9 research outputs found
In vivo transplantation of enteric neural crest cells into mouse gut; Engraftment, functional integration and long-term safety
Objectives: Enteric neuropathies are severe gastrointestinal disorders with unsatisfactory outcomes. We aimed to investigate the potential of enteric neural stem cell therapy approaches for such disorders by transplanting mouse enteric neural crest cells (ENCCs) into ganglionic and aganglionic mouse gut in vivo and analysing functional integration and long-term safety. Design: Neurospheres gene
White paper on guidelines concerning enteric nervous system stem cell therapy for enteric neuropathies.
Over the last 20 years, there has been increasing focus on the development of novel stem cell based therapies for the treatment of disorders and diseases affecting the enteric nervous system (ENS) of the gastrointestinal tract (so-called enteric neuropathies). Here, the idea is that ENS progenitor/stem cells could be transplanted into the gut wall to replace the damaged or absent neurons and glia of the ENS. This White Paper sets out experts' views on the commonly used methods and approaches to identify, isolate, purify, expand and optimize ENS stem cells, transplant them into the bowel, and assess transplant success, including restoration of gut function. We also highlight obstacles that must be overcome in order to progress from successful preclinical studies in animal models to ENS stem cell therapies in the clinic
The PRISMA Symposium 4: How Should Europe Progress End-of-Life and Palliative Clinical Care Research? Recommendations From the Proceedings
Life history evolution in cichlids 1: revisiting the evolution of life histories in relation to parental care
Empirical links between egg size and duration of parental care in fishes have generated a considerable amount of theory concerning life history evolution. However, to date, this link has not been investigated in relation to other important life‐history traits such as clutch size and body size, or while controlling for shared ancestry between species. We provide the first phylogenetically based tests using a database with information on egg size, clutch size, body size and care duration in cichlid fishes (Cichlidae). Multiple regression analyses, based on independent contrasts on both the species and the genus level, showed that clutch size is the variable most closely related to duration of care. This pattern appeared to be driven by post‐hatch care relationships. Our results show that, contrary to expectation, there is no positive link between egg size and care duration in Cichlidae. Instead, greater reproductive output through increased clutch size investment appears to have coevolved with greater care of offspring. We suggest that re‐evaluation of the generality of current models of the evolution of egg size under parental care in fishes is needed
White paper on guidelines concerning enteric nervous system stem cell therapy for enteric neuropathies
Over the last 20 years, there has been increasing focus on the development of novel stem cell based therapies for the treatment of disorders and diseases affecting the enteric nervous system (ENS) of the gastrointestinal tract (so-called enteric neuropathies). Here, the idea is that ENS progenitor/stem cells could be transplanted into the gut wall to replace the damaged or absent neurons and glia of the ENS. This White Paper sets out experts' views on the commonly used methods and approaches to identify, isolate, purify, expand and optimize ENS stem cells, transplant them into the bowel, and assess transplant success, including restoration of gut function. We also highlight obstacles that must be overcome in order to progress from successful preclinical studies in animal models to ENS stem cell therapies in the clinic
A global continuous plankton recorder programme
Plankton are the main food source in the majority of
marine ecosystems and have a crucial role in climate
change through primary production and the export of
carbon to the deep ocean. Understanding how ocean
biology and biogeochemical cycles contribute and
respond to climate and other global change is a major
challenge of high significance for the future of mankind.
Given their importance it is a major concern that, with
the exception of data collected by the Continuous
Plankton Recorder (CPR) survey, our knowledge of
plankton at ocean scales and over time is still
rudimentary. Using ships of opportunity, the CPR
survey has sampled the plankton for more than 75 years
in the North Atlantic, aided more recently by sister
surveys in Southern Ocean, North Pacific and
Australasian waters. Monitoring plankton variability
over large areas of oceanic and coastal water with the
CPR is efficient and cost effective and is a powerful,
proven tool for detecting and predicting oceanic impacts
of both global and climate change. There is an urgent
need to improve global coverage of plankton and
provide data for modelling. To address this need we
propose the development and implementation of an
integrated and appropriately funded global CPR
programme linked to SOOP/VOS. Our vision is to
build regional surveys with common standards for
sampling, analysis, data processing and sample storage
that generate compatible and freely exchangeable data.
It is envisaged that the resulting global network, of
preferably instrumented CPR routes, would be closely
associated with other traditional and new plankton
sampling and analysing technologies, plus remote
sensing and the Global Tracking Network (GTN). To
develop this network it is proposed that SAHFOS
should have a central role as a ‘Centre of Excellence’
for coordination, training and quality control, as well as
the production of indicators, habitat niche modelling
and other global outreach products