Extracellular Matrix News Volume 1.33 | Dec 23 2010

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    Extracellular Matrix News 1.33, December 23, 2010  
    In this issue: Science News  |  Current Publications  |  Industry News  |  Policy News  |  EventsSubscribe  |  Unsubscribe

    TOP STORY

    Degradable Scaffolds for Tissues  ShareThis
    Three-dimensional frameworks where cells can settle and grow tissues and organs are desired in regenerative medicine. Material scientists have now developed new scaffolds with special characteristics. [Press release from the University Würzburg discussing online prepublication in Nature Materials]

    MesenCult®-XF Medium 
    Culture Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells in
    Serum-Free MesenCult®-XF

    by STEMCELL Technologies
     
     
    CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORESTEMCELL Technologies Inc
     

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    SCIENCE NEWS

    “Magnetic Sponge” Could Be New Form of Drug and Cell Delivery
    Engineers have developed a “magnetic sponge” that after implantation into a patient can “squeeze” out drugs, cells, or other agents when passed over by a magnet. [Press release from the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences discussing online prepublication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA]

    Soft Substrate Promotes Pluripotent Stem Cell Culture
    Researchers demonstrated that culturing mouse embryonic stem cells on a soft gel rather than on a hard plate or dish keeps them in their pluripotent state. The soft substrate maintains homogeneous pluripotent colonies over long periods of time. [Press release from the University of Illinois discussing online prepublication in PLoS One]

    Aldefluor_645x110_v01


    CURRENT PUBLICATIONS (Ranked by Impact Factor of the Journal)

    Degradable Polyester Scaffolds with Controlled Surface Chemistry Combining Minimal Protein Adsorption with Specific Bioactivation
    Researchers present a one-step preparation of fully synthetic, bioactive and degradable extracellular matrix-mimetic scaffolds by electrospinning, using poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) as the matrix polymer. [Nat Mater]

    Active Scaffolds for On-Demand Drug and Cell Delivery
    Researchers present a new active porous scaffold that can be remotely controlled by a magnetic field to deliver various biological agents on demand. [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A]

    Engineered Silk Fibroin Protein 3D Matrices for In Vitro Tumor Model
    Antheraea mylitta silk fibroin protein matrices were investigated as potential biomaterial for in vitro tumor modeling.  [Biomaterials]

    Modulus-Driven Differentiation of Marrow Stromal Cells in 3D Scaffolds That Is Independent of Myosin-Based Cytoskeletal Tension
    Researchers report on the effect of 3D matrix modulus on human bone marrow stromal cell differentiation. [Biomaterials]

    Endothelin-1 Increases Collagen Accumulation in Renal Mesangial Cells by Stimulating a Chemokine and Cytokine Autocrine Signaling Loop
    Researchers analyzed the gene expression profile of endothelin-1-stimulated mesangial cells to identify determinants of collagen accumulation. [J Biol Chem]

    Differential Effect of ECM Molecules on Re-Expression of Cartilaginous Markers in Near Quiescent Human Chondrocytes
    The objective of this study was to establish the beneficial effect of extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules on restoring the re-expression of cartilaginous markers in primary human chondrocytes after extensive monolayer expansion. [J Cell Physiol]

    Effects of Extracellular Matrix Density and Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Neovascularization In Vivo
    Researchers previously established that increasing extracellular matrix density inhibits capillary morphogenesis in three-dimensional tissues in vitro, and that addition of human mesenchymal stem cells partially rescues a healthy angiogenic phenotype. This study’s goal was to investigate if these effects can be recapitulated in vivo. [Tissue Eng Part A ]

    Soft Substrates Promote Homogeneous Self-Renewal of Embryonic Stem Cells via Downregulating Cell-Matrix Tractions
    Findings demonstrate that mouse embryonic stem cell self-renewal and pluripotency can be maintained homogeneously on soft substrates via the biophysical mechanism of facilitating generation of low cell-matrix tractions. [PLoS One]

    3 Hours of Perfusion Culture Prior to 28 Days of Static Culture, Enhances Osteogenesis by Human Cells in a Collagen GAG Scaffold
    This study examined the effect of short term flow perfusion bioreactor culture, prior to long term static culture, on human osteoblast cell distribution and osteogenesis within a collagen glycosaminoglycan (GAG) scaffold for bone tissue engineering. [Biotechnol Bioeng]

    Influence of Substrate Stiffness on Cell-Substrate Interfacial Adhesion and Spreading: A Mechano-Chemical Coupling Model
    Based on the classical Bell-Dembo’s theory, this paper develops a mechano-chemical coupling model to physically describe cell adhesion and spreading mediated by substrate stiffness. [J Colloid Interface Sci]

    HGF Inhibits TGF-Beta1-Induced Myofibroblast Differentiation and Extracellular Matrix Deposition via MMP-2 in Achilles Tendon in Rat
    Results indicate hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) attenuates TGF-beta1-induced fibrogenic responses in Achilles tendon, which was mediated by matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2. [Eur J Appl Physiol]


    INDUSTRY NEWS

    Gilead Sciences to Acquire Arresto Biosciences for $225 Million
    Gilead Sciences, Inc. and Arresto Biosciences, Inc., a privately-held, development-stage biotechnology company focused on medicines to treat fibrotic diseases and cancer, announced the signing of a definitive agreement pursuant to which Gilead will acquire Arresto. [Gilead Sciences, Inc. Press Release]
     
    Metamark and HistoRx Announce Licensing Agreement for AQUA® Technology
    Metamark Genetics, Inc. and HistoRx, Inc. announced a multi-year licensing agreement. HistoRx has granted Metamark a worldwide license to the AQUA technology for the clinical commercialization of Metamark’s proprietary MetamarkDx™ Prognostic Assays. [Metamark Genetics, Inc. Press Release]

    Fibrocell Science, Inc. Submits Complete Response to FDA Regarding Azficel-T
    Fibrocell Science, Inc. announced that it has submitted its complete response to the Complete Response letter issued by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the Company’s Biologics License Application for azficel-T, proposed brand name laViv®, for the treatment of moderate to severe nasolabial folds and wrinkles. [Fibrocell Science, Inc. Press Release]

    CIRM Governing Board Re-Elects Robert Klein as Chair, Senator Art Torres and Duane Roth as Co-Vice Chairs
    The Governing Board of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the state stem cell agency created by proposition 71, voted to re-elect current chair Robert Klein. [California Institute for Regenerative Medicine Press Release]


    POLICY NEWS

    Presidential Commission on Bioethics Calls for Enhanced Federal Oversight in Emerging Field of Synthetic Biology
    The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues released its first report — a wide-ranging review of the emerging field of synthetic biology — issuing 18 recommendations including a call for coordinated federal oversight of scientists working in both large institutions and smaller settings. [The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, United States]

    Senate Spending Bill Would Boost NSF, NIH Budgets
    In some good fiscal news yesterday for the U.S. science community, a Senate spending panel has crafted a 2011 federal budget that would give several science agencies increases that are close to their requested levels. [Senate, United States]
     
    Funding for Science and Research
    Funding plans for science and research 2011/12 to 2014/15 were published by the Government. [Department for Business Innovation and Skills, United Kingdom]

    National Institutes of Health (United States)

    Food and Drug Administration (United States)

    Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (United States)

    European Medicines Agency (European Union)

    Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (United Kingdom)

    Therapeutic Goods Administration (Australia)


    EVENTS 

    NEW Colloids and Materials 2011
    May 8-11, 2011
    Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Visit our events page to stay up to date with the latest events in the extracellular matrix community.


    JOB OPPORTUNITIES

    Lab Technologist – Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies)

    Lab Technologist – Human Embryonic and Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (STEMCELL Technologies)

    Lab Technologist – Tissue Culture (STEMCELL Technologies)

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