Ta-da! Blood Cells Transform into iPSCsJanuary 20, 2011Turning a cell into an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) is tricky. It turns out that blood cells have an edge—they already epigenetically resemble iPSCs. When U.S. and Chinese researchers poked around the DNA of human CD34+ cells from umbilical cord blood and adult blood, they found that the promoters’ methylation patterns looked a heck […]
Stem Cells Can’t Hold Their LiquorJanuary 17, 2011Growing up, you always hear that drinking alcohol kills brain cells. According to a new report (not to mention a slow recovery from the EpiGenie New Year’s Eve Bash) there’s definitely some truth to that old adage. Researchers at Indiana University looked at alcohol’s effect on neural stem cells (NSCs) during development by running NSC […]
Top Epigenetics Technology Features on EpiGenieJanuary 14, 2011Want to catch up on some of the latest methods, new technologies, and expert technical tricks? You’re in the right place. Here’s a list of our favorite emerging Technology and Methods articles from the last year or so to really jump-start your 2011. Check ‘em out! DNA Methylation Analysis Methylome Analysis Snapshot February 11, 2010. […]
DNA Methylation: 2010 2nd Half Editor’s FavoritesJanuary 6, 2011DNA methylation was heating up in the second half of 2010 in hot pursuit of determining roles for 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, creating bisufite alternatives and uncovering DNAm’s role in disease. Have a look at some of our favorite articles from the last six months: 5-hmC and Stem Cells Anytime you put together a new biological role for […]
Mitotic Bookmarking – Another Epigenetic Role for Protein Methylation?January 5, 2011In a past contribution from CH3 BioSystems, evidence for the role of protein methylation as a key epigenetic regulator in addition to DNA methylation was described. Since protein arginine methylation can produce important direct regulatory control over gene expression, it shouldn’t be surprising that it may also play a role in mitotic bookmarking, the latest […]