Hematopoiesis News Volume 5.28 | Jul 29 2014

Molecular Basis of Crosstalk between Oncogenic Ras and the Master Regulator of Hematopoiesis GATA-2
Mutations in the master regulator of hematopoiesis GATA-2 underlie an immunodeficiency associated with myelodysplastic syndrome and leukemia. Scientists discovered that a GATA-2 disease mutant (T354M) defective in chromatin binding was hyperphosphorylated by p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase. [EMBO Rep] Abstract

Efficient Purification of CD4⁺ Lymphocytes from Peripheral Blood Progenitor Cell Products Using Affinity Bead Acoustophoresis
Scientists investigated the performance of microfluidic acoustophoresis for the separation of lymphocyte subsets from peripheral blood progenitor cells, and present a novel method for affinity-bead-mediated acoustic separation of cells which can otherwise not be acoustically discriminated. [Cytometry A] Abstract

Acute Hematopoietic Stress in Mice Is Followed by Enhanced Osteoclast Maturation in the Bone Marrow Microenvironment
Researchers investigated whether an acute blood loss of 10% of total blood content and the consequent intense hematopoiesis would affect osteoclast differentiation and activity. [Exp Hematol] Abstract

Drl.3 Governs Primitive Hematopoiesis in Zebrafish
The authors describe a family of zebrafish genes that includes a novel hematopoietic regulator, draculin-like 3 (drl.3). They found that drl.3 is expressed in mesoderm-derived hematopoietic cells and is retained during erythroid maturation [Sci Rep] Full Article

CLINICAL RESEARCH

Mycophenolate Mofetil versus Methotrexate for Prevention of Graft-versus-Host Disease in People Receiving Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
Investigators assessed the effect of mycophenolate mofetil versus methotrexate for prevention of acute graft-versus-host disease in people undergoing allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. [Cochrane Database Syst Rev] Abstract

SWOG0919: A Phase II Study of Idarubicin and Cytarabine in Combination with Pravastatin for Relapsed Acute Myeloid Leukemia
A Phase I study demonstrated the safety of high dose pravastatin given with idarubicin and cytarabine in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and also demonstrated an encouraging response rate. The Southwestern Oncology Group (SWOG) trial, SWOG S0919, was a Phase II trial evaluating the complete remission rate in a larger number of patients with relapsed AML treated with idarubicin, cytarabine and pravastatin. [Br J Haematol] Abstract

Favorable Outcomes from Allogeneic and Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation for Patients with Transformed Non-Follicular Indolent Lymphoma
This is a multicenter, retrospective cohort study of patients with biopsy-proven indolent B-cell non-follicular non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and simultaneous or subsequent biopsy-proven aggressive histology transformation who were treated with allogeneic and autologous stem cell transplantation. [Biol Blood Marrow Transplant] Abstract

Biophysical Regulation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells
This review sheds light on the role of biophysical parameters in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) biology and outlines which knowledge on biophysical regulation identified in other cell types could be applied to HSCs. [Biomater Sci] Abstract

Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the hematopoiesis research field.

Innate Pharma SA Announces Completion of Target Enrollment in the Phase II EffiKIR Trial
Innate Pharma SA announced completion of target enrollment in the EffiKIR trial with 150 patients randomized. EffiKIR is a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized Phase II trial of lirilumab as maintenance treatment in elderly patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in first complete remission. [Innate Pharma SA] Press Release

Merck Initiates Phase III Study of Letermovir, an Investigational Antiviral for Prevention of Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infection in High-Risk Bone Marrow Transplant Patients
Merck announced that the first patient has been enrolled in a global Phase III clinical study of letermovir (MK-8228), an investigational antiviral agent. The multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled study will evaluate the efficacy and safety of letermovir for the prevention of clinically-significant CMV infection in adult CMV-seropositive recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplants. [Merck & Co., Inc.] Press Release

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

Senior Research Fellow/Research Fellow – Hematopoietic and Leukemia Stem Cell Biology (Monash University)

Postdoctoral Position – Molecular Properties of Leukemic Stem Cells (BC Cancer Agency)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Molecular Mechanisms Regulating Transformation and Maintenance of Leukemia Stem Cells (City of Hope)

PhD Student – Development and Regulation of Innate Immunity (Lund University)

Biologist – Hypoxia Signaling in Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (University Hospital Aachen)

Research Associate – Transcriptional/Epigenetic Changes and Their Roles in Normal and Malignant Hematopoietic Stem Cell Development (King’s College London)

Scientific Manager – hES and iPS Cell Lines to Model Normal Hematopoiesis and Related Blood Diseases (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Cardiovascular Immunology / Hematology (Massachusetts General Hospital)

Scientist – Pluripotent Stem Cell Media Development, High Throughput Screening (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Scientist – Cell Culture Support Products (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Scientist – Immunology/Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Research Associate – Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

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