ESC & iPSC News Volume 10.30 | Aug 12 2015

Human iPSC Derived Disease Model of MERTK-Associated Retinitis Pigmentosa
The authors report successful generation of human induced pluripotent stem (iPSC) cells from skin fibroblasts of a patient harboring a novel Ser331Cysfs*5 mutation in the MERTK gene. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Influence of Oriented Nanofibrous PCL Scaffolds on Quantitative Gene Expression during Neural Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells
Embryoid bodies, which contained all three embryonic germ layers, were cultured on poly Ɛ-caprolactone (PCL) scaffolds to study the effect of fiber orientation on cell morphology and differentiation. [J Biomed Mater Res A] Abstract

Dysregulation of the Transforming Growth Factor β Pathway in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Generated from Patients with Diamond Blackfan Anemia
Scientists generated induced pluripotent stem cells from diamond blackfan anemia (DBA) patients carrying RPS19 or RPL5 mutations. Transcriptome analysis revealed the striking dysregulation of the transforming growth factor β signaling pathway in DBA lines. [PLoS One] Full Article

Scriptaid Treatment Decreases DNA Methyltransferase 1 Expression by Induction of MicroRNA-152 Expression in Porcine Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer Embryos
Researchers investigated the effects of Scriptaid on the development of porcine somatic cell nuclear transfer embryos in vitro and its mechanism. [PLoS One] Full Article

Metabolic Suppression during Mesodermal Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells Identified by Single-Cell Comprehensive Gene Expression Analysis
Researchers separated Flk-1⁺ and Flk-1^– cells from spontaneously differentiating embryoid bodies of mouse embryonic stem cells. They found that cell aggregates derived from late stage Flk-1⁺ cells had a relatively small size and a low oxygen consumption rate compared with those derived from Flk-1^– cells. [Mol Biosyst] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

Kinin-B1 and B2 Receptor Activity in Proliferation and Neural Phenotype Determination of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells
Investigators showed that kinin-B1 and B2 receptors are differentially expressed in mouse embryonic E14Tg2A stem cells undergoing neural differentiation. [Cytometry A] Abstract

Conditionally Replicating Adenovirus Prevents Pluripotent Stem Cell–Derived Teratoma by Specifically Eliminating Undifferentiated Cells
Scientists demonstrated that conditionally replicating adenoviruses that specifically target cancers using multiple factors, originally developed as anticancer drugs, may also be useful as novel antitumorigenic agents in human pluripotent stem cell-based therapy. [Mol Ther Methods Clin Dev] Full Article

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Researchers Win Contract to Study Stem Cells from Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease Patients
Miller School researchers have won a three-year, $721,423 U.S. Department of Defense contract to ascertain and analyze induced pluripotent stem cells from early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease patients with specific Alzheimer’s-linked genetic mutations. [University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine] Press Release

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Caution Urged over Editing DNA in Wildlife (Intentionally or Not)
The US National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held the first in a series of meetings meant to find ways to balance the promise and perils of the ‘gene drive’ technique. The method can rapidly modify not just a single organism but a whole population, by inserting a desired genetic modification into an organism along with DNA that increases the rate at which the change is passed to the next generation. [Nature News] Editorial

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

Advanced Research Assistant – Gene Targeting (Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute)

Head of Research – Cellular Operations (Welcome Trust Sanger Institute)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Epigenetics (Institute of Molecular Biology Mainz)

Postdoctoral Position – Stem Cell Biophysics (University Paris Diderot)

Research Fellow – Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine (National Cancer Center Singapore)

Postdoctoral Positions – Human ES & iPS Cells and Heart Regenerative Medicine (University of Pittsburgh)

MICA Stem Cell Scientist (Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency)

Stem Cell Scientist (Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency)

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