Cord Blood News Volume 7.39 | Oct 8 2015

Transplantation of Human Wharton’s Jelly-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Highly Expressing TGFβ Receptors in a Rabbit Model of Disc Degeneration
Investigators evaluated the effectiveness of a cross-linked hyaluronic acid scaffold loaded with human Wharton’s jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells, according to their expression levels of transforming growth factor-β receptor (TβR) I/activin-like kinase receptor 5 and TβRII, for intervertebral disc regeneration in a rabbit model. [Stem Cell Res Ther] Full Article

A Novel Method to Expand Large Numbers of CD56⁺ Natural Killer Cells from a Minute Fraction of Selectively Accessed Cryopreserved Cord Blood for Immunotherapy after Transplantation
Researchers developed and optimized a strategy to selectively access a small fraction from cryopreserved umbilical cord blood and showed that large numbers of CD56⁺ cells can be expanded from this selectively accessed fraction. [Cytotherapy] Abstract

A Unique Expression of Keratin 14 in a Subset of Trophoblast Cells
Researchers characterized the presence of different keratins in human trophoblast cells and vimentin in stromal cells. Using immunohistochemistry on term placental sections, their results showed that vimentin is solely expressed in stromal-mesenchymal cells while keratins 5, 7, 8, 14 and 19 are expressed in trophoblast cells. [PLoS One] Full Article

Serial Investigation of PTPN11 Mutation in Nonhematopoietic Tissues in a Patient with Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia Who Was Treated with Unrelated Cord Blood Transplantation
The authors described a juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia case with a typical PTPN11 mutation at different allele frequencies in the bone marrow mononuclear cells, buccal smear cells, and fingernails at diagnosis, which was suggestive of PTPN11 somatic mosaicism; however, the PTPN11 mutation in the buccal smear cells and fingernails was lost after unrelated cord blood transplantation. [Int J Hematol] Abstract

Construction of Recombinant Adenovirus Containing Picorna-Viral 2A-Peptide Sequence for the Co-Expression of Neuro-Protective Growth Factors in Human Umbilical Cord Blood Cells
Researchers described a strategy for adeno-viral co-expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and fibroblast growth factor 2 interconnected through picorna-viral 2A-amino-acid sequence in transfected human umbilical cord blood mononuclear cells. [Spinal Cord] Abstract | Press Release

In Vitro Differentiation Process of Human Wharton’s Jelly Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Male Germ Cells in the Presence of Gonadal and Non-Gonadal Conditioned Media with Retinoic Acid
Researchers determined under which conditions human umbilical Wharton’s jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (HWJMSCs) could form male germ cells in vitro. HWJMSCs were differentiated to male germ cells under a mixture of bone morphogenetic protein-4 and testicular and placental culture condition medium followed by retinoic acid for 21 days. [In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim] Abstract

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Kiadis Pharma Announces Initiation of a Repeat-Dosing Phase II Clinical Trial with ATIR101™
Kiadis Pharma N.V., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative T-cell immunotherapy treatments for blood cancers and inherited blood disorders, announced that it has obtained regulatory approvals from the national authorities both in Canada and in Belgium to start a further Phase II clinical trial with its lead product ATIR101™. [Kiadis Pharma N.V.] Press Release

Rich Pharmaceuticals Retains Theradex Systems To Finalize Investigational New Drug Application And Initiate Next Phases Of Clinical Trials
Rich Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced it has entered into an agreement with Theradex Systems, Inc. Through this new partnership, Theradex will lead the company in finalizing the investigational new drug application with the U.S. FDA for Rich’s lead drug RP-323 in patients with AML. [Rich Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (PR Newswire LLC.)] Press Release

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Principal Scientist – Hematopoietic Products (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Postdoctoral Positions – Cancer and Developmental Biology (North Carolina Central University)

Assistant Professor – Stem Cell Biology (University of South Carolina)

Senior Stem Cell Scientist (Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Computational Biology/Bioinformatics (Princess Margaret Cancer Center)

Postdoctoral Researcher – Epigenetic Modifiers (Van Andel Research Institute)

Director of Research – Oncology and Hematology (CancerCare Manitoba)

Postdoctoral Fellow – HMGA Chromatin Remodeling Proteins in Cancer and Stem Cell Biology (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Position – Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cell Assays (Weill Cornell Medical School)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Immune Reconstitution in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (Stanford University)

Research Associate – Leukemia, Stem Cells and Development (Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute)

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