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TEM CELLS FOUND IN AMNIOTIC fluid can be transformed into a more versatile state similar to embryonic stem cells, according to a study published in Molecular Therapy.
Scientists from Imperial College London and
the UCL Institute of Child Health succeeded in reprogramming amniotic fluid cells without having to introduce extra genes. The findings raise the possibility that stem cells derived from donated amniotic fluid could be stored and used for therapies and research, providing a viable alternative to the limited embryonic stem cells currently available. Amniotic fluid surrounds and nourishes the
foetus in the womb. It can be extracted through the mother's abdomen using a needle (amniocentesis), which is sometimes used to test for genetic diseases. The fluid contains stem cells that come from the foetus. These cells have a more limited capacity to develop into different cell types than stem cells in the embryo. The researchers used stem cells from amniotic fluid donated by mothers undergoing
The hot flashes and night sweats that most women experience early in menopause are not linked to increased levels of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk markers unless the symptoms persist or start many years after menopause begins. These new study results were presented at The Endocrine Society's 94th Annual Meeting in Houston. Researchers have questioned whether vasomotor menopausal symptoms reflect poor cardiovascular health. However, a 2011 study by the same authors
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ALTERNATIVE TO EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS Amniotic fluid yields viable alternatives for use in a wide range of diseases
amniocentesis for other purposes during the first trimester of pregnancy. The cells were grown on a gelatinous protein mixture in the lab and reprogrammed into a more primitive state by adding a drug called valproic acid to the culture medium. An extensive set of tests found that these reprogrammed cells have characteristics similar to embryonic stem cells, which are capable of developing into any cell type in the body (i.e. pluripotency). Even after growing in culture for some time,
the reprogrammed cells were able to develop into functioning cells of many different types, including liver, bone and nerve cells. They also maintained their pluripotency even after being frozen and rethawed. The results suggest that
stem cells derived from amniotic fluid could be used in treatments for a wide range of diseases. Donated cells could be stored in banks and used in treatments, as well as in
disease research and drug screening. A previous study estimated that cells from 150 donors would provide a match for 38% of the population. Alternatives to embryonic stem cells are
keenly sought because of ethical concerns and limited availability of donor embryos. Previous research has shown that it is possible to make adult cells become pluripotent by introducing extra genes into the cells, often using viruses. However, the efficiency of the reprogramming
is very low and there is a risk of problems such as tumours caused by disrupting the DNA. The new study is the first to induce pluripotency in human cells without using foreign genetic material. The pluripotent cells derived from amniotic fluid also revealed some traits associated with embryonic stem cells that have not been found in induced pluripotent stem cells
from other sources. MENOPAUSE TIMING AND RISK FOR HEART DISEASE, STROKE
found that women who experienced menopausal symptoms only at the onset of menopause were less likely to have a stroke or heart attack, or to die, than women who experienced hot flashes late in menopause or who did not have hot flashes at all. The new study focused on
markers in the body that have been linked to a raised risk of CVD. The risk markers examined were blood pressure, cholesterol, insulin, glucose, and blood markers of abnormal blood vessel function. As inflammation is common in people
with heart disease or stroke, the group also looked at blood markers of inflammation. This study used retrospective data
from almost 60000 postmenopausal women who participated in the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study. The researchers grouped women
into four categories based on timing of menopausal symptoms of hot flashes and night sweats: only at the start of menopause, only years later in menopause, both time periods, and not at all.
The investigators found no association between early-onset vasomotor menopausal symptoms and increased levels
of any
cardiovascular risk markers. However, both persistent and late-onset menopausal symptoms were associated with higher blood pressure and higher white blood cell count compared with women without menopausal symptoms. Persistent menopausal symptoms also correlated with higher levels of glucose and insulin, which are markers for diabetes.
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