Functional Cortical Neurons and Astrocytes From Human Pluripotent Stem Cells in 3D Culture Researchers presented a simple and reproducible 3D culture approach for generating a laminated cerebral cortex-like structure, named human cortical spheroids (hCSs), from pluripotent stem cells. [Nat Methods] Abstract | Press Release Mitochondrial E3 Ligase March5 Maintains Stemness of Mouse ES Cells via Suppression of ERK Signaling Scientists showed that March5, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, is involved in maintaining mouse embryonic stem (ES) cell pluripotency. [Nat Commun] Full Article Distinct Roles of DNMT1-Dependent and -Independent Methylation Patterns in the Genome of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells The authors generated base-resolution DNA methylomes for a series of DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) knockout embryonic stem cells, with deep coverage at highly repetitive elements. They showed that DNMT1 and DNMT3a/3b activities work complementarily and simultaneously to establish symmetric CG methylation and CHH (H = A, T or C) methylation. [Genome Biol] Abstract | Full Article mtDNA Mutagenesis Disrupts Pluripotent Stem Cell Function by Altering Redox Signaling Investigators studied the effect of mtDNA mutagenesis on reprogramming and stemness of pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) and showed that PSCs select against specific mtDNA mutations, mimicking germline and promoting mtDNA integrity despite their glycolytic metabolism. [Cell Rep] Full Article Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Microvesicles Transmit RNAs and Proteins to Recipient Mature Heart Cells Modulating Cell Fate and Behavior Scientists found that transfer of human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) components by hiPS-derived microvesicles impacted on transcriptome and proteomic profiles of target cells as well as exerted proliferative and protective effects on cardiac mesenchymal cells, and enhanced their cardiac and endothelial differentiation potential. [Stem Cells] Abstract An Inducible Caspase-9 Suicide Gene to Improve the Safety of Therapy Using Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Scientists developed a direct and efficient human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) killing system that provides a necessary safety mechanism for therapies using hiPSC. [Mol Ther] Abstract CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Reporter Knock-In in Mouse Haploid Embryonic Stem Cells Investigators report the application of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knock-in of a reporter cassette, which does not disrupt endogenous target genes in mouse haploid embryonic stem cells. [Sci Rep] Full Article Wnt/β-Catenin and MEK-ERK Signaling are Required for Fibroblast-Derived Extracellular Matrix-Mediated Endoderm Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells Researchers demonstrated that growth of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) on fibroblast-derived extracellular matrix resulted in hESCs losing their stemness and proliferation potential. [Stem Cell Rev] Abstract A CRISPR/Cas-Mediated Selection-Free Knockin Strategy in Human Embryonic Stem Cells Through the use of iCRISPR, an efficient gene-editing platform recently developed, scientists demonstrated a knockin strategy without drug selection for both active and silent genes in human embryonic stem cells (hESC). Lineage-specific hESC reporter lines are useful for real-time monitoring of cell-fate decisions and lineage tracing, as well as enrichment of specific cell populations during hESC differentiation. [Stem Cell Rep] Full Article |