ESC & iPSC News Volume 5.25 | Jun 30 2010

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    ESC & iPSC News 5.25, June 30, 2010.
    In this issue:  Science News |  Current Publications |  Industry News |  Policy News |  Events
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    TOP STORY

    Ronin Recruits Protein Allies to Sustain Embryonic Stem Cell Growth
    Ronin, crucial to the self-renewal of embryonic stem cells, and a co-regulator called Hcf-1 bind to a small strand of DNA called a hyperconserved enhancer element to control a gene “program” that stimulates growth of stem cells and may even play a role in cancer. [Press release from the Baylor College of Medicine discussing online prepublication in Genes and Development]

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    SCIENCE NEWS

    Chromosomal Variations Found in Early Passage Female Embryonic Stem Cells
    Scientists have uncovered that variations in X chromosome inactivation take place in very early passages of female human embryonic stem cells lines. [Press release from EurekAlert! discussing online prepublication in PLoS One]

    University of Texas Medical Branch Grows Lung from ‘Skeletons’
    Specialists in the field of tissue engineering have been frustrated by the problem of coaxing undifferentiated stem cells to develop into the specific cell types that populate different locations in the lung. Now, researchers have demonstrated a potentially revolutionary solution to this problem. [Press release from the University of Texas Medical Branch discussing online prepublication in Tissue Engineering Part A]

    Building a Substitute Pancreas for Diabetics
    Implants containing specially wrapped insulin-producing cells derived from embryonic stem cells can regulate blood sugar in mice for several months. [Press release from MIT Technology Review discussing research presented at the 8th Annual Meeting of the International Society for Stem Cell Research]

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    CURRENT PUBLICATIONS (Ranked by Impact Factor of the Journal)

    Ronin/Hcf-1 Binds to a Hyperconserved Enhancer Element and Regulates Genes Involved in the Growth of Embryonic Stem Cells
    Researchers report that Ronin (Thap11), which is essential for the self-renewal of embryonic stem cells, binds with its transcriptional coregulator, Hcf-1, to a highly conserved enhancer element that previously lacked a recognized binding factor. [Genes Dev]

    NANOG Regulates Glioma Stem Cells and Is Essential In Vivo Acting in a Cross-Functional Network with GLI1 and p53
    Researchers found that NANOG modulates gliomasphere clonogenicity, CD133+ stem cell behavior and proliferation, and is regulated by HEDGEHOG-GLI signaling. [EMBO J]

    The Long-Term Survival of In Vitro Engineered Nervous Tissue Derived from the Specific Neural Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells
    The rapid development and stabilization of this 3D cultures model result in an abundant and long-lasting production that is compatible with multiple and productive investigations for neurodegenerative diseases modeling, drug and toxicology screening, stress and aging research. [Biomaterials]

    A Novel Gfer-Drp1 Link in Preserving Mitochondrial Dynamics and Function in Pluripotent Stem Cells
    Researchers show that growth factor erv1-like (Gfer) plays an essential pro-survival role in the maintenance of murine embryonic stem cell pluripotency by preserving the structural and functional integrity of their mitochondria, through modulation of the key mitochondrial fission factor Drp1. [Autophagy]

    Variations of X Chromosome Inactivation Occur in Early Passages of Female Human Embryonic Stem Cells
    X chromosome inactivation (XCI) status was assayed in ten female human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines between passage five and 15 to determine whether XCI variations occur in early passages of hESCs. [PLoS One]

    Influence of Acellular Natural Lung Matrix on Murine Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation and Tissue Formation
    Findings support the utility of acellular lung as a matrix for engineering lung tissue and highlight the critical role played by matrix or scaffold-associated cues in guiding embryonic stem cell differentiation toward lung-specific lineages. [Tissue Eng Part A]

    INDUSTRY NEWS

    CIRM Allocates $25 Million to Overcome Immune Rejection of Stem Cell Transplantation Therapies
    The Governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) approved $25 million to fund 19 projects intended to overcome immune rejection of transplanted stem cells. [California Institute for Regenerative Medicine Press Release]

    SEK 100 Million for Research into Regenerative Medicine
    Karolinska Institutet has received a grant of SEK 100 million from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation for a regenerative medicine research centre – the Wallenberg Institute for Regenerative Medicine. [Karolinska Institutet Press Release]

    Tarix Pharmaceuticals’ TXA127 Receives FDA Orphan Drug Designation for Stem Cell Engraftment
    Tarix Pharmaceuticals announced that its drug, TXA127, has been granted Orphan Drug designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a treatment to enhance engraftment in patients receiving a stem cell transplant. [PR Newswire]

    Kawasaki Heavy, Two Labs Find Way for Automatic Stem Cell Culturing
    Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. and Japan’s two state-backed laboratories said they have succeeded in automatically culturing human induced pluripotent stem cells. [Kyodo News]

    Cheryl Moore Named HHMI’s First Chief Operating Officer
    Robert Tjian, president of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, announced the appointment of Cheryl A. Moore as the Institute’s first chief operating officer. [Howard Hughes Medical Institute Press Release]

    POLICY NEWS

    U.S. Appeals Court Reinstates Stem Cell Suit
    A U.S. appeals court reinstated a lawsuit that challenges an Obama administration policy for federal funding of some human embryonic stem cell research. [Court of Appeals, United States]

    NIH Director Formalizes Rejection of Diseased Stem Cell Lines
    The director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) approved eight more human embryonic stem cell lines for federal funding. His decision brings to 75 those lines now available to NIH-supported researchers under President Barack Obama’s liberalized, 2009 policy. [National Institutes of Health, United States]

    Research Budgets Face Austerity in 2012
    The National Institutes of Health and other life sciences and biomedical research funding agencies will need to trim their budgets for 2012, which are to be planned over the summer, to satisfy a White House that is now stressing deficit reduction and belt-tightening after two years of stimulus funding-boosted research budgets. [The Office of Management and Budget, United States]

    The Reality of Human Stem Cell Research in Europe
    A new report from the European Science Foundation examines the key scientific questions for human stem cell research in the context of the rapidly emerging field of regenerative medicine. [European Science Foundation, European Union]

    Public Wants Synthetic Biology Regulated, Survey Says
    According to the most extensive public survey yet, the British public are at ease with the idea of synthetic biology — but only if it is responsibly regulated. [Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, United Kingdom]

    Strong Medicine for French Research
    The medical-research adviser to France’s president aims to shift power and money to universities. [National Research Agency, France]

    The 7th Annual TOPRA (The Organization for Professionals in Regulatory Affairs) Symposium
    This annual symposium is for all those involved within regulatory affairs and brings together representatives of industry and the regulatory agencies and the European Commission to discuss and understand today’s regulatory issues and debate the future plans for regulation. [Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, United Kingdom]

    Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings [National Institutes of Health, Untied States]

    Biophysical and Biomechanical Aspects of Embryonic Development (R01) (PAR-10-221) [National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, United States]

    Biophysical and Biomechanical Aspects of Embryonic Development (R21) (PAR-10-222) [National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, United States]

    Science Board Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting [Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0001] [Food and Drug Administration, United States]

    Implementation of the Biologics Price Competition and Innovation Act of 2009 [Food and Drug Administration, United States]

    Public Meeting Notice: Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission [Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission, United States]

    EVENTS

    Worldwide Innovative Networking (WIN) Symposium in Personalized Cancer Medicine
    July 7-9, 2010
    Paris, France

    United Kingdom National Stem Cell Network (UKNSCN) 3rd Annual Scientific Conference
    July 12-14, 2010
    Nottingham, United Kingdom


    2nd International Conference on Cellular and Molecular Bioengineering (ICCMB2)
    August 2-4, 2010
    Singapore


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

    Select Biosciences Inaugural Cellular Therapy Summit
    August 24-25, 2010
    Edinburgh, Scotland


    International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) – Europe 2nd Regional Meeting
    September 11-14, 2010
    Belgirate, Italy


    Stem Cells USA & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2010
    September 13-15, 2010
    Philadelphia, United States

    Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) – Asia Pacific 2010
    September 15-17, 2010
    Sydney, Australia

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


    Fraunhofer Life Science Symposium Leipzig 2010
    October 29-30, 2010
    Leipzig, Germany


    Select Biosciences 2nd International Forum on Stem Cells
    November 12-13, 2010
    Tianjin, China

    Stem Cell Network 10th Annual Scientific Meeting
    November 22-24, 2010
    Calgary, Canada

    Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) – North America 2010 Annual Conference
    December 5-8, 2010
    Orlando, United States


    Stem Cells World Congress
    January 24-25, 2011
    San Diego, United States

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

     

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