Citrullination Regulates Pluripotency and Histone H1 Binding to Chromatin PADI4, the only peptidylarginine deiminase (PADI) with a nuclear localization signal, was previously shown to act in myeloid cells where it mediates profound chromatin decondensation during the innate immune response to infection. Scientists showed that the expression and enzymatic activity of Padi4 are also induced under conditions of ground-state pluripotency and during reprogramming in mouse. [Nature] Abstract | Press Release Clonal Culturing of Human Embryonic Stem Cells on Laminin-521/E-Cadherin Matrix in Defined and Xeno-Free Environment Researchers produced and isolated a human recombinant Laminin-521 (LN-521) isoform and developed a cell culture matrix containing LN-521 and E-cadherin, which both localize to stem cell niches in vivo. This matrix allows clonal derivation, clonal survival and long-term self-renewal of human embryonic stem cells under completely chemically defined and xeno-free conditions without ROCK inhibitors. [Nat Commun] Full Article | Press Release Generation of Folliculogenic Human Epithelial Stem Cells from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Scientists developed a strategy to differentiate human induced pluripotent stem cells into CD200+/ITGA6+ epithelial stem cells that can reconstitute the epithelial components of the hair follicle and interfollicular epidermis. [Nat Commun] Abstract | Press Release Nanog Is Dispensable for the Generation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells The authors found that Nanog is dispensable for induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) formation under optimized culture conditions. They further document that Nanog-deficient iPSCs are transcriptionally highly similar to wild-type iPSCs and support the generation of teratomas and chimeric mice. [Curr Biol] Abstract | Graphical Abstract In Vitro Chondrogenesis and In Vivo Repair of Osteochondral Defect with Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Researchers investigated the chondrogenic features of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and examine the differences in the chondrogenesis between hiPSCs and human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. [Biomaterials] Abstract OCT4 as a Target of miR-34a Stimulates p63 but Inhibits p53 to Promote Human Cell Transformation To test their hypothesis whether cell oncogenic transformation shares some mechanisms with the process of reprogramming non-stem cells to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), the authors studied the relationship among the key factors for promoting or inhibiting iPSC in radiation-transformed human epithelial cell lines derived from different tissues (lung, breast and colon). [Cell Death Dis] Full Article Beta-Catenin Is Vital for the Integrity of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells The authors generated new genetically modified mouse embryonic stem cell lines allowing for the deletion of β-catenin in a controlled manner by taking advantage of the Cre-ER-T2 system and analyzed the effects in a narrow time window shortly after ablation. By using this approach, rather than taking long term cultured β-catenin null cell lines they demonstrated that β-catenin is dispensable for the maintenance of pluripotency associated genes. [PLoS One] Full Article Comparative Study of Efficacy of Dopaminergic Neuron Differentiation between Embryonic Stem Cell and Protein-Based Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Scientists differentiated two types of stem cells; mouse embryonic stem cells and protein-based induced pluripotent stem cells generated by non-viral methods, into midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neurons, and then compared the efficiency of DA neuron differentiation from these two cell types. [PLoS One] Full Article Single-Step Generation of Gene Knockout-Rescue System in Pluripotent Stem Cells by Promoter Insertion with CRISPR/Cas9 Researchers report an efficient and single step strategy to generate gene knockout-rescue system in pluripotent stem cells by promoter insertion with CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing technology. [Biochem Biophys Res Commun] Abstract Characterization of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Retinal Pigment Epithelium Cell Sheets Aiming for Clinical Application Investigators generated human induced pluripotent stem cells-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cell sheets optimized to meet clinical use requirements, including quality, quantity, consistency, and safety. These cell sheets are generated as a monolayer of cells without any artificial scaffolds, express typical RPE markers, form tight junctions that exhibit polarized secretion of growth factors, and show phagocytotic ability and gene-expression patterns similar to those of native RPE. [Stem Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract |