Improved Antitumor Activity of Immunotherapy with BRAF and MEK Inhibitors in BRAFV600E Melanoma Using a mouse model of syngeneic BRAFV600E-driven melanoma, SM1, scientists tested whether addition of the MEK inhibitor trametinib would enhance the antitumor activity of combined immunotherapy with the BRAF inhibitor dabrafenib. [Sci Transl Med] Abstract | Press Release A Synthetic Erectile Optogenetic Stimulator Enabling Blue-Light-Inducible Penile Erection An erectile optogenetic stimulator (EROS), a synthetic designer guanylate cyclase producing a blue-light-inducible surge of the second messenger cyclic guanosine monophosphate in mammalian cells, enabled blue-light-dependent penile erection associated with occasional ejaculation after illumination of EROS-transfected corpus cavernosum in male rats. [Angew Chem Int Ed Engl] Abstract | Press Release Engraftment of Embryonic Stem Cells and Differentiated Progeny by Host Conditioning with Total Lymphoid Irradiation and Regulatory T Cells Investigators aimed to establish tolerance or promote engraftment of transplanted embryonic stem cells (ESCs) as well as mature cell populations derived from ESCs. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract IL-12/15/18-Preactivated NK Cells Suppress GvHD in a Mouse Model of Mismatched Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation Scientists showed that adoptively transferred IL-12/15/18-preactivated NK cells suppress graft versus host disease (GvHD) in a mouse model of fully mismatched hematopoietic cell transplantation. [Eur J Immunol] Abstract Controlled Release of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor from Spray-Dried Alginate Microparticles in Collagen-Hydroxyapatite Scaffolds for Promoting Vascularization and Bone Repair Researchers developed a method to incorporate growth factor-eluting alginate microparticles into freeze-dried, collagen-based scaffolds. When implanted in vivo in a rat calvarial defect model, this scaffold enhanced vessel formation, resulting in increased bone regeneration compared to empty-defect and vascular endothelial growth factor-free scaffolds. [J Tissue Eng Regen Med] Abstract Foamy Viral Vector Integration Sites in SCID-Repopulating Cells after MGMTP140K-Mediated In Vivo Selection Human CD34+ human cord blood cells were transduced with an foamy virus vector encoding a methylguanine methyltransferase (MGMT)P140K transgene, transplanted into immunodeficient NOD/SCID IL2Rγnull mice, and selected in vivo for gene-modified cells. [Gene Ther] Abstract Expression of an Engineered Soluble Coxsackievirus and Adenovirus Receptor by a Dimeric AAV9 Vector Inhibits Adenovirus Infection in Mice Investigators analyzed the potential of a virus receptor trap based on a soluble coxsackievirus and adenovirus (Ad) receptor for inhibition of Ad infection. [Gene Ther] Abstract Focused Ultrasound-Induced Blood-Brain Barrier Opening to Enhance Interleukin-12 Delivery for Brain Tumor Immunotherapy: A Preclinical Feasibility Study Since focused ultrasound (FUS) has been confirmed to temporally and locally open the blood-brain barrier (BBB), investigators aimed to elucidate the possibility of combining FUS-induced BBB opening with interleukin-12 delivery to enhance the anticancer immunological response for glioma treatment. [J Transl Med] Abstract | Full Article Tracking the Fate of Stem Cell Implants with Fluorine-19 MRI Investigators used cellular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect mesenchymal stem cells labeled with a Fluorine-19 (19F) agent. 19F-MRI offers unambiguous detection and in vivo quantification of labeled cells. [PLoS One] Full Article shRNA Off-Target Effects In Vivo: Impaired Endogenous siRNA Expression and Spermatogenic Defects Using a reproductive homeobox 3 (Rhox3) short hairpin (sh) RNA with 100% complementarity to all eight Rhox3 paralogs, expressed from a CRE-regulated transgene, scientists successfully knocked down Rhox3 expression in male germ cells in vivo. [PLoS One] Full Article Treating Diet-Induced Diabetes and Obesity with Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Pancreatic Progenitor Cells and Antidiabetic Drugs Exposure to high-fat diet (HFD) did not impact the maturation of macroencapsulated pancreatic progenitor cells into glucose-responsive insulin-secreting cells following transplantation, and the cell therapy improved glucose tolerance in HFD-fed transplant recipients after 24 weeks. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article | Press Release |