ESC & iPSC News Volume 8.17 | May 1 2013

Virtual Karyotyping of Pluripotent Stem Cells on the Basis of Their Global Gene Expression Profiles
The authors present a detailed protocol for determining the genomic integrity of pluripotent stem cells using their global gene expression profiles. [Nat Protoc] Abstract

Patient-Derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Recapitulate Hematopoietic Abnormalities of Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia
Researchers generated induced pluripotent stem cells from malignant cells of two juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia patients with somatic heterozygous p.E76K missense mutations in PTPN11, which encodes SHP-2, a non-receptor tyrosine phosphatase. [Blood] Abstract

Geminin Restrains Mesendodermal Fate Acquisition of Embryonic Stem Cells and Is Associated with Antagonism of Wnt Signaling and Enhanced Polycomb-Mediated Repression
Scientists investigated the role of Geminin, a nucleoprotein that interacts with both transcription factors and epigenetic regulatory complexes, during fate acquisition of mouse embryonic stem cells. [Stem Cells] Abstract

Impaired Cell Reprogramming in Non-Homologous End Joining Deficient Cells
Researchers presented data related to the reprogramming of primary mouse embryonic fibroblasts from severe combined immunodeficient (Scid) mice defective in DNA-PKcs: a key protein for Non-Homologous End Joining. Reduced numbers of induced pluripotent stem cell colonies were generated from Scid cells using reprogramming lentiviral vectors, being the reprogramming efficiency 4 to 7 fold lower than the observed in wt cells. [Stem Cells] Abstract

HLA Engineering of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
The preparation of many different stem cell lines for clinical use is a daunting task. Researchers developed two distinct genetic engineering approaches that address this problem. First, they used a combination of gene targeting and mitotic recombination to derive human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-homozygous embryonic stem cell (ESC) subclones from an HLA-heterozygous parental line. Second, they derived HLA class I-negative cells by targeted disruption of both alleles of the Beta-2 Microglobulin gene in ESCs. [Mol Ther] Abstract

Androgen Receptor Inclusions Acquire GRP78/BiP to Ameliorate Androgen-Induced Protein Misfolding Stress in Embryonic Stem Cells
Scientists showed that mouse embryonic stem cells display stress-related cellular phenotypes in response to androgens during early phase of differentiation. [Cell Death Dis] Full Article

Enhanced Differentiation of Human Neural Crest Stem Cells Towards Schwann Cell Lineage by Aligned Electrospun Fiber Matrix
Researchers investigated the effect of nanofiber topography on the differentiation of human embryonic stem cell-derived neural crest stem cells towards the Schwann cell lineage. [Acta Biomater] Abstract

Fourier Transform Infrared Microspectroscopy Reveals Unique Phenotypes for Human Embryonic and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Lines and Their Progeny
Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy was employed to elucidate the macromolecular phenotype of human embryonic stem cells and human induced pluripotent stem cells and their differentiated progeny. [J Biophotonics] Abstract

Efficient and Reproducible Myogenic Differentiation from Human iPS Cells: Prospects for Modeling Miyoshi Myopathy In Vitro
Investigators report the rapid, efficient, and reproducible differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) into mature myocytes. They demonstrated that inducible expression of myogenic differentiation1 in immature hiPSCs for at least five days drives cells along the myogenic lineage, with efficiencies reaching 70-90%. [PLoS One] Full Article | Press Release

Two Differential Flows in a Bioreactor Promoted Platelet Generation from Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Megakaryocytes
Researchers demonstrated the proof-of-concept by a two-dimensional flow culture system that enabled us to increase platelet yield from human embryonic stem cell or induced pluripotent stem cell-derived megakaryocytes using a biomimetic artificial blood vessel system. [Exp Hematol] Abstract

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STEMCELL Technologies Inc. Obtains License from iPS Academia Japan for Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Technologies
STEMCELL Technologies Inc. has signed an agreement to license iPS Academia Japan’s induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS cell) technologies. This agreement will enable STEMCELL Technologies to develop media that are optimized for cellular reprogramming, further expanding its extensive portfolio of products designed to facilitate cutting-edge pluripotent stem cell research. [STEMCELL Technologies Inc.] Press Release

Humacyte Announces Significant Clinical Milestones in Its Novel Bioengineered Blood Vessel Technology
Humacyte, Inc. announced the accomplishment of significant milestones in the clinical development of its innovative bioengineered blood vessel technology - the first off-the-shelf, human-derived, artificial blood vessels. [Humacyte, Inc.] Press Release

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U.S. Lawmaker Proposes New Criteria for Choosing NSF Grants
The new chair of the House of Representatives science committee has drafted a bill that, in effect, would replace peer review at the National Science Foundation (NSF) with a set of funding criteria chosen by Congress. For good measure, it would also set in motion a process to determine whether the same criteria should be adopted by every other federal science agency. [House of Representatives, United States]
Press Release

Science Campaigners Celebrate New Libel Law for England and Wales
Scientists campaigning for libel law reform in England and Wales have a reason to celebrate. A new Defamation Bill that advocates say will help protect free speech - including statements included in peer-reviewed scientific publications - received the go-ahead from Parliament after several months of ping-pong between the House of Lords and the House of Commons. [Parliament, United Kingdom] Press Release

Reconciliation Deal Opens Research Doors for Kosovo
The European Commission wants to allow Kosovo to take greater part in E.U. research funding programs after the country signed a reconciliatory deal with Serbia. [European Commission, European Union]
Press Release

Tropical Medicine Researcher to Lead Wellcome Trust
Infectious diseases researcher Jeremy Farrar will take over the reins at the Wellcome Trust, the United Kingdom's most important private funder of medical research. [Wellcome Trust, United Kingdom]
Press Release

NEW Genomic Study of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Models of Human Disease (Stanford University - Dept. of Cardiovascular Medicine)

NEW Research Assistant - Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells and Ocular Stem Cells (Mount Sinai School of Medicine)

Research Scientist (Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Postdoctoral Positions - Stem Cells and Immunology (University of Connecticut)

Postdoctoral Position - Pluripotent Stem Cell Research (Masaryk University)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Ocular Stem Cell (Buck Institute for Research on Aging)

Postdoctoral Position - Developmental and Stem Cell Biology (Washington University School of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Fellow (Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne)


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