Cord Blood News Volume 8.42 | Oct 27 2016

TOP STORY

Erythropoietin Modulation Is Associated with Improved Homing and Engraftment Post Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation

Researchers provide evidence that blocking erythropoietin-receptor signaling promotes homing to bone marrow and early engraftment of umbilical cord blood CD34⁺ cells. [Blood] Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-2 Alpha Promotes the Proliferation of Human Placenta-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells through the MAPK/ERK Signaling Pathway

Investigators showed that human placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hPMSCs) cultured in hypoxic conditions exhibited a more naïve morphology and had a higher proliferative capability and higher hypoxia-inducible factor-2α expression than hPMSCs cultured in normoxic conditions. [Sci Rep] Full Article

High-Efficiency Lysis of Cervical Cancer by Allogeneic NK Cells Derived from Umbilical Cord Progenitors Is Independent of HLA Status

The authors explored the cytotoxic efficacy on ten cervical cancer cell lines of activated allogeneic NK cells from two sources, i.e., peripheral blood with and without cetuximab, a tumor-specific monoclonal antibody directed against EGFR, or derived from umbilical cord blood. [Cancer Immunol Immunother] Abstract | Full Article

Valproic Acid Enhances the Neural Differentiation of Human Placenta Derived-Mesenchymal Stem Cells In Vitro

Mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from human placental tissue (P-MSC) and subjected them to neural differentiation. It was found that the P-MSCs differentiated towards neural lineage in appropriate differentiation conditions. [J Tissue Eng Regen Med] Abstract

Angiogenic Factors Correlate with T-Cell Immune Reconstitution and Clinical Outcomes after Double Unit Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation in Adults

Investigators examined whether angiogenic cytokines, angiopoietin-1 and vascular endothelial growth factor, or markers of endothelial injury, thrombomodulin and angiopoietin-2, associate with thymic regeneration as determined by TREC values and recovery of T cell subsets in adult recipients of umbilical cord blood transplantation. [Biol Blood Marrow Transplant] Abstract

Distinct Gene Expression Program Dynamics during Erythropoiesis from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Compared with Adult and Cord Blood Progenitors

Human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC)-derived red blood cells are an attractive therapeutic option in hematology, yet exhibit unexplained proliferation and enucleation defects that presently preclude such applications. They hypothesized that substantial differential regulation of gene expression during erythroid development accounts for these important differences between hiPSC-derived cells and those from adult or cord-blood progenitors. [BMC Genomics] Full Article

Conditioned Medium from Placental Mesenchymal Stem Cells Reduces Oxidative Stress during the Cryopreservation of Ex Vivo Expanded Umbilical Cord Blood Cells

Scientists investigated the influence of conditioned medium from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs-CM) during cryopreservation of expanded umbilical cord blood (UCB) cells. CM-was collected from cord/placental MSCs. UCB CD34⁺cells were expanded as suspension cultures in serum free medium containing cytokines for 10 days. [PLoS One] Full Article

Genetically Re-Engineered K562 Cells Significantly Expand and Functionally Activate Cord Blood Natural Killer Cells: Potential for Adoptive Cellular Immunotherapy

Cord blood mononuclear cells were expanded ex-vivo for seven days with genetically modified K562-mbIL15-41BBL or wildtype K562. NK cell expansion, expression of LAMP-1, granzyme B and perforin, and in vitro and in vivo cytotoxicity against B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma were evaluated. [Exp Hematol] Abstract

HLA-A, -B and -DRB1 Genotyping and Haplotype Frequencies of 3892 Cord Blood Units in the Hong Kong Chinese Cord Blood Registry

This is the first large-scale paper to report the distribution of A-B-DRB1 alleles in Hong Kong Chinese Cord Blood Units. This information is important for estimating the optimal and economically cost-effective donor size and likelihood of obtaining appropriately matched cord blood units for Chinese patients awaiting hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. [Hum Immunol] Abstract

Characterization of the Growth Modulatory Activities of Osteoblast Conditioned Media on Cord Blood Progenitor Cells

Researchers describe the production and properties of serum-free medium conditioned with mesenchymal stromal cells derived-osteoblasts for the expansion of umbilical cord blood cells and progenitors. [Cytotechnology] Abstract

The Exciting Prospects of New Therapies with Mesenchymal Stromal Cells

Work by large numbers of scientists and clinicians has established that, with minor exceptions, mesenchymal stem/stromal cells do not engraft or differentiate to a large extent in vivo. Instead the cells produce beneficial effects in a large number of animal models and some clinical trials by secreting paracrine factors and extracellular vesicles in a “hit and run” scenario. [Cytotherapy] Abstract

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

TLC178 Granted Orphan Drug Designation by US FDA for the Treatment of Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma

Taiwan Liposome Company, Ltd. announced that product candidate TLC178 has been granted an orphan drug designation for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). [Taiwan Liposome Company, Ltd.] Press Release

Amgen Announces Positive Top-Line Results from XGEVA^® (Denosumab) Phase III Trial for Delay of Bone Complications in Multiple Myeloma Patients

Amgen announced that a Phase III study evaluating XGEVA^® versus zoledronic acid met the primary endpoint of non-inferiority in delaying the time to first on-study skeletal-related event in patients with multiple myeloma. [Amgen Inc.] Press Release

Scientific Challenges Loom for Canada’s Popular Prime Minister

Many in Canada’s science community say they are reserving judgement, waiting to see whether Trudeau can sustain his string of victories as he tackles some of country’s thorniest science-policy issues. [Nature News] Editorial

Review Finds Misconduct in Events Surrounding WHO Fetal Growth Study

For the first time in its 68-year history, the World Health Organization (WHO) has concluded that researchers are guilty of research misconduct. An independent review commissioned by WHO has found that “research ethics misconduct occurred” in a multimillion-dollar global study on fetal growth led by researchers at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Two Major California Research Institutes Will Merge

One of the biggest nonprofit biomedical research outfits in the world is getting a new translational medicine research arm, aimed at speeding the conversion of basic research insights into novel medicines. Officials at the Scripps Research Institute announced that it will merge with the California Institute for Biomedical Research, which was launched in 2012 as a nonprofit version of a drug development company. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

To Save Money, NSF Requires University Cost-Sharing for Rotators

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has decided that universities should pay 10% of the salaries of faculty members working temporarily at the agency. NSF hopes the new policy will demonstrate its commitment to saving taxpayer dollars without alienating the academic community that it relies upon to stay on the cutting edge of basic science. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

NEW ICSCRM 2017: 19^th International Conference on Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine
February 16-17, 2017
London, United Kingdom

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

NEW MRC WIMM Prize PhD Studentships (University of Oxford)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Vascular Biology (Universitatsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf)

Postdoctoral Fellowship – Gene Regulation and Leukemia (Boston Children’s Hospital)

Senior Research Scientist / Natural Killer Cell Therapy Group Leader – Immunotherapy (The Anthony Nolan Trust)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Blood Coagulation and Progenitor Cells (BloodCenter of Wisconsin)

Research Associate – Hematology (Editas Medicine)

Assistant Associate or Full Member Faculty Position – Myeloid Malignancies (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Postdoctoral Associate Position – Blood Cancer and Epigenetic Research (University of Miami)

Postdoctoral or Group Leader – Mechanisms Operating during Hematopoiesis and Leukemogenesis (Universität Tübingen)

Postdoctoral Position – Experimental Hematology and Cancer Biology (Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center)

PhD Position – Tumor Microenvironment in Leukemia (Georg-Speyer-Haus)

Assistant Associate or Full Member Faculty – Myeloid Malignancies (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Assistant Member Faculty – PlatinumImmunotherapy (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

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