Cord Blood News Volume 7.43 | Nov 5 2015

Human Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells Express Several Functional Sex Hormone Receptors
To better address the effects of sex hormones (SexHs), particularly pituitary SexHs, on human hematopoiesis, scientists tested for expression of receptors for pituitary SexHs, including follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and prolactin, as well as the receptors for gonadal SexHs, including progesterone, estrogens, and androgen, on hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells purified from human umbilical cord blood and peripheral blood. [J Cell Mol Med] Full Article

Amniotic Mesenchymal Cells from Pre-Eclamptic Placentae Maintain Immunomodulatory Features as Healthy Controls
The authors investigated whether the immunomodulatory properties of human amniotic mesenchymal stromal cells (hAMSC) were altered in pre-eclampsia. They performed a comprehensive study of cell phenotype and investigated the in vitro immunomodulatory properties of hAMSC isolated from pre-eclamptic pregnancies, comparing them to hAMSC from normal pregnancies. [J Cell Mol Med] Full Article

Endothelial Properties of Third-Trimester Amniotic Fluid Stem Cells Cultured in Hypoxia
The authors explored the potential of amniotic fluid stem (AFS) cells as a source for regenerative medicine in this field; they focused on third-trimester amniotic fluid AFS cells and compared them with the already-described AFS cells from the second trimester. [Stem Cell Res Ther] Full Article

Residues 39-56 of Stem Cell Factor Protein Sequence Are Capable of Stimulating the Expansion of Cord Blood CD34⁺ Cells
Of all polypeptides analyzed, only one, named P0, corresponding to the stem cell factor protein sequence at residues 39-56, was recognized by 23C8 mAb during ELISA. P0 stimulated the expansion of CD34⁺ cells derived from human umbilical cord blood. [PLoS One] Full Article

Different Tissue-Derived Stem Cells: A Comparison of Neural Differentiation Capability
Scientists evaluated the neural differentiation capability of different tissue-derived stem cells coming from different tissue sources such as bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, human endometrium and amniotic fluid, cultured under the same supplemented media neuro-transcription factor conditions, tested the expression of neural markers such as GFAP, nestin and neurofilaments using the immunofluorescence staining assay and some typical clusters of differentiation such as CD34, CD90, CD105 and CD133 by using the cytofluorimetric test assay. [PLoS One] Full Article

Potential Role of N-Benzylcinnamide in Inducing Neuronal Differentiation from Human Amniotic Fluid Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Researchers demonstrated that incubation of amniotic fluid mesenchymal stem cells, obtained from 16-20 week pregnant women, with 10 ng/ml bone morphogenetic protein-9 for 48 hours in conditioned medium resulted in trans-differentiation to cholinergic neuronal-like cells. [Neurosci Lett] Abstract

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China Cord Blood Corporation Guangdong Subsidiary Has Been Accredited by American Association of Blood Banks
China Cord Blood Corporation announced that the company’s Guangdong subsidiary, Guangdong Cord Blood Bank, was accredited by American Association of Blood Banks. [China Cord Blood Corporation] Press Release

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NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Leukemia Research (City of Hope)

NEW PhD Studentships – Cancer Research (Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute)

Principal Scientist – Hematopoietic Products (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Faculty Member – Hematopoietic Cell Transplant (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Hematopoietic Stem Cell Biologist (Mayo Clinic)

Assistant or Associate Professor – Cell and Regenerative Biology (University of Wisconsin, Madison)

Assistant Member – Cord Blood Transplantation (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

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

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

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

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