Extracellular Matrix News Volume 1.14 | Aug 5 2010

Btbd7 Regulates Epithelial Cell Dynamics and Branching Morphogenesis 
Researchers have identified Btbd7 as a dynamic regulator of branching morphogenesis. Btbd7 provides a mechanistic link between the extracellular matrix and cleft propagation through its highly focal expression leading to local regulation of Snail2 (Slug), E-cadherin, and epithelial cell motility. [Science]

Researchers Make Progress Toward Regenerating Tissue to Replace Joints
Researchers have successfully regenerated rabbit joints using a cutting edge process to form the joint in vivo. In this study, bioscaffolds were infused with a protein to promote growth of the rabbit joint. [Press release from the National Institutes of Health discussing online prepublication in The Lancet]

Mechanical Regulation Effects Stem Cell Development, Adhesion
Bioengineers have created a system to control the flexibility of the substrate surfaces on which cells are grown without changing the surface properties, providing a technique for more controlled lab experiments on cellular mechanobiology. [Press release from the University of Pennsylvania discussing online prepublication in Nature Methods]

Regeneration of the Articular Surface of the Rabbit Synovial Joint by Cell Homing: A Proof of Concept Study
Researchers tested the hypothesis that the articular surface of the synovial joint can regenerate with a biological cue spatially embedded in an anatomically correct bioscaffold. [Lancet]

Mechanical Regulation of Cell Function with Geometrically Modulated Elastomeric Substrates
Researchers report the establishment of a library of micromolded elastomeric micropost arrays to modulate substrate rigidity independently of effects on adhesive and other material surface properties. [Nat Methods]

The Role of Biomaterials in the Direction of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Properties and Extracellular Matrix Remodeling in Dermal Tissue Engineering
Researchers compared the epithelial-mesenchymal interaction and extracellular matrix remodeling of cell-based and collagen-based dermal equivalents using fibroblasts, bone marrow-mesenchymal stem cells or umbilical cord-mesenchymal stem cells, respectively, in co-culture with the keratinocyte cell line HaCaT. [Biomaterials]

The Influence of Collagen Film Nanostructure on Pulmonary Stem Cells and Collagen-Stromal Cell Interactions
Results indicate that the nanostructures of type I collagen films primarily affect stem colony formation through the collagen-stroma interactions. [Biomaterials]

The Effect of Matrix Characteristics on Fibroblast Proliferation in 3D Gels
Researchers used collagen gels and exploited the design flexibility of the biological, biochemical and physical characteristics offered by a PEG-based hydrogel system to systematically study the effect of specific extracellular microenvironments on the behavior of primary human fibroblasts in 3D. [Biomaterials]

Anti-Angiogenic Activity of Heparin-Like Polysulfonated Polymeric Drugs in 3D Human Cell Culture
The activity of new anti-angiogenic polymeric drugs was tested in a 3D endothelial cell culture system applied as a model of angiogenesis. The assay was performed in a highly reproducible fibrin matrix that supported endothelial cell attachment, proliferation, migration, and formation of capillary-like structures. [Biomaterials]

The 12th-14th Type III Repeats of Fibronectin (FN III12-14) Function as a Highly Promiscuous Growth Factor-Binding Domain
Researchers show that FN III12-14 is a highly promiscuous ligand for growth factors and also holds great potential in clinical healing applications. [FASEB J]

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Inhibit Both Endogenous and Exogenous MMPs via Secreted TIMPs
Mesenchymal stem cells are revealed as robust sources of TIMP-mediated matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-inhibition, capable of protecting the perivascular niche from high levels of MMPs even under pathological conditions. [J Cell Physiol]

Role of Hypoxia-Induced Fibronectin-Integrin Beta1 Expression in Embryonic Stem Cell Proliferation and Migration: Involvement of PI3K/Akt and FAK
Hypoxia increases the proliferation and migration of mouse embryonic stem cells via fibronectin-integrin beta1 production through the PI3K/Akt, mammalian target of rapamycin, and hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha pathways, followed by focal adhesion kinase (FAK) activation. [J Cell Physiol]

Sanofi-aventis Said to Be Likely to Bid $18 Billion for Genzyme
Sanofi-aventis is likely to make an unsolicited offer of up to $70 a share for Genzyme, raising the stakes for what could become one of the year’s biggest deals, people briefed on the matter said. [The New York Times]

British Companies to Receive Support to Develop New Regenerative Medicine Products and Technologies
The government-backed Technology Strategy Board is to invest over £5 million to support the research and development in the UK of new regenerative medicine products, tools and technologies. 16 research and development projects in the field of regenerative medicine therapeutics are to receive a total of £3.6 million of investment, while a further £1.6 million is to be invested in 12 feasibility studies in the area of regenerative medicine tools and technologies. [Technology Strategy Board Press Release]

Cytori Gains Stem Cell Device Approval in Europe for Breast Cancer Reconstruction and Soft Tissue Repair
Cytori Therapeutics received expanded European approval for its Celution® System, a medical device that extracts and separates stem and regenerative cells from a patient’s own fat tissue. [Cytori Therapeutics Press Release]

NSF Funding Request Faring Well in Congress
While the 2011 budget requests of other U.S. research agencies are struggling to stay afloat in choppy fiscal seas, so far National Science Foundation’s (NSF) is sailing through Congress largely intact. [National Science Foundation, United States]

Senate Spending Panel Approves $1 Billion Boost for NIH
A Senate subcommittee matched President Barack Obama’s request for a $1 billion increase in 2011 for the National Institutes of Health (NIH). That raise would bring the agency’s total budget to $32 billion, or 3.5% above the 2010 level, according to a statement from the Senate appropriations labor, health, and human services subcommittee. [National Institutes of Health, United States]

MHRA Business Plan 2010 and Corporate Plan 2010-15 Published
The MHRA gained ministerial agreement for the Agency’s Business Plan 2010 and the Corporate Plan 2010-15. [Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, United Kingdom]

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request [Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, United States]

National Human Genome Research Institute; Notice of Closed Meeting (Doc. 2010-18627) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

National Cancer Institute; Notice of Closed Meetings [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Office of the Director; Notice of Closed Meeting [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Request for Proposals (RFP): NIA Intervention Testing Program Solicits Proposals for Compounds to Test for Anti-Aging Activity in Mice (NOT-AG-10-008) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering; Notice of Meeting [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Correction of Major Programmatic Priorities for RFA-HL-11-025 (R01); “New Strategies for Growing 3D Tissues” (NOT-HL-11-115) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Guidance for Industry and Researchers on the Radioactive Drug Research Committee: Human Research Without an Investigational New Drug Application; Availability [Docket No. FDA-2009-D-0125] [Food and Drug Administration, United States]

Advances in Tissue Engineering 2010-18th Annual Short Course
August 11-14, 2010
Houston, United States

2010 World Cancer Congress
August 18-21, 2010
Shenzhen, China

Select Biosciences 3rd Annual Stem Cells Europe Conference
August 24-25, 2010
Edinburgh, Scotland

The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Meeting – Advancing the Life Sciences
September 4-7, 2010
Barcelona, Spain

23rd European Conference on Biomaterials
September 11-15, 2010
Tampere, Finland

Hydra VI: The European Summer School on Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine
September 11-17, 2010
Hydra, Greece

Stem Cells USA & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2010
September 13-15, 2010
Philadelphia, United States 

Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) – Asia Pacific 2010
September 15-17, 2010
Sydney, Australia

15th Congress of the European Society of Surgical Oncology (ESSO)
September 15-17, 2010
Bordeaux, France

9th Annual Human Proteome Organization (HUPO) World Congress
September 19-23, 2010
Sydney, Australia

Symposium on Advanced Wound Care
September 23-25, 2010
Anaheim, United States

4th International Conference on Biofabrication
October 4-6, 2010
Philadelphia, United States

bone-tec 2010 – International Bone-Tissue-Engineering Congress
October 7-10, 2010
Hannover, Germany

35th European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) Congress
October 8-12, 2010
Milan, Italy

BioStar 2010 – 4th Congress on Regenerative Biology and Medicine
October 13-15, 2010
Stuttgart, Germany

American Society for Matrix Biology (ASMB) 2010 Biennial Meeting
October 24-27, 2010
Charleston, United States

Select Biosciences 2nd Annual Lab-on-a-Chip World Congress
October 28-29, 2010
San Diego, United States

Fraunhofer Life Science Symposium 2010
October 29-30, 2010
Leipzig, Germany

6th National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Conference
November 7-10, 2010
Liverpool, United Kingdom

Select Biosciences 2nd International Forum on Stem Cells (2010 IFSC)
November 12-13, 2010
Tianjin, China

Medica 2010
November 17-20, 2010
Dusseldorf, Germany

Translational Excellence in Regenerative Medicine – Biophysical Stimuli and Mass Transport for Tissue Development
November 18-19, 2010
Lattrop, The Netherlands

First Berlin-Brandenburg School for Regenerative Therapies (BSRT) PhD Symposium
December 1-3, 2010
Berlin, Germany

Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) – North America 2010 Annual Conference
December 5-8, 2010
Orlando, United States

50th Anniversary American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting
December 11-15, 2010
Philadelphia, United States

Epithelial Plasticity and Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition
January 21-26, 2011
Vancouver, Canada

Select Biosciences 5th Annual Stem Cells World Congress
January 24-25, 2011
San Diego, United States

Phacilitate 7th Annual Cell & Gene Therapy Forum 2011
January 24-26, 2011
Washington, DC, United States

Visit our events page to stay up to date with the latest events in the cell, gene and immunotherapy community.

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