Cord Blood News Volume 5.02 | Jan 17 2013

Effective Cardiac Myocyte Differentiation of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Requires VEGF
Researchers demonstrated a novel myocyte differentiation protocol that can yield a significant, high percentage of cardiac myocyte differentiation (>85%) in two human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) lines, which makes the fabrication of a human cardiac muscle patch possible. The established hiPSCs cell lines being examined include the transgene integrated UCBiPS7 derived from cord blood cells and non-integrated PCBC16iPS from skin fibroblasts. [PLoS One] Full Article

Bone Morphogenetic Protein-9 Activates Smad and ERK Pathways and Supports Human Osteoclast Function and Survival In Vitro
To determine the effects of BMP-9 on osteoclast formation, activity and survival, investigators used human cord blood monocytes as osteoclast precursors that form multinucleated osteoclasts in the presence of RANKL and M-CSF in long-term cultures. [Cell Signal] Abstract

Human Wharton’s Jelly Stem Cell Conditioned Medium Enhances Freeze-Thaw Survival and Expansion of Cryopreserved CD34+ Cells
Various approaches are being undertaken to expand hematopoietic stem cells ex vivo from single cord blood units. Researchers report a protocol involving slow freezing (-1 °C per minute to -120 °C) + freezing medium containing DMSO + FBS + 24 h-50 % hWJSC-CM that enhances thaw-survival of CD34+ cells. [Stem Cell Rev] Abstract

Comparison of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Adipose and Cord Tissue
Although bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have multi-lineage differentiation potential, bone marrow is not an optimal source because of the isolation process and low yield. Researchers investigated comparatively for the first time the in vitro regenerative potential of human MSCs from two other sources: umbilical cord tissue and adipose tissue. [Cytotherapy] Abstract

Viability of Umbilical Cord Blood Mononuclear Cell Subsets until 96 Hours after Collection
Investigators evaluated the viability of several umbilical cord blood cell subsets until 96 hours after collection, to examine whether this delay would be acceptable for processing and freezing the samples. [Transfusion] Abstract

Characterization of Various Blood and Graft Sources: A Prospective Series
Researchers prospectively compared by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analyses the cellular composition of three blood sources on the one hand, peripheral blood (PB) versus granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor-mobilized PB versus cord blood (CB), and of three graft sources on the other hand, unmanipulated bone marrow versus leukapheresis product versus thawed CB graft. [Transfusion] Abstract

Acellular Spinal Cord Scaffold Seeded with Mesenchymal Stem Cells Promotes Long-Distance Axon Regeneration and Functional Recovery in Spinal Cord Injured Rats
Scientists investigated whether the spinal cord lesion gap could be bridged by implantation of bionic-designed acellular spinal cord scaffold alone and seeded with human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells respectively, and their effects on functional improvement. [J Neurol Sci] Abstract

Long-Term Outcome of Human Cord Blood-Derived Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells in Murine Lungs
Intranasally delivered human cord blood-derived CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells have the capacity to engraft and undergo transdifferentiation to surfactant-containing alveolar epithelial type II cell-like cells in lungs of newborn mice. Researchers aimed to determine the long-term fate of such transplanted cells as well as their effects on alveolar development in neonatally injured lungs. [Exp Lung Res] Abstract

St. David’s South Austin Medical Center Becomes Certified Cord Blood Donation Center
St. David’s South Austin Medical Center joined the Texas Cord Blood Bank’s cord blood collection program, making it a certified cord blood collection site. [St. David’s HealthCare] Press Release

Bluechiip Signs Micronic America as Its First Distributor for North America
Bluechiip Limited announced it has signed a Distribution Agreement with Micronic America LLC.  The agreement gives Micronic America and its network of distributors the rights to distribute Bluechiip’s products throughout the United States and Canada. [PR Newswire Association LLC] Press Release

Pluristem Receives Approval to Expand Its Phase II Clinical Trial in Intermittent Claudication to Germany
Pluristem Therapeutics, Inc. announced that the Paul-Ehrlich-Institute has approved the company’s request to initiate a Phase II study using PLX-PAD cells in patients suffering from intermittent claudication. [Pluristem Therapeutics, Inc.] Press Release

National Institutes of Health (United States)

Food and Drug Administration (United States)

Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (United States)

European Medicines Agency (European Union)

Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (United Kingdom)

Therapeutic Goods Administration (Australia)

View our events page to see a complete list of events in the cord blood community.

Scientist or Engineer – hPSC Bioengineer (STEMCELL Technologies, Inc.)

Postdoctoral Position (University of Iowa College of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Research Associate (Washington University in St Louis – School Of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Research Scientist (Anthony Nolan/University College London)

Postdoctoral Fellow (University of Michigan – Ann Arbor)

Postdoctoral Fellow (Mount Sinai Medical Center)

Early Stage Researcher PhD Posts – DECIDE ITN (The University of Birmingham)


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