Cell Therapy News Volume 17.23 | Jun 20 2016

TOP STORY

Tissue-Engineered Autologous Grafts for Facial Bone Reconstruction

Researchers have engineered one of the most geometrically complex facial bones by using autologous stromal/stem cells, native bovine bone matrix, and a perfusion bioreactor for the growth and transport of living grafts, without bone morphogenetic proteins. The ramus-condyle unit, the most eminent load-bearing bone in the skull, was reconstructed using an image-guided personalized approach in skeletally mature Yucatán minipigs. [Sci Transl Med] Abstract | Press Release

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Radionuclide-Embedded Gold Nanoparticles for Enhanced Dendritic Cell-Based Cancer Immunotherapy, Sensitive and Quantitative Tracking of Dendritic Cells with PET and Cerenkov Luminescence

Radionuclide-embedded gold nanoparticles were developed as a highly sensitive and stable nuclear and optical imaging agent for efficient dendritic cell (DC)-based immunotherapy and sensitive tracking of DC-migration to lymph nodes. [NPG Asia Mater] Full Article

A High Affinity Kidney Targeting by Chitobionic Acid-Conjugated Polysorbitol Gene Transporter Alleviates Unilateral Ureteral Obstruction in Rats

Researchers report a novel kidney-specific targeted gene delivery system developed through the conjugation of chitobionic acid to a polysorbitol gene transporter synthesized from sorbitol diacrylate and low molecular weight polyethylenimine carrying hepatocyte growth factor gene to alleviate unilateral ureteral obstruction in rats. [Biomaterials] Abstract

Osteoprotegerin Gene-Modified BMSCs with Hydroxyapatite Scaffold for Treating Critical-Sized Mandibular Defects in Ovariectomized Osteoporotic Rats

To inhibit excessive bone resorption and increase bone formation, scientists developed a novel therapeutic strategy by genetically modifying bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) for osteoprotegerin (OPG) delivery. The OPG gene-modified BMSCs were seeded on hydroxyapatite scaffolds to promote bone regeneration in critical-sized mandibular bone defects in ovariectomy induced osteoporotic rats. [Acta Biomater] Abstract

Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells (BM-MSCs) Improve Heart Function in Swine Myocardial Infarction Model Through Paracrine Effects

BM-MSCs were transplanted into swine heart ischemia model. To detect glucose metabolism in global left ventricular myocardium and regional myocardium, combined with assessment of cardiac function, positron emission tomography-computer tomography and magnetic resonance imaging were performed. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Derivation of Diverse Hormone-Releasing Pituitary Cells from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Scientists present a simple and efficient strategy to derive human pituitary lineages from human pluripotent stem cells using monolayer culture conditions suitable for cell manufacturing. They demonstrate that purified placode cells can be directed into pituitary fates using defined signals. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article | Graphical Abstract | Press Release

Haploidentical, Unmanipulated G-CSF-Primed Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Transplantation for High-Risk Hematologic Malignancies: An Update

Data about G-CSF primed PBSC as reliable source of graft with myeloablative conditioning are lacking. Scientists updated the outcomes in 130 adult patients with high-risk hematologic malignancies who received haplo-PBSC transplantation consecutively under busulfan-based conditioning. [Bone Marrow Transplant] Abstract

An Approach to Personalized Cell Therapy in Chronic Complete Paraplegia: The Puerta De Hierro Phase I/II Clinical Trial

Investigators conducted a clinical trial involving 12 patients with complete and chronic paraplegia. The characteristics of spinal cord injury (SCI) in magnetic resonance imaging were evaluated for a personalized local administration of expanded autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) supported in autologous plasma, with the number of MSCs ranging from 100 × 10⁶ to 230 × 10⁶. [Cytotherapy] Full Article

Remyelination Is Correlated with Regulatory T Cell Induction Following Human Embryoid Body-Derived Neural Precursor Cell Transplantation in a Viral Model of Multiple Sclerosis

Scientists utilized neural precursor cells (NPCs) derived from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) differentiated from a human induced pluripotent cell line via an embryoid body intermediate stage NPCs. Intraspinal transplantation of embryoid body intermediate stage-NPCs into mice infected with the neurotropic JHM strain of mouse hepatitis virus resulted in decreased accumulation of CD4⁺ T cells in the central nervous system that was concomitant with reduced demyelination at the site of injection. [PLoS One] Full Article

Oxygen-Generating Biomaterials: A New, Viable Paradigm for Tissue Engineering?

Delivering sufficient oxygen to the transplanted cells is one of the most critical issues that affects cell survival and correct maturation of engineered tissues. An emerging approach is using 3D scaffolds made from oxygen-generating biomaterials to tackle transport limitations deep within the engineered tissues. [Trends Biotechnol] Abstract

Clinical Manufacturing of CAR T Cells: Foundation of a Promising Therapy

CAR-T cell therapy may be on the verge of becoming standard of care for a few clinical indications. Yet, many challenges pertaining to manufacturing standardization and product characterization remain to be overcome in order to achieve broad usage and eventual commercialization of this therapeutic modality. [Mol Ther Oncolytics] Full Article

Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the cell therapy research field.

Xcell Biosciences to Present Data From its Avatar System at ISSCR Annual Meeting

Xcell Biosciences, Inc., announced that it will co-present a poster alongside Illumina, Inc. The poster, “Creating a tunable stem cell: modulation of oxygen and atmospheric pressure during culture alters signaling pathways governing stem cell maintenance and differentiation,” features data on the impact of various environmental conditions on stem cell state. [Press release from Xcell Biosciences, Inc. (Business Wire) discussing research to be presented at the 2016 International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) Annual Meeting, San Francisco] Press Release

European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Selects CardioCell’s Heart Failure (HF) Study Results for ESC Congress 2016 Late-Breaking Science Session

CardioCell LLC announced that the ESC has accepted data from CardioCell’s Phase IIa HF study for an ESC Congress 2016 “Hot Line” Late-Breaking Science Session, a track that features innovative approaches for novel clinical trials that are being presented for the first time. [Press release from CardioCell LLC discussing research to be presented at the 2016 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress, Rome] Press Release

Cell Medica and Baylor College of Medicine Announce Exclusive Licensing Agreement and Co-Development Partnership to Create next Generation Cellular Immunotherapy Products for the Treatment of Cancer

Cell Medica announced a ground-breaking co-development partnership with Baylor College of Medicine to develop next-generation technologies for engineering immune cells with enhanced functions for the treatment of solid tumors. [Cell Medica] Press Release

Emmaus Medical Signs Licensing Agreement with Tokyo-Based Regenerative Medicine Company, CellSeed

Emmaus Medical announced it has signed a licensing agreement with Tokyo-based regenerative medicine company, CellSeed, to commercialize Epithelial Cell Sheet Corneal Regeneration technology for Limbal Stem Cell Deficiency in the United States. [Emmaus Medical (PR Newswire Association LLC.)] Press Release

AlloSource Announces Two Innovative Bone Fiber Allografts

AlloSource announced the launch of two new innovative demineralized cortical fiber allografts, AlloFuse^® Cortical Fibers and the AlloFuse^® Fiber Boat, for use in a variety of spine and orthopedic procedures. [AlloSource] Press Release

Sangamo BioSciences Announces FDA Clearance of Investigational New Drug Application for ZFN-Mediated Genome Editing Treatment of MPS II

Sangamo BioSciences, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the Company’s Investigational New Drug application for SB-913, a zinc finger nuclease (ZFN)-mediated approach designed as a single treatment with the potential to provide a long-lasting therapy for Mucopolysaccharidosis Type II (MPS II, Hunter syndrome). [Sangamo BioSciences] Press Release

The iBIO Institute Announces Winners Honorees of 10^th Annual iCON Awards Dinner

The iBIO Institute announced its four iCON Awards Honorees for the tenth annual iBIO Institute’s iCON Awards which is considered by many to be the region’s most prestigious honor for life sciences educators, researchers and civic visionaries. The iCON Awards celebrate the accomplishments of outstanding innovators and leaders whose work provides the basis for biotechnology developments worldwide. [iBIO Institute] Press Release

NASA Challenge Aims to Grow Human Tissue to Aid in Deep Space Exploration

NASA, in partnership with the nonprofit Methuselah Foundation’s New Organ Alliance, is seeking ways to advance the field of bioengineering through a new prize competition. The Vascular Tissue Challenge offers a $500,000 prize to be divided among the first three teams that successfully create thick, metabolically-functional human vascularized organ tissue in a controlled laboratory environment. [National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)] Press Release

JDRF Honors Type 1 Diabetes Research Champions

JDRF presented three prestigious research awards to three experts whose groundbreaking research is accelerating life-changing breakthroughs to cure, prevent and treat type 1 diabetes and its complications. [JDRF] Press Release

Xcell Biosciences Selected as a 2016 Red Herring Top 100 North America Winner

Xcell Biosciences, Inc. has been named to the 2016 Red Herring Top 100 North America list, an honor that recognizes leading private companies, celebrating these startups’ innovations and technologies across their respective industries. [Xcell Biosciences, Inc. (Business Wire)] Press Release

How iPS Cells Changed the World

Induced pluripotent stem cells were supposed to herald a medical revolution. But ten years after their discovery, they are transforming biological research instead. [Nature News] Editorial

Boon or Burden: What Has the EU Ever Done for Science?

Nature examines five core ways that the European Union shapes the course of research. [Nature News] Editorial

FDA

Evaluation and Reporting of Age, Race, and Ethnicity Data in Medical Device Clinical Studies; Draft Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff; Availability (FR Doc. No:2016-14461) Notice

Authorizations of Emergency Use of In Vitro Diagnostic Devices for Detection of Zika Virus; Availability (FR Doc. No:2016-14380) Notice

Use of International Standard ISO 10993-1, ‘Biological evaluation of medical devices-Part 1: Evaluation and testing within a risk management process”; Guidance for Industry and Food and Drug Administration Staff; Availability (FR Doc. No:2016-14190) Notice

NEW Cell & Gene Therapy Europe
September 21-22, 2016
Berlin, Germany

NEW Cell Symposia – 10 Years of iPSCs
September 25-27, 2016
Berkeley, United States

Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the cell therapy community.

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Oxidative Lung Injury (Temple University)

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Lentivirus-Mediated FOXP3 Gene Transfer (Stanford University School of Medicine)

Scientist – Bioengineering (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Postdoctoral Fellowship – Deciphering the Link between Adhesion and Pluripotency (The Danish Stem Cell Center at Faculty of Health & Medical Sciences at the University of Copenhagen)

Scientist – Target Validation (Innate Pharma)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Data Analysis and Stem Cell Research (Nestle Institute of Health Sciences)

Clinical Specialist – Chimeric Antigen Receptor Cell Products (Celgene Corporation)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Stem Cell Research and Neurosensory Regeneration (Universitatsklinikum Tubingen)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Stem Cells to Study Disease (Hamad bin Khalifa University)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Protein and Antibody Engineering (Hamad bin Khalifa University)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy (Hamad bin Khalifa University)

Postdoctoral Fellow – 3D Microtissues from Pluripotent Stem Cells (Gladstone Institutes)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Gene Therapy for Metabolic Homeostasis (Legacy REsearch Institute)

PhD Studentship – Various Projects (Vienna Biocenter)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Hematology/Oncology (Boston Children’s Hospital)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Cell Cycle Control and Tumorigenesis (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

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