ESC & iPSC News Volume 5.10 | Mar 17 2010

TOP STORY

One Gene Lost = One Limb Regained?
Researchers from The Wistar Institute demonstrate that mice that lack the p21 gene gain the ability to regenerate lost or damaged tissue. [Press release from The Wistar Institute discussing the online prepublication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA]

		Defining Characteristics of Bona Fide Human iPS Cells Speaker: Sutheera Ratanasirintrawoot, PhD Candidate G. Daley & T. Schlaeger Labs, Harvard Medical School
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SPECIAL FEATURE

Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Training Course
Friday, March 26 & Saturday, March 27
Vancouver, Canada

SCIENCE NEWS

Scientists Track Variant of Gene-Regulating Protein in Embryonic Stem Cells
New research shows that minute variations between histones play an important role in determining how and when genes are read. [Press release from Rockefeller University discussing the online prepublication in Cell]

Computational Feat Speeds Finding of Genes to Milliseconds Instead of Years
Research by Stanford computer scientist Debashis Sahoo opens a powerful, mathematical route for conducting stem cell research and shows the power of interdisciplinary collaborations in science. It also demonstrates that using computers to mine existing databases can radically accelerate research in the laboratory. [Press release from the Stanford School of Medicine discussing the online prepublication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA]

CURRENT PUBLICATIONS

A Protocol Describing the Genetic Correction of Somatic Human Cells and Subsequent Generation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Researchers explain a protocol for the reproducible generation of genetically corrected induced pluripotent stem cells starting from the skin biopsies of Fanconi anemia patients using retroviral transduction with OCT4, SOX2 and KLF4. [Nat Protoc]

Distinct Factors Control Histone Variant H3.3 Localization at Specific Genomic Regions
Using genome editing with zinc-finger nucleases to tag endogenous H3.3, researchers report genome-wide profiles of H3 variants in mammalian embryonic stem cells and neuronal precursor cells. [Cell]

Lgr6 Marks Stem Cells in the Hair Follicle that Generate All Cell Lineages of the Skin
Adult Lgr6⁺ cells executed long-term wound repair, including the formation of new hair follicles. Researchers conclude that Lgr6 marks the most primitive epidermal stem cell. [Science]

Rem2 GTPase Maintains Survival of Human Embryonic Stem Cells as well as Enhancing Reprogramming by Regulating p53 and Cyclin D₁
Researchers show that Rem2 GTPase, a suppressor of the p53 pathway, is up-regulated in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and, by loss- and gain-of-function studies, that it is a major player in the maintenance of hESC self-renewal and pluripotency. [Genes Dev]

MiDReG: A Method of Mining Developmentally Regulated Genes Using Boolean Implications
Researchers present a method termed mining developmentally regulated genes (MiDReG) to predict genes whose expression is either activated or repressed as precursor cells differentiate. [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A]

Lack of p21 Expression Links Cell Cycle Control and Appendage Regeneration in Mice
Because the p53/p21 axis plays a central role in the DNA damage response and cell cycle control, researchers directly tested the hypothesis that p21 down-regulation could functionally induce a regenerative response in an appendage of an otherwise nonregenerating mouse strain. [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A]

Functional Analysis of the Cdk7/Cyclin H/Mat1 Complex in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells and Embryos
Collectively, these studies demonstrate a critical and novel role for cyclin H in maintaining embryonic stem cell identity and suggest that cyclin H has important functions in early embryonic development. [J Biol Chem]

INDUSTRY NEWS

Half a Million for Gene Sequencers
The 10th annual Albany Medical Center Prize – the U.S.’s biggest prize in biomedicine – will go to three scientists who conceptualized the Human Genome Project: Francis Collins, Eric Lander, and David Botstein. [ScienceInsider]

ZenBio Licenses an Important Cell Line from Harvard to Drive Metabolic Disease Research
ZenBio announced that they will be a commercial source for the popular murine 3T3-L1 cell line, which has been fundamental in metabolic disease research for 30 years. [Business Wire]

Conference Births New Veterinary Stem Cell Association
A new professional organization, the North American Veterinary Regenerative Medicine Association, has been launched as the result of a recent international conference, co-sponsored by University of California, Davis, which focused on the use of stem cell therapy and regenerative medicine to treat horses and other animals. [University of California, Davis Press Release]

National Taiwan University Hospital Inaugurates Stem Cell Therapy Center
A stem cell therapy center built with donations from local business tycoon Terry Gou was inaugurated at the National Taiwan University Hospital recently. [Taiwan News]

POLICY NEWS

California Institute for Regenerative Medicine Allocates $50 Million for Stem Cell Therapy Development, a Boost for the State’s Growing Stem Cell Industry
In a move that will speed the path of bringing stem cell-based therapies to the people of California, the Governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the state stem cell agency created by Proposition 71, approved a concept proposal for funding the development of new stem cell therapies. [California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, United States]

Embryonic Stem Cell Research Stalled Despite Obama’s Try at Lifting Restrictions
One year after President Obama announced he was lifting his predecessor’s controversial restrictions on federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research, some scientists are complaining that so far the new policy is, ironically, more of a burden than a boon to their work. [Democratic Party, United States]

Push to Cure Rare Diseases
Staff members at the Food and Drug Administration are doing something unusual. They are leaving Washington to help drug makers take a crucial step in developing drugs for rare diseases. [Food and Drug Administration, United States]

Universities May Need to Report Number of Stem Cells
The measure to require reports on embryonic stem cell research is being added into the universities budget after more serious stem cell bills have failed to generate support in the Legislature. [Michigan Legislature, United States]

Bill Would Ban Embryo Sales, Human-Animal ‘Hybrids’
Although science has yet to produce mythical creatures such as minotaurs and mermaids, supporters say the bill is a pre-emptive effort to ban human cloning, human embryo research and the creation of human-animal hybrids. [Arizona Legislature, United States]

Spain Turns to Science for Stimulus
Spain’s ministers recently approved the text of a new research law that aims to reward scientific talent and encourage entrepreneurship. [Science and Innovation Ministry, Spain]

Food and Drug Administration Transparency Task Force; Request for Comments [Docket No. FDA-2009-N-0247] [Food and Drug Administration, United States]

Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Human Cells, Tissues, and Cellular and Tissue-Based Products: Establishment Registration and Listing; Form FDA 3356; Eligibility Determination for Donors; and Current Good Tissue Practice [Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0101] [Food and Drug Administration, United States]

Technical Assistance for RFA-RM-10-006: Advancing Regulatory Science through Novel Research and Science-Based Technologies (U01) (NOT-RM-10-003) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Modification: This Notice Modifies RFA-RM-09-019 (NOT-RM-10-004) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Notice of a Change in the Next Receipt Date for the Center of Biomedical Research Excellence Program Announcement (PAR-09-079) (NOT-RR-10-005) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Notice of Intent to Publish a Funding Opportunity for the Reissue of RFA-TW-08-002 the International Research Ethics Education and Curriculum Development Award (R25) (NOT-TW-10-326) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Collaborative Research for Molecular and Genomic Studies of Behavior in Animal Models (R01) (PA-10-125) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

EVENTS

American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 101st Annual Meeting 2010
April 17-21, 2010
Washington, DC, United States

Society for Biological Engineering’s (SBE) 2nd International Conference on Stem Cell Engineering
May 2-5, 2010
Boston, United States

World Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2010
May 11-13, 2010
London, United Kingdom

16th Annual International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) Meeting
May 23-26, 2010
Philadelphia, United States

Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) – European Union 2010
June 13-17, 2010
Galway, Ireland

International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) 8th Annual Meeting
June 16-19, 2010
San Francisco, United States

United Kingdom National Stem Cell Network (UKNSCN) Third Annual Scientific Conference
July 12-14, 2010
Nottingham, United Kingdom

3rd Annual Stem Cells Europe
August 24-25, 2010
Edinburgh, Scotland

International Society of Cell Therapy (ISCT) Annual Meeting – Europe
September 11-14, 2010
Belgirate, Italy

5th World Congress on Preventive & Regenerative Medicine (WCRM) 2010
October 5-7, 2010
Hannover, Germany

Visit our events page to stay up to date with the latest events in the cell, gene and immunotherapy community.

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