Cord Blood News Volume 10.32 | Aug 16 2018

TOP STORY

Unrelated Cord Blood Transplantation in Patients with Idiopathic Refractory Severe Aplastic Anemia: A Nationwide Phase II Study

Investigators conducted a prospective nationwide Phase II study to assess unrelated cord blood transplantation efficacy and safety in refractory severe aplastic anemia patients. With a median follow-up of 38.8 months, engraftment occurred in 23 patients (88%); cumulative incidences of grade II-IV acute and chronic graft-versus-host disease were 45.8% and 36%, respectively. [Blood] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

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Cardiomyocytes Derived from Human ^{Cardiopoietic}Amniotic Fluids

Only the subset of human amniotic fluid cells expressing the multipotency markers SSEA4, OCT4 and CD90 (^{Cardiopoietic}AF cells) responded to the differentiation process by increasing the expression of the cardiac transcription factors Nkx2.5 and GATA4, sarcomeric proteins, connexin43 and atrial and ventricular markers. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Non-Ionizing Radiation for Cardiac Human Amniotic Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Commitment: A Physical Strategy in Regenerative Medicine

Researchers isolated and characterized at molecular and cellular level, human amniotic MSCs and exposed them to a physical extremely low frequency electromagnetic field stimulus and to a chemical nitric oxide treatment. An increase in the mRNA expression of cardiac and angiogenic differentiation markers, confirmed at the translational level, was highlighted in exposed cells. [Int J Mol Sci] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Preconditioning Enhances the Therapeutic Effects of Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Colitis through PGE2-Mediated T-Cell Modulation

Scientists found that prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) secretion was significantly increased in deconditioned human umbilical cord-derived MSCs (De-hUCMSCs), the suppression of which dramatically abrogated the inhibitory effect of De-hUCMSCs on T-cell activation, implying that the crosstalk between De-hUCMSCs and T-cells was mediated by PGE2. [Cell Transplant] Full Article

The Neurorestorative Effect of Human Amniotic Fluid Stem Cells on the Chronic Phase of Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy in Mice

Human amniotic fluid stem cells (hAFS) improved sensorimotor deficits in hypoxic–ischemic (HI) encephalopathy by gray and white matter restoration and neuroinflammation reduction followed by migration to the lesion. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor, nerve growth factor, hepatocyte growth factor, and stromal cell-derived factor-1 gene expressions in hAFS were elevated when exposed to HI-induced brain extract. [Pediatr Res] Abstract

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Transplantation Attenuates Brain Injury and Enhances Bacterial Clearance in Escherichia Coli Meningitis in Newborn Rats

Meningitis modeling induced robust proliferation of E. coli in cerebrospinal fluid and increased mortality in rat pups, and MSC transplantation significantly reduced this bacterial growth and the mortality rate. MSC transplantation attenuated meningitis caused brain injury including cerebral ventricular dilatation, brain cell death, reactive gliosis, and inflammatory response. [Pediatr Res] Abstract | Full Article

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Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cell-Based Therapy for Heart Failure- What Is the Best Source?

The authors summarize the current information available from preclinical and clinical studies, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of each MSC type. This provides an insight into consideration of the best MSC source for the treatment of heart failure. [Circ J] Full Article

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Sutro and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Partner on Lymphoma and Multiple Myeloma Treatment

Sutro Biopharma, Inc., and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society^® are partnering to develop STRO-001, Sutro’s CD74-targeting antibody-drug conjugate, to treat relapsed and/or refractory multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. [Sutro Biopharma, Inc.] Press Release

Cellect and Cell2in Launch Collaboration to Significantly Improve Stem Cell Selection and Expansion

Cellect Biotechnology Ltd. announced that it has signed a collaboration agreement with Cell2in. According to the agreement, the companies will conduct scientific evaluations combining Cellect’s technology platform ApoGraft^™ with Cell2in’s proprietary identification technology FreSHtracer^™ which monitors stem cell quality by utilizing a fluorescent dye to characterize their oxidative stress state. [Cellect Biotechnology Ltd. (PR Newswire Association LLC.)] Press Release

University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center Opens Car-T Therapy Study for Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center launched a new clinical trial for CAR-T, joining a select group of hospitals offering the therapy and a smaller group of hospitals manufacturing the CAR-T cells. [University Hospitals (Newswise, Inc)] Press Release

The American Society of Hematology Honors Victor Hoffbrand, DM, FRCP, FMed Sci, with the Wallace H. Coulter Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hematology

The American Society of Hematology will recognize Victor Hoffbrand, DM, FRCP, FMed Sci, of University College London with the 2018 Wallace H. Coulter Award for Lifetime Achievement in Hematology. Dr. Hoffbrand will be honored for his significant contributions to hematology in research, patient care, and education throughout his 55-year career. [American Society of Hematology] Press Release

Connie J. Eaves, PhD, to Present the 2018 American Society of Hematology E. Donnall Thomas Lecture

The American Society of Hematology will honor Connie J. Eaves, PhD, FRS (Canada), Corresponding FRS (Edinburgh), of BC Cancer and the University of British Columbia, with the 2018 E. Donnall Thomas Lecture and Prize for her outstanding contributions to the field of hematopoiesis and stem cell research. [American Society of Hematology] Press Release

What Pakistan’s New Government Means for Science

Pakistan is reeling from a political earthquake — and researchers are both nervous and excited. On 18 August, the former cricket superstar Imran Khan is expected to be sworn in as prime minister. The incoming administration promises to use science to alleviate poverty, but it is facing an imminent economic crisis. [Nature News] Editorial

How Unpaywall Is Transforming Open Science

Unpaywall has become indispensable to many academics, and tie-ins with established scientific search engines could broaden its reach. On 26 July, Elsevier announced plans to integrate Unpaywall into its Scopus database searches, allowing it to deliver millions more free-to-read papers to users than it does currently. [Nature News] Editorial

Iranian Students Protest US Visa Slowdown

The rate at which the US government grants visas to prospective students from Iran has declined dramatically during President Donald Trump’s time in office, according to US government data. And the visas that are granted take more time to arrive, according to a group of Iranian students that is petitioning the Trump administration to speed up the process. [Nature News] Editorial

Hundreds of Researchers from Harvard, Yale and Stanford Were Published in Fake Academic Journals

In the so-called “post-truth era,” science seems like one of the last bastions of objective knowledge, but what if science itself were to succumb to fake news? Over the past year, German journalist Svea Eckert and a small team of journalists went undercover to investigate a massive underground network of fake science journals and conferences. [Vice Media LLC] Editorial

NEW Acute Leukemias XVII Biology and Treatment Strategies
February 24-27, 2019
Munich, Germany

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NEW Post-Doctoral Fellow or Research Scientist – Transplant Immunology (Medical College of Wisconsin)

Postdoctorial Research Fellow – Transplantation and Tumor Immunology (Medical University of South Carolina)

Faculty Investigator – Cancer (University of Alabama at Birmingham)

Postdoctoral Scientist – Leukemia Biology (University of Oxford)

Postdoctoral Associate – Gene Regulation and/or Cancer Biology (The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)

Assistant or Associate Professor – Stem Cell Transplantation (Dana-Farber Cancer Institute)

Scientific Research Positions – Various Subjects (Shanghai General Hospital)

Tier 1 Canada Research Chair – Precision & Molecular Oncology (University of Calgary – Cumming School of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Position – Cancer Drug Discovery (University of Michigan)

Postdoctoral Associate – Cancer Biology (Trustees of Boston University Medical Campus)

Postdoctoral Fellow Positions – Hematopoietic Stem Cell Biology (Nationwide Children’s Hospital)

PhD Student – Cellular Immunotherapy (Glycostem Therapeutics)

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