Hematopoiesis News Volume 1.18 | May 18 2010

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    Hematopoiesis News 1.18, May 18, 2010.  
    In this issue: Science News  |  Current Publications  |  Industry News  |  Policy News  |  EventsSubscribe  |  Unsubscribe

    TOP STORY

    Wistar Scientists Explain the Persistence of Melanoma Through “Dynamic Stemness”
    The researchers write that – contrary to other published reports – melanoma does not appear to follow the hierarchic cancer stem cell model. Instead, all melanoma cells equally harbor cancer stem cell potential and are capable of inducing new tumors. [Press release from the Wistar Institute discussing online prepublication in Cell]

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    SCIENCE NEWS

    New Study Suggests Sickle Cell Disease May Affect Brain Function in Adults
    Researchers report that the brain function scores in sickle cell patients were, on average, in the normal range. However, twice as many patients as healthy adults (33 percent versus 15 percent) scored below normal levels. [Press release from the National Institutes of Health discussing online prepublication in the Journal of the American Medical Association]

    Perth Researchers Decipher Genetic Pattern that Predicts Leukemia Relapse
    Study co-author Dr Alex Beesley said the research group had identified a consistent pattern in five genes that has the potential to enable doctors to identify which patients would benefit from more aggressive treatment when first diagnosed with T cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. [Press release from Perth’s Telethon Institute for Child Health Research discussing online prepublication in Molecular Cancer]

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    CURRENT PUBLICATIONS (Ranked by Impact Factor of the Journal)

    LABORATORY RESEARCH

    A Temporarily Distinct Subpopulation of Slow-Cycling Melanoma Cells Is Required for Continuous Tumor Growth
    Using the H3K4 demethylase JARID1B (KDM5B/PLU-1/RBP2-H1) as a biomarker, researchers have characterized a small subpopulation of slow-cycling melanoma cells that cycle with doubling times of >4 weeks within the rapidly proliferating main population. [Cell]

    Effective Targeting of Quiescent Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia Stem Cells by Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors in Combination with Imatinib Mesylate
    Here researchers investigated the ability of histone deacetylase inhibitors to target chronic myelogenous leukemia stem cells. [Cancer Cell]

    Accelerated Leukemogenesis by Truncated CBFBeta-SMMHC Defective in High-Affinity Binding with RUNX1
    This data suggest that RUNX1 dominant inhibition may not be a critical step for leukemogenesis by CBFbeta-SMMHC. [Cancer Cell]

    A Molecular Risk Score Based on Four Functional Pathways for Advanced Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma
    A multistep approach was used to design a quantitative RT-PCR assay to be applied to routine formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded samples, integrating genes expressed either by the tumor cells and their microenvironment. [Blood]

    AML1/ETO Proteins Control POU4F1/BRN3A Expression and Function in t(8;21) Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
    Researchers identify POU4F1/BRN3A as a novel potential upregulated AML1/ETO target gene whose dramatically high expression may cooperate with AML1/ETO in t(8;21) cells. [Cancer Res]

    Gene-Based Outcome Prediction in Multiple Cohorts of Pediatric T Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: A Children’s Oncology Group Study
    This study aimed to identify robust gene classifiers that could be used for the accurate prediction of relapse in independent cohorts and across different experimental platforms. [Mol Cancer]

    CLINICAL RESEARCH

    Phase I and Pharmacologic Study of SNS-032, a Potent and Selective Cdk2, 7, and 9 Inhibitor, in Patients With Advanced Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia and Multiple Myeloma
    Parallel cohorts of previously treated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and multiple myeloma received SNS-032 as a loading dose followed by 6-hour infusion weekly for 3 weeks of each 4-week course. [J Clin Oncol]

    Immune Recovery After Fludarabine-Cyclophosphamide-Rituximab Treatment in B Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Implication for Maintenance Immunotherapy
    Thirty B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients were treated with fludarabine-cyclophosphamide-rituximab and immune cell counts (natural killer cells, CD4, CD8, T gamma/delta and monocytes) were monitored from the end of treatment up to 36 months. [Leukemia]

    High Probability of Long-Term Survival in 2-Year Survivors of Autologous Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation for AML in First or Second CR
    Researchers describe the long-term outcomes of autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation for 315 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients in first or second complete remission (CR). [Bone Marrow Transplant]

    Plerixafor (Mozobil) for Stem Cell Mobilization in Patients with Multiple Myeloma Previously Treated with Lenalidomide
    These data suggest that CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells can be successfully and predictably collected with combination plerixafor plus G-CSF for primary or secondary mobilization in the majority of patients with multiple myeloma who have been previously treated with lenalidomide. [Bone Marrow Transplant]

    INDUSTRY NEWS

    Affymax Gets Lift As Merck Discontinues Potential Competitor
    Merck & Co.’s plan to discontinue development of an anemia treatment boosted shares of Affymax Inc., a small biotechnology company that is developing a similar product. [The Wall Street Journal]

    Octapharma Selling Blood Disorder Treatment Wilate
    Biotechnology company Octapharma said it made Wilate, the first replacement therapy developed specifically for von Willebrand disease, available to distributors. [Bloomberg Business Week]

    POLICY NEWS

    Personal Gene-Testing Companies Need U.S. Clearance, FDA Says
    Gene-test kits that promise to tell consumers their risk of Alzheimer’s disease, breast cancer and numerous illnesses must be approved by regulators whether the tests are sold online or in stores, a U.S. official said. [Food and Drug Administration, United States]

    Federal Agents Probing Army’s Use of Trauma Drug
    Federal criminal investigators are exploring the Army’s use of a controversial and expensive blood-clotting drug injected into wounded troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. [The Baltimore Sun]

    NIH Starts to Flesh out Drug Development Program
    Lawmakers began discussing the details of a newly created drug development program at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). NIH Director Francis Collins told a Senate panel that he’s eager to get started – once the program has a budget. [National Institutes of Health, United States]

    Statement by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and NIH Director Francis Collins Regarding the President’s Intent to Appoint Dr. Harold Varmus as Director of the National Institute of Cancer at the National Institutes of Health [National Institutes of Health, United States]

    Notice of Funding Opportunity for a Cell Characterization Core for the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Progenitor Cell Biology Consortium (NOT-HL-10-109) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

    Notice of Intent to Publish Request for Applications for the Blood and Marrow Transplant Clinical Trials Network Data Coordinating Center (U10) (NOT-HL-10-108) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

    Enhancing Peer Review: Expectation for Service on NIH Peer Review and Advisory Groups (NOT-OD-10-089) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

    Request for Information: Scientific and Regulatory Issues to be Explored at an Upcoming Pluripotent Stem Cell Workshop Involving NIH and FDA (NOT-NS-10-016) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

    Request for Information 75 FR 24835 – Infectious Diseases (Docket No. OSHA-2010-0003) [Food and Drug Administration, United States]

    Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting (Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0001) [Food and Drug Administration, United States]

    Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Experimental Study of Patient Information Prototypes (Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0184) [Food and Drug Administration, United States]

    EVENTS

    16th International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) Meeting
    May 23-26, 2010
    Philadelphia, United States

    Systems Biology of Stem Cells
    May 24-25, 2010
    Irvine, United States

    International Scientific Symposium; Stem Cells in Biology and Disease
    May 26-28, 2010
    Lisbon, Portugal

    International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) 8th Annual Meeting
    June 16-19, 2010
    San Francisco, United States

    XXXIst International Congress of the International Society of Blood Transfusion (ISBT) in joint cooperation with the 43rd Congress of the German Society for Transfusion Medicine and Immunohematology (DGTI)
    June 26-July 1, 2010
    Berlin, Germany

    The European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Meeting 2010
    September 4-7, 2010
    Barcelona, Spain

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

    Society for Hematology and Stem Cells (ISEH) 2010 Meeting
    September 15-18, 2010
    Melbourne, Australia

    Stem Cells and Regeneration
    October 3-9, 2010
    Woods Hole, United States

    American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) Annual Meeting 2010
    October 9-12, 2010
    Baltimore, United States

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

    52nd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition
    December 4-7, 2010
    Orlando, 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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