News From U-M
Three U-M researchers named 2011 MacArthur Fellows
Three University of Michigan researchers— historian Tiya Miles, chemist Melanie Sanford and stem cell biologist Yukiko Yamashita—are among the 22 new MacArthur Fellows announced today by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Each will receive $500,000 in "no strings attached" support over the next five years from the MacArthur Foundation. Read More
U-M creates state’s first disease-specific human embryonic stem cell lines
University of Michigan researchers have created the state's first human embryonic stem cell lines that carry the genes responsible for inherited disease. The achievement will enable scientists here to study the onset and progression of genetic disorders and to search for new treatments. With this accomplishment, the U-M joins a small handful of U.S. universities that are creating disease-specific human embryonic stem cell lines. "All our efforts are finally starting to bear fruit," said Gary Smith, co-director of the U-M Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies and leader of the cell-line derivation project. "Creating disease-specific human embryonic stem cell lines has been a central goal of the consortium since it was formed two years ago, and now we've passed that milestone." Read More
Unraveling Alzheimer’s: Simple small molecules could untangle complex disease
New molecular tools developed at the University of Michigan show promise for "cleansing" the brain of amyloid plaques, implicated in Alzheimer's disease. A hallmark of Alzheimer's disease—a neurodegenerative disease with no cure—is the aggregation of protein-like bits known as amyloid-beta peptides into clumps in the brain called plaques. These plaques and their intermediate messes can cause cell death, leading to the disease's devastating symptoms of memory loss and other mental difficulties. The mechanisms responsible for the formation of these misfolded proteins and their associations with Alzheimer's disease are not entirely understood, but it's thought that copper and zinc ions are somehow involved. [Read more...]
U-M researchers identify protein essential for cell division in blood-forming stem cells
University of Michigan researchers have discovered that a protein known to regulate cellular metabolism is also necessary for normal cell division in blood-forming stem cells. Loss of the protein results in an abnormal number of chromosomes and a high rate of cell death. "This raises the possibility that, in the future, we may be able to modulate stem cell function --when treating degenerative diseases or when performing cell therapies—by altering the metabolism of the cells," said Sean Morrison, director of the U-M Center for Stem Cell Biology, which is based at the Life Sciences Institute. "It opens up a whole new area of inquiry that, until now, had not been recognized." [Read more...]
U-M researcher wins award for Distinguished Research in Biomedical Sciences
The Association of American Medical Colleges has recognized University of Michigan Medical School researcher David Ginsburg, with the Distinguished Research in the Biomedical Sciences Award. Ginsburg is one of 10 scientists in the country receiving national recognition for their outstanding contributions to academic medicine and the global community. [Read more...]
Research shows a promising new method to reduce graft-versus-host-disease after bone marrow transplantation
University of Michigan researchers have discovered a new method to prevent the immune-system attacks that often occur following bone marrow transplants. Ivan Maillard, a U-M Life Sciences Institute professor and an assistant professor of internal medicine at the Medical School, and his lab discovered the new method and say they're encouraged by preliminary results in mouse models. The work, done in collaboration with a team at the U-M Comprehensive Cancer Center, was recently reported in the journal Blood. [Read more...]
New research gets to the heart of how niacin fights high cholesterol, points to a new pathway
Researchers at the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute have learned how niacin works in lowering blood triglycerides and finds that this drug influences lipid metabolism beyond its action in fat tissues. By connecting the known therapeutic effect of niacin with a new molecular pathway that responds to niacin, Jiandie Lin, U-M research assistant professor and assistant professor of cell and developmental biology, and his team can now explore how to target this specific pathway to help control lipid levels in the body. [Read more...]
LSI scientist named to the prestigious Pew Scholars program
Bing Ye, research assistant professor at the Life Sciences Institute (LSI) and assistant professor of cell and developmental biology at the Medical School, has been named a Pew Scholar. The Pew Charitable Trusts are announcing today that Ye, along with 20 other outstanding scientists from across the country, have been selected as the 2010 Pew Scholars in the biomedical sciences. Early to mid-career scientists are chosen by the program each year. Pew Scholars receive a $240,000 award over four years to support and expand their research as well as foster collaboration and connection through thought exchanges with other stellar scientists. [Read more...]
Researchers develop faster method to generate new antibiotics
Researchers at the University of Michigan's Life Sciences Institute have developed a new method to rapidly generate and test novel antibiotic-drug candidates. The technique could provide scientists with a new tool in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. LSI research assistant professor Sylvie Garneau-Tsodikova and her colleagues essentially outsmarted bacteria by using the microbes' own defenses against them. The research team reports its findings in the January edition of the journal ChemBioChem. "We've taken what the bacteria used to kill the antibiotic as a tool to make new antibiotics," said Garneau-Tsodikova, who is also the John G. Searle assistant professor of medicinal chemistry. [Read more...]
MbusinessLink: Pathway To Discovery
At the University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute (LSI), U-M scientists are working with corporate partners from Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development, a leading pharmaceutical company, to develop new therapies for diabetes, inflammation and obesity. MbusinessLink, a publication of the U-M Business Engagement Center, reports that future breakthroughs stemming from this collaboration could help to improve the health and well-being of millions of patients worldwide. [Read more...]