ESC & iPSC News Volume 8.32 | Aug 14 2013

The Mll2 Branch of the COMPASS Family Regulates Bivalent Promoters in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells
Although Polycomb repressive complex 2 is known to implement H3K27 trimethylation, the COMPASS family member responsible for H3K4me3 at bivalently marked promoters was previously unknown. Scientists identified Mll2 as the enzyme catalyzing H3K4 trimethylation at bivalently marked promoters in embryonic stem cells. [Nat Struct Cell Biol] Abstract | Press Release

Single-Cell RNA-Seq Profiling of Human Preimplantation Embryos and Embryonic Stem Cells
Investigators applied single-cell RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis to 124 individual cells from human preimplantation embryos and human embryonic stem cells at different passages. [Nat Struct Cell Biol] Abstract

Repopulation of Decellularized Mouse Heart with Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiovascular Progenitor Cells
Scientists created heart constructs by repopulating decellularized mouse hearts with human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived multipotential cardiovascular progenitor cells. They showed that the seeded multipotential cardiovascular progenitor cells migrate, proliferate and differentiate in situ into cardiomyocytes, smooth muscle cells and endothelial cells to reconstruct the decellularized hearts. [Nat Commun] Abstract | Press Release

Erg Channel Is Critical in Controlling Cell Volume during Cell Cycle in Embryonic Stem Cells
Following RNAseq transcriptome analysis of cell cycle sorted mouse embryonic stem cells, the authors found that expression of the K⁺ ion channel Erg1 peaked in G1 cell cycle phase, which was confirmed by immunostaining. [PLoS One] Full Article

Evidence for a Critical Role of Catecholamines for Cardiomyocyte Lineage Commitment in Murine Embryonic Stem Cells
Investigators evaluated the effects of different catecholamines on early heart development in an in vitro setting using embryonic stem (ES) cell-derived cardiomyocytes. Effects of catecholamine depletion induced by reserpine were examined in murine ES cells during differentiation. [PLoS One] Full Article

Seamless Correction of the Sickle Cell Disease Mutation of the Human β-Globin Gene in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Using TALENs
Researchers successfully utilized transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALENs), a recently emerged novel genome editing tool, to correct the sickle cell disease mutation in patient-derived human induced pluripotent stem cells. [Biotechnol Bioeng] Abstract

Angiotensin II Promotes Cardiac Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells via Angiotensin Type 1 Receptor
The authors demonstrated that angiotensin type 1 receptor agonist significantly enhanced cardiac differentiation as determined by increased percentage of beating embryoid bodies and a higher expression level of cardiac markers. [Differentiation] Abstract

Kinetics of Drug Selection Systems in Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells
Investigators quantitatively measured the variation of transgene expression levels in mouse embryonic stem cells, using a series of bi-cistronic expression vectors that contain Egfp expression cassette linked to each drug resistant gene via IRES with titration of the selective drugs, and found that the transgene expression levels achieved in each system with this vector design are in order, in which pac and zeo show sharp selection of transfectants with homogenously high expression levels. [BMC Biotechnol]
Abstract | Full Articles

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Pilot Clinical Study into iPS Cell Therapy for Eye Disease Starts in Japan
RIKEN announced the launch of a pilot study to assess the safety and feasibility of the transplantation of autologous induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell-derived retinal pigment epithelium cell sheets in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration. [RIKEN] Press Release

House Panel Trains Sights on Unregulated Stem-Cell Therapy in the Philippines
The vice chairman of the House blue-ribbon panel is set to deliver a privileged speech Monday ahead of hearings on the current state of things in the stem cell therapy practice in the Philippines, where experts warned earlier the “fad-like” atmosphere poses serious threat to public health and safety. [Congress of the Philippines] Press Release

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NEW Research Associate – Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Initiative (King’s College London)

Postdoctoral Position – Neurosteroids and Neural Stem Cells in Developing Brain (Children’s National Medical Center)

Tenure-Track Position – Cell Biologist (McGill University)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Human Stem Cell Biology and Hematopoiesis (Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine)

Stem Cell Researcher – Heart Research Group (University of Tampere)

Postdoctoral Position – Stem Cell Therapy and Epigenetics of Retina (University of Pittsburgh, Ophthalmology)

Director of Cell Processing Facility (S L Collins Associates, Inc.)

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