Cell Therapy News Volume 14.36 | Sep 16 2013

Infusion of Donor-Derived CD19-Redirected-Virus-Specific T Cells for B-Cell Malignancies Relapsed after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplant: A Phase I Study
After allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, infused donor-derived virus-specific T cells (VSTs) expand in vivo, persist long-term and have anti-viral activity without inducing graft versus host disease; therefore, scientists determined whether donor VSTs, engineered to express CD19-specific chimeric antigen receptor, retained the characteristics of non manipulated allogeneic VSTs whilst gaining anti-tumor activity. [Blood] Abstract

Priming with Ligands Secreted by Human Stromal Progenitor Cells Promotes Grafts of Cardiac Stem/Progenitor Cells after Myocardial Infarction
Scientists hypothesized that secreted factors in conditioned medium from adult bone marrow-derived multipotent stromal cells could be used to prime adult cardiac stem/progenitor cells and improve graft success after myocardial infarction. [Stem Cells] Abstract

The Use of ASCs Engineered to Express BMP2 or TGF-β3 within Scaffold Constructs to Promote Calvarial Bone Repair
Although calvarial bone forms via intramembranous ossification without cartilage templates, it was previously suggested that chondrocytes/cartilages promote calvarial healing, thus the authors hypothesized that inducing adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) chondrogenesis and endochondral ossification involving cartilage formation can improve calvarial healing. [Biomaterials] Abstract

Full-Length Dysferlin Expression Driven by Engineered Human Dystrophic Blood-Derived CD133+ Stem Cells
Antisense oligonucleotides-treated blood-derived CD133+ stem cells isolated from patients with Miyoshi myopathy led to partial dysferlin reconstitution in vitro, but failed to express dysferlin after intramuscular transplantation into scid/blAJ dysferlin null mice. Researchers extended these experiments producing the full-length dysferlin mediated by a lentiviral vector in blood-derived CD133+ stem cells isolated from the same patients. Transplantation of engineered blood-derived CD133+ stem cells into scid/blAJ mice resulted in sufficient dysferlin expression to correct functional deficits in skeletal muscle membrane repair. [FEBS J] Abstract

Mesenchymal Stem Cell Transplantation for the Infarcted Heart: Therapeutic Potential for Insulin Resistance Beyond the Heart
Investigators evaluated the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cell transplantation to mitigate abnormalities in cardiac-specific and systemic metabolism mediated by a combination of a myocardial infarction and diet-induced insulin resistance. [Cardio Vasc Diabetol] Abstract | Full Article

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Inhibit Multiple Myeloma Cells via the Fas-L/Fas Pathway
Researchers used a standard disseminated multiple myeloma (MM) model in mice to identify the in vivo effects of intravenous mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) infusion. In addition, a series of in vitro co-culture assays were performed to explore whether Fas/Fas Ligand (Fas-L) is involved in the inhibitory effects of MSCs on MM cells. [Stem Cell Res Ther] Abstract | Full Article

Isolation of Human Adipose-Derived Stromal Cells Using Laser-Assisted Liposuction and Their Therapeutic Potential in Regenerative Medicine
Adipose-derived stromal cells were harvested from laser-assisted lipoaspirate and suction-assisted lipoaspirate. Next, in vitro parameters of cell yield, cell viability and proliferation, surface marker phenotype, osteogenic differentiation, and adipogenic differentiation were performed. Finally, in vivo bone formation was assessed using a critical-sized cranial defect in athymic nude mice. [Stem Cell Transl Med] Abstract

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Chimerix Presents Brincidofovir (CMX001) Adenovirus Phase II Results
Chimerix, Inc. announced the results from its exploratory Phase II Study 202 evaluating brincidofovir (CMX001) in hematopoietic cell transplant recipients with early adenovirus infection. [Press release from Chimerix, Inc. discussing research presented at the 53^rd Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC), Denver] Press Release

Sequester Cuts May Have Driven NIH Grant Success Rates Down to 14% in 2013
The automatic spending cuts and other reductions to the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH’s) budget this year have caused slightly less damage than expected, NIH Director Francis Collins said yesterday. Preliminary data show that about 50 more grants were funded than projected, he said at a forum sponsored by Research!America. But success rates may have plunged even further than the agency predicted. [National Institutes of Health, United States] Press Release

U.K. Parliamentarians Urge Government to Reshape Push for Open-Access Publishing
British parliamentarians are urging the government of the United Kingdom to alter its plans for transitioning to open-access (OA) publishing of research results. In a report released today, a committee of the House of Commons says the government should encourage greater use of free institutional repositories, rather than OA journals that charge per-paper fees for publishing. [House of Commons, United Kingdom] Press Release

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Cell Therapy Catapult & Roslin Cells to Create Clinical Grade Stem Cells to Accelerate Research into New Treatments
The Cell Therapy Catapult and Roslin Cells have partnered to establish a source of clinical grade induced pluripotent stem cells banked according to Good Manufacturing Practice in the UK. [Roslin Cells]
Press Release

Pluristem Granted Key U.S. Patent for the Treatment of Peripheral Artery Disease Exclusive Rights to Treat Peripheral Artery Disease with Placental Cells in the U.S.
Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. announced that the company has completed a major step in its intellectual property strategy: the United States Patent and Trademark Office has granted the Company U.S. Patent 8,529,888. [Pluristem Therapeutics Inc.] Press Release

Weill Cornell Medical College Receives $100 Million Gift from Joan and Sanford I. Weill and the Weill Family Foundation to Launch New Capital Campaign
Weill Cornell Medical College announced that it has received a $100 million gift from longtime benefactors Joan and Sanford I. Weill and the Weill Family Foundation to launch the Medical College’s $300 million Driving Discoveries, Changing Lives campaign dedicated to using the most advanced scientific approaches to rapidly translate research breakthroughs into innovative treatments and therapies for patients. [Weill Cornell Medical College] Press Release

Adaptive Biotechnologies Receives $2.53 million Phase II SBIR to Develop Test to Identify Cancer Patients at Risk of Death by Infection after Cord Blood Transplants
Adaptive Biotechnologies announced that it received a $2.53 million Phase II Small Business Innovation Research award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, a division of the NIH, to commercialize a test to measure the ability of a cancer patient’s adaptive immune system to fight infection after a cord blood transplant. [PR Newswire Association LLC] Press Release

First Patient Treated in Groundbreaking Stem Cell Therapy Trial for Heart Attack
Canadian researchers have treated the first patient in a world-first clinical trial using genetically enhanced stem cells to repair damaged heart muscle after a major heart attack. The formal name of the trial is ENACT-AMI, which stands for “Enhanced Angiogenic Cell Therapy – Acute Myocardial Infarction.” [Ottawa Hospital Research Institute] Press Release

NeoStem Receives Notification of Second Year Grant Award for Phase II Clinical Study of VSEL^TM Technology in Periodontitis
NeoStem, Inc. announced that it has been awarded funds for the second year of a two year grant totaling $1,221,854 for “Repair of Bone Defects with Human Autologous Pluripotent Very Small Embryonic-Like Stem Cells (VSEL),” from the National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research, a division of the National Institutes of Health. [Neostem, Inc.] Press Release

StemCells, Inc. Announces First High-Dose Patient Transplanted in Phase I/II Clinical Trial in Dry Age-Related Macular Degeneration
StemCells, Inc. announced dosing of the first high-dose patient in the company’s Phase I/II clinical trial in dry age-related macular degeneration. The patient, the fifth overall in the 16-patient trial, was transplanted yesterday with one million HuCNS-SC® cells (purified human neural stem cells). [StemCells, Inc.] Press Release

National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering Amended; Notice of Meeting (FR Doc No: 2013-21944)

Center For Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings (FR Doc No: 2013-22052)

Government-Owned Inventions; Availability for Licensing (FR Doc No: 2013-22264)

Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Recommended Glossary and Educational Outreach to Support Use of Symbols on Labels and in Labeling of In Vitro Diagnostic Devices Intended for Professional Use (FR Doc No: 2013-22110)

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Doctoral Position in Bioengineering (University of Genoa)

Postdoctoral Position – Leukemia Biology (Northwestern University)

Cellular Therapy Lab Specialist (University of Texas Medical School at Houston)

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

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 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)

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