ESC & iPSC News Volume 9.47 | Dec 3 2014

Tolerance Induction to Human Stem Cell Transplants with Extension to Their Differentiated Progeny
Scientists show that brief induction with monoclonal antibody-mediated coreceptor and costimulation blockade enables long-term engraftment and tolerance towards murine ESCs, hESCs, human induced pluripotent stem cells and hESC-derived progenitors in outbred murine recipients. [Nat Commun] Abstract | Press Release

Recessive Cardiac Phenotypes in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Models of Jervell and Lange-Nielsen Syndrome: Disease Mechanisms and Pharmacological Rescue
Investigators used complementary approaches, reprogramming patient cells and genetic engineering, to generate human induced pluripotent stem cell models of Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome (JLNS), covering splice site and missense mutations, the two major classes of JLNS-causing defects in KCNQ1. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Abstract

Reconstruction of Highly Proliferative Auto-Tissue-Engineered Lamellar Cornea Enhanced by Embryonic Stem Cell
To increase the epithelial proliferation of an auto-tissue-engineered lamellar cornea, corneal epithelial cells were combined with mouse embryonic stem cells pre-transfected with the HSV-tk gene, and corneal epithelial cells were seeded between the acellular porcine corneal stroma and the amniotic membrane using the centrifugal cell seeding method. [Tissue Eng Part C Methods] Abstract

A 3’UTR-Associated RNA, FLJ11812 Maintains Stemness of Human Embryonic Stem Cells by Targeting miR-4459
miR-4459 could decrease the expression of its targets, CDC20B, LARP1 and ATG13, and thus altered stemness via cell cycle, mRNA stability and autophagy. Researchers reveal that 3’UTR-associated RNA FLJ11812 played a key role in maintenance of stemness of hESCs for the first time. [Stem Cells Dev] Abstract

Tetraploid Complementation Proves Pluripotency of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Derived from Adipose Tissue
Scientists succeeded to the birth of viable and fertile adult mice derived entirely from reprogrammed adipose stem cells, indicating cell types other than fibroblasts can also be restored to the embryonic level of pluripotency. [Cell Prolif] Abstract

PRMT5 Enhances Generation of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from Dairy Goat Embryonic Fibroblasts via Down-Regulation of p53
Investigators explored protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5) expression profiles in dairy goats and its consequences to derivation of induced pluripotent stem cells from dairy goat embryonic fibroblasts. [Cell Prolif] Abstract

Precise Correction of the Dystrophin Gene in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Patient Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells by TALEN and CRISPR-Cas9
To restore dystrophin protein, scientists performed three correction methods (exon skipping, frameshifting, and exon knockin) in Duchenne muscular dystrophy-patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells, and found that exon knockin was the most effective approach. [Stem Cell Rep]
Full Article | Graphical Abstract | Press Release

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ArunA to Develop Stem Cell Based Chemical Screening Kits that Mimic the Human Brain in a Dish
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator, Gina McCarthy, announced that ArunA Biomedical is among nine small businesses identified to share nearly $3 million in research funding to help the EPA bring green technology initiatives to the marketplace. During the award period, ArunA will expand commercial production capacity of human pluripotent stem cell derived neurons and astrocytes successfully developed through Phase I support. [ArunA Biomedical (PR Newswire Association LLC)] Press Release

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E.U. Commission Wants to Divert Horizon 2020 Money into New Investment Fund
The new boss of the European Commission has sparked criticism with plans to raid the European Union’s science budget to fodder a new investment fund aimed at boosting Europe’s sluggish economy and creating new jobs. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

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NEW Postdoctoral Position – Pluripotent Stem Cell Biology and Cancer Research (Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center)

Postdoctoral Research Associate – Stem Cell Engineering (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute)

Postdoctoral Fellow – In Vitro Modeling of Human Skeletal Muscle Disease (Duke University)

Head of Cellular and Molecular Therapies Laboratory (NHS Blood & Transplant)

PhD Studentship – The Initial Network for Cellular Reprogramming to Pluripotency (University of Edinburgh)

Postdoctoral Position – Stem Cell and RNA Biology (Lund University)

Postdoctoral Position – Muscle Cell Therapy (I-Stem)

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

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.)

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