ESC & iPSC News Volume 6.33 | Aug 24 2011

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    ESC & iPSC News 6.33, August 24, 2011

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

    Transplanted Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Improve Cardiac Function and Induces Neovascularization in the Infarcted Hearts of db/db Mice
    Scientists hypothesized that transplanted induced pluripotent stem cells in the infarcted diabetic db/db and non-diabetic mice can differentiate into vascular smooth muscle and endothelial cells as well as activate endogenous c-kit progenitor cells to enhance neovascularization along with improved cardiac function. [Mol Pharm]

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    SCIENCE NEWS

    Stem Cell Research Offers New Hope for Unlocking the Secrets of Bipolar Disorder
    New stem cell lines developed from the skin of adults living with bipolar disorder are providing researchers at the University of Michigan Health System an unprecedented opportunity to delve into the genetic and biological underpinnings of the devastating mood disorder. [University of Michigan Health System Press Release]

    Stem Cell Team Aims for Spare Heart Parts in Five Years
    Stem cell researchers in Hong Kong and the United States are trying to grow spare parts for the human heart that may be ready for tests on people within five years, they said. [Reuters]

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    CURRENT PUBLICATIONS (Ranked by Impact Factor of the Journal)

    Functional Melanocytes Derived from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Engraft into Pluristratified Epidermis
    The issue with analyzing the molecular mechanisms and function of human melanocytes can now be addressed via a differentiation protocol that allows melanocytes to be obtained from pluripotent stem cell lines based on the use of moderate concentrations of a single cytokine, bone morphogenic protein 4. [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A]

    TGFβ Inhibition Enhances the Generation of Hematopoietic Progenitors from Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Hemogenic Endothelial Cells Using a Stepwise Strategy
    Here, on the basis of the emergence of CD43+ hematopoietic cells from hemogenic endothelial (HE) cells, researchers demonstrated that VEGF was essential and sufficient, and that bFGF was synergistic with VEGF to specify the HE cells and the subsequent transition into CD43+ hematopoietic cells. [Cell Res]

    HNF4A Is Essential for Specification of Hepatic Progenitors from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
    In the current study, investigators addressed the feasibility of using human pluripotent stem cells to probe the molecular mechanisms underlying human hepatocyte differentiation. [Development]

    Inhibitors of Src and Focal Adhesion Kinase Promote Endocrine Specification: Impact on the Derivation of Beta Cells from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
    In this study scientists show that the pyrrolo-pyrimidine src-family kinase inhibitor PP2 effectively promotes the endocrine specification of human embryonic stem cell derivatives based on its capacity to induce the expression of proendocrine transcription factors (NGN3, NEUROD1, NKX2.2 and PAX4) and to significantly increase the final yield of insulin-positive cells. [J Biol Chem]

    Histone H1 Variants Are Differentially Expressed and Incorporated into Chromatin During Differentiation and Reprogramming to Pluripotency
    Researchers have revisited the notion that different linker histone variants may have distinct roles by using new methodologies to study pluripotency and differentiation, including the in vitro differentiation of human embryonic stem and teratocarcinoma cells, and the reprogramming of keratinocytes to induced pluripotent stem cells. [J Biol Chem]


    Pluripotency-Related, Valproic Acid-Induced Genome-Wide H3K9 Acetylation Patterns in Embryonic Stem Cells
    Using H3K9ac ChIP-seq analyses and gene expression in E14 mouse embryonic stem cells before and after low level of the HDAC inhibitor valproic acid, investigators show that H3K9ac is enriched at gene promoters and is highly correlated with gene expression and with various genomic features, including different active histone marks and pluripotency-related transcription factors. [J Biol Chem]

    Normal Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Lines Exhibit Pervasive Mosaic Aneuploidy
    Researchers report that normal human pluripotent stem cell lines are karyotypic mosaics of euploid cells intermixed with many cells showing non-clonal aneuploidies as identified by chromosome counting, spectral karyotyping and fluorescent in situ hybridization of interphase/non-mitotic cells. [PLoS One]

    Parkinson’s Disease Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells with Triplication of the α-Synuclein Locus
    Researchers produce multiple induced pluripotent stem cell lines from an SNCA triplication patient and an unaffected first-degree relative. [Nat Commun]

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    INDUSTRY NEWS

    Grabel Receives New Human Stem Cell Research Grant
    Professor Laura Grabel has received a $750,000 grant from The State of Connecticut Stem Cell Research Advisory Committee for her study titled “Angiogenesis of Embryonic Stem Cell Derived Hippocampus Transplants.” [Wesleyan University Press Release]

    Rao Named First Director of New Center For Regenerative Medicine
    Dr. Mahendra S. Rao was recently appointed director of the new National Institutes of Health Intramural Center for Regenerative Medicine. [National Institutes of Health Press Release]

    POLICY NEWS

    Agencies Unveil Plans to Safeguard Science
    White House is reviewing 19 ‘scientific integrity’ policies submitted by US agencies. [US White House, United States]

    Primate Death Spurs Citations
    Citations issued by the US Department of Agriculture last year failed to prevent another animal death at the New England Primate Research Center. [US Department of Agriculture, United States]

    Notice of Application Submission Date Extension for PAR-11-279 Bridges to the Doctorate (R25) (NOT-GM-11-109) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

    Request for Information (RFI): Input into the Deliberations of the Advisory Committee to the NIH Director Working Group on the Future Biomedical Research Workforce (NOT-OD-11-106) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

    EVENTS

    NEW REGENER8 Annual Conference 2011 ‘Delivery of Regenerative Technologies on a Commercial Scale’
    September 29, 2011
    Manchester, United Kingdom

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

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    Research Group Leader – Human Epigenomics and Stem Cells (MRC Clinical Sciences Centre)

    Postdoctoral Position (Nanyang Technological University)

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