ESC & iPSC News 12.11 March 22, 2017 | |
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TOP STORYAutologous Induced Stem-Cell–Derived Retinal Cells for Macular Degeneration The authors assessed the feasibility of transplanting a sheet of retinal pigment epithelial cells differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells in a patient with neovascular age-related macular degeneration. [N Engl J Med] Abstract | Editorial | |
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PUBLICATIONS(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)The TDH–GCN5L1–Fbxo15–KBP Axis Limits Mitochondrial Biogenesis in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells Scientists found that TDH, responsible for mitochondrial production of acetyl-CoA in mouse embryonic stem cells, and the acetyltransferase GCN5L1 cooperate to acetylate Lys501 in KBP, allowing its recognition by and degradation via Fbxo15, an F-box protein transcriptionally controlled by the pluripotency core factors and repressed following differentiation. [Nat Cell Biol] Abstract Researchers demonstrated that polycomb group ring finger 6 (PCGF6)-polycomb repressive complex 1 (PRC1) plays a role in repressing a subset of PRC1 target genes by recruiting RING1B and mediating downstream mono-ubiquitination of histone H2A. PCGF6-PRC1 bound loci are highly enriched for promoters of germ cell-related genes in mouse embryonic stem cells. [Elife] Abstract | Full Article (Download) Sirt6 Promotes DNA End Joining in iPSCs Derived from Old Mice Investigators demonstrated that non-homologous end joining, rather than homologous recombination, was less efficient in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from old mice than young mice. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract Trimethylation and Acetylation of β-Catenin at Lysine 49 Represent Key Elements in ESC Pluripotency The authors showed that lysine 49 of β-catenin is trimethylated (β-catMe3) by Ezh2 or acetylated (β-catAc) by Cbp. β-catMe3 acted as a transcriptional co-repressor of the neuronal differentiation genes sox1 and sox3, whereas β-catAc acted as a transcriptional co-activator of the key mesodermal differentiation gene t-brachyury. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract MAD2L2 Promotes Open Chromatin in Embryonic Stem Cells and Derepresses the Dppa3 Locus Researchers present evidence for an important epigenetic function of MAD2L2, a protein originally known for its role in DNA damage repair, and for its requirement in germ cell development. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article Suppression of Sin3A Activity Promotes Differentiation of Pluripotent Cells into Functional Neurons Scientists showed that Sin3A knockdown impedes the repressive activity of REST and enhances differentiation of pluripotent P19 cells into electrophysiologically active neurons without inducing astrogenesis. [Sci Rep] Full Article Multiscale Microenvironmental Perturbation of Pluripotent Stem Cell Fate and Self-Organization Researchers explored the utility of the microchips in manipulating early fate choices and self-organizing characteristics of three-dimensional-cultured mouse embryonic stem cells under neural differentiation conditions and exposure to gradients of leukemia inhibitory factor. [Sci Rep] Full Article Investigators describe the mass production of human pancreatic progenitor cells from human induced pluripotent stem cells using a three-dimensional suspension bioreactor system. [J Tissue Eng Regen Med] Abstract Foxd4 Is Essential for Establishing Neural Cell Fate and for Neuronal Differentiation The authors used an in vitro embryonic stem cell differentiation model to investigate early events of neuronal differentiation, and defined the role of mouse Foxd4, an orthologue of a forkhead-family transcription factor central to Xenopus neural plate/neuroectodermal precursor development. [Genesis] Abstract | |
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REVIEWSPluripotent Stem Cells in Neuropsychiatric Disorders Researchers review recent progress in using induced pluripotent stem cell technology to model and potentially treat neuropsychiatric disorders by focusing on the most prevalent conditions in psychiatry, including depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. [Mol Psychiatry] Full Article Applied Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells in Combination with Biomaterials in Bone Tissue Engineering The author presents studies that were done in the field of bone tissue engineering while using induced pluripotent stem cells in combination with natural and synthetic biomaterials. [J Cell Biochem] Abstract Editing the Genome of hiPSC with CRISPR/Cas9: Disease Models Scientists review recent advances in genome editing techniques such as the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR) system that has provided an ability to repair putative causative alleles in patient lines, or introduce disease alleles into a “WT” healthy cell line. [Mamm Genome] Full Article Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the ESC & iPSC research field. | |
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INDUSTRY NEWSKadimastem Granted a Patent in the US for Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases Kadimastem announced that it has been granted a patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office for its technology in the field of cell based treatment for diseases of the nervous system. [Kadimastem] Press Release Asterias Biotherapeutics, Inc. reported that including the sixth and final patient in the AIS-A ten million cell cohort in the company’s ongoing SCiStar Phase I/IIa clinical trial has further confirmed previously-announced motor function improvements at six-months following administration of AST-OPC1. [Asterias Biotherapeutics, Inc.] Press Release | |
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POLICY NEWSSouth Korea’s Scientists Seek Change amid Political Chaos When South Korea’s Constitutional Court removed scandal-ridden President Park Geun-hye from office on 10th March, citizens rejoiced in the streets — and many scientists breathed a sigh of relief. Her downfall has inspired a public appetite for broad governmental reforms, including changes in how the country supports scientific research. Many in the research community hope to end South Korea’s decades-long focus on applied research and shift more resources to basic science. [Nature News] Editorial Ethical Guidelines on Lab-Grown Embryos Beg for Revamping, Scientists Say Researchers in the U.K. and U.S. recently succeeded for the first time in growing embryos in the lab for nearly two weeks before terminating them, showing that the so-called 14-day rule is no longer a scientific limitation — although it remains a cultural one. Now, a group of Harvard University scientists has published a paper arguing that it is time to reconsider the 14-day rule because of advances in synthetic biology. [Scientific American] Editorial Research Is an Afterthought in First Trump Budget The 2018 budget proposal that President Donald Trump unveiled confirms two things that U.S. scientists have long suspected: The new president is no fan of research, and his administration has no overarching strategy for funding science. Deep proposed cuts to research at the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Energy, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration offer evidence that Trump doesn’t see science — of any kind — as a spending priority. [ScienceInsider] Editorial
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EVENTSNEW 2nd Bioprocessing of Advanced Cellular Therapies Congress Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the community.
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JOB OPPORTUNITIESNEW Stem Cell Research Manager – Target Drug Discovery (University of Oxford) Research Associate – Research and Development (STEMCELL Technologies, Inc.) Postdoctoral Fellow – Stem Cell Biology (Northwestern University) Postdoctoral Research Associate – Developmental Neuroscience (University of Nebraska Medical Center) Postdoctoral Research Associate – Epigenetics and Development (Imperial College London) Postdoctoral Fellow – Bone Regeneration and Stem Cell Biology (New York University Medical Center) Senior Scientist – Stem Cell Gene Editing (Universal Cells) Postdoctoral Fellow – Stem Cell Research (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) Postdoctoral Position – RNA, Stem Cell and Cancer Biology (Lund University) Postdoctoral Fellow – Human Genome Editing (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine) Postdoctoral Fellow – Multiple Areas (University of Oklahoma) Assistant or Associate Member – Stem CellGene Therapy (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center) Postdoctoral Fellow – Pluripotent Stem Cell Technology (University of California, Davis) Recruit Top Talent: Reach potential candidates by posting your organization’s career opportunities on the Connexon Creative Job Board at no cost.
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Home ESC & iPSC News Volume 12.11 | Mar 22 2017