ESC & iPSC News 13.43 October 31, 2018 | |
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TOP STORYSUMO Safeguards Somatic and Pluripotent Cell Identities by Enforcing Distinct Chromatin States Researchers showed that SUMO modification acted to stabilize cell fate in a variety of contexts. Hyposumoylation enhanced pluripotency reprogramming in vitro and in vivo, increased lineage transdifferentiation, and facilitated leukemic cell differentiation. [Cell Stem Cell] Abstract | Graphical Abstract | |
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PUBLICATIONS(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)The authors developed a serum-free protocol to differentiate human iPSCs (hiPSCs) into astrocytes. They showed that the protocol consistently yielded a highly enriched population of resting mature astrocytes across the 13 hiPSC lines differentiated. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article | Graphical Abstract Enhanced Function of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Endothelial Cells through ESM1 Signaling Human iPS cells were reprogrammed from one mL blood of healthy donors and subsequently differentiated into endothelial cells (iPS-ECs) with typical EC characteristics. Scientists identified endothelial cell-specific molecule 1 (ESM1) as one of the highest expressed genes during EC differentiation, playing a key role in EC enrichment and function by regulating connexin 40 and eNOS. [Stem Cells] Abstract Investigators showed that GLI-Similar 3 (GLIS3) bound to and directly regulated the transcription of several WNT genes, including the strong posteriorizing factor WNT3A, and that inhibition of WNT signaling was sufficient to abrogate GLIS3-induced posterior specification. [Stem Cells] Abstract Researchers showed that nuclear transfer-ESCs and iPSCs derived from the same donors generally displayed similar in vitro commitment capacity toward three germ layer lineages as well as proliferative activity and clonogenic capacity. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article iPSCs were efficiently generated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells under feeder-free conditions. The derived iPSCs proved to be pluripotent and transgene-free. Furthermore, the authors demonstrated multi-lineage differentiation potentials when transplanted into immunocompromised mice. [Cell Physiol Biochem] Full Article After successfully establishing patient’s derived disease-specific iPSCs derived from a patient with chronic myelomonocytic leukemia (CMML), investigators utilized these CMML-iPSCs to achieve hematopoietic re-differentiation in vitro, created a humanized CMML mouse model via teratomas, and developed a drug-testing system. [Sci Rep] Full Article Both PDX1 and NKX6.1 expression were detected in cells co-transfected with synthetic RNA (synRNA)-PDX1 and synRNA-NKX6.1 at day three. Expression levels of insulin in the transfected cells at day 13 were 450 times and 14 times higher by qRT-PCR compared to the levels at day zero and in cells cultured without synRNA transfection, respectively. [Stem Cell Res Ther] Full Article Although previously characterized as mouse ESC-differentiated fibroblasts (mESC-FBs), these cells exhibited major properties of mesenchymal stem cells isolated from adult tissues. However, mESC-FBs also displayed unique features inherited from ESCs, including robust expansion capacity, senescence resistance, and attenuated innate immunity. [Stem Cell Res Ther] Full Article Subscribe to one of our other 19 science newsletters such as Cell Therapy News & Mesenchymal Cell News. | |
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REVIEWSOff-the-Shelf Cell Therapy with Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Natural Killer Cells The authors outline a roadmap for development of off-the-shelf cell therapy based on natural killer (NK) cells derived from iPSCs. They discuss strategies to engineer iPSC-derived NK cells for enhanced functional potential, persistence, and homing. [Semin Immunopathol] Abstract Human Cortical Neuron Generation Using Cell Reprogramming: A Review of Recent Advances Investigators discuss the reprogramming strategies that have been formulated to generate cortical neurons which are associated with many diseases including autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia. [Stem Cells Dev] Abstract Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the ESC & iPSC research field. | |
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INDUSTRY NEWSNovoheart announced that it has entered into a service agreement with Xellera Therapeutics Limited, representing Phase 1 of an intended long-term strategic partnership between the companies. The vision of the long-term partnership is to build clinical-grade human stem cell libraries for the development of cell-based therapies. [Novoheart Holdings Inc.] Press Release Ncardia and Horizon Discovery Group plc announced a partnership to provide custom genetically modified and differentiated human iPSC-derived cells for drug discovery researchers. [Ncardia] Press Release Allele Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals Inc. has received issuance notices from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for its first batch of patents covering the derivation of iPSCs. Allele’s proprietary technology uses only mRNA to reprogram human or other primate cells, avoiding many operational complications that other methods often encounter. [Allele Biotech] Press Release | |
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POLICY NEWSAustralia Plans ‘National-Interest’ Test for Research Grants Australia’s government is set to introduce a ‘national-interest test’ for research projects seeking grant funding from next year. The policy will require that researchers outline how their project will advance the country’s interests, said education minister Dan Tehan in a statement. [Nature News] Editorial Heart Cell Therapy Trial Paused after Fraud Allegations A clinical trial testing whether cells described as cardiac stem cells could aid patients with chronic heart failure has been paused, according to a statement released by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, which is collaborating with the University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, on the experiment. [The Scientist] Editorial Do Authors Comply When Funders Enforce Open Access to Research? The first large-scale analysis of compliance with open-access rules reveals that up to one-third of articles are not free to read, report Vincent Larivière and Cassidy R. Sugimoto. [Nature News] Editorial
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EVENTSNEW 2nd Annual Meeting of the French Society for Stem Cell Research (FSSCR) Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the community.
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JOB OPPORTUNITIESNEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Patient Derived Organoids (Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey) NEW Postdoctoral Position – Gene Modification in HSCs (University of Wisconsin-Madison) Scientist – Cell Culture Media and Cell Line Development (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.) Staff Scientist – Mouse Genome Engineering (Wellcome Sanger Institute) Postdoctoral Position – Stem Cells and Diabetes (A*STAR) Postdoctoral Fellows – iPSCs & Blood Development (University of Washington) Postdoctoral Research Scientist – Precision Medicine (Columbia University) Postdoctoral Fellow – Stem Cells, Development & Cancer (Albert Einstein College of Medicine) Director – Center for Cell Reprogramming (Georgetown University) Assistant Professor – Stem Cell & Regenerative Biology (Columbia University Stem Cell Initiative) 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.
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