Cell Therapy News Volume 15.29 | Jul 28 2014

Therapy of Peritoneally Disseminated Colon Cancer by TAP-Deficient Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Macrophages in Allogeneic Recipients
Investigators established a method to generate a large quantity of myeloid lineage cells from mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells, termed ES cell-derived proliferating myeloid cell lines (ES-ML). When ES-ML were injected into mice with i.p. established Colon-26 tumors, they efficiently infiltrated the tumor tissues. Injection of ES-ML with rIFN-γ and LPS inhibited cancer progression in the mouse peritoneal cavity. [J Immunol] Abstract

Mesenchymal Stroma Cells Trigger Early Attraction of M1 Macrophages and Endothelial Cells into Fibrin Hydrogels Stimulating Long Bone Healing without Long-Term Engraftment
Researchers aimed to unravel whether fibrin hydrogel supports early actions of implanted mesenchymal stroma cells (MSCs) like host cell recruitment, immunomodulation and tissue regeneration in long bone defects. Female rats received cell-free fibrin or male MSCs embedded in a fibrin carrier into plate-stabilized femoral bone defects. [Acta Biomater] Abstract

Inhibition of DNA Topoisomerase II Selectively Reduces the Threat of Tumorigenicity following Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Based Myocardial Therapy
Scientists demonstrate the selective effect of DNA topoisomerase II inhibitor, etoposide, in eliminating pluripotent cells in the early cardiac progenitor population thus decreasing the effect of teratoma formation. Immunodeficient murine hearts were infarcted and received implantation of a therapeutic dose of cardiac progenitors derived from partially differentiated induced pluripotent stem cells. [Stem Cells Dev] Abstract | Full Article | Press Release

Long-Term Efficiency of Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Mediated CD-MSC/5FC Therapy in Human Melanoma Xenograft Model
Scientists show that the human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells expressing fusion yeast cytosine deaminase::uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (CD-MSC) in combination with 5-fluorocytosine (5FC) mediated a long-term tumor-free survival in the 83.3% of tumor-bearing animals. [Gene Ther] Abstract

Differentiation of Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Prostate-Like Epithelial Cells In Vivo
Researchers report that when human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were combined with rat urogenital sinus stromal cells and transplanted into the renal capsule in vivo, they could differentiate into prostate epithelial-like cells that could be verified by prostate epithelial cell-specific markers including the prostate specific antigen. [PLoS One] Full Article

Porous Silk Scaffolds for Delivery of Growth Factors and Stem Cells to Enhance Bone Regeneration
Investigators evaluated the influence of porous silk scaffolds on rat bone marrow stem cells by lenti-GFP tracking both in vitro and in vivo in cranial bone defects. [PLoS One] Full Article

Transplanted Human Adipose Tissue-Derived Stem Cells Engraft and Induce Regeneration in Mice Olfactory Neuroepithelium in Response to Dichlobenil Subministration
Researchers used immunodeficient mice, whose dorsomedial olfactory region was permanently damaged by dichlobenil inoculation, to test the neuroregenerative properties of transplanted human adipose tissue-derived stem cells after 30 and 60 days. [Chem Senses] Abstract

Whole-Organ Tissue Engineering: Decellularization and Recellularization of Three-Dimensional Matrix Liver Scaffolds
Researchers present the results of grafting rat and sheep decellularized liver matrix (DLM) into the normal rat liver and compare natural cell seeding process in homo/xenograft of DLM. [J Biomed Mater Res A] Abstract

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Bavarian Nordic Announces First Patient Treated in a Phase I Study of MVA-BN^® Brachyury in Advanced Cancer
Bavarian Nordic A/S announced that the first patient has been treated in an NCI-sponsored Phase I study of MVA-BN Brachyury in patients with advanced cancer. MVA-BN Brachyury is a novel, active immunotherapy developed using Bavarian Nordic’s proprietary validated MVA platform. [Bavarian Nordic A/S] Press Release

Senate Bill Backs NSF’s Practices and Calls for Big Funding Boost
Taking issue with its counterpart in the U.S. House of Representatives, a Senate panel has embraced how the National Science Foundation (NSF) does its business in a bill that sets policies and recommends funding levels for NSF over the next five years. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

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Bristol-Myers Squibb and Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Announce Strategic Immuno-Oncology Collaboration in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. have signed a strategic collaboration agreement to jointly develop and commercialize multiple immunotherapies as single agents and combination regimens to help address the unmet medical needs of patients with cancer in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. [Bristol-Myers Squibb] Press Release

MedImmune and Advaxis Partner on Immuno-Oncology Combination Clinical Trial
AstraZeneca announced that MedImmune has entered into a clinical trial collaboration with Advaxis, Inc. The Phase I/II immunotherapy study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of MedImmune’s investigational anti-PD-L1 immune checkpoint inhibitor, MEDI4736, in combination with Advaxis’ lead cancer immunotherapy vaccine, ADXS-HPV, as a treatment for patients with advanced, recurrent or refractory human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cervical cancer and HPV-associated head and neck cancer. [AstraZeneca] Press Release

Celladon Corporation Announces In-License of Stem Cell Factor Development Program
Celladon Corporation announced an exclusive, global license from Enterprise Partners Venture Capital for gene therapy applications of the membrane-bound form of the Stem Cell Factor gene for treatment of cardiac ischemia. [Celladon Corporation] Press Release

Biomedical Engineering Professors Publishes First Comprehensive Textbook on Tissue Engineering
University of Houston faculty member Ravi Birla published his first book, “Introduction to Tissue Engineering: Applications and Challenges.” The book is the first of its kind, offering a comprehensive guide to entering into the field of artificial organ development. [University of Houston] Press Release

Alnylam Receives Notice of Allowance from United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for New Patent Broadly Covering Conjugate-Based Delivery of RNA Therapeutics
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a leading RNAi therapeutics company, announced that the USPTO has issued a Notice of Allowance for claims in the Manoharan et al. patent application 13/693,478. [Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.] Press Release

CorMatrix^® Reports FDA Clearance of CorMatrix^® ECM^® for Vascular Repair
CorMatrix Cardiovascular announced that it has received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance to market the CorMatrix^® ECM^® for Vascular Repair. [CorMatrix Cardiovascular, Inc.] Press Release

Advaxis Receives Notice of Allowance for Cancer Immunotherapies Patent in Japan
Advaxis, Inc. announced that it has received a notice of allowance from the Japan Patent Office for a patent application related to the Advaxis proprietary Lm-LLO cancer immunotherapy platform technology. [Advaxis, Inc.] Press Release

Revised Draft Guidance for Industry on Providing Regulatory Submissions in Electronic Format-Certain Human Pharmaceutical Product Applications and Related Submissions Using the Electronic Common Technical Document Specifications; Availability (FR Doc. No: 2014-17588)

Advancing the Use of Biomarkers and Pharmacogenomics; Notice of Public Meeting; Request for Comments (FR Doc. No: 2014-17090)

NEW Advances in Cancer Immunotherapies 2014
October 15-16, 2014
Singapore, Singapore

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Technical Account Manager (GlobalStem)

Research Scientist – iPSC Biology and Genome Editing (Stem Cell Theranostics)

Research Assistant – iPSC Biology and Genome Editing (Stem Cell Theranostics)

Postdoctoral Researcher – Generation of Myocardium In Situ (Van Andel Research Institute)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Genome Editing in Human Embryonic Stem Cells to Study Hereditary Cancer-Associated Mutations (UConn Health Center)

PhD Studentship – Effects of Aging on MSC Therapy Activity (Loughborough University)

Postdoctoral Fellow – AAV Vectors for Gene Therapy of Neurological and Other Disorders (University of Massachusetts Medical School)

Postdoctoral Scientist – Immune Focused In Vitro Analytics (Celentyx Ltd.)

Assistant or Associate Professor – Stem Cell Transplantation Program (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Prostate Cancer Research (Henry Ford Hospital)

Scientist – Pluripotent Stem Cell Media Development, High Throughput Screening (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Scientist – Cell Culture Support Products (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Scientist – Liver Cell Biology (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Scientist – Immunology/Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Research Associate – Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

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