ESC & iPSC News Volume 10.22 | Jun 10 2015

Regulation of the ESC Transcriptome by Nuclear Long Non-Coding RNAs
Researchers performed high-depth poly(Archive)+ RNA sequencing across multiple clonal populations of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and neural progenitor cells to comprehensively identify differentially regulated long non-coding RNAs. [Genome Res] Abstract

Efficient Derivation and Inducible Differentiation of Expandable Skeletal Myogenic Cells From Human ES and Patient-Specific iPS Cells
Investigators detailed a protocol to derive myogenic cells from human embryonic stem (ES) and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, and they also provided evidence for its extension to human iPS cells cultured without feeder cells. [Nat Protoc] Abstract

Aurora Kinase B Regulates Telomerase Activity via a Centromeric RNA in Stem Cells
Scientists found that histone H3 serine 10 phosphorylation set by Aurora kinase B (AURKB) in embryonic stem cells during the S phase of the cell cycle at centromeric and (sub)telomeric loci promoted the expression of non-coding minor satellite RNA. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Efficient In Vitro Generation of Functional Thymic Epithelial Progenitors From Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Researchers developed a novel protocol to efficiently induce the differentiation of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) into thymic epithelial progenitors (TEPs) in vitro. When transplanted into mice, hESC-TEPs developed into thymic epithelial cells and formeda thymic architecture. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Co-Existence of Intact Stemness and Priming of Neural Differentiation Programs in mES Cells Lacking Trim71
Scientists demonstrated that Trim71 is not involved in regulatory networks of pluripotency but regulated neural differentiation. Loss of Trim71 in mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells left stemness and self-maintenance of these cells intact, but many genes required for neural development were up-regulated at the same time. [Sci Rep] Full Article

MEK and TGF-Beta Inhibition Promotes Reprogramming without the Use of Transcription Factor
The authors describe the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells from head-derived primary culture of mouse embryonic cells using small chemical inhibitors of the MEK and TGF-beta pathways without delivery of exogenous transcription factors. [PLoS One] Full Article

Application Of Small Molecules Favoring Naïve Pluripotency during Human Embryonic Stem Cell Derivation
Scientists applied different small molecule combinations during human embryonic stem cell derivation. They aimed to sustain the naïve pluripotent state, by interfering with various key signaling pathways. [Cell Reprogram] Abstract

Integrative Analysis of the Acquisition of Pluripotency in PGCs Reveals the Mutually Exclusive Roles of Blimp-1 and AKT Signaling
Researchers performed whole-transcriptome analysis during the conversion of primordial germ cells (PGCs) into embryonic stem cells, a process by which cells acquire pluripotency. [Stem Cell Rep]
Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells as a new Strategy for Osteogenesis and Bone Regeneration
The authors describe recent findings regarding the use of iPS-derived cells for osteogenic differentiation and bone regeneration, which have indicated that these pluripotent cells represent an ideal tool for regenerative cell therapies and might contribute to the development of future bone tissue engineering. [Stem Cell Rev] Abstract

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Sanford Consortium, Takeda Pharmaceutical Partner in $10-Million “Innovation Alliance”
The Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine and the Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited have agreed to establish a $10-million, five-year Innovation Alliance that would advance each organization’s research missions. [UC San Diego] Press Release

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Russian Researchers Protest Government Reforms
About 3000 Russian scientists rallied in Moscow on Saturday to protest against government reforms of the research system and the imposition of competitive funding, which is not commonly used in the country. The main demand of the researchers was to revise the current reform of the Russian academic system, which has been going on since mid-2013. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

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Scientist – Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Biology (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

PhD position – Molecular Biology and DNA Demethylation (Institute of Molecular Biology Mainz)

Postdoctoral Position – Embryonic Stem Cell Pluripotency and Self-Renewal (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences )

Cell Biology Specialist (California Institute of Technology)

Postdoctoral Positions – Cancer, Stem Cell, and Developmental Biology (Columbia University Medical Center)

Postdoctoral Fellow Positions – iPSC Research and Banking (University of Magna Graecia)

Postdoctoral Position – Stem Cell Biology, Epigenetics & Cancer (Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University)

Postdoctoral Position – Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Study Metabolism and Gene Expression Regulating Neural Tube Development (Joslin Diabetes Center)

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