Cord Blood News Volume 9.05 | Feb 9 2017

TOP STORY

Loss of FOXM1 Promotes Erythropoiesis through Increased Proliferation of Erythroid Progenitors

To understand the role of FOXM1 in normal hematopoiesis, researchers transduced human cord blood CD34⁺ cells with FOXM1 shRNA lentivirus. Knockdown of FOXM1 resulted in a two-fold increase in erythroid cells compared to myeloid cells. [Haematologica] Full Article

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Extracellular Vesicle-Shuttled mRNA in Mesenchymal Stem Cell Communication

Scientists investigated gene-based communication mechanisms in extracellular vesicles (EVs) generated by bone marrow and umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). Both MSC types released vesicles with similar physical properties, although cord blood MSC were able to secrete EVs with faster kinetics. [Stem Cells] Abstract

WNT/β-Catenin Signaling Pathway Regulates Non-Tumorigenesis of Human Embryonic Stem Cells Co-Cultured with Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells

The authors’ previous study indicated that human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (HUCMSC) can be adopted as non-teratogenenic feeders for human embryonic stem cells (hESC). They describe the mechanism of non-tumorigenesis of a feeder system. In contrast with the mouse embryonic fibroblast feeder, HUCMSC down-regulated the WNT/β-catenin/c-myc signaling in hESC. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Restored In Vivo-Like Membrane Lipidomics Positively Influence In Vitro Features of Cultured Mesenchymal Stromal/Stem Cells Derived from Human Placenta

Scientists aimed to study the membrane fatty acid profile of mesenchymal stromal cells derived from human fetal membranes and to correlate this to specific biological properties by using chemically defined tailored lipid supplements. [Stem Cell Res Ther] Full Article

An Effective Ex-Vivo Approach for Inducing Endothelial Progenitor Cells from Umbilical Cord Blood CD34⁺ Cells

Investigators established an effective approach to stimulate the expansion and differentiation of endothelial progenitor cells for potential therapeutic applications. The two-step culture protocol promoted the expansion and differentiation of human cord blood CD34⁺ cells efficiently, resulting in a large number of adherent cells within three weeks. [Stem Cell Res Ther] Full Article

Ex Vivo Expansion of CD3^depleted Cord Blood-MNCs in the Presence of Bone Marrow Stromal Cells; an Appropriate Strategy to Provide Functional NK Cells Applicable for Cellular Therapy

The authors introduced a cost-effective approach to expand CD3^depleted umbilical cord blood (UCB)-MNCs into functional NK cells. CD3^depleted UCB-MNCs were expanded in the presence or absence of a feeder, with or without cytokines and their differentiation into NK cells was determined by flow cytometry. [Stem Cell Res] Full Article

Effect of Human Umbilical Cord Blood Mesenchymal Stem Cells Administered by Intravenous or Intravitreal Routes on Cryo-Induced Retinal Injury

Scientists investigated the effect of human umbilical cord blood mesenchymal stem cells (hUBMSCs) on histological structure, apoptotic, antiapoptotic, oxidant and antioxidant markers in an experimental model of cryo-induced retinal damage in mice. [IUBMB Life] Abstract

Impact of Osteoblast Maturation on their Paracrine Growth Enhancing Activity on Cord Blood Progenitors

Investigators sought to characterize the growth and differentiation modulatory activities of human osteoblasts at distinct stages of maturation on cord blood progenitors in the context of osteoblast conditioned medium. [Eur J Haematol] Abstract

Forced Expression of Human M-CSF in CD34⁺ Cells Promotes Monocyte Differentiation In Vitro and In Vivo but Blunts Osteoclastogenesis In Vitro

Researchers tested the hypothesis that human M-CSF overexpressed in cord blood CD34⁺ cells would induce differentiation and survival of monocytes and osteoclasts in vitro and in vivo. [Eur J Haematol] Abstract

The Role of PKCζ in Cord Blood T-Cell Maturation towards Th1 Cytokine Profile and Its Epigenetic Regulation by Fish Oil

Investigators present evidence that there are two major control points to explain the immunodeficiency in cord blood T-cells, a deficiency in interleukin (IL)-12 producing and IL-10 overproducing accessory cells, leading to a decreased interferon-γ synthesis, and the other an intrinsic defect in T-cell protein kinase C zeta (PKCζ) expression. [Biosci Rep] Full Article

Hematopoietic Stem Cells: Past, Present and Future

Human allogeneic stem cell therapy relies on functional characteristics of hematopoietic stem cells that can be isolated from peripheral blood, bone marrow or cord blood, with the additional requirement that immunological barriers need to be overcome to allow sustained engraftment while minimizing risk of graft-versus-host disease developing in the recipient of transplanted stem cells. Current and future research will continue to focus on the identification of hematopoietic stem cell regulators and methods for in vitro and in vivo stem cell manipulation, including genome editing, to expand the scope, potential and safety of therapy using hematopoietic stem cells. [Cell Death Discov] Full Article

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

FDA Grants Cellectis IND Approval to Proceed with the Clinical Development of UCART123, the First Gene Edited Off-the-Shelf CAR T-Cell Product Candidate Developed in the U.S

Cellectis has received an Investigational New Drug (IND) approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conduct Phase I clinical trials with UCART123, the company’s most advanced, wholly owned TALEN^® gene-edited product candidate, in patients with acute myeloid leukemia and blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm. This marks the first allogeneic, “off-the-shelf” gene-edited CAR T-cell product candidate that the FDA has approved for clinical trials. [Cellectis] Press Release

Prof. Thomas Gajewski Honored for Pioneering Cancer Research

The National Cancer Institute, a branch of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded an Outstanding Investigator Award to Prof. Thomas Gajewski. The award supports scientists who demonstrate remarkable productivity in cancer research and guarantees $600,000 in direct costs per year for seven years. [University of Chicago] Press Release

French Auditors Criticize €5-Billion Science Super-Campus Near Paris

France’s government auditor has taken a sharp swipe at efforts to develop a science super-campus near Paris that, by 2020, was supposed to rival the world’s top campus universities, such as the US Massachusetts Institute of Technology. [Nature News] Editorial

Treaty to Stop Biopiracy Threatens to Delay Flu Vaccines

International rules to ensure that developing countries benefit when foreign companies make use of their biological resources could delay the supply of seasonal influenza vaccines or render those vaccines less effective, warn vaccine manufacturers and researchers. [Nature News] Editorial

U.S. Senate Bill Aims to Make Sure Federal Scientists Aren’t ‘Muzzled’

Congressional Democrats are rallying behind a bill to protect federal scientists from attempts to interfere with scientific discourse and dissemination of research results. [Science Insider] Editorial

The Marches for Science, on One Global Interactive Map

Weinberg, Berman, and an anthropology doctoral student Valorie Aquino, officially announced that a March for Science would be held on 22 April in Washington, D.C. Science advocates in more than 100 cities around the world say they will hold allied demonstrations the same day. [Science Insider] Editorial

Brain Researchers Fight National Hockey League’s Demand for Records

A pair of Boston University brain researchers is pushing back against demands by the National Hockey League that they release data, brain pathology slides, and interview records of former NHL players and their families. The scientists accumulated the records during their research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a neurodegenerative disease that has been linked to repetitive head trauma. [Science Insider] Editorial

NEW Standardization of the Hematopoietic Progenitor Assay Training Course
March 28-29, 2017
Vancouver, Canada

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

NEW Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Cancer Biology (Moffitt Cancer Center)

NEW Postdoctoral Positions – Cancer Proteomics (University of British Columbia)

Assistant/Associate Professor – Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation and/or Gene Therapy (Dana Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center)

Research Associate – Acute Myeloid Leukemia Research (University of Virginia)

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)

Principle Scientist – Translational Development (Celgene Corporation)

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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