Hematopoiesis News Volume 2.33 | Aug 23 2011

cMyb Regulates Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cell Mobilization During Zebrafish Hematopoiesis
Through analysis of the zebrafish cmyb mutant cmyb^hkz3, researchers show that the suppression of cMyb function abrogates larval and adult hematopoiesis, with concomitant accumulation of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells in their birthplace, the ventral wall of the dorsal aorta. [Blood]

Modified Ecstasy Holds Promise as Blood Cancer Treatment
Scientists have discovered a modified form of the drug MDMA – commonly known as Ecstasy – which has 100 times more cancer-busting properties than the popular recreational drug itself and which they hope may be able to be produced in a safe form to treat patients. [Press release from the University of Birmingham discussing online prepublication in Investigational New Drugs]

Clavis Pharma Announces Encouraging Interim Results of Phase II Trial with Elacytarabine in Combination with Idarubicin in Patients with Early Stage Acute Myeloid Lymphoma (AML)
Clavis Pharma ASA announced encouraging interim efficacy data from its Phase II clinical trial with elacytarabine in combination with idarubicin in patients with AML who have failed cytarabine-containing first-course chemotherapy. [Clavis Pharma ASA Press Release]

LABORATORY RESEARCH

Gene Induction and Repression During Terminal Erythropoiesis Are Mediated by Distinct Epigenetic Changes
Here scientists use global mRNA sequencing and chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled to high-throughput sequencing to investigate the changes that occur in mRNA levels, RNA Polymerase II occupancy and multiple post-translational histone modifications when erythroid progenitors differentiate into late erythroblasts. [Blood]

A Blood Flow-Dependent klf2a-Nitric Oxide Signaling Cascade Is Required for Stabilization of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Programming in Zebrafish Embryos
Here, investigators take advantage of zebrafish embryos with circulation defects that retain relatively normal early development to illustrate the combinatorial roles of genetic and hemodynamic forces in hematopoietic stem cell development. [Blood]

Ten-Eleven-Translocation 2 (TET2) Negatively Regulates Homeostasis and Differentiation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells in Mice
By analyzing mice with targeted disruption of the Tet2 catalytic domain, scientists show here that Tet2 is a critical regulator of self-renewal and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells. [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A]

TGFβ Inhibition Enhances the Generation of Hematopoietic Progenitors from Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Hemogenic Endothelial Cells Using a Stepwise Strategy
Here, on the basis of the emergence of CD43⁺ hematopoietic cells from hemogenic endothelial (HE) cells, researchers demonstrated that VEGF was essential and sufficient, and that bFGF was synergistic with VEGF to specify the HE cells and the subsequent transition into CD43⁺ hematopoietic cells. [Cell Res]

Absence of IL-12Rβ2 in CD33⁺CD38⁺ Pediatric Acute Myeloid Leukemia Cells Favors Progression in NOD/SCID/IL2RγC-Deficient Mice
Scientists investigated whether interleukin (IL)-12 may target acute myeloid leukemia blasts (CD45⁺CD33⁺) and populations known to contain leukemia initiating cells (that is, CD34⁺CD38⁻, CD33⁺CD38⁺ and CD44⁺CD38⁻ cells). [Leukemia]

Stem Cell Factor Consistently Improves Thymopoiesis After Experimental Transplantation of Murine or Human Hematopoietic Stem Cells in Immunodeficient Mice
Investigators evaluated whether stem cell factor administration would improve recovery of thymopoiesis following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in immunodeficient mice receiving: 1) bone marrow transplantation of congenic mice; or 2) human fetal liver HSCT in the human immune system mouse model. [J Immunol]

Enhancing the Anti-Lymphoma Potential of 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (‘Ecstasy’) through Iterative Chemical Redesign: Mechanisms and Pathways to Cell Death
From an initial analysis of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) analogs synthesized with a modified α-substituent, it was found that incorporating a phenyl group increased potency against sensitive, Bcl-2-deplete, Burkitt’s lymphoma cells 10-fold relative to MDMA. [Invest New Drugs]

CLINICAL RESEARCH

Access to Allogeneic Hematopoietic SCT for Patients with MDS or Relapsed AML Treated According to Protocols of the Dutch Childhood Oncology Group
To investigate whether all patients in need of an allogeneic hematopoietic SCT are offered one, scientists retrospectively investigated the policy for all children diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (n=90) or relapsed AML (n=75) between 1998 and 2008. [Bone Marrow Transplant]

Functional Genetic Variations of Cyclooxygenase-2 and Susceptibility to Acute Myeloid Leukemia in a Chinese Population
In this case-control study, the genotypes of potential functional SNPs in cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) gene were determined with PCR-RFLP method in 446 patients and 725 controls. [Eur J Haematol]

FDA Clears Abbott’s Genetic FISH Panel for Leukemia Patient Prognosis
Abbott announced it has received 510k clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for a new in vitro diagnostic test to aid in determining the prognosis of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. [Abbott Laboratories Press Release]

Ontario Institute for Cancer Research Announces $12.6 Million to Support High Impact Clinical Trials in Ontario
Dr. Tom Hudson, President and Scientific Director of the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR), announced $12.6 million in funding over four years for OICR’s High Impact Clinical Trials Program. [Ontario Institute for Cancer Research Press Release]

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to Co-Lead One of Five NCI-Funded Proteomics Research Centers
The National Cancer Institute announced that a team co-led by Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and The Broad Institute has been selected to participate in a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-funded research consortium dedicated to understanding the molecular basis of cancer. [Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center Press Release]

NEW International Society for Cell Therapy North American Regional Meeting
September 15-16, 2011
Charlottesville, United States

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