Cord Blood News Volume 8.48 | Dec 8 2016

TOP STORY

A 17-Gene Stemness Score for Rapid Determination of Risk in Acute Leukemia

Investigators developed predictive and/or prognostic biomarkers related to stemness, they generated a list of genes that are differentially expressed between 138 leukemia stem cell (LSC)⁺ and 89 LSC⁻ cell fractions from 78 acute myeloid leukemia patients validated by xenotransplantation. [Nature] Abstract | Press Release | Video

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

FcεRI Cross-Linking Reduces Cord Blood Dendritic Cell Responsiveness to Lipopolysaccharides

Researchers found that anti-FcεRI stimulation reduced the responsiveness of cord blood mDCs to lipopolysaccharides, thus supporting the growing body of evidence that DCs can play a regulatory role in the setting of IgE-mediated inflammation. [J Allergy Clin Immunol] Abstract

Complementary Transplantation with Haploidentical Stem Cells and Unrelated Cord Blood for Leukemia and Thalassemia

Scientists hypothesized that complementary transplantation of unrelated cord blood with haploidentical stem cell graft tolerized with post-transplant cyclophosphamide would result in rapid engraftment and low relapse rate without additional risk of graft-versus-host disease. Therefore, they developed a novel complementary transplant approach. [Blood] Full Article

Enhanced and Accelerated Repopulation of Mutant C-Kit Immunodeficient Mice by Transplants of Primary Chronic and Acute Myeloid Leukemic Human Cells

The authors created two new strains of immunodeficient mice that have the B, T, NK immunodeficiency determined by a Sirpα^NOD-Rag1^-/--IL2Rγc^-/- genotype (which is equivalent to that of NOD-scid–IL2Rγc^null mice) and a c-kit deficiency obtained by replacement of the wild-type c-kit gene with a homozygous W⁴¹/W⁴¹genotype. [Blood] Full Article

Superior Survival of Ex Vivo Cultured Human Reticulocytes following Transfusion into Mice

Scientists demonstrated that ex vivo generated cultured red blood cells survive longer than donor red cells using an in vivo model that more closely mimics clinical transfusion. [Haematologica] Abstract

The Role of Epigenetic Modifiers in Extended Cultures of Functional Hepatocyte-Like Cells Derived from Human Neonatal Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Umbilical cord tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells underwent hepatic differentiation using an optimized three-step core protocol of 24 days that mimicked liver embryogenesis with further exposure to epigenetic markers, namely the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A, the cytidine analogue 5-azacytidine and dimethyl sulfoxide. [Arch Toxicol] Abstract

Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Instruct Monocytes towards an IL10-producing Phenotype by Secreting IL6 and HGF

The authors found that UC-MSCs suppressed monocyte differentiation into DCs and instructed monocytes towards other cell types, with clear decreases in the expression of co-stimulatory molecules, in the secretion of inflammatory factors and in allostimulatory capacity. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Umbilical Cord Blood-Derived Non-Hematopoietic Stem Cells Retrieved and Expanded on Bone Marrow-Derived Extracellular Matrix Display Pluripotent Characteristics

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) not only contains hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), but also non-hematopoietic stem cells (NHSCs) that are able to differentiate into a number of distinct cell types. The frequency of NHSCs in UCB is believed to be very low. However, the isolation of these cells is primarily based on their adhesion to tissue culture plastic surfaces. Researchers demonstrated that this approach overlooks some of the extremely immature NHSCs because they lack the ability to adhere to plastic. Using a native extracellular matrix, produced by bone marrow stromal cells, the majority of the UCB-NHSCs attached within four hours. [Stem Cell Res Ther] Full Article

SV40 Infection of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells from Wharton’s Jelly Drives the Production of Inflammatory and Tumoral Mediators

The mesenchymal stromal cells from umbilical cord Wharton’s jelly (WJSCs) are a source of cells with high potentiality for the treatment of human immunological disorders. Footprints of the oncogenic viruses Simian virus 40 (SV40) and JC virus have been recently detected in human WJSCs specimens. Investigators aimed to evaluate if WJSCs can be efficiently infected by these polyomaviruses and if they can potentially exert tumoral activity. [J Cell Physiol] Abstract

Non-Fucosylated CB CD34⁺ Cells Represent a Good Target for Enforced Fucosylation to Improve Engraftment following Cord Blood Transplantation

Researchers performed functional (xenogeneic engraftment, colony-forming unit and selectin-binding assays) and phenotypic analyses of fluorescence-activated cell sorting-isolated, endogenously fucosylated and non-fucosylated cord blood (CB) CD34⁺ cells. [Cytotherapy] Full Article

The Effect of Maternal and Infant Factors on Cord Blood Yield

Scientists review the maternal and infant parameters affecting the quality and quantity of cord blood units. [Pediatr Blood Cancer] Abstract

Cord Blood DNA Methylation Biomarkers for Predicting Neurodevelopmental Outcomes

The authors review studies that have assessed DNA methylation in cord blood following maternal exposures that may impact neurodevelopment of the child. They also highlight some key studies to illustrate the potential for DNA methylation to successfully identify infants at risk for poor outcomes [Genes] Full Article

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

Gamida Cell Presents Positive Data From Phase I/II Study of NiCord^® as a Curative Treatment for Sickle Cell Disease

Gamida Cell announced results from its Phase I/II study of NiCord^® for sickle cell disease. [Press release from Gamida Cell discussing research presented at the 58^th American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition, San Diego] Press Release

First Ever Employer to Store Lifesaving Stem Cells for Employees

Precious Cells is offering their employees the ultimate employee benefit unlike anything ever seen before. They will cryogenically store employees’ and their loved ones’ stem cells, for free. This means they can be used in treatment for life threatening conditions today, tomorrow and in the future. The benefits package (called Accellerate) has been created specifically to help the company achieve their vision of connecting seven billion potential stem cell donors in a world with a huge stem cell shortage. [Precious Cells International Ltd. (PR Newswire Association LLC.)] Press Release

Breakthrough Prize Marks 5^th Anniversary Celebrating Top Achievements in Science and Awards More Than $25 Million in Prizes at Gala Ceremony in Silicon Valley

The Breakthrough Prize and founders Sergey Brin and Anne Wojcicki, Yuri and Julia Milner, and Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan, announced the recipients of the 2017 Breakthrough Prizes, marking the organization’s fifth anniversary recognizing top achievements in Life Sciences, Fundamental Physics and Mathematics. A combined total of $25 million was awarded at the gala ceremony in Silicon Valley, hosted by Morgan Freeman. Each of the Breakthrough Prizes is worth $3 million, the largest individual monetary prize in science. [Breakthrough Prize] Press Release

Allen Institute for Cell Science Releases Gene Edited Human Stem Cell Lines

The Allen Institute for Cell Science has released the Allen Cell Collection: the first publicly available collection of gene edited, fluorescently tagged human induced pluripotent stem cells that target key cellular structures with unprecedented clarity. Distributed through the Coriell Institute for Medical Research, these powerful tools are a crucial first step toward visualizing the dynamic organization of cells to better understand what makes human cells healthy and what goes wrong in disease. [The Allen Institute for Cell Science] Abstract

Senate Sends Massive Biomedical Innovation Bill to Obama for Signing

By a 94-to-five vote, the Senate approved the 21^st Century Cures Act, clearing the way for President Barack Obama to sign the measure into law. The massive bill dedicates $4.8 billion over the next decade to research initiatives at the National Institutes of Health and makes an array of changes at the Food and Drug Administration designed to speed the approval of new drugs and medical devices. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Controversial Impact Factor Gets a Heavyweight Rival

One of science’s most contentious metrics has a flashy new rival. Publishing giant Elsevier launched the CiteScore index to assess the quality of academic journals. Although the index ranks journals with a formula that largely mimics the influential Journal Impact Factor (JIF), it covers twice as many journals and its formula includes tweaks that produce some notably different results, including lower scores for some high-JIF journals. [Nature News] Editorial

Trump Picks Prominent Climate Skeptic as EPA Chief

President-elect Donald Trump is poised to name Scott Pruitt, a prominent skeptic of climate science and an ardent foe of government action on climate change, to lead the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Pruitt, the attorney general of Oklahoma, has been a leading architect of legal opposition to President Barack Obama’s climate and environmental policies. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Mexico Proposal to Ban Human-Embryo Research Would Stifle Science

Researchers are waiting to see whether Mexico’s legislature will approve an amendment to the national health law that would ban experiments with human embryos. The amendment is intended to regulate assisted reproduction, including the payment of surrogate mothers, donations to egg and sperm banks and the fertilization of more than three eggs at a time. But it would also ban the creation of human embryos for any purpose except reproduction and any research with existing human embryos. [Nature News] Editorial

NEW Gordon Research Conference: Stem Cells & Cancer
February 12-17, 2017
Barga, Italy

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

NEW Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Gastrointestinal Research (Boston Children’s Hospital; Harvard Medical School)

NEW Postdoctoral Position – Mesenchymal Stem Cells (University of Southern California)

Postdoctoral Researcher – Transcriptional Networks Regulating (University of Southern Denmark)

Principle Scientist – Translational Development (Celgene Corporation)

Postdoctoral Researcher – Epigenetics/Systems Biology (National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health)

MRC WIMM Prize PhD Studentships (University of Oxford)

Research Associate – Hematology (Editas Medicine)

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

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

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

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