(Press-News.org) Stem cells in bone marrow need to produce hydrogen sulfide in order to properly multiply and form bone tissue, according to a new study from the Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC.
Professor Songtao Shi, principal investigator on the project, said the presence of hydrogen sulfide produced by the cells governs the flow of calcium ions. The essential ions activate a chain of cellular signals that results in osteogenesis, or the creation of new bone tissue, and keeps the breakdown of old bone tissue at a proper level.
Conversely, having a hydrogen sulfide deficiency disrupted bone homeostasis and resulted in a condition similar to osteoporosis—weakened, brittle bones—in experimental mice. In humans, osteoporosis can cause serious problems such as bone fractures, mobility limitations and spinal problems; more than 52 million Americans have or are at risk for the disease.
However, Shi and his team demonstrated that the mice's condition could be rescued by administering small molecules that release hydrogen sulfide inside the body. The results indicate that a similar treatment may have potential to help human patients, Shi said.
"These results demonstrate hydrogen sulfide regulates bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, and restoring hydrogen sulfide levels via non-toxic donors may provide treatments for diseases such as osteoporosis, which can arise from hydrogen sulfide deficiencies," Shi said.
INFORMATION:
"Hydrogen Sulfide Maintains Mesenchymal Stem Cell Function and Bone Homeostasis via Regulation of Ca2+ Channel Sulfhydration" was published online on April 10 in Cell Stem Cell. This work was supported by grants from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services (R01DE017449 and R01 DE019932), from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81222011), and from Science and Technology Activities of Beijing Overseas Students Preferred Foundation.
Proper stem cell function requires hydrogen sulfide
University of Southern California study in Cell Stem Cell sheds light on how hydrogen sulfide deficiencies cause problems with mesenchymal stem cells' ability to create and maintain bone tissue
2014-04-17
[Attachments] See images for this press release:
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
Orchid named after UC Riverside researcher
2014-04-17
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — One day about eight years ago, Katia Silvera, a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, Riverside, and her father were on a field trip in a mountainous area in central Panama when they stumbled upon an orchid they had never seen before.
Unable to identify it, they contacted German Carnevali, a world authority on orchids. The orchid turned out to be an unnamed species. So Carnevali recently named it after the Silveras: Lophiaris silverarum.
"Lophiaris" is the genus name, comprising about 40 species in the world. Carnevali, the director ...
New MRSA superbug emerges in Brazil
2014-04-17
An international research team led by Cesar A. Arias, M.D., Ph.D., at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) has identified a new superbug that caused a bloodstream infection in a Brazilian patient. The report appeared in the April 17 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.
The new superbug is part of a class of highly-resistant bacteria known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or MRSA, which is a major cause of hospital and community-associated infections. The superbug has also acquired high levels of resistance to vancomycin, ...
Study IDs new cause of brain bleeding immediately after stroke
2014-04-17
Irvine, Calif., April 17, 2014 — By discovering a new mechanism that allows blood to enter the brain immediately after a stroke, researchers at UC Irvine and the Salk Institute have opened the door to new therapies that may limit or prevent stroke-induced brain damage.
A complex and devastating neurological condition, stroke is the fourth-leading cause of death and primary reason for disability in the U.S. The blood-brain barrier is severely damaged in a stroke and lets blood-borne material into the brain, causing the permanent deficits in movement and cognition seen ...
20 years of data shows treatment technique improvement for advanced abdominal cancer
2014-04-17
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – April 17, 2014 – Meaningful long-term survival is possible for selected patients suffering from advanced cancer of the abdomen when treated with cytoreductive surgery with Hyperthermic IntraPeritoneal Chemotherapy, or HIPEC, according to a first-of-its-size analysis by physicians at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.
Wake Forest Baptist has the largest reported, single-center experience with cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC, said lead author Edward A. Levine, M.D., and analysis of 20 years' worth of patient data shows that outcomes have clearly improved ...
Surprising material could play role in saving energy
2014-04-17
One strategy for addressing the world's energy crisis is to stop wasting so much energy when producing and using it, which can happen in coal-fired power plants or transportation. Nearly two-thirds of energy input is lost as waste heat.
Now Northwestern University scientists have discovered a surprising material that is the best in the world at converting waste heat to useful electricity. This outstanding property could be exploited in solid-state thermoelectric devices in a variety of industries, with potentially enormous energy savings.
An interdisciplinary team led ...
How vision makes sure that little fish do not get carried away
2014-04-17
This news release is available in German. Our eyes not only enable us to recognise objects; they also provide us with a continuous stream of information about our own movements. Whether we run, turn around, fall or sit still in a car – the world glides by us and leaves a characteristic motion trace on our retinas. Seemingly without effort, our brain calculates self-motion from this "optic flow". This way, we can maintain a stable position and a steady gaze during our own movements. Together with biologists from the University of Freiburg, scientists from the Max Planck ...
Massage therapy improves circulation, eases muscle soreness
2014-04-17
VIDEO:
Massage therapy improves general blood flow and alleviates muscle soreness after exercise, according to a study by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Click here for more information.
Massage therapy improves general blood flow and alleviates muscle soreness after exercise, according to a study by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
The study, reported online in advance of print in the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, ...
Food shortages could be most critical world issue by mid-century
2014-04-17
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The world is less than 40 years away from a food shortage that will have serious implications for people and governments, according to a top scientist at the U.S. Agency for International Development.
"For the first time in human history, food production will be limited on a global scale by the availability of land, water and energy," said Dr. Fred Davies, senior science advisor for the agency's bureau of food security. "Food issues could become as politically destabilizing by 2050 as energy issues are today."
Davies, who also is a Texas A&M AgriLife ...
Internet use may cut retirees' depression
2014-04-17
Spending time online has the potential to ward off depression among retirees, particularly among those who live alone, according to research published online in The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences. In the article "Internet Use and Depression Among Retired Older Adults in the United States: A Longitudinal Analysis," the authors report that Internet use reduced the probability of a depressed state by 33 percent among their study sample.
Late-life depression affects between 5 and 10 million Americans age 50 and older. This new ...
A cross-section of the universe
2014-04-17
An image of a galaxy cluster taken by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope gives a remarkable cross-section of the Universe, showing objects at different distances and stages in cosmic history. They range from cosmic near neighbours to objects seen in the early years of the Universe. The 14-hour exposure shows objects around a billion times fainter than can be seen with the naked eye.
This new Hubble image showcases a remarkable variety of objects at different distances from us, extending back over halfway to the edge of the observable Universe. The galaxies in this image ...
LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:
Graz researchers discover what stiffens the aorta
Breakthrough in atomic-level etching of hafnium oxide, a promising material for advanced semiconductors
How evolution explains autism rates in humans
Swedish psychologist transforms mental health access through digital therapy revolution
Centenarian neuroscientist inspires blueprint for vibrant longevity through mentorship and connection
King’s College London researcher advances psychiatric genomics through pioneering polygenic scoring innovations
Study questions ocean origin of organics in Enceladus’s plumes
Look out for the keyhole: How to find the safest spots to deflect a hazardous asteroid
The older we get, the fewer favorite songs we have
Face‑/edge‑shared 3D perovskitoid single crystals with suppressed ion migration for stable X‑ray detector
Multiple solutions help fly embryos overcome the fundamental problem of ‘tissue tectonic collision’
GLP-1 weight-loss drugs pose hidden risks for young women
Strategies for enhancing energy‑level matching in perovskite solar cells: An energy flow perspective
3D‑printed boron‑nitrogen doped carbon electrodes for sustainable wastewater treatment via MPECVD
Screening anionic groups within zwitterionic additives for eliminating hydrogen evolution and dendrites in aqueous zinc ion batteries
New tectonic geodynamics textbook bridges scientific disciplines
Tiny and powerful – metamaterial lenses for your phones and drones
Study used AI models to improve prediction of chronic kidney disease progression to end stage renal disease
Peanut shell biochar composite shows promise for removing antibiotic-resistant bacteria from aquaculture wastewater
Compact genetic light switches transform disease control
Sunglasses for plants, and sustainable agriculture
Nearly half of those with diabetes unaware they have the disease
Emergency department visits by uninsured children in Texas soar 45% after COVID-era federal funding ends
Bright children from poorer backgrounds twice as likely to receive hospital mental health treatment than affluent high-achievers
‘Artificial cartilage’ could improve arthritis treatment
Breathing device could have profound impact on survival for people with sleep apnoea and type 2 diabetes
Artificial intelligence assessment indicates stress levels in farmed Amazonian fish
Keith Cole receives grant to conduct integrated research on mobility, cognition and aging
Internationally recognized malaria researcher Stefan Kappe, Ph.D., appointed new director of the UM School of Medicine's Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health
Lung cancer genetics study launches open-source data platform to research community
[Press-News.org] Proper stem cell function requires hydrogen sulfideUniversity of Southern California study in Cell Stem Cell sheds light on how hydrogen sulfide deficiencies cause problems with mesenchymal stem cells' ability to create and maintain bone tissue