ESC & iPSC News Volume 13.36 | Sep 12 2018

TOP STORY

Facultative Dosage Compensation of Developmental Genes on Autosomes in Drosophila and Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

Scientists reported that male-specific lethal 2 (MSL2), in addition to regulating the X chromosome, targeted autosomal genes involved in patterning and morphogenesis. Precise regulation of these genes by MSL2 was required for proper development. [Nat Commun] Full Article | Press Release

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Mapping Molecular Landmarks of Human Skeletal Ontogeny and Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Articular Chondrocytes

Researchers profiled five distinct cell types at a single fetal stage, as well as chondrocytes at four stages in vivo and two stages during in vitro differentiation. Network analysis delineated five tissue-specific gene modules; these modules and chromatin state analysis defined broad similarities in gene expression during cartilage specification and maturation in vitro and in vivo, including early expression and progressive silencing of muscle- and bone-specific genes. [Nat Commun] Full Article | Press Release

Generation and Assembly of Human Brain Region-Specific Three-Dimensional Cultures

The authors describe how to generate and assemble subdomain-specific forebrain spheroids, also known as brain region-specific organoids, from human PSCs. They also describe how to combine the neural spheroids in vitro to assemble forebrain assembloids that recapitulated the interactions of glutamatergic and GABAergic neurons seen in vivo. [Nat Protoc] Abstract

Rapid Mast Cell Generation from Gata2 Reporter Pluripotent Stem Cells

Scientists report a method for the rapid/robust production of mast cells from PSCs. An advantageous Gata2Venus reporter enriched mast cells and progenitors as they differentiated from PSCs. Highly proliferative mouse mast cells and progenitors emerged after two weeks. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Inactivation of PLK4-STIL Module Prevents Self-Renewal and Triggers p53-Dependent Differentiation in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Researchers demonstrated that blocking of PLK4 or STIL functions led to centrosome loss followed by both p53-dependent and -independent defects, including prolonged cell divisions, upregulation of p53, chromosome instability, and, importantly, reduction of pluripotency markers and induction of differentiation. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Generating Inner Ear Organoids Containing Putative Cochlear Hair Cells from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Investigators report a robust protocol for the generation of both vestibular and cochlear hair cells from human PSCs which represents an advance over currently available methods that have been reported to generate vestibular hair cells only. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

Ectopic hTERT Expression Facilitates Reprogramming of Fibroblasts Derived from Patients with Werner Syndrome as a WS Cellular Model

The iPSCs derived from Werner syndrome (WS)-hTERT cells and WRN^-/- ESCs were fully pluripotent, expressed pluripotent markers and could differentiate into three germ layer cells; however, WS-iPSCs and WRN^-/- ESCs showed S phase defect in cell cycle progression. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

Contractile Deficits in Engineered Cardiac Microtissues as a Result of MYBPC3 Deficiency and Mechanical Overload

Researchers showed that the wild-type microtissues adapted to the mechanical environment with increased contraction force commensurate to matrix stiffness, whereas the myosin-binding protein C 3 (MYBPC3) deficient microtissues exhibited impaired force development kinetics regardless of matrix stiffness and deficient contraction force only when grown on matrices with high fibre stiffness. [Nat Biomed Eng] Abstract

Generation and Selection of Pluripotent Stem Cells for Robust Differentiation to Insulin-Secreting Cells Capable of Reversing Diabetes in Rodents

Scientists created an iPSC-variant cell line, SR1423, with a genetic profile correlated with preferential differentiation toward endodermal lineage at the loss of mesodermal potential. They describe an improved differentiation protocol that, coupled with SR1423, generated populations of greater than 60% insulin-expressing cells that secrete insulin in response to glucose and are capable of reversing diabetes in rodents. [PLoS One] Full Article | Press Release

Subscribe to one of our other 19 science newsletters such as Cell Therapy News & Mesenchymal Cell News.

Application of CRISPR/Cas9 Technologies Combined with iPSCs in the Study and Treatment of Retinal Degenerative Diseases

The authors compare genome-editing strategies and highlight the advantages and concerns of the CRISPR/Cas9 system. The latest progress and applications of the CRISPR/Cas9 system and its combination with iPSCs for the treatment of retinal degenerative diseases are summarized. [Hum Genet] Abstract

Quality Control Guidelines for Clinical-Grade Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Lines

Working from established recommendations and guidance from the International Stem Cell Banking Initiative for human embryonic stem cell banking, and concentrating on those issues more relevant to iPSCs, a series of consensus workshops has made initial recommendations on the minimum dataset required to consider an iPSC line of clinical grade. [Regen Med] Full Article

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

Be The Match BioTherapies^® Strengthens International Network to Provide Global Support for Cell and Gene Therapy Companies

Be The Match BioTherapies announced the initiation of a new international partnership with Cellex Cell Professionals. Through this collaboration with Cellex Cell Professionals, Be The Match BioTherapies aims to support the international standardization of the cell therapy industry. [Be The Match BioTherapies] Press Release

Celldom Awarded Phase II SBIR Grant to Advance Next Generation, High Throughput Single Cell Analysis Platform

Celldom, Inc. announced that it has been awarded a $1.5 million Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences to advance its next generation, high throughput single cell analysis platform to define heterogeneity within cell populations. [Celldom, Inc.] Press Release

HHMI Awards Hanna Gray Fellowships to 15 Early Career Scientists

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) announced the selection of 15 outstanding early career scientists as HHMI Hanna Gray Fellows. Each fellow will receive up to $1.4 million in funding over eight years, with mentoring and active involvement in the HHMI community. [Howard Hughes Medical Institute] Press Release

Global Institute of Stem Cell Therapy and Research (GIOSTAR) Opens New Location in Glenview, Illinois

GIOSTAR announced the opening of its newest location in Glenview, Illinois. GIOSTAR Chicago is one of the institute’s first US facilities, with additional global locations in India, China, Mexico, Thailand, Bangladesh, South Africa, West Africa, Australia and UAE. [GIOSTAR (PR Newswire Association LLC.)] Press Release

Lasker Awards Recognize Work on Histones, Anesthesia, RNA

The winners of this year’s Lasker Awards are C. David Allis of Rockefeller University and Michael Grunstein of the University of California, Los Angeles, for discoveries about the proteins that package DNA; John “Iain” Glen, formerly a pharmaceutical researcher at AstraZeneca, for developing the drug propofol; and Yale University’s Joan Steitz for leadership and research throughout her career, the Lasker Foundation announced. [The Scientist] Editorial

Peer Reviewers in Developing Nations Are Underrepresented, Report Suggests

Combined, scientists spend nearly 70 million hours peer reviewing manuscripts for scholarly journals every year, a new report says. But too much of the onus rests on researchers in wealthy countries, according to the report by the company Publons—based in London and Wellington—which enables researchers to track and claim credit for the peer reviews they perform. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Pivotal CRISPR Patent Battle Won by Broad Institute

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit awarded the pivotal intellectual property to the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, upholding a previous decision by the US Patent and Trademark Office. The decision spells defeat for a team of inventors at the University of California, Berkeley, led by molecular biologist Jennifer Doudna. [Nature News] Editorial

Peer Reviewers Unmasked: Largest Global Survey Reveals Trends

Scientists in developed countries provide nearly three times as many peer reviews per paper submitted as researchers in emerging nations, according to the largest ever survey of the practice. [Nature News] Editorial

NEW Keystone Symposia: Cell Competition in Development and Disease
February 24-28, 2019
Tahoe City, California, United States

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

NEW Assistant Professor – Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology (Columbia University Stem Cell Initiative)

NEW Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Gene Transcription in Development & Disease (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center)

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

Senior Scientists/Principal Investigators – iPSC & Diabetes Research (Qatar Biomedical Research Institute)

Faculty Position – Stem Cell Biology (Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Optogenetic Control of Cell Polarity (European Molecular Biology Laboratory)

Assistant/Associate Professor – Stem Cell or Organoid Model Research (Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center)

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

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

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering (Stanford University)

Recruit Top Talent: Reach potential candidates by posting your organization’s career opportunities on the Connexon Creative Job Board at no cost.

Have we missed an important article or publication in ESC & iPSC News? Click here to submit!

Comments or suggestions? Submit your feedback here.