ESC & iPSC News Volume 9.27 | Jul 16 2014

Targeted Gene Correction Minimally Impacts Whole-Genome Mutational Load in Human-Disease-Specific Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Clones
Researchers performed whole-genome sequencing to evaluate the mutational load at single-base resolution in individual gene-corrected human induced pluripotent stem cell clones in three different disease models.
[Cell Stem Cell] Abstract | Graphical Abstract

Efficient Germ-Line Transmission Obtained with Transgene-Free Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Scientists report the use of optimized assemblies of reprogramming factors and selection markers incorporated into single plasmids as nonintegrating episomes to generate germ-line-competent induced pluripotent stem cells. [Proc Nat Acad Sci USA] Abstract | Full Article

Generation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from Virus-Free In Vivo Reprogramming of BALB/c Mouse Liver Cells
The in vivo cell reprogramming of terminally differentiated somatic cells to a pluripotent state by the ectopic expression of defined transcription factors has been previously shown in the BALB/c mouse liver upon plasmid DNA injection with no teratoma formation in the host tissue. Scientists demonstrate that the reprogrammed cells could be extracted from the tissue and cultured in vitro. [Biomaterials] Abstract

Stochastic NANOG Fluctuations Allow Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells to Explore Pluripotency
Researchers used a novel fluorescent reporter to investigate the temporal dynamics of NANOG expression in mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs), and to dissect the lineage potential of mESCs at different NANOG states. [Development] Abstract

RBM20-Dependent Regulation of Organized Myofilament Structure and Titin Splicing in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes from Patients with Dilative Cardiomyopathy
Investigators generated induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSCs) from dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients with a RNA-binding motif 20 (RBM20) mutations, and analyzed the functionality and cell biology of cardiomyocytes derived from these patient-specific iPSCs with regard to the cardiac DCM phenotype. [Cardiovasc Res] Abstract

Human Transgene-Free Amniotic Fluid-Derived Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Autologous Cell Therapy
Scientists found that human amniotic fluid mesenchymal stromal cells could be easily reprogrammed into induced pluripotent stem cells using non-integrating Sendai viral vectors encoding for OCT4, SOX2, KLF4, and cMYC. [Stem Cells Dev] Abstract

Paradoxical Role of DNA Methylation in Activation of FoxA2 Gene Expression During Endoderm Development
To elucidate the mechanisms underlying the activation of the FoxA2 gene during differentiation, researchers compared the epigenetic status of undifferentiated human embryonic stem cells (hESCs), hESC-derived early endoderm stage cells and pancreatic islet cells. [J Biol Chem] Abstract | Full Article

Functional Characterization of Friedreich Ataxia iPS-Derived Neuronal Progenitors and Their Integration in the Adult Brain
Researchers demonstrate that neural derivatives of Friedreich ataxia induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are able to differentiate into functional neurons, which don’t show altered susceptibility to cell death, and have normal mitochondrial function. [PLoS One] Full Article

iPS Cell Technologies and Cartilage Regeneration
The authors review the recent progress making it possible to generate integration-free induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and to differentiate iPSCs toward chondrocytes. [Bone] Abstract

Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the ESC & iPSC research field.

BioTime Announces Issuance of 14 Patents in the Fields of Regenerative Medicine, and Cancer Diagnosis and Therapy
BioTime announced the issuance of 14 new patents to BioTime and its subsidiary companies. One new patent is related to human embryonic stem cells that are cultured on extracellular matrix free of feeder cells and that are genetically modified. [BioTime, Inc.] Press Release

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Wellcome Trust Looks to Youth and ‘High-Risk’ Research
The United Kingdom’s largest biomedical charity is to shake up the way it forks out its funding, with an increased emphasis on ‘high-risk’ research and stronger support for less-experienced scientists. [Nature News] Editorial

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

NEW Stem Cell Research Scientist – iPSC Reprogramming and Disease Modeling (Stem Cell Theranostics)

NEW Product Marketing Manager – Bio-Science (CESCA Therapeutics)

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Proteomic Analysis of the Differentiation of Human ESCs or iPSCs
(Cornell University)

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow/PhD – Epigenetics Using Knockout Mouse Models (University of Marburg)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Genome Editing in Human Embryonic Stem Cells to Study Hereditary Cancer-Associated Mutations (UConn Health Center)

Scientist – Stem Cell Bioengineering and Automation (Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency)

Scientist – Cell Banking Program (Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency)

Postdoctoral Researcher – Generation of Myocardium In Situ (Van Andel Research Institute)

Postdoctoral Position – Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Human Hematopoietic Specification Using Human Embryonic Stem Cells (Washington University School of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Positions – Stem Cell Biology (State University of New York)

Postdoctoral Position – Studying RNA and Heart Biology Using Human Stem Cells (University of Pittsburgh)

Postdoctoral Position – Epigenetics and Stem Cell Biology (Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research)

Scientist – Pluripotent Stem Cell Biology Endoderm Lineages (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Scientist – Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Biology (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Scientist – Pluripotent Stem Cell Media Development, High Throughput Screening (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Scientist – Cell Culture Support Products (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Scientist – Immunology/Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Research Associate – Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

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