Contribution of Bone Marrow-Derived Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells to the Generation of Donor-Marker+ Cardiomyocytes In Vivo Investigators aimed to identify the cell populations that can generate cardiomyocytes and to clarify whether generation of donor-marker+ cardiomyocytes requires cell fusion between bone marrow (BM)-derived cells and recipient cardiomyocytes. Purified BM stem/progenitor cells from green fluorescence protein mice were transplanted into C57BL/6 mice or cyan fluorescence protein-transgenic mice. Purified human hematopoietic stem cells from cord blood were transplanted into immune-compromised NOD/SCID/IL2rγnull mice. [PLoS One] Full Article Reduced Toxicity Conditioning and Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation in Adults Using Fludarabine, BCNU, Melphalan, and Antithymocyte Globulin (FBM-A): Outcomes Depend on Disease Risk Index but Not Age, Comorbidity Score, Donor Type, or HLA Mismatch Although reduced intensity conditioning has become standard of care for patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation, the optimum regimen has yet to be defined, and may depend on pre-transplant patient- and/or disease-specific risk factors. Researchers report here results in 100 adults age 18-69 with high-risk hematologic malignancy who received conditioning with fludarabine, BCNU, melphalan, and rabbit FBM-A. Donors were related in 26 patients and unrelated in 74; grafts were PBSCs in 97 patients, bone marrow in two, and double cord in one. [Biol Blood Marrow Transplant] Abstract Endothelial Colony-Forming Cell Conditioned Media Promotes Angiogenesis In Vitro and Prevents Pulmonary Hypertension in Experimental Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia To determine whether human umbilical cord blood endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) from preterm and term newborns have therapeutic benefit in experimental neonatal lung injury, scientists isolated cord blood ECFCs from full term and preterm newborns and prepared ECFC-conditioned media to test its therapeutic benefit on fetal pulmonary artery endothelial cell growth and function as well as alveolar type 2 cell growth. [Am J Physiol-Lung C] Abstract Induction of Differentiation by Down-Regulation of Nanog and Rex-1 in Cord Blood Derived Unrestricted Somatic Stem Cells Researchers looked upon the effects of two transcription factors Nanog and Rex-1 in self-renewal and differentiation abilities of a subpopulation of cord blood stem cells known as unrestricted somatic stem cells. [Mol Biol Rep] Abstract miR-146a and miR-150 Promote the Differentiation of CD133+ Cells into T-Lymphoid Lineage The over-expression of microRNA (miR)-146 and miR-150 has been reported during differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells into T-lymphoid lineage. Scientists evaluated the effect of their over-expression on CD133+ cells differentiation to T cells. miR-146a and miR-150 were separately and jointly transduced to human cord blood derived CD133+ cells. [Mol Biol Rep] Abstract Stem Cells from Umbilical Cord Wharton’s Jelly from Preterm Birth Have Neuroglial Differentiation Potential Researchers aimed to determine the neuroglial differentiation potential of human Wharton’s jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells from preterm birth when compared to term delivery. [Reprod Sci] Abstract Gender Depended Potentiality of Differentiation of Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Oocyte-Like Cells In Vitro To clearly test the formation efficiency of oocyte-like cells from male and female human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs), obtained hUC-MSCs were induced by 20% follicular fluid according to the method that has been proved by the researchers’ previous studies. Results showed that hUC-MSCs differentiated into oocyte-like structures and expressed germ cell makers. [Cell Biochem Funct] Abstract Enhancement of Wound Closure in Diabetic Mice by Ex Vivo Expanded Cord Blood CD34+ Cells Researchers investigated the influence on wound closure of treatments using expanded human cord blood CD34+ cells (CB-CD34+ cells), freshly isolated CB-CD34+ cells and a cytokine cocktail. [Cell Mol Biol Lett] Abstract |