ESC & iPSC News Volume 12.00 | Jan 4 2017

TOP STORY

Cochlear Cell Modeling Using Disease-Specific iPSCs Unveils a Degenerative Phenotype and Suggests Treatments for Congenital Progressive Hearing Loss

Investigators report a degenerative phenotype exhibiting mutant pendrin aggregates and increased susceptibility to cellular stresses in cochlear epithelial cells induced from patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). These degenerative phenotypes were rescued by site-specific gene corrections. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

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Epigenetic Modifiers Facilitate Induction and Pluripotency of Porcine iPSCs

Scientists tested the hypothesis that epigenetic modification by active DNA or histone demethylation or by inhibition of histone deacetylase would enhance reprogramming and exogenous gene silencing in porcine-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article

New Monoclonal Antibodies to Defined Cell Surface Proteins on Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Investigators report generation of seven new monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that detect cell surface proteins present on live and fixed human ES cells (hESCs) and human iPS cells (hiPSCs), confirming their previous prediction that these proteins were present on the cell surface of hPSCs. [Stem Cells] Abstract

Differential Regulated MicroRNA by Wild Type and Mutant p53 in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Researchers studied the transcriptional changes of microRNA in a series of mouse embryonic fibroblasts that underwent transition to induced pluripotent stem cells with wild type, knock out or mutant p53 status in order to identify microRNAs whose expression during reprogramming is dependent on p53. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Generation from a Man Carrying a Complex Chromosomal Rearrangement as a Genetic Model for Infertility Studies

Scientists report the characterization of a complex chromosomal rearrangement (CCR) in an azoospermic patient, and the successful generation of specific-induced pluripotent stem cells from PBMC-derived erythroblasts. The CCR was characterized by karyotype, fluorescence in situ hybridization and oligonucleotide-based array-comparative genomic hybridization. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Optical High Content Nanoscopy of Epigenetic Marks Decodes Phenotypic Divergence in Stem Cells

While distinct stem cell phenotypes follow global changes in chromatin marks, single-cell chromatin technologies are unable to resolve or predict stem cell fates. The authors propose the first such use of optical high content nanoscopy of histone epigenetic marks in stem cells to classify emergent cell states. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Evaluation of Batch Variations in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Human Cardiomyocytes from Two Major Suppliers

Researchers examined the purity, cardiac ion channel gene expression profile, and electrophysiological response of three batches of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived human cardiomyocytes (iPSC-hCMs) from each of two major cell suppliers. They found that iPSC-hCMs from both vendors had similar purities. [Toxicol Sci] Abstract

The Effect of a Germline Mutation in the APC Gene on β-Catenin in Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Researchers established a novel human in vitro model for studying malignant transformation, using human embryonic stem cell (hESCs) that carry a germline mutation in the APC gene following pre-implantation genetic diagnosis for familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). Extended culturing of FAP1 hESCs led to activation of the Wnt signaling pathway, as demonstrated by enhanced β-catenin/TCF-mediated activity. [BMC Cancer] Full Article

MicroRNA Expression Profiles of Human iPSCs Differentiation into Insulin-Producing Cells

MicroRNAs are involved in the control of biological processes including cell differentiation. The authors characterized microRNA expression profiles during differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into insulin-producing cells [Acta Diabetol] Abstract

Ground Rules of the Pluripotency Gene Regulatory Network

The state of pluripotency, which is stabilized by an interconnected network of pluripotency-associated genes, integrates external signals and exerts control over the decision between self-renewal and differentiation at the transcriptional, post-transcriptional and epigenetic levels. [Nat Rev Genet] Abstract

Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the ESC & iPSC research field.

BioTime and Subsidiary Cell Cure Neurosciences Establish Innovative Cell Therapy Manufacturing Center in Jerusalem, Israel

BioTime, Inc. dedicated a new, 800 square meter, state-of-the-art, cGMP manufacturing center located in the Jerusalem Bio Park on the campus of Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem. The new manufacturing center, initially to be staffed by 25-30 employees, is equipped to produce a range of cell therapies for the treatment of various degenerative human diseases. [BioTime, Inc.] Press Release

Twenty-Two New Patents Are Added to ViaCyte’s Intellectual Property Portfolio

ViaCyte, Inc. announced the addition of twenty-two new patents in 2016. In early 2016 the company announced the consolidation of the assets of the Janssen BetaLogics group into ViaCyte. Five of the new patents originated in the BetaLogics group, while the other seventeen are from ViaCyte research and development activity. [ViaCyte, Inc.] Press Release

Argentina’s Researchers Occupy Science Ministry

Hundreds of young researchers occupied Argentina’s science ministry in Buenos Aires last month, angry at budget cuts that they say have denied them permanent jobs at the country’s National Scientific and Technical Research Council. The occupation was the most extreme action yet by Argentinian scientists after months of protests at last year’s budget, the first under President Mauricio Macri. [Nature News] Editorial

NEW 2017 International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) Annual Meeting
June 14-17, 2017
Boston, United States

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

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Human Embryology and Stem Cell Biology (The Francis Crick Institute)

NEW Research Scientist – Stem Cell Gene Editing (Universal Cells Inc.)

Assistant Professor – Heart Tissue Regeneration (University of Cincinnati)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Neuroscience and Cellular Biology (Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute)

Tenure Track Faculty – Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine (University of Notre Dame)

Research Assistant – Stem Cell Metabolism and Regenerative Medicine (The University of Melbourne)

Postdoctoral Fellowship – 3D Genome Organizers in Development and Disease (Karolinska Institute)

Postdoctoral Researcher – ESC/iPSC Differentiation (Helmholtz Association)

Postdoctoral Researcher – Developmental Biology (RIKEN)

Assistant or Associate Member – Stem CellGene Therapy (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Pluripotent Stem Cell Technology (University of California, Davis)

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