ESC & iPSC News Volume 6.16 | Apr 27 2011

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    ESC & iPSC News 6.16, April 27, 2011

         In this issue: Science News | Current Publications | Industry News | Policy News | Events
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    TOP STORY

    Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Neural Tissue Engineering
    Researchers derived neural crest stem cells (NCSCs) from human induced pluripotent stem cells and embryonic stem cells, and investigated the potential of NCSCs for neural tissue engineering. [Biomaterials]

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    SCIENCE NEWS
    Scientists Create Stable, Self-Renewing Neural Stem Cells
    Researchers report a game-changing advance in stem cell science: the creation of long-term, self-renewing, primitive neural precursor cells from human embryonic stem cells that can be directed to become many types of neuron without increased risk of tumor formation. [Press release from the University of California, San Diego discussing online prepublication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA]

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    CURRENT PUBLICATIONS (Ranked by Impact Factor of the Journal)

    Direct Reprogramming of Mouse Fibroblasts to Neural Progenitors
    Results provide a unique paradigm for induced pluripotent stem cell-factor–based reprogramming by demonstrating that it can be readily modified to serve as a general platform for transdifferentiation. [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A]

    KDM5B Regulates Embryonic Stem Cell Self-Renewal and Represses Cryptic Intragenic Transcription
    Researchers show that the histone H3 trimethyl lysine 4 demethylase, KDM5B, is a downstream Nanog target and critical for embryonic stem cell self-renewal. [EMBO J]

    Mitochondrial Parkin Recruitment Is Impaired in Neurons Derived from Mutant PINK1 Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
    Researchers report the generation of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells from skin fibroblasts taken from three Parkinson disease patients with nonsense (c.1366C>T; p.Q456X) or missense (c.509T>G; p.V170G) mutations in the PINK1 gene. [J Neurosci]

    Simple and Efficient Derivation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Lines Using Differentiation Inhibitors or Proliferation Stimulators
    Results imply that CHIR99021 and adrenocorticotropic hormone fragments 1-24 are synergistically enhancing the establishment of mouse embryonic stem cells. [Stem Cells Dev]

    Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Derived Under Feeder-Free Conditions Display Unique Cell Cycle and DNA Replication Gene Profiles
    Researchers report a novel and extensive comparison between their in-house produced iPSCs and hESCs under ‘feeder’ and ‘feeder-free’ conditions, using transcriptomic genome-wide microarray analysis. [Stem Cells Dev]

    Enabling a Robust Scalable Manufacturing Process for Therapeutic Exosomes Through Oncogenic Immortalization of Human ESC-Derived MSCs
    MYC-transformed mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) largely resembled the parental hESC-MSCs with major differences being reduced plastic adherence, faster growth, failure to senesce, increased MYC expression, and loss of in vitro adipogenic potential that technically rendered the transformed cells as non-MSCs. [J Transl Med]

    Computational Modeling for the Optimization of a Cardiogenic 3D Bioprocess of Encapsulated Embryonic Stem Cells
    Researchers present a computational fluid dynamics-based model aimed at the identification of optimized culture conditions promoting efficient cardiogenesis of hydrogel-bead-encapsulated embryonic stem cells within a rotating bioreactor. [Biomech Model Mechanobiol]

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    INDUSTRY NEWS
    CiRA and DSP Research the Creation of a New Treatment for Rare Intractable Diseases
    The Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University and Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd. (DSP) announce the signing of an agreement for 5 years of joint research with the aim to create treatment for a rare intractable disease. [Center for iPS Cell Research and Application Press Release]

    Massachusetts, South Korea Heat Up Ties in Life Sciences
    Government and economic development representatives from Massachusetts and South Korea met this week seeking to deepen collaborations in life sciences, high tech and other areas, including signing a three-year memorandum of understanding. [Mass High Tech]

    Horizon and Fox Chase Cancer Center Announce a New Centre of Excellence in Mammalian Gene Editing
    Horizon Discovery has announced that it has entered into a three-year collaboration with the Fox Chase Cancer Center. The focus of the collaboration is to apply rAAV gene targeting in mouse embryonic stem cells, and for the discovery of genes involved in resistance to EGFR-targeted therapies in human cancer, such as PI3K. [Horizon Discovery Press Release]

    California Ponders Cell-Banking Venture
    The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) is holding a trio of meetings to consider funding induced pluripotent stem cell banking projects. [NatureNews]

    POLICY NEWS

    Spending Bill Prohibits U.S.-China Collaborations
    A little-noticed clause in the 2011 spending bill signed into law last week cuts off funding for a host of scientific exchanges between the United States and China. [Congress, United States]

    Scientific Community Leaders Meet May 2 to Begin Advising NIH’s Center for Scientific Review
    Scientific experts from across the country have joined a new council that will begin meeting May 2, 2011, to advise the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) at the National Institutes of Health on the peer review of NIH grant applications in scientific review groups at CSR. [National Institutes of Health, United States]

    Bioethics Body Approves First Embryonic Stem Cell Test
    A clinical test using embryonic stem cells was approved for the first time in Korea. The National Bioethics Committee said it had approved CHA Bio & Diostech’s request to conduct a clinical test using embryonic stem cell in treating macular degeneration which can lead to sight loss. [National Bioethics Committee, Korea]

    Hopes Brighten for Embattled Australian Medical Researchers
    After a week of nationwide protests, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard sought to reassure scientists that her government was rethinking a rumored $423 million (AUD $400 million) cut to medical research over 3 years, starting in the 2011-12 budget. [Ministry of Health, Australia]

    Cellular, Tissue and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting [Food and Drug Administration, United States]

    Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Adverse Experience Reporting for Licensed Biological Products; and General Records [Food and Drug Administration, United States]

    Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings (FR Doc. 2011-9495) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

    Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meeting (FR Doc. 2011-9498) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

    EVENTS
    NEW Stem Cells USA & Regenerative Medicine Congress
    September 12-15, 2011
    Boston, United States

    NEW Cell Therapy Commercialization Summit
    September 19-21, 2011
    Boston, United States

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

    JOB OPPORTUNITIES

    Lab Technologist – Human Embryonic and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (STEMCELL Technologies)

    Assistant Professor (University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Center for Cellular and Molecular Engineering)

    Postdoctoral Position in Stem Cells and Epigenetics (Mount Sinai School of Medicine)

    Stem Cell Biologist (Pfizer)

    Postdoctoral Fellow (Stanford University)

    Senior Postdoctoral Fellow (New York Stem Cell Foundation)

    Postdoctoral Research Fellow (University of Ottawa)

    Postdoctoral Positions in Epigenomics (Umeå University)

    Postdoc in Human Embryonic Stem Cell Bioprocessing (School of Biotechnology at the Royal Institute of Technology)

    Postdoctoral Position (Spanish National Cancer Center)

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