Hematopoiesis News Volume 2.29 | Jul 26 2011

Stromal Pleiotrophin Regulates Repopulation Behavior of Hematopoietic Stem Cells
Results support the idea that microenvironmental pleiotrophin regulates hematopoietic regeneration through β-catenin-independent regulation of cyclin D1 and C/EBPa. [Blood]

Hodgkin Regimens: Similar Results, Different Trade-Offs
Patients with unfavorable Hodgkin’s lymphoma initially benefited from intensified chemotherapy, but final results proved no better than those of a standard regimen, researchers reported. [Press release from Medpage Today discussing online prepublication in the New England Journal of Medicine]

Two Genetic Variations Predict Second Cancers After Radiation Treatment for Children with Hodgkin Lymphoma
A genome-wide association study has found two tiny genetic variations that can predict which patients with Hodgkin’s lymphoma are most likely to develop radiation-induced second cancers years after treatment. [Press release from The University of Chicago Medical Center discussing online prepublication in Nature Medicine]

Sunesis Announces Publication of Phase Ib Data of Vosaroxin in Relapsed or Refractory Acute Leukemia
Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced the publication of data from a Phase Ib multi-center study of vosaroxin in relapsed or refractory leukemia. [Press release from Sunesis Pharmaceuticals, Inc. discussing online prepublication in Leukemia]

Survival of Stage IV Breast Cancer Patients Improves with Stem Cell Treatment, Study Finds
Researchers found that a greater proportion of patients who received the aggressive high-dose chemotherapy treatment 12 to 14 years ago, followed by a rescue with their own, specially purified blood stem cells that had been purged of cancer, survived compared with those who were rescued with unmanipulated blood grafts. [Press release from Stanford School of Medicine discussing online prepublication in the Biology of Blood and Marrow Transplantation]

Thalidomide Analog Appears Worthy Opponent of Sickle Cell Disease
A thalidomide analog is shaping up as a safe, worthy opponent of sickle cell disease, researchers report. [Georgia Health Sciences University Press Release]

LABORATORY RESEARCH

The miR-144/451^eGFP Allele, a Novel Tool for Resolving the Erythroid Potential of Hematopoietic Precursors
Scientists presented a novel eGFP allele that allows the quantitative analysis of red blood cell origin at the single-cell level. [Blood]

Transgenic Expression of Human Signal Regulatory Protein Alpha in Rag2^−/−γc^−/− Mice Improves Engraftment of Human Hematopoietic Cells in Humanized Mice
Researchers have generated mice that faithfully express a transgene of human signal regulatory protein alpha, a receptor that negatively regulates phagocytosis, in Rag2^−/−γc^−/− mice on a mixed 129/BALB/c background. [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A]

Conditioning for Hematopoietic Transplantation Activates the Complement Cascade and Induces a Proteolytic Environment in Bone Marrow: A Novel Role for Bioactive Lipids and Soluble C5b-C9 as Homing Factors
Investigators have observed that conditioning for hematopoietic transplantation by lethal irradiation induces a proteolytic microenvironment in the bone marrow that activates the complement cascade. [Leukemia]

BCL-2 Family Genetic Profiling Reveals Microenvironment-Specific Determinants of Therapeutic Response
In this study, researchers report findings derived from a pool-based shRNA assay that systematically and comprehensively interrogated the functional dependence of leukemia and lymphoma cells upon various BCL-2 family members across many diverse in vitro and in vivo settings. [Cancer Res]

Zebrafish Mll Is Essential for Hematopoiesis
Here, scientists investigated the role of mixed lineage leukemia (Mll) during zebrafish embryogenesis, in particular, hematopoiesis. [J Biol Chem]

The Transcription Factor Mxd4 Controls the Proliferation of the First Blood Precursors at the Onset of Hematopoietic Development In Vitro
Researchers show that Mxd4 expression is transiently down-regulated at an early stage of commitment to the hematopoietic lineage. [Exp Hematol]

CLINICAL RESEARCH

ABVD Versus BEACOPP for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma When High-Dose Salvage Is Planned
Treatment with BEACOPP, as compared with the combination of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD), resulted in better initial tumor control, but the long-term clinical outcome did not differ significantly between the two regimens. [N Engl J Med]

Variants at 6q21 Implicate PRDM1 in the Etiology of Therapy-Induced Second Malignancies After Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Scientists identified two variants at chromosome 6q21 associated with second malignant neoplasms in survivors of Hodgkin’s lymphoma treated with radiation therapy as children but not as adults. [Nat Med]

Outcome of High-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome After Azacitidine Treatment Failure
435 patients with high-risk myelodysplastic syndrome and former refractory anemia with excess blasts in transformation were evaluated for outcome after azacitidine failure. [J Clin Oncol]

A Phase Ib Study of Vosaroxin, an Anticancer Quinolone Derivative, in Patients with Relapsed or Refractory Acute Leukemia
This study of vosaroxin evaluated dose-limiting toxicity, maximum-tolerated dose, pharmacokinetics, clinical activity and pharmacodynamics in relapsed/refractory leukemia. [Leukemia]

Long-term Outcome of Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer Treated with High-Dose Chemotherapy and Transplantation of Purified Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cells
Investigators present the long-term outcome of a pilot study determining feasibility and engraftment using high-dose chemotherapy and purified hematopoietic stem cells in patients with metastatic breast cancer. [Biol Blood Marrow Transplant]

BUSM Awarded $9 Million to Investigate Treatment for Sickle Cell Disease Using iPS Cells
Researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) were recently awarded a five-year $9 million grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to mass-produce sickle cell anemia-specific induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. [EurekAlert! Press Release]

How Cancer Cells Escape Death
Coordinated by the German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum) and the University of Ulm, scientists are collaborating in a new Helmholtz Virtual Institute to study how leukemia cells become resistant to programmed cell death and to chemotherapy. [German Cancer Research Center Press Release]

ACT Obtains Exclusive License For Hemangioblast Technology In North America
Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACT) announced that it has entered into an agreement with CHA Bio & Diostech Co, Ltd. designed to enhance the efforts of the two companies’ international joint venture, Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine International. [Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. Press Release]

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)

NEW 2nd International Conference on Stem Cells and Cancer
October 15-18, 2011
Pune, India

Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the hematopoietic community

Post Doctoral Fellow (MedImmune)

Laboratory Project Scientist (University of California, San Diego)

Recruit Top Talent

Reach more than 11,000 potential candidates by posting your organization’s career opportunities on the Connexon Creative Job Board at no cost.

Jobs are categorized regionally: United States, Canada, Europe, Asia Pacific

Visit here to post your career opportunities.

Have we missed an important article or publication in Hematopoiesis News? Click here to submit!

Comments or Suggestions? Email info@connexoncreative.com with your feedback.