Astrocytes generated from patient induced pluripotent stem cells recapitulate features of Huntington's disease patient cells.

Background: Huntington's Disease (HD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disorder that clinically manifests as motor dysfunction, cognitive impairment and psychiatric symptoms. There is currently no cure for this progressive and fatal disorder. The causative mutation of this hereditary disease is a trinucleotide repeat expansion (CAG) in the Huntingtin gene that results in an expanded polyglutamine tract.

Modeling neurological diseases using patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells.

Reprogramming of somatic cells to an embryonic-like state has dramatically changed the landscape of stem cell research. Although still in its formative stages, the field of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has the potential to advance the study of neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders at the molecular and cellular levels. The iPSC technology could be employed to establish in vitro experimental model systems for the identification of molecular lesions and to aid in the discovery of therapeutic targets and effective compounds.

Isolation of quiescent murine hematopoietic stem cells by homing properties.

A major challenge facing investigators working in the field of hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) biology has been to develop a strategy to purify rare primitive HSCs from bone marrow. Several methods have been available including the commonly used technique of isolating HSCs based on a specific cell-surface phenotype. As surface marker expression is dynamic and may fluctuate depending on the proliferative or activation state of the cell, our laboratory has established a unique functional in vivo assay (the 2-day homing assay) to isolate murine HSCs.

Isolation of bone marrow-derived stem cells using density-gradient separation.

Objective: Our laboratory has established two unique methods to isolate murine hematopoietic stem cells on the basis of functional characteristics such as the ability of stem cells to home to bone marrow and aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity. An essential component of both protocols is the separation of whole bone marrow into small-sized cells by counter-flow elutriation. We sought to provide the scientific community with an alternate approach to acquire our stem cells by replacing elutriation with the use of density-gradient centrifugation.

Extensive cutaneous metastases in a dog with duodenal adenocarcinoma.

A 6-year-old Rottweiler was presented to the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine for evaluation of multiple cutaneous nodules. The dog had a history of anorexia, vomiting, and hind-limb paraplegia. Results of cytologic examination of the cutaneous nodules were consistent with a round cell tumor.

Cytology of bone marrow.

Cytologic examination of bone marrow aspirates can provide a wealth of diagnostic information. Practitioners should not hesitate to perform bone marrow aspirates when indicated. This article is designed to assist the practitioner in the evaluation of bone marrow aspiration biopsies.