ESC & iPSC News Volume 13.29 | Jul 25 2018

TOP STORY

Functional Dissection of the Enhancer Repertoire in Human Embryonic Stem Cells

The authors identified functional enhancers in human ESCs genome-wide in a quantitative unbiased manner. Although active enhancers associated with transcription factors, only a minority of regions marked by NANOG, OCT4, H3K27ac, and H3K4me1 functioned as enhancers, with activity markedly changing under naive versus primed culture conditions. [Cell Stem Cell] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Self-Assembly of Embryonic and Two Extra-Embryonic Stem Cell Types into Gastrulating Embryo-Like Structures

Scientists described a system that allowed assembly of mouse embryonic, trophoblast and extra-embryonic endoderm stem cells into structures that acquired the embryo’s architecture with all distinct embryonic and extra-embryonic compartments. [Nat Cell Biol] Abstract | Press Release

The Ubiquitin Ligase UBR5 Suppresses Proteostasis Collapse in Pluripotent Stem Cells from Huntington’s Disease Patients

Loss of UBR5 increased huntingtin (HTT) levels and triggered polyQ-expanded aggregation in Huntington’s disease (HD)-iPSCs. UBR5 overexpression induced polyubiquitination and degradation of mutant HTT, reducing polyQ-expanded aggregates in HD-cell models. [Nat Commun] Full Article | Press Release

Generation of a Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Based Model for Tauopathies Combining Three Microtubule-Associated Protein Tau Mutations Which Displays Several Phenotypes Linked to Neurodegeneration

Researchers generated a footprint-free triple MAPT-mutant human iPSC line using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-FokI and piggyBac transposase technology. TAU-mutant cells presented deficiencies in neurite outgrowth, aberrant sequence of differentiation to cortical neurons, and a significant activation of stress response pathways. [Alzheimers Dement] Full Article

MSX2 Initiates and Accelerates Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cell Specification of hPSCs by Regulating TWIST1 and PRAME

Genetic deletion of muscle segment homeobox 2 (MSX2) impaired human PSC (hPSC) differentiation into mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs). When aided with a cocktail of soluble molecules, MSX2 ectopic expression induced hPSCs to form nearly homogeneous and fully functional MSCs. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article

Optimal Hypoxia Regulates Human iPSC-Derived Liver Bud Differentiation through Intercellular TGFB Signaling

Using a human iPSC-derived liver bud model, investigators found hypoxia induced with an oxygen-permeable plate promoted hepatic differentiation accompanied by TGFB1 and TGFB3 suppression. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article

Uric Acid: A Potent Molecular Contributor to Pluripotent Stem Cell Cardiac Differentiation via Mesoderm Specification

Scientists reported that uric acid, a physiologically abundant compound during embryonic development, could consistently and robustly enhance cardiac differentiation of human PSCs including human ESCs and human iPSCs, in replacement of ascorbic acid. [Cell Death Differ] Abstract

Embryonic Germ Cell Extracts Erase Imprinted Genes and Improve the Efficiency of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Researchers showed the competency of embryonic germ cells as a reprogramming catalyst capable of effectively promoting reprogramming induced by four defined factors, including Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc. iPSCs derived from the combined inductors tended to have more global hypomethylation. [Sci Rep] Full Article

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Deconstructing and Reconstructing the Mouse and Human Early Embryo

The authors review experimental models and how they have shaped the current understanding of the post-implantation mammalian embryo. [Nat Cell Biol] Abstract

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

Takara Bio Granted Manufacturing License from the Swedish Medical Product Agency for Clinical-Grade Human Embryonic Stem Cell Line Derivation and Banking

Takara Bio announced that the Medical Products Agency, granted a manufacturing license for derivation and banking of human embryonic stem cells to be produced under GMP conditions at the state-of-the-art laboratory located in Göteborg, Sweden, within Takara Bio Europe’s facility. [Takara Bio Inc.] Press Release

Ipsen and BioLabs to Open New Innovation Center in Cambridge (U.S.) to Foster Development of New Therapies for Patients

Ipsen, announced an agreement with BioLabs to open a life science co-working facility within Ipsen’s new North America global hub in Kendall Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts. [Ipsen Pharma] Press Release

New Evidence USCIS Policies Increased Denials of H-1B Visas

New data shows that in 2017, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) denied many more H-1B petitions and issued numerous costly Requests for Evidence to stop highly educated foreign nationals from working in America. [Forbes Media LLC] Editorial

Third Retraction for Harvard Cancer Biologist

Nature has issued a retraction of a cancer study, seven years after its publication, citing issues with two figures and the unavailability of original data for them. The paper, led by Harvard Medical School biologist Sam Lee, is among several publications from his group to be retracted. [The Scientist] Editorial

NEW The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) Annual Meeting 2018
December 8-12, 2018
San Diego, California, United States

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

NEW Postdoctoral Associate – Developmental Immunology & Human PSC-Based Disease Models (University of Massachusetts)

Senior Scientist – Pluripotent Stem Cells (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Research Technologist – Pluripotent Stem Cells (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Postdoctoral Position – Pluripotency, Signaling & Epigenetics (Washington University School of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Scholar – Cellular Basis of Morphogenesis (University of California, San Francisco)

Postdoctoral Scholar – Pluripotent Stem Cell Biology (University of California, Berkeley)

Research Associate – Embryonic Stem Cell Derivatives for Vascular Grafts (Imperial College London)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cardiovascular Stem Cell Biology (University of Illinois at Chicago)

Research Associate/Scientist – iPSC Research and Manufacture (Evotec AG)

Postdoctoral Positions – Human Functional Genomics of Aging & Disease (Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University)

Research Associate/PhD Position – iPSCs & Neurodegenerative Disease (TU Dresden)

Research Specialist – Cardiovascular Disease (University of Illinois)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacogenomics (Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Fellow – hiPSC Based Cardiac Regeneration (Duke University)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Human Skeletal Muscle Disease Modeling and Regeneration (Duke University)

Scientist/Senior Scientist – Bioprocess Engineering (Bluerock Therapeutics, LLC.)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering (Stanford University)

Postdoctoral Associate – hiPSC-Based Brain Organoids (Rutgers University)

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