Cord Blood News Volume 10.12 | Mar 29 2018

TOP STORY

A Humanized Mouse Model Generated Using Surplus Neonatal Tissue

Researchers describe the NeoThy humanized mouse model created using non-fetal human tissue sources, cryopreserved neonatal thymus and umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cells. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Maternal and Umbilical Cord Serum–Derived Exosomes Enhance Endothelial Cell Proliferation and Migration

Scientists investigated the role of exosomes derived from maternal (ME) and umbilical (UE) cord blood in the regulation of angiogenesis. They report that both MEs and UEs significantly enhance HUVEC proliferation, migration, and tube formation. [FASEB J] Abstract | Full Article

CRISPR/Cas9-Based Cellular Engineering for Targeted Gene Overexpression

Investigators employed the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 system to insert powerful regulatory elements upstream of an endogenous gene. They achieved robust activation of the COL7A1 gene in primary human umbilical cord blood CD34⁺ hematopoietic stem cells and peripheral blood T-cells. [Int J Mol Sci] Full Article

Wharton’s Jelly Mesenchymal Stromal Cells Support the Expansion of Cord Blood-Derived CD34⁺ Cells Mimicking a Hematopoietic Niche in a Direct Cell-Cell Contact Culture System

Researchers investigated the role of Wharton’s jelly mesenchymal stromal cells (WJ-MSCs) in supporting ex vivo umbilical cord blood-hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (UCB-HSPCs) expansion either when cultured in direct contact with WJ-MSCs or separated by a transwell system or in the presence of WJ-MSC-conditioned medium. [Cell Transplant] Abstract

Human Umbilical Cord Blood Serum-Derived α-Secretase: Functional Testing in Alzheimer’s Disease Mouse Models

Investigators found that human cord blood serum significantly promotes soluble amyloid procurer protein (APP) production compared with adult blood serum and aged blood serum in Chinese hamster ovary cells stably expressing wild-type human APP. [Cell Transplant] Abstract

Human Adipose-Derived and Amniotic Fluid-Derived Stem Cells: A Preliminary In Vitro Study Comparing Myogenic Differentiation Capability

Scientists compared the biological characteristic of stem cells isolated from different human tissues (adipose tissue and amniotic fluid) with respect to myogenic capacity and skeletal and smooth muscle differentiation under the same conditions. [Med Sci Monit] Abstract

Current Approaches in Biomaterial-Based Hematopoietic Stem Cell Niches

While there is a growing demand for autologous and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation owing to the increasing incidence of hereditary and hematologic diseases, the low population of HSCs in cord-blood and bone marrow hinders their medical applicability. Several cytokine and growth factor-based methods have been developed to expand the HSCs in vitro; however, the expansion rate is low, or the expanded cells fail to survive upon engraftment. [Acta Biomater] Abstract

Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the cord blood research field.

Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) Awards $7 Million to Advance Cutting-Edge Immunotherapy Initiative

Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation announced that, as part of its $15M Immunotherapy Initiative, it has awarded $7M in funding to three ground-breaking research programs led by renowned myeloma researchers. [Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation] Press Release

FDA Grants Orphan Drug Designation to Cynata’s Lead Cymerus^™ MSC Product, CYP-001

Cynata Therapeutics Limited announced that the FDA has granted Cynata Orphan Drug Designation for CYP-001 for the treatment of acute graft versus host disease. [GlobeNewswire] Press Release

India Taps Biologist as New Science Adviser

India has a new science adviser. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government tapped Krishnaswamy VijayRaghavan, a molecular biologist and head of India’s Department of Biotechnology, to fill the post. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Cambridge Analytica Controversy Must Spur Researchers to Update Data Ethics

Revelations keep emerging in the Cambridge Analytica personal-data scandal, which has captured global public attention. But when the dust settles, researchers harvesting data online will face greater scrutiny. And so they should. [Nature News] Editorial

Duke’s Mishandling of Misconduct Prompts New U.S. Government Grant Oversight

The U.S. National Institutes of Health imposed unusual new requirements on researchers based at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, who receive federal funds. The changes are a response to concerns over how the institution handled recent cases involving research misconduct and grant management. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Massive Cyberhack by Iran Allegedly Stole Research from 320 Universities, Governments, and Companies

Nine Iranians working on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps hacked the computers of 7998 professors at 320 universities around the world over the past five years, an indictment filed by a federal grand jury alleges. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

NEW Cord Blood Connect
September 14-16, 2018
South Beach, Florida, United States

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

NEW Research Technician – Acute Myeloid Leukemia (European Molecular Biology Laboratory)

NEW Bioinformatics Research Scientist – Brain Tumors and Leukemia (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital)

NEW Pathology Faculty Tenure Track – Leukemia and Hematopoiesis (University of Virginia)

Postdoctoral Scholar – Hematology (Huntsman Cancer Institute)

Postdoctoral Scholar – Clonal Hematopoiesis (Stanford University)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Leukemia (Washington University)

Postdoctoral Fellowship – Cell and Molecular Biology (Canadian Nuclear Laboratories)

Postdoctoral Positions – Molecular Biology (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center)

Postdoctoral Fellow & Scientist – Acute Myeloid Leukemia (Institute of Hematology)

Postdoctoral Fellowship – Functional Genomics of Human Hematopoiesis (Boston Children’s Hospital)

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