ESC & iPSC News Volume 9.37 | Sep 24 2014

A Cell Engineering Strategy to Enhance the Safety of Stem Cell Therapies
Using a cell engineering approach, investigators show that aggressive cancers derived from human or murine induced pluripotent stem cells and embryonic stem cells are strikingly sensitive to temporary MYC blockade. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

H3K36 Histone Methyltransferase Setd2 Is Required for Murine Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation toward Endoderm
Researchers show that Setd2 mainly regulates differentiation of murine embryonic stem cells toward primitive endoderm. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Nrf2, a Regulator of the Proteasome, Controls Self-Renewal and Pluripotency in Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Investigators show that Nrf2 acts as a key pluripotency gene and a regulator of proteasome activity in human embryonic stem cells. [Stem Cells] Abstract

Xist Repression Shows Time-Dependent Effects on the Reprogramming of Female Somatic Cells to Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Researchers demonstrate that the downregulation of Xist by an isopropyl β-d-1-thiogalactopyranoside-inducible short hairpin RNA system can greatly impair the mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition in the early phase of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) induction but can significantly promote the transition of pre-iPSCs to iPSCs in the late phase. [Stem Cells] Abstract

Human Germ Cell Formation in Xenotransplants of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Carrying X Chromosome Aneuploidies
Scientists derived induced pluripotent stem cells from Turner syndrome and control individuals and examined germ cell development as a function of X chromosome composition. [Sci Rep] Full Article

PIWI Proteins Are Dispensable for Mouse Somatic Development and Reprogramming of Fibroblasts into Pluripotent Stem Cells
Because germline regulators such as OCT4, NANOG, and SOX2 are known to be potent factors that reprogram differentiated somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), researchers investigated whether the PIWI protein family is involved in iPSC production. [PLoS One] Full Article

Transcriptomic Characterization of C57BL/6 Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Differentiation and Its Modulation by Developmental Toxicants
The authors characterized gene expression changes during mouse embryonic stem cell differentiation and their modulation by developmental toxicants. [PLoS One] Full Article

Combinatorial Modulation of Signaling Pathways Reveals Cell-Type-Specific Requirements for Highly Efficient and Synchronous iPSC Reprogramming
The differentiated state of somatic cells provides barriers for the derivation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). To address why some cell types reprogram more readily than others, scientists studied the effect of combined modulation of cellular signaling pathways. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article | Press Release

Mll2 Controls Cardiac Lineage Differentiation of Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells by Promoting H3K4me3 Deposition at Cardiac-Specific Gene
Investigators show that Mll2, a trithorax member, is required for proliferation but is dispensable for maintaining the pluripotency of mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs). Differentiation of ESCs toward mesodermal and endodermal lineages is severely altered and, in particular, the cardiac lineage differentiation of ESCs is completely abolished in the absence of Mll2. [Stem Cell Rep] Abstract

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from ALS Patients for Disease Modeling
The authors review the numerous challenges that remain before induced pluripotent stem cell methodologies can fulfill their potential as tools for modeling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) as well as providing a platform for the investigation of ALS therapeutics. [Brain Res] Abstract

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

Cynata Announces Landmark Licensing Deal
Cynata Therapeutics Ltd announced that it has entered into a license agreement with Cellular Dynamics International (CDI). The agreement provides Cynata with nonexclusive worldwide rights to a clinical grade human induced pluripotent stem cell line manufactured by CDI. [Cynata Therapeutics Ltd.] Press Release

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Nature Communications to Become Open Access Only
Nature Communications is to become the first Nature-branded open access only journal. Nature Communications will only accept open access research submissions from 20^th October 2014. [Nature]
Press Release

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

Postdoctoral Fellow – Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Derived from a Series of Individual Patients with Dravet Syndrome (Pfizer Neusentis)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Stem Cells and Neurodegeneration (University of Copenhagen)

Research Technician – Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine (King’s College London)

Postdoctoral Position – Transplantation Aspects of Hepatocytes Derived from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells (INSERM UMR 1064)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cardiac Differentiation of Pluripotent Stem Cells (Stanford University)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cardiac Animal Surgery (Stanford University)

Postdoctoral Positions – Hematopoietic and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (Indiana University School of Medicine)

Research Technician – Maintenance of Embryonic Stem Cell Lines, Electroporation and Subcloning (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai)

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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