Cord Blood News Volume 5.47 | Nov 28 2013

Differences between Healthy Hematopoietic Progenitors and Leukemia Cells with Respect to CD44 Mediated Rolling versus Adherence Behavior on Hyaluronic Acid Coated Surfaces
Researchers quantitatively assessed the interaction of hematopoietic progenitor cells derived from umbilical cord blood, mobilized peripheral blood (mPB) and bone marrow (BM) from healthy donors, as well as primary leukemia blasts from PB and BM of patients with acute myeloid leukemia with hyaluronic acid. [Biomaterials] Abstract

Stage-Specific Embryonic Antigen 4 in Wharton’s Jelly-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Is Not a Marker for Proliferation and Multipotency
Stage-specific embryonic antigen (SSEA)4 has been reported as a stem cell marker in bone marrow-derived MSCs, but whether SSEA4+ cells have growth and differentiation advantages over SSEA4- cells remains controversial. To gain insight into the role of SSEA4, scientists studied SSEA4+ cells in Wharton’s jelly-derived MSCs. [Tissue Eng Part A] Abstract

Human Keloid Cell Characterization and Inhibition of Growth with Human Wharton’s Jelly Stem Cell Extracts
Scientists studied the growth behavior, stemness and tumorigenic characteristics of keloid cells in prolonged culture. Since human Wharton’s jelly stem cells secrete high levels of cytokines and have anti-tumorigenic properties investigators explored its role on the inhibition of keloid growth in vitro. [J Cell Biochem] Abstract

A Nanoscaffold Impregnated with Human Wharton’s Jelly Stem Cells or Its Secretions Improves Healing of Wounds
Since nanoscaffolds provide three dimensional architectural patterns that mimic in vivo stem cell niches and aloe vera has antibacterial properties investigators evaluated the use of an aloe vera-polycaprolactone nanoscaffold impregnated with green fluorescent protein-labeled mesenchymal stem cells from the Wharton’s jelly of human umbilical cords or its conditioned medium for healing of excisional and diabetic wounds. [J Cell Biochem] Abstract

Reduced Intensity Conditioning and Co-Transplantation of Unrelated Peripheral Stem Cells Combined with Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem/Stroma Cells for Young Patients with Refractory Severe Aplastic Anemia
Five young patients with a long history of severe aplastic anemia who had failed initial CSA treatment and lacked a HLA-matched sibling donor, underwent co-transplantation of unrelated donor peripheral blood stem cells and umbilical cord mesenchymal/stroma stem cells. [Int J Hematol] Abstract

Human Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Downregulate Inflammatory Responses by Shifting the Treg/Th17 Profile in Experimental Colitis
Investigators evaluated the effect and mechanisms of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells on immune responses in murine colitis. [Pharmacology] Abstract

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Gentium Receives EMA Orphan Drug Designation for Defibrotide for the Prevention of GvHD
Gentium SpA announced that the European Commission has granted Orphan Drug Designation to Defibrotide for the prevention of Graft versus Host Disease (GvHD). The designation follows a positive opinion released by the Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products of the European Medicines Agency (EMA). [Gentium SpA] Press Release

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Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (United Kingdom)

Therapeutic Goods Administration (Australia)

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PhD Studentship – iNKT Cells to Prevent Graft versus Host Disease (University of Birmingham)

Postdoctoral Associate – Graft-vs.-Host Disease and Graft-vs.-Leukemia in Mouse Models (Yale University School of Medicine)

Clinical Researcher – Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Program (Northwestern University- Feinberg School of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Research Fellows – Isolation of Stem Cells from Placenta and Amniotic Fluid (Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine)

Adult Stem Cell Transplant Physician (John Theurer Cancer Center)

Postdoctoral Position – Human Pluripotent and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Bioinformatics (Albert Einstein College Medicine)

Translational Clinician-Scientist – Stem Cell Transplantation (Boston Children’s Hospital)

Postdoctoral Position – Patient-Specific Stem Cell Lines: Disease Modeling, Repair and Transplantation (Columbia University)

Scientist – Particle Chemistry (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Research Technologist – Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Products (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Research Associate/Scientist – Antibodies Group (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

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