ESC & iPSC News Volume 5.32 | Aug 18 2010

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    ESC & iPSC News 5.32, August 18, 2010.
    In this issue:  Science News |  Current Publications |  Industry News |  Policy News |  Events
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    TOP STORY

    Scientists Successfully Use Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Treat Parkinson’s Disease in Rodents 
    Researchers have successfully used human induced pluripotent stem cells to treat rodents afflicted with Parkinson’s Disease. [Press release from the Buck Institute for Age Research discussing online prepublication in Stem Cells]

    Defining Characteristics of Bona Fide Human iPS Cells
    Speaker: Sutheera Ratanasirintrawoot, PhD Candidate
    G. Daley & T. Schlaeger Labs, Harvard Medical School
    WEBINAR: VIEW HERESTEMCELL Technologies Inc

    SCIENCE NEWS

    Stem Cell Technology Yields First ‘Knockout’ Rats
    Researchers have, for the first time, generated “knockout” rats through embryonic stem cell-based gene targeting. [Press release from the University of Southern California discussing online prepublication in Nature]

    Researchers Make Major Stem Cell Discovery
    Using adult cells obtained from humans and the bone marrow, spleens and kidneys of mice, researchers reprogrammed the cells into a stem cell-like condition. [Press release from the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation discussing online prepublication in Stem Cells]

    Scientific Breakthrough as Red Blood Cells Are Made from IVF Embryos
    British scientists have turned stem cells from spare IVF embryos into red blood cells as part of a project to manufacture synthetic blood on an industrial-scale. [The Independent]
     
    Taiwanese Researchers Find Breakthrough in Stem Cell Study
    Scientists at the National Health Research Institutes announced a breakthrough in stem cell research through experiments that successfully turn cells in the umbilical vein into “all-purpose” induced pluripotent stem cells. [The China Post]

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    CURRENT PUBLICATIONS (Ranked by Impact Factor of the Journal)

    Production of p53 Gene Knockout Rats by Homologous Recombination in Embryonic Stem Cells
    Researchers report the generation of gene knockout rats using the embryonic stem cell-based gene targeting technology. [Nature]

    Efficient Generation of Functional Dopaminergic Neurons from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Under Defined Conditions
    Induced pluripotent stem cell-derived dopaminergic neurons were functional as they survived and improved behavioral deficits in 6-hydroxydopamine-leasioned rats after transplantation. [Stem Cells]
     
    Loss of Bright/ARID3a Function Promotes Developmental Plasticity
    Bright (B cell regulator of immunoglobulin heavy chain transcription)-deficient cells from two mouse models expressed a number of pluripotency-associated gene products, expanded indefinitely and spontaneously differentiated into cells of multiple lineages. [Stem Cells]
     
    Ascorbate Promotes Epigenetic Activation of CD30 in Human Embryonic Stem Cells
    Data show that human embryonic stem cell (hESC) culture media that contain ascorbate trigger CD30 expression through an epigenetic mechanism and that this provides a survival advantage and transcriptome changes that may help adapt hESCs to in vitro culture conditions. [Stem Cells]

    Neural Induction Intermediates Exhibit Distinct Roles of Fgf Signaling
    Researchers conclude that Fgf signaling plays different roles during the differentiation of embryonic stem cells, with an initial requirement in epiblast formation and a subsequent role in self-renewal. Fgf2 and Fgf8 thus stimulate self-renewal in different cell types. [Stem Cells]

    UTF1 Regulates ES Cell Chromatin Organization and Gene Expression
    Data show that Undifferentiated embryonic cell Transcription Factor 1 (UTF1) is a key chromatin component in embryonic stem (ES) cells, preventing ES cell chromatin decondensation and aberrant gene expression; both essential for proper initiation of lineage-specific differentiation of ES cells. [Stem Cells]

    B-Myb is Critical for Proper Duplication During an Unperturbed S Phase in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells
    Researchers conclude that the transcription factor B-Myb acts crucially during the S-phase in embryonic stem cells by facilitating proper progression of replication, thereby protecting the cells from genomic damage. [Stem Cells]

    Generation of Transgene-Free Lung Disease-Specific Human iPS Cells Using a Single Excisable Lentiviral Stem Cell Cassette
    Researchers report the use of a humanized version of a single lentiviral ‘stem cell cassette’ vector in order to accomplish efficient reprogramming of normal or diseased skin fibroblasts obtained from humans of virtually any age. [Stem Cells]
     
    Novel Hyperactive Transposons for Genetic Modification of Induced Puripotent and Adult Stem Cells: A Non-Viral Paradigm for Coaxed Differentiation
    Researchers demonstrate that hyperactive transposases resulted in superior gene transfer efficiencies and expression in mesenchymal and muscle stem/progenitor cells, consistent with higher expression levels of therapeutically relevant proteins including coagulation factor IX. [Stem Cells]

    Conversion of Mouse Epiblast Stem Cells to an Earlier Pluripotency State by Small Molecules
    Results demonstrate that appropriate synergy of epigenetic and signaling modulations may convert cells at the later developmental pluripotency state to an earlier murine embryonic stem cell-like pluripotency state, providing new insights into pluripotency regulation. [J Biol Chem]

    INDUSTRY NEWS

    International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) Joins Forces with Roche and Genzyme to Launch Cell Therapy Industry Partnership
    Many companies in the cell therapy regenerative medicine market including Roche, Genzyme, Athersys, Miltenyi Biotec, Hospira, Lonza and Life Technologies will join ISCT to launch a series of new initiatives that will create greater strategic alignment within the industry and drive late stage clinical development. [International Society for Cellular Therapy Press Release]
     
    ASH Recommends Cross-Disciplinary Engagement to Advance Regenerative Medicine
    The American Society of Hematology (ASH) has developed specific recommendations to the scientific community and federal agencies to help propel collaborative research in regenerative medicine in order to make real strides in improving patient care. These recommendations were released in Blood. [American Society of Hematology Press Release]

    NeoStem and the Schepens Eye Research Institute to Study NeoStem’s VSEL™ Technology in Retinal Diseases
    NeoStem, Inc. announced that it has entered into a sponsored research agreement with the Schepens Eye Research Institute, a charitable corporation of Massachusetts and an affiliate of Harvard Medical School. [PR Newswire]

    ACT Poised to Obtain and Control Key Patents to Generating iPS Cells
    Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACT) announced that it is positioned to obtain significant patents relating to cellular reprogramming and the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells. [Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. Press Release]
     
    NSF Awards $3 Million Stem Cell Bio-Manufacturing Program to Georgia Tech
    The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded $3 million to the Georgia Institute of Technology to fund a unique research program on stem cell bio-manufacturing. [Georgia Institute of Technology Press Release]

    Sanofi Seeks Efficiencies with New Model
    Sanofi-aventis is dividing its vast resources into decentralized disease-based units, each with its own departments for research and development, regulatory affairs, marketing, and sales — a plan designed to identify promising drugs more quickly and weed out failures before spending billions on unsuccessful clinical trials. [The Boston Globe]

    POLICY NEWS

    Enhancing Research in Regenerative Medicine
    The American Society of Hematology (ASH) convened a working group of experts from the fields of hematopoietic stem cell biology, embryonic stem cells, transplantation biology, and gene therapy at the urging of the Committee on Government Affairs with the goal of developing a “white paper” to inform recommendations to ASH and appropriate parties at the National Institutes of Health about the need for additional research in the area of regenerative medicine. [Blood]

    EMA and U.S. FDA Seek Potential Candidate Companies for Joint GMP Inspection Program
    The European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Food and Drug Administration of the United States of America (U.S. FDA) continue to seek potential candidate companies for a joint GMP inspection pilot programmed for manufacturers of medicinal products. [European Medicines Agency, European Union]

    FDA Acts on Unapproved Cell Therapy for Bad Knees
    The FDA is seeking to stop a Colorado company from offering an autologous stem cell therapy for arthritic knees and other orthopedic problems, saying that the therapy is unapproved, misbranded, and adulterated. [Food and Drug Administration, United States]

    University of California, Berkeley Alters DNA Testing Program
    The California Department of Public Health has instructed the University of California, Berkeley, not to proceed with a portion of its ground-breaking program to educate students about genetic testing and personalized medicine. [California Department of Public Health, United States]

    Clarification of Eligible Institutions for PAR-10-221 (R01) and PAR-10-222 (R21): Biophysical and Biomechanical Aspects of Embryonic Development (NOT-HD-10-020) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

    Proposed Collection; Comment Request; NIH NCI Central Institutional Review Board (CIRB) Initiative (NCI) (FR Doc. 2010-20167) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

    Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meeting (FR Doc. 2010-20287) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

    Center for Scientific Review, Notice of Closed Meetings (FR Doc. 2010- 20044) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

    Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health; Notice of Meeting (FR Doc. 2010-20021) [National Institutes of Health, United States]
     
    National Human Genome Research Institute; Notice of Closed Meeting (FR Doc. 2010-19939) [National Institutes of Health, United States]
     
    Basic Research on Self-Regulation (R21) (RFA-AG-11-010) [National Institutes of Health, United States]
     
    National Center for Research Resources; Notice of Meeting (FR Doc. 2010-20014) [National Institutes of Health, United States]
     
    7342.007 Addendum – Imported Human Cells, Tissues, and Cellular and Tissue-Based Products (HCT/Ps) [Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, United States]
     
    Comprehensive List of Guidance Documents at the Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-1998-N-0050] (formerly Docket No. 1998N-0046) [Food and Drug Administration, United States] 

    EVENTS

    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

    Select Biosciences 2nd Annual World Biobanking Summit
    August 24-25, 2010
    Edinburgh, Scotland

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

    Hydra VI: The European Summer School on Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine
    September 11-17, 2010
    Hydra, Greece

    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 Annual Meeting of the German Society for Stem Cell Research
    September 30-October 2, 2010
    Lübeck, Germany

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

    Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: Production and Utility in Regenerative Medicine
    October 7, 2010
    Hertfordshire, United Kingdom

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

    NEW BioMalaysia 2010 Conference and Exhibition
    November 2-4, 2010
    Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

    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

    Biotech Showcase 2011
    January 10-12, 2011
    San Francisco, 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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