Cell Therapy News Volume 14.33 | Aug 26 2013

Ovariectomy Expands Murine Short-Term Hemopoietic Stem Cell Function through T Cell Expressed CD40L and WNT10B
Investigators showed that ovariectomy expands short-term hemopoietic stem and progenitor cells and improves blood cell engraftment and host survival after bone marrow transplantation through a dual role of the T cell costimulatory molecule CD40 ligand. [Blood] Abstract

The Effect of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Delivered via Hydrogel-Based Tissue Engineered Periosteum on Bone Allograft Healing
Researchers utilized hydrolytically degradable hydrogels to transplant and localize mesenchymal stem cells to allograft surfaces, creating a periosteum mimetic, termed a ‘tissue engineered periosteum’. Their results demonstrated that this tissue engineering approach resulted in increased graft vascularization, endochondral bone formation, and biomechanical strength, as compared to untreated allografts, over 16 weeks of healing. [Biomaterials] Abstract

Systemic Delivery of MeCP2 Rescues Behavioral and Cellular Deficits in Female Mouse Models of Rett Syndrome
Scientists showed that self-complementary AAV9, bearing methyl-CpG binding protein 2 (MeCP2) cDNA under control of a fragment of its own promoter, is capable of significantly stabilizing or reversing symptoms when administered systemically into female Rett syndrome mice. [J Neurosci] Abstract | Press Release

High-Dose Chemotherapy and Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Rescue for Children with High-Risk Neuroblastoma
The authors compared the efficacy of myeloablative therapy with conventional therapy in children with high-risk neuroblastoma. They also determined possible effects of these interventions on adverse events, late effects and quality of life. [Cochrane Database Syst Rev] Abstract

Tumor Necrosis Factor-α-Activated Mesenchymal Stem Cells Promote Endothelial Progenitor Cell Homing and Angiogenesis
Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-activated mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) secrete pro-angiogenic cytokines, including IL-6 and IL-8. Using an ischemic hindlimb animal model, researchers explored the role of IL-6 and IL-8 in the paracrine stimulation of angiogenesis and tissue regeneration by TNF-α-activated MSCs. [Biochim Biophys Acta] Abstract

Systemic Administration of Exosomes Released from Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Promote Functional Recovery and Neurovascular Plasticity after Stroke in Rats
Investigators tested a novel hypothesis that systemic treatment of stroke with exosomes derived from multipotent mesenchymal stromal cells promotes neurovascular remodeling and functional recovery after stroke in rats. [J Cereb Blood Flow Metab] Full Article

Cortical Region-Specific Engraftment of Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Neural Progenitor Cells Restores Axonal Sprouting to a Subcortical Target and Achieves Motor Functional Recovery in a Mouse Model of Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Brain Injury
Scientists evaluated the ability of embryonic stem cell-derived neural progenitor cells to become cortical deep layer neurons, to restore the neural network, and to repair brain damage in an hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy mouse model. [Front Cell Neurosci] Full Article

Remodeling of Tissue-Engineered Bone Structures In Vivo
Implant design for bone regeneration is expected to be optimized when implant structures resemble the anatomical situation of the defect site. Researchers tested the validity of this hypothesis by exploring the feasibility of generating different in vitro engineered bone-like structures originating from porous silk fibroin scaffolds decorated with RGD sequences, seeded with human mesenchymal stem cells. [Eur J Pharm Biopharm] Abstract

Technological Progress and Challenges towards cGMP Manufacturing of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Based Therapeutic Products for Allogeneic and Autologous Cell Therapies
Scientists describe critical challenges and highlight a series of technological advances in all aspects of human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-based therapeutic product manufacturing including clinical grade cell line development, large-scale banking, upstream processing, downstream processing, and quality assessment of final cell therapeutic products that have brought hPSCs closer to clinical application and commercial cell therapies according to good manufacturing practice (cGMP) manufacturing. [Biotechnol Adv] Abstract

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American Society of Hematology Awards Additional Grants to Support Critical Research Threatened by NIH Cuts
As federal funding cuts continue to jeopardize the progress of biomedical research, the American Society of Hematology (ASH) announced the 12 recipients of its second round of ASH Bridge Grants. This program supports the life-saving research of hematologists whose proposals were deemed excellent by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) but not funded due to a $1.6 billion reduction in federal funding as a direct result of sequestration. [American Society of Hematology] Press Release

Okyanos Heart Institute Inks Deal with International Med-X and Philips Healthcare for Cardiac Cath Lab Equipment to Treat Heart Disease Patients with Adult Stem Cell Therapy
Okyanos Heart Institute announced that it has selected International Med-X and Philips Healthcare as its partner to establish the Bahamas’ first cath lab for stem cell therapy. [Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC] Press Release

Cellular Biomedicine Group Announces Completion of Patient Enrollment for Phase I Clinical Trial for Liver Cancer
Cellular Biomedicine Group announced that it has completed patient enrollment for its Phase I trial to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of Tumor Stem Cell Specific Dendritic Cell therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of liver cancer. [PR Newswire Association LLC] Press Release

BioLife Solutions HypoThermosol® Embedded in Two Intercytex Clinical Trials of Cell-Based Wound Care
BioLife Solutions, Inc. announced that its HypoThermosol, a pre-formulated, cGMP, serum-free, protein-free cell and tissue storage/shipping medium, is currently incorporated into on-going US and European clinical trials of ICX-RHY-013, a proprietary cell-based therapy developed by Intercytex Ltd. [PR Newswire Association LLC]
Press Release

OncoMed Pharmaceuticals Granted Patent for Methods of Treating Cancer with Its Novel Wnt Pathway Targeting Antibody Vantictumab
OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced that the United States Patent and Trademark Office has issued U.S. Patent No. 8,507,442 to OncoMed for methods of treating cancer with its antibody vantictumab. Vantictumab targets and inhibits the Wnt pathway, which is believed to be an important cancer stem cell pathway. [GlobeNewswire, Inc.] Abstract

NCBiotech Awards $3.58 Million in Quarter
Life science start-up companies, event sponsors, researchers and educators received $3.58 million in loans and grants from the North Carolina Biotechnology Center (NCBiotech) during the final quarter of the fiscal year. The awards, in 14 programs, went to successful applicants across the state to support life science entrepreneurship, technology commercialization and education. [North Carolina Biotechnology Center] Press Release

Bio-Matrix Scientific Group Discusses Regen BioPharma’s Cancer Immunotherapy Program
Bio-Matrix Scientific Group Inc. (BMSN) provided an update on the cancer immunotherapy program currently under development by Regen BioPharma Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of BMSN. [MarketWatch, Inc.]
Press Release

Mayo Clinic to Open Stem Cell Laboratory in Phoenix Mayo Clinic to Open Stem Cell Laboratory
Mayo Clinic in Arizona will open its own stem cell laboratory in summer 2014. The laboratory will be initially dedicated to storing and processing stem cells used for bone marrow transplants at Mayo Clinic Hospital and Phoenix Children’s Hospital. [Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research] Press Release

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Notice of Closed Meetings (FR Doc No: 2013-20659)

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NEW Postdoctoral Position – Glia and Neural Stem/Progenitor Cell Interactions (University of Kentucky College)

NEW Postdoctoral Training Fellow – Bioengineering (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Research Associate – Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Initiative (King’s College London)

Research Technologist – Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Products (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Postdoctoral Position – Neurosteroids and Neural Stem Cells in Developing Brain (Children’s National Medical Center)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Human Stem Cell Biology and Hematopoiesis (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine)

Tenure-Track Position – Cell Biologist (McGill University)

Postdoctoral Positions – AIDS Vaccine and Human Gene Therapy (GeneCure Biotechnologies)

Postdoctoral Appointee – Cell Cycle Regulation in Tumor Stem Cells (Rutgers University, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey)

Research Associate – Cardioprotection and Myocardium Repair by Gene or Cell Therapy (University of Louisville)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Neural Tissue Engineering (School of Chemical & Biomedical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University)

Postdoctoral Fellowship – Immunology (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine)

Director of Cell Processing Facility (S L Collins Associates, Inc.)

Postdoctoral Researcher – Hematopoietic Stem Cells (Albert Einstein College of Medicine)

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