Cord Blood News Volume 9.02 | Jan 19 2017

TOP STORY

Exosomal miR-146a Contributes to the Enhanced Therapeutic Efficacy of IL-1β-Primed Mesenchymal Stem Cells against Sepsis

Investigators pretreated human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) with interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and evaluated their therapeutic effects in a cecal ligation and puncture-induced sepsis model. They found that systemic administration of IL-1β-pretreated MSCs ameliorated the symptoms of murine sepsis more effectively and increased the survival rate compared with naïve MSCs. [Stem Cells] Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Stromal Cells Act as Guardians for Endothelial Progenitors by Reducing Their Immunogenicity after Co-Transplantation

Scientists investigated whether crosstalk between endothelial colony-forming progenitor cells (ECFCs) and mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (MSCs) during vasculogenesis could lower allogeneic T cell responses against ECFCs allowing long-term engraftment in vivo. Immunodeficient mice received subcutaneous grafts containing human ECFCs alone, or pairs of human ECFCs/MSCs from the same umbilical cord to study vasculogenesis in the presence of human leucocyte antigen-mismatched human peripheral blood mononuclear cells. [Stem Cells] Abstract

Angiogenic and Osteogenic Regeneration in Rats via Calcium Phosphate Scaffold and Endothelial Cell Coculture with hBMSCs, hUCMSCs, hiPSC-MSCs and hESC-MSCs

Researchers investigated angiogenic and osteogenic effects of coculture on calcium phosphate cement scaffold using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (hUVECs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from different origins for the first time. hUVECs were cocultured with four types of cells: human umbilical cord MSCs (hUCMSCs), human bone marrow MSCs (hBMSCs), and MSCs from induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC-MSCs) and embryonic stem cells (hESC-MSCs). [J Tissue Eng Regen Med] Abstract

LMP1 and LMP2A Collaborate to Promote Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)-Induced B Cell Lymphomas in a Cord Blood-Humanized Mouse Model but Are Not Essential

Investigators examined whether the EBV LMP2A protein, which mimics constitutively active B cell receptor signaling, is required for EBV-induced lymphomas in this model. They find that deletion of LMP2A delays the onset of EBV-induced lymphomas, but does not affect the tumor phenotype or the number of tumors. [J Virol] Abstract

Shielding Engineered Islets with Mesenchymal Stem Cells Enhance Survival under Hypoxia

The authors focused on the improvization of islet survival in hypoxia. The Islet like cell aggregates derived from Wharton’s jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJ MSC) were cultured with and without WJ MSC for 48 hours in hypoxia and normoxia and tested for their direct trophic effect on β cell survival. [J Cell Biochem] Abstract

Comparable Therapeutic Potential of Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Collagen-Induced Arthritis to TNF Inhibitor or Anti-CD20 Treatment

The effects of mesenchymal stem cell transplantation on established collagen-induced arthritis were evaluated and compared to biologic therapies. [Clin Exp Rheumatol] Abstract

Analysis of Parameters that Affect Human Hematopoietic Cell Outputs in Mutant C-Kit Immunodeficient Mice

Researchers showed an equivalent level of human chimerism can be regenerated from human CD34⁺ cord blood cells transplanted intravenously either with or without additional radiation-inactivated cells into two to six month-old NOD-Rag1^-/--IL2Rγc^-/- mice given a more radioprotective conditioning regimen than is possible in conventionally used, repair-deficient, NOD-Prkdc^scid/scid-IL2Rγc^-/- hosts. [‎Exp Hematol] Abstract | Full Article

Impact of C-Rel Inhibition of Cord Blood-Derived B-, T-, and NK Cells

To better understand the relationship between c-Rel expression and effects on B- and T-cell expansion, scientists evaluated c-Rel expression in cord blood mononuclear cells. [J Immunotoxicol] Full Article

Polycomb Complexes PRC1 and Their Function in Hematopoiesis

The authors focus on polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) complexes, reviewing recent evidence on their intricate architecture, the diverse mechanisms of their recruitment to targets and on the different ways in which they engage in transcriptional control. They also discuss hematopoietic PRC1 gain-of- and loss-of-function mouse strains, including those that model leukemic and lymphoma diseases, in the belief that these genetic analyses provide the ultimate test bench for molecular mechanisms driving normal hematopoiesis and hematological malignancies. [Exp Hematol] Abstract

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

U.S. FDA Approves IMBRUVICA^® (Ibrutinib) as First Treatment Specifically Indicated for Relapsed/Refractory Marginal Zone Lymphoma (MZL)

AbbVie announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved IMBRUVICA^® for the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory marginal zone lymphoma who require systemic therapy and have received at least one prior anti-CD20-based therapy. [AbbVie Inc.] Press Release

Support for Chicago Biomedical Consortium Renewed

The Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust has renewed its funding commitment to the Chicago Biomedical Consortium, an innovative research and education collaboration of Northwestern University, the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Chicago that has helped establish the Chicago area as a leader in biomedical sciences. [Northwestern University] Press Release

Mystery as Controversial List of Predatory Publishers Disappears

A popular blog that lists “potential, possible, or probable predatory” publishers and journals has disappeared, but it is not clear why. A University of Colorado in Denver spokesperson told ScienceInsider that Beall made a “personal decision” to take down his list of low-quality journals that charge authors a fee to publish, often with little or no review or editing. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Gene-Edited Animals Face US Regulatory Crackdown

Researchers transforming animals with the latest genome-engineering tools may be disappointed by draft rules released by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The most controversial of three proposed regulations declares that all animals whose genomes have been intentionally altered will be examined for safety and efficacy in a process similar to that for new drugs. Many researchers had hoped that the FDA would be less stringent about evaluating organisms whose genomes have been edited with precise tools — such as CRISPR and a separate technique called TALENs — than it is for animals that have been given DNA from different species or created using less-sophisticated means. [Nature News] Editorial

Billion-Dollar Project Aims to Prep Vaccines before Epidemics Hit

SARS, Zika, Ebola – when some of the world’s most terrifying disease outbreaks occur, health workers often find themselves powerless. A billion-dollar initiative aims to change that situation by pre-emptively developing and stockpiling vaccines to combat potential epidemic threats. [Nature News] Editorial

U.S. Abandons Controversial Consent Proposal on Using Human Research Samples

Federal officials have dropped a controversial plan to impose new rules that researchers say would have made it much harder to use patient blood and tissue samples in research. The final Common Rule omits these provisions, but leaves other changes intact. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

NEW Gordon Research Conference: Cell Growth & Proliferation
July 9-14, 2017
Mount Snow, United States

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

NEW Research Group Leader – Leukemia Research (University Hospital Basel)

Scientist Position – Immunology (New York Blood Center)

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

Instructor – Molecular and Cellular Pathology (The University of Alabama)

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

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

Principle Scientist – Translational Development (Celgene Corporation)

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

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

Assistant Member Faculty – Platinum/Immunotherapy (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

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