Establishment of Human iPSC-Based Models for the Study and Targeting of Glioma Initiating Cells Researchers report on the use of human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) for modeling gliomagenesis. Dysregulation of RTK (receptor tyrosine kinase) and p53 signaling in hiPSC-derived neural progenitor cells recapitulated glioma tumor-initiating cells properties in vitro. [Nat Commun] Full Article Yap1 Is Dispensable for Self‐Renewal but Required for Proper Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem (ES) Cells The authors report that Yap1 plays crucial roles in normal differentiation rather than self‐renewal of ES cells. Yap1‐depleted ES cells maintain an undifferentiated state with a typical colony morphology as well as robust alkaline phosphatase activity. [EMBO J] Abstract | Graphical Abstract Effects of Genetic Correction on the Differentiation of Hair Cell-Like Cells from iPSCs with MYO15A Mutation Scientists report the generation of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSCs) from members of a Chinese family carrying MYO15A c.4642G>A and c.8374G>A mutations and the induction of hair cell-like cells from those iPSCs. The compound heterozygous MYO15A mutations resulted in abnormal morphology and dysfunction of the derived hair cell-like cells. [Cell Death Differ] Abstract Inhibition of FAK Signaling by Integrin α6β1 Supports Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Self-Renewal Researchers describe a signaling pathway in human pluripotent stem cells linking self-renewal and expression of pluripotency transcription factors to integrin α6β1 and inactivation of focal adhesion kinase (FAK). [Stem Cells] Abstract Epigenetic Silencing of the Key Antioxidant Enzyme Catalase in Karyotypically Abnormal Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Investigators explored the epigenomes and transcriptomes of human pluripotent stem cells before and after spontaneous transformation to abnormal karyotypes and in correlation to cancer cells. [Sci Rep] Full Article A Non-Invasive Method to Determine the Pluripotent Status of Stem Cells by Culture Medium MicroRNA Expression Detection Investigators present a new method to non-destructively determine the pluripotent level of embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, or the types of differentiated cells. [Sci Rep] Full Article Conditional Mutation of Smc5 in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells Perturbs Condensin Localization and Mitotic Progression Using mouse embryonic stem cells with a conditional knockout allele of Smc5, scientists showed that Smc5 protein depletion resulted in destabilization of the Smc5/6 complex, accumulation of cells in G2 phase of the cell cycle and apoptosis. [J Cell Sci] Abstract Higher-Density Culture in Human Embryonic Stem Cells Results in DNA Damage and Genome Instability The authors demonstrated that medium acidification linked to culture density is the main cause of DNA damage and genomic alterations in human embryonic stem cells grown on feeder layers, even in the short time span of a single passage. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article | Graphical Abstract MiR-134-Mbd3 Axis Regulates the Induction of Pluripotency Scientists report that the expression level of microRNA-134 (miR-134) was low in mouse embryonic stem cells but significantly up-regulated during neural differentiation, while down-regulated during the induction of induced pluripotent stem cells from neural progenitor cells. [J Cell Mol Med] Abstract Zinc Chloride Transiently Maintains Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Pluripotency by Activating Stat3 Signaling Investigators showed that 2 μM zinc chloride (ZnCl2) transiently maintained mouse embryonic stem (ES) cell pluripotency in vitro. The cultured mouse ES cells remained undifferentiated under 2 μM ZnCl2 treatment in leukemia inhibitory factor withdrawal, retinoic acid or embryoid bodies differentiation assays. [PLoS One] Full Article |