Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Forsyth research drives cancer-like growth in stem cell

By Mass High Tech Staff

Researchers at the Forsyth Institute in Boston, Tufts University in Medford and Somerville and the University of Tuebingen in Germany have found a way to mimic a “cancer-like response from embryonic stem cells.”

The scientists used frog embryos to study the effect of using electricity to cut the flow of potassium, KCNQ1 — already linked to Romano-Ward and Jervell-Lange-Nielsen syndromes in humans. As a result, a pigment cell was affected and displayed cancer-like growth, ultimately spreading to the liver, heart, blood vessels and neural tube of the frog, according to a Forsyth report on the findings.

In applying the research to humans, the studies show the importance of potassium flows in cell regulation and the role of  bioelectrical signals in controlling embryonic stem cells.

Michael Levin, director of the Forsyth Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology, led the research conducted by the Forsyth Institute, which researches oral health and biomedical sciences.

The research was financially supported through grants from The National Institutes of Health, The American Heart Association, The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the March of Dimes.