Cord Blood News Volume 6.04 | Feb 6 2014

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    Cord Blood News 6.04 February 6, 2014

    Cord Blood News

         In this issue: Publications | Reviews | Industry News | Policy News | Events | Jobs
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    TOP STORY
    Stem Cells to Treat Lung Disease in Preterm Infants
    Researchers conducted a Phase I, single-center trial of intratracheal transplantation of human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells to nine very preterm infants (24-26 weeks gestational age) who were at high risk of developing bronchopulmonary dysplasia. [Press release from EurekAlert! discussing online prepublication in The Journal of Pediatrics] Press Release | Full Article
    Learn How to Assemble & Purge the Hypoxia Chamber. Watch the Video

     
    PUBLICATIONS (Ranked by impact factor of the journal)
    The Role of Fucosylation in the Promotion of Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Neovascularization and Bone Repair
    Researchers showed that human cord blood-derived endothelial progenitor cells expressed little sialyl Lewis X antigen that is necessary for selectin-mediated cell-cell interactions. [Biomaterials] Abstract

    Galectin-1 Stimulates Motility of Human Umbilical Cord Blood-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells by Downregulation of Smad2/3-Dependent Collagen 3/5 and Upregulation of NF-κB-Dependent Fibronectin/Laminin 5 Expression
    Results demonstrate that Galectin-1 stimulated human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cell motility by decreasing COL3A1/COL5A1 expression and increasing fibronectin/laminin 5 expression through a protein kinase C-dependent nuclear factor (NF)-κB and c-Src/caveolin-1-dependent smad2/3 pathway that was critical for governing the activation of focal adhesion kinase, Akt, Erk, integrins, and matrix metalloproteinase-2. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

    Engineering of Pre-Vascularized Urethral Patch with Muscle Flaps and Hypoxia-Activated hUCMSCs Improves Its Therapeutic Outcome
    With the assistance of hypoxia-activated human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs), pedicled muscle flaps were used as materials and pre-incubated in ventral penile subcutaneous cavity of rabbit for three weeks to prepare a pre-vascularized urethral construct. [J Cell Mol Med] Full Article

    Molecular and Stimulus-Response Profiles Illustrate Heterogeneity between Peripheral and Cord Blood-Derived Human Mast Cells
    Different protocols exist for in vitro development of HuMCs from hematopoietic stem cells, which results in distinct mast cells regarding molecular markers and activation patterns. Researchers introduced a SR profile using immunological, neurogenic, and pharmacological stimuli to characterize cellular functionality. [J Leukoc Biol] Abstract

    Attached Segment Has Higher CD34+ Cells and CFU-GM than the Main Bag after Thawing
    Little is known regarding the characteristics of contiguous segments in comparison to main bag units, due to the difficulty experienced in accessing a large number of cryopreserved cord blood units (CBUs). Researchers used 245 nonconforming CBU that had sufficient cell numbers for transplantation but showed inappropriate safe testing results. [Cell Transplant] Abstract

    Frozen Cord Blood Hematopoietic Stem Cells Differentiate into Higher Numbers of Functional Natural Killer Cells In Vitro than Mobilized Hematopoietic Stem Cells or Freshly Isolated Cord Blood Hematopoietic Stem Cells
    Researchers compared the capacity of frozen or freshly isolated umbilical cord blood hematopoietic stem cells and frozen mobilized peripheral blood to generate natural killer cells in vitro. [PLoS One] Full Article

    IL-12 Directs Further Maturation of Ex Vivo Differentiated NK Cells with Improved Therapeutic Potential
    Investigators showed that addition of a specific low dose of IL-12 to an ex vivo NK cell differentiation system from cord blood CD34+ stem cells will result in significantly increased proportions of cells with expression of CD62L as well as KIRs and CD16 which are preferentially expressed on mature CD56dim peripheral blood NK cells. [PLoS One] Full Article

    High Burden of BK Virus-Associated Hemorrhagic Cystitis in Patients Undergoing Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
    Scientists investigated the incidence, risk factors and outcome of BK virus (BKV)-hemorrhagic cystitis (HC) in 323 consecutive adult patients undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic SCT over a 5-year period. In multivariate analysis, patients receiving cord blood units and peripheral blood stem cells represented high-risk subgroups for developing BKV-HC. [Bone Marrow Transplant] Abstract

    Decreased Intracellular pH Induced by Cariporide Differentially Contributes to Human Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Differentiation
    Investigators explored whether inhibition of Na+/H+ exchanger 1 could induce differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). MSCs were obtained from human umbilical cord and both the surface phenotype and functional characteristics were analyzed. [Cell Physiol Biochem] Full Article

    Biocompatibility and Hemocompatibility of Polyvinyl Alcohol Hydrogel Used for Vascular Grafting – In Vitro and In Vivo Studies
    Researchers assessed the biocompatibility and hemocompatibility of polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel (PVA) based membranes in order to get some insight into its potential use as a vascular graft. The effects of the mesenchymal stem cells isolated from the umbilical cord Wharton’s jelly in the improvement of PVA biocompatibility and in the vascular regeneration were also assessed. [J Biomed Mater Res A] Abstract

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    REVIEWS
    Breaking Immunotolerance of Tumors: A New Perspective for Dendritic Cell Therapy
    Large amounts of dendritic cells can be generated from bone marrow, neonatal cord blood, and peripheral blood CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells, or from peripheral blood monocytes. This review presents an overview of the current understanding about populations of regulatory cells and the most current research efforts directed to overcome immunosuppressive activity due to the tumor microenvironment. [J Immunotoxicol] Abstract

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

    Strategies to Inhibit GvHD While Sparing the Graft-Versus-Tumor Response: Finding the Sweet Spot

     
    INDUSTRY NEWS
    NeoStem Expands Treg International Patent Portfolio with Granting of Patent in Japan
    NeoStem, Inc. announced the expansion of intellectual property protection surrounding the Company’s T-regulatory cell (Treg) program with the grant of Japanese Patent Number 5409827 titled “Methods for the Isolation and Expansion of Cord Blood Derived T Regulatory Cells.” This grant further expands the scope and reach of NeoStem’s Treg patent estate internationally. [NeoStem, Inc.] Press Release

    STEMSOFT Software Inc. and JAF Consulting, Inc. Announce Collaborative Partnership
    STEMSOFT Software Inc. and JAF Consulting, Inc. announced their collaborative partnership. As a STEMSOFT Certified Consulting Partner, JAF will provide STEMSOFT clients the opportunity to engage in JAF’s expertise and individualized computer validation, regulatory compliance and quality systems management services. [STEMSOFT Software Inc.] Press Release

    U.S. National Institutes of Health to Commence New Study of Pluristem’s PLX Cells for Acute Radiation Syndrome Treatment
    Pluristem Therapeutics, Inc. announced that the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases will commence a mechanism-of-action study of Pluristem’s PLacental eXpanded RAD (PLX-RAD) cells for the treatment of acute radiation syndrome. [Pluristem Therapeutics, Inc.] Press Release

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    POLICY NEWS
    Judges Side with FDA on Stem Cells
    The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that culturing a patient’s stem cells for therapeutic use falls under the aegis of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). FDA has said therapeutic stem cells should be regulated as drugs. [TheScientist] Editorial | Court Ruling

    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)

     
    EVENTS
    NEW Fourth Annual Advanced Therapies Summit 2014
    March 12-13, 2014
    Turin, Italy

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

     
    JOB OPPORTUNITIES
    NEW Postdoctoral Position – Hematopoietic Stem Cell Biology (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital)

    Postdoctoral Positions – Hematopoietic Stem Cell Physiology and Bone Marrow Failure (University of Michigan)

    Assistant Professorship – Hematopoietic Stem Cells and Microenvironment (University of Zurich)

    PhD Position – Hematopoietic Stem Cells (KU Leuven)

    Postdoctoral Fellow – Blood Research Program (University of Edinburgh)

    Postdoctoral Fellow – Morphogenetic Signaling Pathways in Development and Disease (University of Rochester Medical Center)

    PhD Candidates – Stem Cells and Biomedical Engineering (Queensland University of Technology – Translational Research Institute)

    Postdoctoral Position – Stem Cells and Bioengineering (Queensland University of Technology/Translational Research Institute)


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