St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

About: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a healthcare organization based out in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Virus. The organization has 9344 authors who have published 19233 publications receiving 1233399 citations. The organization is also known as: St. Jude Children's Hospital & St. Jude Hospital.

Universal primer set for the full-length amplification of all influenza A viruses.

Abstract: To systematically identify and analyze the 15 HA and 9 NA subtypes of influenza A virus, we need reliable, simple methods that not only characterize partial sequences but analyze the entire influenza A genome. We designed primers based on the fact that the 15 and 21 terminal segment specific nucleotides of the genomic viral RNA are conserved between all influenza A viruses and unique for each segment. The primers designed for each segment contain influenza virus specific nucleotides at their 3'-end and non-influenza virus nucleotides at the 5'-end. With this set of primers, we were able to amplify all eight segments of N1, N2, N4, N5, and N8 subtypes. For N3, N6, N7, and N9 subtypes, the segment specific sequences of the neuraminidase genes are different. Therefore, we optimized the primer design to allow the amplification of those neuraminidase genes as well. The resultant primer set is suitable for all influenza A viruses to generate full-length cDNAs, to subtype viruses, to sequence their DNA, and to construct expression plasmids for reverse genetics systems.

Transplantability and therapeutic effects of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal cells in children with osteogenesis imperfecta

Abstract: In principle, transplantation of mesenchymal progenitor cells would attenuate or possibly correct genetic disorders of bone, cartilage and muscle, but clinical support for this concept is lacking. Here we describe the initial results of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in three children with osteogenesis imperfecta, a genetic disorder in which osteoblasts produce defective type I collagen, leading to osteopenia, multiple fractures, severe bony deformities and considerably shortened stature. Three months after osteoblast engraftment (1.5-2.0% donor cells), representative specimens of trabecular bone showed histologic changes indicative of new dense bone formation. All patients had increases in total body bone mineral content ranging from 21 to 29 grams (median, 28), compared with predicted values of 0 to 4 grams (median, 0) for healthy children with similar changes in weight. These improvements were associated with increases in growth velocity and reduced frequencies of bone fracture. Thus, allogeneic bone marrow transplantation can lead to engraftment of functional mesenchymal progenitor cells, indicating the feasibility of this strategy in the treatment of osteogenesis imperfecta and perhaps other mesenchymal stem cell disorders as well.