ESC & iPSC News Volume 11.20 | May 25 2016

MEK Inhibitor PD0325901 and Vitamin C Synergistically Induce Hypomethylation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells
Researchers demonstrated a novel and synergistic chemical approach for promoting hypomethylation and sustaining pluripotency of embryonic stem cells. [Oncotarget] Full Article

Distinctive Features of Single Nucleotide Alterations in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells with Different Types of DNA Repair Deficiency Disorders
Investigators generated induced pluripotent stem cells derived from a fibroblastic cell line of xeroderma pigmentosum group A, a rare autosomal recessive hereditary disease in which patients develop skin cancer in the areas of skin exposed to sunlight. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Graphene Oxide Promotes Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation to Hematopoietic Lineage
Scientists demonstrated that graphene oxide coated substrates significantly enhance the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells to both primitive and definitive hematopoietic cells. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Transient Expression of WNT2 Promotes Somatic Cell Reprogramming by Inducing β-Catenin Nuclear Accumulation
Investigators identified the upregulation of WNT2 and subsequent β-catenin nuclear accumulation as key events in reprogramming. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Real-Time Monitoring of Specific Oxygen Uptake Rates of Embryonic Stem Cells in a Microfluidic Cell Culture Device
The authors presented real-time monitoring of cell growth from phase contrast microscopy images, and of respiration using optical sensors for dissolved oxygen. [Biotechnol J] Abstract

Pancreatic Differentiation of Pdx1-GFP Reporter Mouse Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Researchers generated and characterized induced pluripotent stem cells from Pdx1-GFP transgenic mice. The use of a GFP reporter knocked into the endogenous Pdx1 promoter allowed them to monitor pancreatic induction based on the expression of Pdx1, a pancreatic master transcription factor, and to isolate a pure Pdx1-GFP⁺ population for downstream applications. [Differentiation] Abstract

Impact of Arachidonic Acid and the Leukotriene Signaling Pathway on Vasculogenesis of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells
The eicosanoid precursor arachidonic acid stimulated vasculogenesis of embryonic stem cells by increasing the number of fetal liver kinase-1+ vascular progenitor cells as well as vascular structures positive for platelet endothelial cell adhesion protein-1 and vascular endothelial cadherin. [Cells Tissues Organs] Abstract

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Nano Dimension and Accellta Joined Forces to Successfully BioPrint Stem Cell-Derived Tissues
Nano Dimension Ltd. announced it has successfully lab-tested a proof of concept 3D Bioprinter for stem cells. [Nano Dimension Ltd. (PR Newswire Association LLC.)] Press Release

National Stem Cell Foundation and Michael J. Fox Foundation Partner to Support Parkinson’s Cell Replacement Therapy
The National Stem Cell Foundation and The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research have announced a partnership to fund development of a cutting-edge therapy to replace the dopamine neurons that degenerate in Parkinson’s disease, the second most common brain disease after Alzheimer’s. [National Stem Cell Foundation] Press Release

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Industry-Backed Project Aims to Become One-Stop Shop for Clinical Research Data
There’s a broad consensus that widely sharing patient-level data from clinical trials is desirable, with potential advantages ranging from faster identification of side effects, easier confirmation of a therapy’s efficacy, and a reduction in duplicative efforts. A new project from Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard University is trying to build a global, neutral platform for such data sharing, but some are skeptical it’s the right solution. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

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NEW Postdoctoral Fellow (Joslin Diabetes Center)

Scientific Communications and Publishing Coordinator (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Technical Sales Representative (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Research Technologist – Myogenic and Progenitor Cell (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Postdoctoral Fellowship – Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Differentiation (Washington University School of Medicine)

Scientist – Target Validation (Innate Pharma)

Postdoctoral Position – Epigenetics of Aging (Leibniz Institute on Aging)

Scientist and Postdoctoral Positions – Stem Cells (National Institutes of Health)

Postdoctoral Positions – Stem Cell/Genome Editing/Neuroscience/Neurodegeneration (Brigham & Women’s Hospital)

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