Cell Therapy News Volume 21.18 | May 25 2020

TOP STORY

Personalized iPSC-Derived Dopamine Progenitor Cells for Parkinson’s Disease

Scientists report the implantation of patient-derived midbrain dopaminergic progenitor cells, differentiated in vitro from autologous induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), in a patient with idiopathic Parkinson’s disease. [N Engl J Med] Abstract | Press Release

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Adoptive Cellular Therapy with T Cells Expressing the Dendritic Cell Growth Factor Flt3L Drives Epitope Spreading and Antitumor Immunity

Researchers engineered T cells to secrete the dendritic cell (DC) growth factor Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (Flt3L). Flt3L-secreting T cells expanded intratumoral conventional type 1 DCs and substantially increased host DC and T cell activation when combined with immune agonists poly and anti-4-1BB. [Nat Immunol] Abstract

Targeting the Innate Immunoreceptor RIG-I Overcomes Melanoma-Intrinsic Resistance to T Cell Immunotherapy

The authors revealed a role for transcriptional suppression of the tumor-intrinsic HLA class I (HLA-I) antigen processing and presentation machinery (APM) in therapy resistance. Low HLA-I APM mRNA levels in melanoma metastases prior to immune checkpoint blockade correlated with non-responsiveness to therapy and poor clinical outcome. [J Clin Invest] Abstract | Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Cas9-AAV6-Engineered Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Improved Cutaneous Wound Healing in Diabetic Mice

Investigators describe an optimized Cas9-AAV6-based genome editing tool platform for site-specific mutagenesis and integration of up to more than three kilobases of exogenous DNA in the genome of human mesenchymal stromal cells derived from the bone marrow, adipose tissue, and umbilical cord blood without altering their ex vivo characteristics. [Nat Commun] Full Article

CRISPR-Cas12a Delivery by DNA-Mediated Bioresponsive Editing for Cholesterol Regulation

Scientists demonstrated a DNA nanoclew (NC)-based carrier for delivery of Cas12a/CRISPR RNA (crRNA) ribonucleoprotein (RNP) toward regulating serum cholesterol levels. The DNA NC could efficiently load the Cas12a/crRNA RNP through complementation between the DNA NC and the crRNA. [Sci Adv] Full Article

Cytokine IL-36γ Improves CAR T-Cell Functionality and Induces Endogenous Antitumor Response

The authors demonstrated that CAR T cells secreting a cytokine interleukin-36γ (IL-36γ) showed significantly improved CAR T-cell expansion and persistence, and resulted in superior tumor eradication compared with conventional CAR T cells. [Leukemia] Abstract

Human Glial Progenitor Cells Effectively Remyelinate the Demyelinated Adult Brain

In adult shiverers, human glial progenitor cells (hGPCs) broadly dispersed and differentiated as myelinating oligodendrocytes after subcortical injection, improving both host callosal conduction and ambulation. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

CRISPR-Cas9 Ribonucleoprotein-Mediated Genomic Editing in Mature Primary Innate Immune Cells

Investigators describe in vivo adoptive transfer mouse models that could be utilized to screen for gene function during viral infection using CRISPR-Cas9 ribonucleoprotein-edited naive natural killer cells and bone-marrow-derived conventional dendritic cell precursors. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

The Role of Hepatocyte Growth Factor in Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Induced Recovery in Spinal Cord Injured Rats

Conditioned medium from bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells was able to promote neural stem cell differentiation into neurons in vitro and neurite outgrowth in the scar boundary of spinal cord injury rats by inhibiting the BMP/Smad signaling pathway as well as reduces the secondary damage through the modulation of the inflammatory process. [Stem Cell Res Ther] Full Article

Subscribe to one of our other 19 science newsletters such as Mesenchymal Cell News & ESC & iPSC News.

Recent Development of AAV-Based Gene Therapies for Inner Ear Disorders

Recent progress in gene therapy treatments for genetic and acquired hearing loss has demonstrated the feasibility in animal models. However, a number of hurdles, such as lack of safe viral vector with high efficiency and specificity, robust deafness large animal models, translating animal studies to clinic etc., still remain to be solved. [Gene Ther] Full Article

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

Be The Match BioTherapies^® and NantKwest Announce Collaboration to Accelerate Development of Cell Therapy to Prevent COVID-19 Deaths

Be The Match BioTherapies^® and NantKwest announced an agreement through which Be The Match BioTherapies is providing donor material for a NantKwest Phase Ib clinical trial to address acute respiratory distress syndrome, one of the primary causes of COVID-19 deaths. [Be The Match BioTherapies^®] Press Release

Fate Therapeutics Announces FDA Clearance of IND Application for FT538, First CRISPR-Edited, iPSC-Derived Cell Therapy

Fate Therapeutics, Inc. announced that the FDA has cleared the company’s Investigational New Drug (IND) application for FT538, the first CRISPR-edited, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cell therapy. [Fate Therapeutics, Inc.] Press Release

FDA Approves COVID-19 Trial after Successful Emergency Use of Umbilical Stem Cells from RESTEM

RESTEM announced it has received approval from the FDA for a 60-patient Phase I/IIa study using umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells to treat patients with severe cases of COVID-19. [RESTEM (PR Newswire Association LLC.)] Press Release

FibroGenesis Reports COVID-19 Breakthrough Using Fibroblast Cell Therapy (Pre-Clinical Trial Phase)

FibroGenesis announced significant efficacy of its PneumoBlast™ product in an animal model of lung inflammation which resembles COVID-19. [FibroGenesis (PR Newswire Association LLC.)] Press Release

Poseida Therapeutics Announces Dosing of First Patient in Phase I Clinical Trial of P-PSMA-101 Autologous CAR-T for Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

Poseida Therapeutics, Inc. announced the first patient has been dosed in its Phase I clinical trial evaluating P-PSMA-101, its autologous CAR-T therapeutic candidate, in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. [Poseida Therapeutics, Inc] Press Release

Will Trump White House Tear Down Journal Paywalls? Many Anxiously Await a Decision

Scientific publishers, universities, librarians, and open-access advocates are waiting anxiously to see whether the Trump administration will end a long-standing policy and require that every scholarly article produced with US funding be made immediately free to all. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Are Women Publishing Less during the Pandemic? Here’s What the Data Say

Early analyses suggest that female academics are posting fewer preprints and starting fewer research projects than their male peers. [Nature News] Editorial

In light of COVID-19, many conferences are being cancelled or postponed. As such:

We are suspending new event postings in our newsletters and on Twitter.
We will strive to keep our current event listings updated with event status.
We encourage you to visit event sites directly for updates.

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

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Cancer Adoptive Cell Immunotherapy (Wake Forest School of Medicine)

NEW Scientist – Cell Therapy (Athersys, Inc.)

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – CRISPR Research (Boston Children’s Hospital)

Postdoctoral Position – RNA Editing and Immunotherapy (University of Chicago)

Principal Scientist – Human iPSC Gene Engineering (Empyrean Therapeutics Ltd)

Lab Director – Cancer Immunotherapy (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cancer Drug Discovery (Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences)

Scientist – Cancer Immunotherapy (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)

Senior Research Scientist – Orthopedic Surgery/Regenerative Medicine (NYU Grossman School of Medicine)

Team Leaders – Stem Cell Biology (RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research)

Recruit Top Talent: Reach potential candidates by posting your organization’s career opportunities on the Connexon Creative Job Board at no cost.

Have we missed an important article or publication in Cell Therapy News? Click here to submit!

Comments or suggestions? Submit your feedback here.