Cell Therapy News Volume 17.31 | Aug 22 2016

TOP STORY

3K3A–Activated Protein C Stimulates Postischemic Neuronal Repair by Human Neural Stem Cells in Mice

Researchers report that late postischemic treatment of mice with 3K3A-activated protein C stimulated neuronal production by transplanted human neural stem and progenitor cells, promoted circuit restoration and improved functional recovery. [Nat Med] Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Targeting Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP)-MHC Complex with CAR T Cell Therapy for Liver Cancer

The authors report that T cells expressing AFP-CAR selectively degranulated, released cytokines, and lysed liver cancer cells that were human leukocyte antigen-A*02:01⁺/AFP⁺ while sparing cells from multiple tissue types that were negative for either expressed proteins. In vivo, intratumoral injection of AFP-CAR T cells significantly regressed both Hep G2 and AFP-expressing SK-HEP-1 tumors in SCID-Beige mice. [Clin Cancer Res] Abstract

GD2-Specific CAR T Cells Undergo Potent Activation and Deletion following Antigen Encounter but Can Be Protected from Activation-Induced Cell Death by PD-1 Blockade

Researchers described the events following activation of third-generation chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells specific for GD2. CAR T cells had highly potent immediate effector functions without evidence of functional exhaustion in vitro, although reduced cytokine production reversible by PD-1 blockade was observed after longer-term culture. [Mol Ther] Abstract

Enhanced Hematopoietic Stem Cell Self-Renewal-Promoting Ability of Clonal Primary MSC versus Their Osteogenic Progeny

Scientists cloned and functionally characterized a murine bone marrow mesenchymal stromal/stem cells sub-population that was uniformly Nestin⁺ Lepr⁺ Sca-1⁺ CD146⁺ and could be stably propagated with high CFU-F re-cloning efficiency. [Stem Cells] Abstract

Asymmetric Collagen/Chitosan Membrane Containing Minocycline-Loaded Chitosan Nanoparticles for Guided Bone Regeneration

The authors’ objective was to prepare a novel asymmetric collagen/chitosan guided bone regeneration membrane containing minocycline-loaded chitosan nanoparticles. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Radiofrequency Hyperthermia Promotes the Therapeutic Effects on Chemotherapeutic-Resistant Breast Cancer When Combined with Heat Shock Protein Promoter-Controlled HSV-TK Gene Therapy: Toward Imaging-Guided Interventional Gene Therapy

Researchers explored a new technique for the effective treatment of multidrug-resistant breast cancer by combining fully the advantages of multidisciplinary fields, including image-guided minimally invasive interventional oncology, radiofrequency technology, and direct intratumoral gene therapy. [Oncotarget] Full Article

Directing the Differentiation of Parthenogenetic Stem Cells into Tenocytes for Tissue-Engineered Tendon Regeneration

Investigators hypothesized that parthenogenetic stem cells could be directed to differentiate into tenocytes and applied for tissue-engineered tendon. [Stem Cells Transl Med] Abstract

Decellularized Extracellular Matrix Repair of Volumetric Muscle Loss Injury Impairs Adjacent Bone Healing in a Rat Model of Complex Musculoskeletal Trauma

Researchers tested the hypothesis that repair of volumetric muscle loss injury concomitant to fracture with a small intestine submucosa-extracellular matrix improves musculoskeletal healing. [J Trauma Acute Care Surg] Abstract

Anti-Tumor Immunity Elicited by Direct Intratumoral Administration of a Recombinant Adenovirus Expressing either IL-28A/IFN-λ2 or IL-29/IFN-λ1

The authors constructed an adenovirus vector expressing either interleukin (IL)-28A/interferon (IFN)-λ2 or IL-29/IFN-λ1 to evaluate the therapeutic properties of intratumoral injection of recombinant adenovirus to apply for the clinical implementation of cancer gene therapy. [Cancer Gene Ther] Abstract

A Comparison of Foamy and Lentiviral Vector Genotoxicity in SCID-Repopulating Cells Shows Foamy Vectors Are Less Prone to Clonal Dominance

Foamy retroviral vectors have a promising integration profile and are less prone to read-through transcription than gammaretroviral or lentiviral vectors. Scientists directly compared the safety and efficacy of foamy vectors to lentiviral vectors in human CD34⁺ repopulating cells in immunodeficient mice. [Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev] Full Article

Chemical Modulation of Cell Fate in Stem Cell Therapeutics and Regenerative Medicine

The authors discuss recent progress, new insights, and future challenges of the chemical approaches in stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. [Chem Biol] Full Article

Mesenchymal Stem Cell: A New Horizon in Cancer Gene Therapy

There are promising new results in animal models whereby mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be used as vehicles for targeted therapies. The use of MSCs as therapeutic biological vehicles in cell therapy has several advantages, including immune-silence, tumor tropism, easy and rapid isolation, ex vivo expansion, multilineage differentiation and the capacity to deliver a number of therapeutic agents. [Cancer Gene Ther] Abstract

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

Three CardioCell-Sponsored Studies Reveal Results

CardioCell LLC. announced results from three of its sponsored studies were accepted for presentation at ESC Congress. Each study – a Phase IIa clinical trial and two pre-clinical studies – applies CardioCell’s unique ischemia-tolerant mesenchymal stem cells for cardiovascular indications. [Press release from CardioCell LLC. discussing research presented at the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Congress 2016, Rome] Press Release

Following Successful First Stage in Trial: Kadimastem Signed Agreement with Medical Device Company to Expand Joint Trials of Diabetes Therapy using Unique Encapsulation Device Joint Feasibility Trial on Animals to Start Next Month

Kadimastem announced that following success in the first stage of trials held under the agreement entered on November 24, 2015, an addendum was signed which sets out the timetable for starting feasibility studies in animals in the course of next month. The first stage involved joint trials in which optimization of the conditions was carried out and it was shown that the insulin-secreting cells developed by Kadimastem demonstrate activity which is similar to human pancreatic islet cells. [Kadimastem] Press Release

Bayer and CRISPR Therapeutics Joint Venture, Named Casebia Therapeutics, Establishes Operations in Cambridge, MA

Casebia Therapeutics, the joint venture founded by Bayer and CRISPR Therapeutics, started its operations in Cambridge, MA, U.S. Bayer and CRISPR Therapeutics agreed to create a joint venture to discover, develop and commercialize new breakthrough therapeutics to cure blood disorders, blindness, and congenital heart disease. [Bayer AG] Press Release

Audentes Therapeutics Announces First Patient Enrolled in the INCEPTUS Clinical Assessment Study of XLMTM

Audentes Therapeutics, Inc. reported that the first patient has been enrolled in INCEPTUS, a prospective study designed to characterize the disease presentation in children living with X-Linked Myotubular Myopathy (XLMTM). The study is evaluating subjects prior to potential enrollment in ASPIRO, the planned Phase I/II clinical study intended to evaluate the safety and preliminary efficacy of AT132, the Audentes product candidate for treatment of XLMTM. [Audentes Therapeutics, Inc.] Press Release

Regen BioPharma, Inc. Receives New Preliminary HemaXellerate Clinical Data on Bone Marrow Suppression from Pan Am Cancer Treatment Center

Regen BioPharma, Inc., announced that the Pan Am Cancer Treatment Center in Tijuana, Mexico, which has a non-exclusive license to test HemaXellerate in a first-in-human proof of concept study, presented new interim clinical data on their first five patients. [Regen BioPharma, Inc. (PR Newswire Association LLC.)] Press Release

Antibe Therapeutics Announces the Launch of Neomem^® FlexPlus, a High-Performance Barrier Membrane for Oral Surgery

Antibe Therapeutics Inc. announced that its subsidiary Citagenix Inc. has launched Neomem^® FlexPlus, a high-performance barrier membrane for regenerative procedures in oral surgery. Data suggest that Neomem^® FlexPlus exceeds performance of a leading barrier membrane in areas that are considered highly important to dental clinicians. [Antibe Therapeutics Inc.] Press Release

BioTime Announces Issuance of 31 New Patents to Strengthen its Patent Portfolio in Regenerative Medicine

BioTime, Inc. announced the issuance of 31 new patents between July 3, 2015 and August 3, 2016 that are owned by or licensed to BioTime, or its family of companies. The new patents add to the over 700 issued and pending patents worldwide in the collective portfolio and further strengthen the company and its affiliates’ IP position in the field of regenerative medicine. [BioTime, Inc.] Press Release

Cytori Therapeutics Receives Frost & Sullivan 2016 Technology Innovation Award

Cytori Therapeutics, Inc. announced that it has received the Frost & Sullivan 2016 Technology Innovation Award in recognition of advancements made in the field of regenerative medicine for over a decade. [Cytori Therapeutics, Inc.] Press Release

Biostage Receives Two National Instruments (NI) Engineering Impact Awards for Cellframe™ Technology

Biostage, Inc. announced that it has received the NI Engineering Impact Award for Regenerating and Restoring Organ Function Damaged by Disease or Trauma for its groundbreaking Cellframe™ Technology. [Biostage, Inc.] Press Release

Kite Pharma Advisors and Scientific Pioneers in Cancer Immunotherapy Receive Prestigious Cellular Immune Therapy Award

Kite Pharma, Inc. announced that two of its key advisors and scientific collaborators, both pioneers in the field of cancer immunotherapy, have received the renowned Novartis Prize for Clinical Immunology. [Kite Pharma, Inc.] Press Release

Putin Appoints Church Historian as Science Minister

Russian President Vladimir Putin has appointed a church historian as the country’s new science and education minister. The president announced that Olga Vasilyeva would succeed the current science minister, Dmitry Livanov, who will become presidential envoy on trade and economic relations with Ukraine, according to the Russian news agency Interfax. [Nature News] Editorial

Obama’s Science Legacy: Betting Big on Biomedical Science

Ambitious bids to map the brain and cure cancer have not boosted overall research funding. [Nature News] Editorial

US Personalized-Medicine Industry Takes Hit from Supreme Court

Rejections for US patents related to personalized medicine have spiked after recent Supreme Court decisions tightened the rules for such claims, an analysis of more than 39,000 patent applications reveals. [Nature News] Editorial

Chemistry Group Throws Out Election Results after Fears of Vote Rigging

Members of the Society of Biological Inorganic Chemistry are reacting with puzzlement and shock after learning that the results of a recent online leadership election have been thrown out because of voting irregularities—raising concerns over possible manipulation. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Updated: Companies Settle Gene Technology Patent Fight That Was Shrouded in Mystery

Illumina Inc. and Oxford Nanopore Technologies have reached a settlement in this legal battle, according to a U.S. International Trade Commission document released last week. Oxford has agreed not to import or sell any product containing a pore with an amino acid sequence at least 68% similar to Mycobacterium smegmatis porin — the protein at the heart of Illumina’s infringement claim — and to destroy any inventory of such products. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

FDA

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for Office of Management and Budget Review; Comment Request; Export of Medical Devices; Foreign Letters of Approval (FR Doc. No:2016-19807) Notice

Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for Office of Management and Budget Review Comment Request; Voluntary Qualified Importer Program Guidance for Industry (FR Doc. No:2016-19643) Notice

Use of Nucleic Acid Tests To Reduce the Risk of Transmission of Hepatitis B Virus From Donors of Human Cells, Tissues, and Cellular and Tissue-Based Products; Guidance for Industry; Availability (FR Doc. No:2016-19588) Notice

NEW 2016 Till & McCulloch Meeting
October 24-26, 2016
Whistler, Canada

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

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Stem Cells to Model Neurological Disorder (University of Cambridge)

NEW Research Scientist – Downstream Bioprocess for Vaccine, Gene Therapy and Biosimilars (Univercells)

PhD Studentship – Fibrosis (National University of Ireland, Galway)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Tumor Immunology and Head and Neck Cancer (University of Lausanne)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Tumor Immunology and T Cell Differentiation (University of Lausanne)

Scientist/Sr. Scientist – Nanoparticle Research, Delivery Innovation (Moderna Therapeutics)

Research Fellow – Hematology (Mayo Clinic)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Pluripotent Stem Cell Technology (University of California Davis)

Associate Member – Stem Cell and Gene Therapy (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Pathogenic Mechanisms of Rare Bone Disorders (University of Connecticut Health)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Oxidative Lung Injury (Temple University)

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

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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