Generation of Chimeric Rhesus Monkeys Here, researchers demonstrate that rhesus monkey embryonic stem cells and isolated inner cell masses fail to incorporate into host embryos and develop into chimeras. However, chimeric offspring were produced following aggregation of totipotent cells of the four-cell embryos. [Cell] Abstract | Press Release MicroRNA Regulation of Cbx7 Mediates a Switch of Polycomb Orthologs during ESC Differentiation Researchers have identified Cbx7 as the primary Polycomb ortholog of Polycomb repressive complex 1 complexes in embryonic stem cells (ESCs). [Cell Stem Cell] Abstract Rett Syndrome Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neurons Reveal Novel Neurophysiological Alterations Here, researchers describe the first characterization and neuronal differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells derived from methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (Mecp2)-deficient mice. [Mol Psychiatry] Abstract Attenuation of Extrinsic Signaling Reveals the Importance of Matrix Remodeling on Maintenance of Embryonic Stem Cell Self-Renewal Researchers found that perturbing cell-secreted signaling causes mouse embryonic stem cells to exit their stable self-renewing state in defined conditions that normally support self-renewal and to exhibit properties characteristic of epiblast cells. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Abstract miR-290 Cluster Modulates Pluripotency by Repressing Canonical NF-κB Signaling Here researchers demonstrate that miR-290 cluster, the most abundant microRNA family in embryonic stem cells, targets the NF-κB subunit p65 (also known as RelA) by repressing its translation. [Stem Cells] Abstract A Role for MicroRNAs 99b, 181a and 181b in the Differentiation to Vascular Endothelial Cells from Human Embryonic Stem Cells Here, researchers show that the reduction of microRNA maturation induced by Dicer knockdown suppressed human embryonic stem-endothelial cell differentiation. [Stem Cells] Abstract Differentiation and Functional Incorporation of Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived GABAergic Interneurons in the Dentate Gyrus of Mice with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Investigators transplanted mouse embryonic stem cell-derived neural progenitors with ventral forebrain identities into the hilus of the dentate gyrus of mice with temporal lobe epilepsy and evaluated graft differentiation, mossy fiber sprouting, cellular morphology, and electrophysiological properties of the transplanted neurons. [J Neurosci] Abstract The Endothelial Cell Line bEnd.3 Maintains Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Here, researchers show that a transformed mouse endothelial cell line (bEnd.3) maintains human pluripotent stem cells in an undifferentiated state. [Stem Cells Dev] Abstract The Expression of the Class I Glucose Transporter Isoforms in Human Embryonic Stem Cells, and the Potential Use of GLUT2 as a Marker for Pancreatic Progenitor Enrichment Researchers analyzed changes in expression of class I glucose transporters (GLUT1-4) during human embryonic stem cell and human induced pluripotent stem cell differentiation, from undifferentiated cells to 28 day old embryoid bodies. [Stem Cells Dev] Abstract |