ESC & iPSC News Volume 5.26 | Jul 7 2010

TOP STORY

Reprogramming of Human Peripheral Blood Cells to Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs)
Here researchers derived iPSCs from frozen human peripheral blood samples. Some of the iPSCs had rearrangements of the T cell receptor, indicating that T cells can be reprogrammed to pluripotency. [Cell Stem Cell]

SCIENCE NEWS

Reprogrammed Human Blood Cells Show Promise for Disease Research
Cells from frozen human blood samples can be reprogrammed to an embryonic-stem-cell-like state, according to researchers. [Press release from the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research discussing online prepublication in Cell Stem Cell]

Normal Adult Blood Can Generate Pluripotent Stem Cells, Study Reports
In findings likely to make it easier and faster for stem cell biologists to generate patient-specific embryonic-like stem cells, researchers have reprogrammed adult blood cells into induced pluripotent stem cells. [Press release from Children’s Hospital Boston discussing online prepublication in Cell Stem Cell]

Mount Sinai Hospital Scientists Uncover Important Clues in the Biology of Stem Cells
The goal of the study was to explore the process of changing fully mature cells of the body into a pluripotent state, and understand the molecular and genetic changes that occur during the cells’ reprogramming. [Press release from Mount Sinai Hospital discussing online prepublication in Cell Stem Cell]

CURRENT PUBLICATIONS (Ranked by Impact Factor of the Journal)

Patient-Specific Pluripotent Stem Cells Become Even More Accessible
Researchers describe the derivation of human iPSCs from peripheral blood. Although seemingly incremental, this advance brings the stem cell field an important step closer to eventual clinical use. [Cell Stem Cell]

Epigenetic Priming of a Pre-B Cell-Specific Enhancer through Binding of Sox2 and Foxd3 at the ESC Stage
Here, researchers show that the embryonic stem cell (ESC) factor Sox2 targets H3K4 methylation to monovalent and bivalent domains. [Cell Stem Cell]

Pax6 Is a Human Neuroectoderm Cell Fate Determinant
Here, researchers show that Pax6 is uniformly expressed in early neuroectoderm cells of human fetuses and those differentiated from human embryonic stem cells. [Cell Stem Cell]

When Fibroblasts MET iPSCs
Two independent studies suggest that a mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition is a critical initiating event during the derivation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from fibroblasts, indicating remarkable similarities between cellular reprogramming, development, and cancer. [Cell Stem Cell]

What Can Pluripotent Stem Cells Teach Us About Neurodegenerative Diseases?
Here, researchers discuss the challenges of generating specific neural cell subtypes from pluripotent stem cells, the use of pluripotent stem cells to model both cell-autonomous and non-cell-autonomous mechanisms of neurodegeneration, whether adult-onset neurodegeneration can be emulated in short-term cultures and the hurdles of cell replacement therapy. [Nat Neurosci]

The Long-Term Survival of In Vitro Engineered Nervous Tissue Derived from the Specific Neural Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells
Researchers have established stable and long-term three-dimensional culture conditions which can be used to model long latency and complex neurodegenerative diseases. [Biomaterials]

Differentiation of Rat Multipotent Adult Progenitor Cells to Functional Hepatocyte-Like Cells by Mimicking Embryonic Liver Development
The protocol described here, sequentially using cytokines that are known to have a role in liver embryonic development, efficiently differentiates rat multipotent adult progenitor cells to hepatocyte-like cells by directing them through defined embryonic intermediates, namely, primitive streak/mesendoderm/definitive endoderm, hepatoblast and hepatocyte-like phenotype. [Nat Protoc]

Induction of Pluripotent Stem Cells from Human Third Molar Mesenchymal Stromal Cells
Researchers generated induced pluripotent stem cells from mesenchymal stromal cells derived from human third molars (wisdom teeth) by retroviral transduction of OCT3/4, SOX2, and KLF4 without MYC which is considered as oncogene. [J Biol Chem]

Response of Human Embryonic Stem Cells (hESCs) Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Osteogenic Factors and Architectures of Materials during In Vitro Osteogenesis
In this study, homogenous hESCs derived mesenchymal stem cells were generated and used to construct bone tissue. [Tissue Eng Part A]
 

INDUSTRY NEWS

Stem-Cell Furore Erupts
Long-rumbling hostilities between stem-cell researchers in Germany exploded into a blazing public row, after Nature published a critical reanalysis of data from a high-profile 2008 article. [Nature News Press Release]

NeoStem Adds Distinguished Researcher to its World-Class Scientific Advisory Board
NeoStem, Inc. announced that it has appointed Roberto Bolli, M.D., to its Scientific Advisory Board. Dr. Bolli has produced an immense body of stem-cell research, including work emphasizing the ability of very small embryonic-like stem cells to regenerate and repair after myocardial infarction. [NeoStem, Inc. Press Release]

$6M Award to Support Aging Resource at Coriell Institute
Close on the heels of another major award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Coriell Institute has announced its receipt of a five-year, $6-million NIH contract to manage the National Institute on Aging (NIA) Aging Cell Repository. [Coriell Institute for Medical Research Press Release]

Fate Therapeutics Receives Red Herring’s North America 100 Award for Advancing Stem Cell Technology and New Medicines
Therapeutics, Inc. announced that the Company received Red Herring’s North America 100 award, a prestigious list honoring the year’s most promising private and innovative companies from the North American business region. [Fate Therapeutics, Inc. Press Release]

POLICY NEWS

Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research in the US: Time for Change?
In March 2009, President Obama issued an executive order intended to bolster human embryonic stem (hES) cell research in the United States. Despite this announcement, federal support and funding for hES cell studies lags behind programmes in many other countries, and the continually evolving federal policies have further stymied research efforts. [Nature Cell Biology, 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]

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]

Biophysical and Biomechanical Aspects of Embryonic Development (R01) (PAR-10-221) [National Institute of General Medical Sciences, United States]

EVENTS

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.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Senior Scientist – Magnetic Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies)


Recruit Top Talent
Reach more than 11,000 potential candidates by posting your organization’s career opportunities with ESC & iPSC News.

Visit here to post your career opportunities.