ESC & iPSC News Volume 13.49 | Dec 12 2018

TOP STORY

Mitochondrial Dynamics Is Critical for the Full Pluripotency and Embryonic Developmental Potential of Pluripotent Stem Cells

Researchers uncovered that the disruption of mitochondrial dynamics impaired the differentiation and embryonic development of PSCs; most notably, PSCs that displayed excess mitochondrial fission failed to produce live-born offspring by tetraploid complementation. [Cell Metab] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

MTCH2-Mediated Mitochondrial Fusion Drives Exit from Naïve Pluripotency in Embryonic Stem Cells

The authors report that mitochondrial MTCH2 is a regulator of mitochondrial fusion, essential for the naïve-to-primed interconversion of murine ESCs. During this interconversion, wild-type ESCs elongated their mitochondria and slightly altered their glutamine utilization. [Nat Commun] Full Article

Binding of HMGN Proteins to Cell Specific Enhancers Stabilizes Cell Identity

During transcription factor induced reprogramming to pluripotency, loss of HMGNs accelerated the erasure of the mouse embryonic fibroblast-specific epigenetic landscape and the establishment of an iPSCs-specific chromatin landscape, without affecting the pluripotency potential and the differentiation potential of the reprogrammed cells. [Nat Commun] Full Article

A Renewable Source of Human Beige Adipocytes for Development of Therapies to Treat Metabolic Syndrome

Scientists developed a robust method to generate a renewable source of human beige adipocytes from iPSCs. Developmentally, these cells were derived from FOXF1⁺ mesoderm and progressed through an expandable mural-like mesenchymal stem cell to form mature beige adipocytes that displayed a thermogenically active profile. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

The MicroRNA-371 Family as Plasma Biomarkers for Monitoring Undifferentiated and Potentially Malignant Human Pluripotent Stem Cells in Teratoma Assays

Several human PSCs (hPSCs) and human malignant germ cell tumor (hGCT) lines were investigated in vitro and in vivo after mouse xenografting. The multiple conventional hPSC lines generated mature teratomas, while xenografts from induced hPSCs with reactivated reprogramming transgenes and hGCT lines contained undifferentiated and potentially malignant components. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article

Molecular Additives Significantly Enhance Glycopolymer-Mediated Transfection of Large Plasmids and Functional CRISPR-Cas9 Transcription Activation Ex Vivo in Primary Human Fibroblasts and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

To develop more efficient plasmid delivery vehicles, the authors investigated the effect of plasmid size on the transfection of primary human dermal fibroblasts and iPSCs using a heparin-treated trehalose-containing polycation. [Bioconjug Chem] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

MEIS2 Regulates Endothelial to Hematopoietic Transition of Human Embryonic Stem Cells by Targeting TAL1

Researchers found that myeloid ectopic viral integration site 2 homolog (MEIS2) deletion impaired early hematopoietic differentiation from human ESCs. Furthermore, MEIS2 deletion suppressed hemogenic endothelial specification and endothelial to hematopoietic transition, leading to the impairment of hematopoietic differentiation. [Stem Cell Res Ther] Full Article

Opioid Receptors and Opioid Peptides in the Cardiomyogenesis of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells

The expressions of both κ- and δ-opioid receptors significantly increased during mouse embryonic stem (mES) cell differentiation. Dynorphin B also increased cardiomyocyte-specific Nkx2.5 gene expression. However, neither dynorphin A nor methionin-enkephalins and leucin-enkephalins exhibited any significant effects on the course of mES cell differentiation. [J Cell Physiol] Abstract

bFGF-Mediated Pluripotency Maintenance in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Is Associated with NRAS-MAPK Signaling

The authors investigated the effect of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and its downstream pathways in pluripotent vs. differentiated human induced PSCs (hiPSCs). They revealed that hiPSCs were differentiated into the ectoderm lineage upon withdrawing bFGF as an essential pluripotency mediator. [Cell Commun Signal] Full Article

Derivation of Pluripotent Stem Cells from Nascent Undifferentiated Teratoma

Investigators established cell lines in the presence of serum and leukemia inhibitory factor from teratoma-forming cells in neonatal Dead-end1 (Dnd1) mutant testis. These cells, which they designated cultured Dnd1 mutant germ cells, were morphologically similar to ESCs and could be maintained in the naïve pluripotent condition. [Dev Biol] Abstract

MicroRNA Characterization in Equine Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Two equine induced PSC (iPSCs) lines were characterized after the reprogramming of equine fibroblasts with the four human Yamanaka‘s factors. In vitro differentiation to embryo bodies showed the capacity of the iPSCs to differentiate into ectodermal, endodermal and mesodermal phenotypes. [PLoS One] Full Article

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Screening-Based Chemical Approaches to Unravel Stem Cell Biology

Recently, hPSC-derived cells and organoids are used to model human diseases, which can be adapted to a high-throughput/content platform for chemical screens. Moreover, humanized mouse models carrying hPSC-derived cells enable an innovative system to evaluate the long-term in vivo efficacy of drug candidates on human cells. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article

Modeling Parkinson’s Disease and Atypical Parkinsonian Syndromes Using Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Investigators summarize recent findings from iPSC-based modeling of Parkinson’s disease and several atypical parkinsonian syndromes including multiple system atrophy, frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 and Perry syndrome. [Int J Mol Sci] Full Article

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

BlueRock Therapeutics Strengthens Collaboration with the McEwen Stem Cell Institute

BlueRock Therapeutics, LP announced the strengthening of its ongoing strategic collaboration with the McEwen Stem Cell Institute at the University Health Network in Toronto. [BlueRock Therapeutics] Press Release

Government of Canada Launches New Research Fund to Push beyond the Frontiers of Canadian Science

The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science and Sport, announced new funding to transform the way government supports research. This includes an investment of $275 million over the next five years, and $65 million per year ongoing, to support research that is international, interdisciplinary, fast-breaking and high-risk. [Government of Canada] Press Release

Takeda and the New York Academy of Sciences Announce 2019 Innovators in Science Award Winners

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, and the New York Academy of Sciences announced the Winners of the second annual Innovators in Science Award for their commitment to and excellence in regenerative medicine. The 2019 Winners will be honored at the Innovators in Science Award Ceremony and Symposium in April 2019 in Japan. [Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited] Press Release

NIH to Spend up to $20 Million on Search for Alternatives to Fetal Tissue for Research

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) wants to fund up to $20 million worth of research into alternatives to using human fetal tissue to study disease, the agency announced. [STAT News] Editorial

Europe’s AI Researchers Launch Professional Body over Fears of Falling Behind

Some of Europe’s top machine-learning researchers have founded an organization to strengthen capacity in artificial intelligence (AI) technology on the continent. [Nature News] Editorial

Amid Ethics Outcry, Should Journals Publish the ‘CRISPR Babies’ Paper?

Like researchers everywhere, He Jiankui — the scientist in China who claims to have used CRISPR to edit embryos to create babies protected from HIV — is eager to publish scientific papers. It is, after all, a publish-or-perish world — although in He’s case, his fate at home may rest more with what the Chinese government thinks of his behavior than what a peer reviewer says about his work. [STAT News] Editorial

NEW 5^th Annual Perinatal Stem Cell Society Congress
February 28-March 1, 2019
Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

NEW 3^rd International Conference on Stem Cells
October 3, 2019
Chania, Crete, Greece

NEW Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine International Society – AP Chapter and the 7^th Asian Biomaterials Congress
October 14-17, 2019
Brisbane, Australia

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

NEW Postdoctoral Fellows – Human iPSC Cell Differentiation Research (Boston Children’s Hospital)

NEW Laboratory Research Scientist – Human Embryology & Stem Cell Biology (The Francis Crick Institute)

Scientist – Cell Culture Media and Cell Line Development (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Postdoctoral Position – Gene Editing hiPSCs (Leiden University Medical Center)

Postdoctoral Position – Stem Cell Genomics and Tissue Engineering (Friedrich Miescher Laboratory)

Staff Scientist – Epigenetics & Stem Cell Biology Laboratory (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)

Assistant/Associate Adjunct Professor – Cardiovascular Medicine (UC Davis)

Postdoctoral Position – iPSC Models of Neurodegenerative Disease (Johns Hopkins School of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Position – Stem Cells and Diabetes (A*STAR)

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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