ESC & iPSC News Volume 6.25 | Jun 29 2011

Leftover Embryonic Cells Connect Gastric Reflux and Cancer
The ultimate source of some cancers is embryonic cells. Research traced the precursor of deadly esophageal cancers to leftover embryonic cells found in all adults. [Press release from EurekAlert! discussing online prepublication in Cell]

Cellular Dynamics International Unlocks the Potential of Banked Blood Samples
Cellular Dynamics International announced demonstrating for the first time a methodology for researchers to access the biology stored in repositories of banked blood samples through the creation of induced pluripotent stem cells. [Press release from Cellular Dynamics International discussing online prepublication in Blood]

Patterns in Embryonic Cells Give Hints to Function of DNA’s “Sixth Letter”
Researchers have mapped the distribution of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine in human embryonic stem cells, comparing it with the distribution of regulatory proteins known to be important in stem cell maintenance. [Press release from Emory University Woodruff Health Sciences Center discussing online prepublication in PLoS Genetics]

Residual Embryonic Cells as Precursors of a Barrett’s-like Metaplasia
Scientists showed here that p63 null embryos rapidly develop intestine-like metaplasia with gene expression profiles similar to Barrett’s metaplasia. [Cell]

Human Lymphoblastoid B Cell Lines Reprogrammed to Epstein-Barr Virus-Free Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Researchers reported the generation of induced pluripotent cells from two lymphoblastoid B cell lines via a feeder-free episomal method using a cocktail of transcription factors and small molecules. [Blood]

Graded Nodal/Activin Signaling Titrates Conversion of Quantitative Phospho-Smad2 Levels into Qualitative Embryonic Stem Cell Fate Decisions
Investigators showed that any perturbation of endogenous signaling levels in mouse embryonic stem cells leads to their exit from self-renewal towards divergent differentiation programs. [PLoS Genet]

Reprogramming Fibroblasts into Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells with Bmi1
Scientists reported that Bmi1 leads to the transdifferentiation of mouse fibroblasts into neural stem cell-like cells, and, in combination with Oct4, can replace Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc during the reprogramming of fibroblasts into induced pluripotent stem cells. [Cell Res]

Integrating 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine into the Epigenomic Landscape of Human Embryonic Stem Cells
To understand the role of 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) in the epigenomic landscape of pluripotent cells, researchers profiled the genome-wide 5-hmC distribution and correlated it with the genomic profiles of 11 diverse histone modifications and six transcription factors in human embryonic stem cells. [PLoS Genet]

Chromatin Insulator Elements Block Transgene Silencing in Engineered hESC Lines at a Defined Chromosome 13 Locus
To develop an efficient and reliable genetic engineering strategy in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), investigators used chromatin insulator elements to flank single-copy transgenes and integrated the combined expression constructs via PhiC31/R4 integrase mediated recombination technology to the chromosome 13 locus precisely. [Stem Cells Dev]

Rat Embryonic Fibroblasts Improve Reprogramming of Human Keratinocytes into Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Scientists provided an easy to use and highly efficient reprogramming system which could be very useful for a broad application to generate human induced pluripotent stem cells. [Stem Cells Dev]

LIF-Dependent, Pluripotent Stem Cells Established from Inner Cell Mass of Porcine Embryos
Researchers reported the production of LIF-dependent pluripotent stem cells from the inner cell mass of porcine blastocysts by up-regulating expression of KLF4 and POU5F1. [J Tissue Eng Regen Med]

MIT and Skolkovo Foundation Announce Collaboration
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Skolkovo Foundation announced the signing of a preliminary agreement to create the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology. [Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press Release]

Stowers Institute Recruits Top Scientists in Developmental and Regenerative Biology
Tatjana Piotrowski, Ph.D., and Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado, Ph.D., joined the Stowers Institute for Medical Research. [Stowers Institute for Medical Research Press Release]

ACT Granted EU Orphan Medicinal Product Designation for hESC-Derived RPE Cells for Treatment of Stargardt’s Disease
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACT) announced that the European Medicines Agency’s Committee for Orphan Medicinal Products has officially granted ACT’s human embryonic stem cell (hESC)-derived retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells designation as an orphan medicinal product for the treatment of Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy. [Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. Press Release]

Coriell Institute and NIH Provide Scientists with Powerful New Stem Cells
Coriell Institute for Medical Research announced the availability of powerful new stem cells to the scientific research community. [Coriell Institute for Medical Research Press Release]

Bond Financier Elected to Chair California Stem Cell Agency
The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) has elected southern California investor Jonathan Thomas to be its next chair. [California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, United States]

Stem Cell Briefs Probe Whether Grants “Incentivize” Embryo Destruction
The two sides in a high-stakes legal battle over stem cells expanded on their arguments in briefs filed in a case being heard by Chief Judge Royce Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. [U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, United States]

Legislator Asks NIH To Halt Search for Translational Center Director
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is again taking flak from Congress for its plan to create a center for translational research. [National Institutes of Health, United States]

And We’re Calling It: Horizon 2020
The European Commission announced that the successor to Framework Programme 7, slated to start in 2014, will be called Horizon 2020. [European Commission, European Union]

Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings (FR Doc No: 2011-15489) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings (FR Doc No: 2011-15717) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Center for Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings (FR Doc No: 2011-15727) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

National Institute of General Medical Sciences; Notice of Closed Meeting (FR Doc No: 2011-15635) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

National Institute of General Medical Sciences; Notice of Closed Meeting (FR Doc No: 2011-15711) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

National Institute of General Medical Sciences; Notice of Closed Meeting (FR Doc No: 2011-15995) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health; Notice of Meeting (FR Doc No: 2011-15998) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Proposed Rule – Amendments to Sterility Test Requirements for Biological Products, June 21, 2011 [Center for Biologics Evaluation & Research, United States]

NEW Cancer Research Global Summit
August 16-17, 2011
London, United Kingdom

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

Chemist (STEMCELL Technologies)

Research and Development Senior Technologist (STEMCELL Technologies)

Lab Technologist – Tissue Culture (Maternity Leave) (STEMCELL Technologies)

Research and Development Technologist, hPSC Media (STEMCELL Technologies)

Scientist (iPSC) (STEMCELL Technologies)

Research Laboratory Technician (Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair)

Staff Scientist Position (Spanish National Cancer Center)

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

Senior Research Fellowship (Masaryk University)

Junior Research Fellowship (Masaryk University)

PhD Positions in Stem Cell Research (Masaryk University)

PhD Positions in Medical Biology (Masaryk University)

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

Postdoctoral Fellow (Stanford University)

Postdoctoral Position (Spanish National Cancer Center)

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