration anti-cKit antibody was permissive for robust engraftment of donor bone marrow cells without irradiation-based conditioning. Targeting of surface molecules on donor’s marrow cells is curr

Nature Reports Stem Cells necrology
Last week Nature Publishing Group (NPG) shut down the online journal Nature Reports Stem Cells (NRSC) and the blog “The Niche“.  We didn’t know the exact reasons, but Monya Baker – the Editor of NRSC and an author at ”The Niche” indicated to financial issues and also said the following: I’m sad to announce that Nature Reports Stem Cells and the Niche will cease operations this week. When we launched in June 2007, we wanted to see how Nature Publishing Group (NPG) could build onl