Stem cells: their use in fundamental cell biology and medicine NEURAL STEM CELLS IN BRAIN TUMOR FORMATION. AN MODERN VISION. V.I. Tsymbalyuk, V.M. Semenova, V.V. Medvedev. Institute of neurosurgery n. acad. A. Romodanov AMS of Ukraine, Kyiv        On the graunds of scientific data the article highlights the issues of some brain tumours' genealogy and participation of neural stem cells (NSC) in the processes of oncogenic transformation and tumour progression. CHANGE OF NEUROMUSCULAR JUNCTION STRUCTURE OF MDX MICE AFTER BONE MARROW CELLS THERAPY. А.V. Karmanova, V.M. Mikhailov. Institute of Cytology RAS, St. Petersburg; vmikhailov@mail.cytspb.rssi.ru        There is study of bone marrow stem cells therapy for changes of mdx mice neuromuscular synapse. Stem cells were derived from bone marrow of C57BL/6 mice. Transplantation was made by multiple intra-muscle injections. Through one month at the muscle of mdx mice there is increase of neuromuscular junctions size up to size of normal muscle. All results show to strengthening of process of mdx mice striated muscle differentiation after cell therapy with bone marrow stem cells. DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH-TECH TEST-SYSTEMS AT THE BASIS OF EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS FOR THE EVALUATION OF FARMACOLOGYCAL AND TOXICOLOGYCAL EFFECTS OF NEW DRUGS. O.F. Gordeeva. Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, olgagordeeva@yandex.ru        Embryonic stem (ES) cells derived from the early stage embryos retain pluripotency and high proliferative ratio during long-term maintenance in vitro and therefore ES cell lines provide unique models for basic research in developmental biology and powerful test-system for toxicological studies and drug discoveries. Investigations of pluripotent state maintenance and mechanisms of lineages restriction at the early stage of ES cell differentiation are essential for development of safe technologies of controlled pluripotent cell differentiation into defined cell types without risks of spontaneous cancer transformation.        We develop complex technology for assessment of biological effects of different chemicals on pluripotent ES cells. Our research focuses on creating effective evaluation criteria of pluripotent state of mouse and human ES cells using gene expression assays, cytogenetic and immunocytochemical techniques as well as experimental teratoma studies. Comparative analysis of expression of pluripotent and germ cell specific genes in four human ES lines that were derived in institutes of RAS demonstrated differences of germ line specific gene expression pattern and diverse differentiation potential in experimental teratomas. We study functional role of TGF? signal pathways in ES cells and their malignant counterpart - teratocarcinoma cells, because TGFβ superfamily factors are known to regulate different processes in normal and tumor development. Transcriptional analysis of TGFβ signal pathways genes (include Activin, Nodal, Lefty, TGFβ, BMP, GDF, their reseptors and signal transducers) demonstrated the existence of possible common regulatory pathways in self-renewal and determination of ES and teratocarcinoma cells but interspecific differences were present. Viability/cytotoxicity assays of embryoid bodies formed by ES and teratocarcinoma cells allow fine evaluation of proliferative potential and cell death in 3D embryonic cell systems.        Our results are the first step of creation of the new test-systems to screen drug candidates for both safety and effectiveness in a laboratory environment before they will be given to patients. Development of Problem CELL CULTURES AS MODELS FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY. T.D.Smirnova 2, E.M.Eropkina 2, G.A.Ryzhak 1. 1 St.Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, 2 Institute of Influenza Research, RAMS, St.Petersburg; cellcultures@influenza.spb.ru        14 cell lines were used to study biological activity of 8 synthetic peptides by their effect on cellular proliferation. The highest activity was shown in the tetrapeptide epithalon which was designed and synthesized on the basis of aminoacid composition of peptide preparation epithalamine. The same order of activity for found in vilon, designed and synthesized on the basis of preparation thymaline isolated from thymus. Tissue specificity was noticed for practically all synthetic peptides which depended on tissue and organ origin of their natural analogues. For each peptide under investigation at least one sensitive cell line was found which responded on it with the intensification of proliferation. COMPARATIVE STUDY OF TWO STRAINS OF DIPLOID FIBROBLASTS CELLS TO THE ACTION OF TETRAPEPTIDE EPITHALON, AS THE MODEL CULTURES FOR THE INVESTIGATION OF ANTIVIRAL PREPARATIONS. T.D.Smirnova 2, E.M.Eropkina 2, M.Yu.Eropkin 2, G.A.Ryzhak 1. 1 St.Petersburg Institute of Bioregulation and Gerontology, 2 Institute of Influenza Research, RAMS, St.Petersburg; cellcultures@influenza.spb.ru      It was found that there are the strains of diploid human fibroblasts with the inherent biochemical and functional differences, such as the sensitivity to tetrapeptide epithalon. The later can induce the synthesis of telomerase and prolong the life span of cells by more than one third. The strain with higher longevity which did not respond to epithalon with the increase of telomerase synthesis had also lower respiratory activity but higher activity of endocytosis. The mechanism of action of epithalon was found to be rather broad: it could mimic the activity of an antioxidant (hypoxene). After application of epithalon the viability of both strains subjected to oxidative stress under effect of a xenobiotic was augmented. CREATION OF THE DATABASE "CYTOGENETICS OF HUMAN TUMOR CELL LINES" V.Turilova, N.Yartseva, N.Biktasheva, A.Biktashev, T.Yakovleva. Institute of Cytology RAS, St-Petersburg, tyak@mail.cytspb.rssi.ru        The information in the Database (http://www.htcl.cytspb.rssi.ru) relates cytogenetic and molecular biological characteristics of human tumor cell lines to their origin, histogenesis and specific functional features. Original idea of development of the Database belongs to S.E. Mamaeva (1939-1995), who has been the authority in cytogenetics of cultured cells in Russia and the head of the cytogenetic group, Laboratory of Cell Morphology, Institute of Cytology RAS. Web-server's content consists of: - information about ORIGIN of cell lines including data about desease of patient, his(her) age, gender and race, preceding therapy, source of tumor material for cell line and year of its establishing. - CYTOGENETIC information including data about variability of the number of chromosomes and their modal number, share of polyploid cells in population, the number of AgNOR metaphase chromosomes and karyotype description. Also G-banded, M-FISH (SKY), CGH karyotype images and other figures may be presented. Chromosomal locuses involved in structural chromosome rearrangements are indicated separately. Ideograms and nomenclature of G-banding patterns for normal human chromosomes and their images are in NORMAL CHROMOSOMES. - MOLECULAR GENETIC information containing data about target genes affected by various mutational events including point mutations, gene rearrangements, gene fusions, amplifications, etc., and about viral status of cells. - Information about cell PROLIFERATION including data about culture conditions, growth factor and cytokine dependency, capacity to proliferate in serum-free medium, growth pattern and doubling time of cell population. - Information about cell DIFFERENTIATION including data set about cell morphology, immunophenotype/surface antigens, functional aspects/specific features and inducibility of cell differentiation. - REFERENCES. Development of the Web-server "Cytogenetics of human tumor cell lines" has been supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (Grant N 02-07-90094). Methods of investigations EXPERIMANTAL SYSTEMS BASED ON HUMAN ENDOTHELIAL CELL LINE EA.HY926 E.A. Starikova, E.I. Amchislavsky, D.I. Sokolov, I.S. Phreidlin. Scientific Research Institute of Experimental Medicine RAMS, St-Petersburg, irinaf-n@yandex.ru Miscellaneous SIMULTANEOUS CULTIVATION IN VITRO TUMOR CELLS AND SPLENOCYTES AS A MODEL FOR STUDYING OF FAS-MEDIATED APOPTOSIS L.B. Ginkul, S.A. Alexandrova, I.N. Shvemberger. Institute of Cytology, St. Petersburg, svetal@mail.cytspb.rssi.ru        Simultaneous cultivation in vitro tumor cells of different hystogenesis and splenocytes may be used for study of interaction between these cells, in particularly, for studying of interinduction of apoptosis in both tumor cells and splenocytes. The studying of total population of hepatoma MH-22a and hystiocytic sarcoma J-774 and also their clonal lines has revealed at such conditions of cultivation polymorphism in tumor cells populations in both studied tumor lines by characters "expression Fas" and "expression FasL". Technical information Chronicle Information of the Cell Culture Association Instructions for authors      The paper should not exceed 10 manuscript pages. The manuscript is to be accompanied by recommendation addressed to the Editorial Board of the Information Bulletin from the institution in which the work has been carried out. The paper should contain a brief resume, with the title of the work, names of the authors, institution, city.      The manuscript is to be accompanied by its electron variant: one file in MS Word for Windows. The file should have the font Arial Narrow, 13; interline difference - 1.5; the indented line - 0.5 cm; the upper margin - 2.5 cm, other margins - 2.1 cm each. The file is to be e-mailed to the address of the Editorial Board.