Inflammatory Cytokines Promote the Retrodifferentiation of Tumor-Derived Hepatocyte-Like Cells to Progenitor Cells Researchers report the mechanisms and molecular effectors involved in the retrodifferentiation of tumor-derived HepaRG hepatocyte-like cells (HepaRG-tdHep) into bipotent progenitors. Gene expression profiling was used to identify genomic changes during the retrodifferentiation of HepaRG-tdHep into progenitors. [Hepatology] Abstract Targeted Correction of RUNX1 Mutation in FPD Patient-Specific Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Rescues Megakaryopoietic Defects Researchers derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from two patients in a family with familial platelet disorder (FPD) with predisposition to acute myeloid leukemia, and found that the FPD iPSCs display defects in megakaryocytic differentiation in vitro. [Blood] Abstract A System for Genome-Wide Histone Variant Dynamics in ES Cells Reveals Dynamic MacroH2A2 Replacement at Promoters Investigators extended a pulse-chase strategy for carrying out genome-wide measurements of histone dynamics to several histone variants in murine embryonic stem (ES) cells and somatic tissues, recapitulating expected characteristics of the well characterized H3.3 histone variant. [PLoS Genet] Full Article High Glucose-Induced Hyperosmolarity Impacts Proliferation, Cytoskeleton Remodeling and Migration of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells via Aquaporin-1 Researchers investigated whether high glucose-induced hyperosmolarity impacts proliferation, migration, expression of pluripotency markers and actin skeleton remodeling in induced pluripotent stem cells in an aquaporin-1-dependent manner. [Biochim Biophys Acta] Abstract 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine Represses the Activity of Enhancers in Embryonic Stem Cells: A New Epigenetic Signature for Gene Regulation Scientists found a group of distal transcription factor binding sites highly enriched for 5-hdroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), but lacking any known activating histone marks and being depleted for nascent transcripts, suggesting a repressive role for 5hmC in mouse embryonic stem cells. [BMC Genomics] Full Article Generation of Rat Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from a New Model of Metabolic Syndrome Investigators aimed to establish rat induced pluripotent stem cells from mesenchymal stromal cells in adipose tissues of DahlS.Z-Leprfa/Leprfa rats and their lean littermates, DahlS.Z-Lepr+/Lepr+ rats using lentivirus vectors with only three factors Oct4, Klf4, and Sox2 without c-Myc. [PLoS One] Full Article Human Embryonic Stem Cells Show Low-Grade Microsatellite Instability Given the parallels between cancer and stem cell biology, researchers investigated the occurrence of a common form of genome instability in tumors, namely microsatellite instability, in human embryonic stem cells. [Mol Hum Reprod] Abstract A Simple and Efficient Method for Transfecting Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells Using Polyethylenimine The authors describe conditions that permit for the efficient transfection of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) with low cytotoxicity and without the need for specialized equipment. Their goal was to devise a protocol for the polyethylenimine-mediated transfection of mouse ESCs that was comparable in ease to commercial transfection reagents. [Exp Cell Res] Abstract Sodium Butyrate Efficiently Converts Fully Reprogrammed Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from Mouse Partially Reprogrammed Cells Investigators established three induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines and two pre-iPSC lines induced by the doxycycline (dox)-inducible lentiviral system. In the pre-iPSC lines maintained under dox treatment, a small portion of embryonic stem cell-like colonies spontaneously emerged after dox withdrawal, and major differentiation into fibroblast-like cells occurred. [Cell Reprogramm] Abstract |