ESC & iPSC News Volume 6.27 | Jul 13 2011

Cell Fate Potential of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Is Encoded by Histone Modifications
Here, researchers revealed specific cell surface markers that allow subfractionation of human embryonic stem cells expressing hallmark markers of pluripotency. [Cell Stem Cell]

Indefinite Self-Renewal of ESCs through Myc/Max Transcriptional Complex-Independent Mechanisms
Investigators addressed the question of how c-Myc helps preserve embryonic stem cell (ESC) status by performing loss-of-function studies with the Max gene, which encodes the best-characterized partner protein for all Myc family proteins. [Cell Stem Cell]

Epigenetic Memory and Preferential Lineage-Specific Differentiation in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Derived from Human Pancreatic Islet Beta Cells
Using two genetic lineage-tracing systems, scientists demonstrated the generation of induced pluripotent stem cell lines from human pancreatic islet beta cells. [Cell Stem Cell]

Mammalian Hyperplastic Discs Homolog EDD Regulates miRNA-Mediated Gene Silencing
Using a genetic screen in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells, researchers identified mammalian hyperplastic discs protein EDD as a key component of the microRNA (miRNA) silencing pathway. [Mol Cell]

Genes Inducing iPS Phenotype Play a Role in Hepatocyte Survival and Proliferation In Vitro and Liver Regeneration In Vivo
Findings show that genes inducing iPS phenotype, even though expressed at lower levels than embryonic stem cells, they nonetheless are associated with control of apoptosis and cell proliferation in hepatocytes in culture and may play a role for such processes during liver regeneration. [Hepatology]

Small-Molecule Inhibitors of the Wnt Pathway Potently Promote Cardiomyocytes from Human Embryonic Stem Cell–Derived Mesoderm
The aim was to develop a human embryonic stem cell–based high-content screening assay to discover small molecules that drive cardiogenic differentiation after mesoderm is established to improve the understanding of the biology involved. [Circ Res]

HIF Induces Human Embryonic Stem Cell Markers in Cancer Cells
Scientists showed that hypoxia, through hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF), can induce a human embryonic stem cell-like transcriptional program, including the induced pluripotent stem cell inducers, OCT4, NANOG, SOX2, KLF4, cMYC, and microRNA-302 in 11 cancer cell lines. [Cancer Res]

Electrospun Nanofibrillar Surfaces Promote Neuronal Differentiation and Function from Human Embryonic Stem Cells
In this study, the impact of randomly oriented electrospun polyamide nanofibrous architecture on neurogenic differentiation of human embryonic stem cells compared to the lack of nanofibrous features in vitro in a neural inducing condition was examined. [Tissue Eng Part A]

Ulster Joins International Alliance on Tissue Engineering Research
Scientists at the University of Ulster have joined a new international scientific alliance, working on the regeneration of human tissue and the growth of vital organs. [University of Ulster Press Release]

Medical College of Wisconsin and Cellular Dynamics Awarded NHLBI Grant Using Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
The Medical College of Wisconsin and Cellular Dynamics International announced receipt of a research grant award from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to investigate the mechanisms underlying left ventricular hypertrophy. [Cellular Dynamics International Press Release]

European Patent OK’d for iPSC Technology of Kyoto Univ.’s Yamanaka
The European Patent Office has approved a patent for Kyoto University professor Shinya Yamanaka’s technology for creating induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). [The Mainichi Daily News]

Wolf Says No-Growth Budget is Good News for NSF—and Lobbyists Agree
Instead of gnashing their teeth over the panel’s failure to back President Barack Obama’s request for a $907-million increase (13%), science lobbyists say they’re thrilled that legislators had “spared” the National Science Foundation (NSF) from the cuts made to other agencies in the $50-billion bill that funds NASA and science programs within the Department of Commerce as well as other federal agencies. [National Science Foundation, United States]

Federal Court Raises the Bar for Overturning Patents
A US federal appeals court ruling will make it harder for patent holders to lose their intellectual property protection because of charges that they engaged in misconduct by misleading or deceiving the patent office. [U.S. Federal Appeals Court, United States]

Europe Lines Up Hefty Science-Funding Hike
Under a proposal released by the European Commission, spending on research and innovation would rise by about 45%, from €55 billion (US$80 billion) over the current 2007–13 period to €80 billion in 2014–20. [European Commission, European Union]

Independent Committee Recommendations – No Change for Australian Stem Cell Science
The Australian Government tabled the Report of the Independent Review by the committee which reviewed the legislation governing the use of human embryos in Australian research. [Australian Parliament, Australia]

Sudan Splits and Science Community Divides
As South Sudan prepares to become Africa’s newest nation, plans to build an independent higher education system are in disarray. [South Sudan Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology, Sudan]

Center For Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meeting (FR Doc No: 2011-17367) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Center For Scientific Review; Notice of Closed Meetings (FR Doc No: 2011-17371) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Government-Owned Inventions; Availability for Licensing (FR Doc No: 2011-17227) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Government-Owned Inventions; Availability for Licensing (FR Doc No: 2011-17228) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

NEW Stem Cell Society Singapore Symposium 2011
November 17-18, 2011
Singapore, Singapore

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

Lab Technologist – Tissue Culture (STEMCELL Technologies)

Research and Development Technologist, hPSC Media (STEMCELL Technologies)

Scientist (iPSC) (STEMCELL Technologies)

Postdoctoral Position (Nanyang Technological University)

Human Embryonic Stem Cell Biologist (Matchtech)

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 Fellow (Stanford University)

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