Hematopoiesis News Volume 9.39 | Oct 2 2018

TOP STORY

Elusive Stem Cells Could Help Repair Blood Vessels

A unique source of stem cells in blood helps to build blood vessels according to new UCL-led research with mouse embryos. The findings change scientific understanding of how blood vessels are made and bring scientists one step closer to using stem cells to grow new blood vessels and repair damaged ones. [Press release from the University College London discussing online prepublication in Nature] Press Release | Abstract

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

Dynamics of Genetically Engineered Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells after Autologous Transplantation in Humans

Researchers discovered that primitive multipotent progenitor and HSC populations had distinct roles during initial reconstitution after transplant, compared with subsequent steady-state phases. They showed that a fraction of in vitro-activated HSCs were resilient and underwent a defined delayed activation period upon transplant. [Nat Med] Abstract | Press Release

Rheb1 Loss Leads to Increased Hematopoietic Stem Cell Proliferation and Myeloid-Biased Differentiation In Vivo

Rheb1 deficiency led to a progressive enlargement of hematopoietic stem cell population and eventual excessive myeloproliferation in vivo, including an overproduction of peripheral neutrophils and an excessive expansion of extramedullary hematopoiesis. [Haematologica] Abstract | Full Article

ActivinA: A New Leukemia-Promoting Factor Conferring Migratory Advantage to B-Cell Precursor-Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemic Cells

ActivinA promoted random motility and CXCL12-driven migration of leukemic cells, even at suboptimal chemokine concentrations, characterizing the leukemic niche. Conversely, ActivinA severely impaired CXCL12-induced migration of healthy CD34⁺ cells. By stimulating leukemic cell invasiveness, ActivinA resulted a leukemia-promoting factor. [Haematologica] Abstract | Full Article

Generation of Mouse-Zebrafish Hematopoietic Tissue Chimeric Embryos for Hematopoiesis and Host-Pathogen Interaction Studies

Scientists developed a xenotransplantation technique that transiently generated hundreds of hematopoietic tissue chimeric embryos by transplanting murine bone marrow cells into zebrafish blastulae. [Dis Model Mech] Abstract | Full Article

The Chemokine CCL3 Regulates Myeloid Differentiation and Hematopoietic Stem Cell Numbers

Investigators showed that CCL3 promoted myeloid lineage differentiation and the size of the hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell pool independent of the supportive bone marrow microenvironment. [Sci Rep] Full Article

mTORC1 Plays an Important Role in Osteoblastic Regulation of B-Lymphopoiesis

Rptor_ob^−/− mice exhibited a significant reduction in pre-B and immature B-cells in the bone marrow, indicative of a block in B-cell development from the pro-B to pre-B cell stage. [Sci Rep] Full Article

CLINICAL RESEARCH

Impact of a Novel Prognostic Model, Hematopoietic Cell Transplant-Composite Risk (HCT-CR), on Allogeneic Transplant Outcomes in Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndrome

A concordance test showed that the hematopoietic cell transplant-composite risk (HCT-CR) model provided better discriminative capacity for OS prediction compared with all prior models independently, including cytogenetic risk group, refined disease risk index, and HCT-CI/age index model. [Bone Marrow Transplant] Abstract

Pre-Transplant Expressions of microRNAs, Comorbidities, and Post-Transplant Mortality

Researchers analyzed micro-RNAs as possible diagnostic biomarkers for relevant comorbidities prior to and prognostic biomarkers for mortality following hematopoietic cell transplantation. [Bone Marrow Transplant] Abstract

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In Vitro Generation of Red Blood Cells for Transfusion Medicine: Progress, Prospects and Challenges

The authors highlight the recent advances to red blood cell (RBC) generation from different approaches and discuss the challenges and new strategies that can potentially make large-scale in vitro generation of RBCs a feasible approach. [Biotechnol Adv] Abstract

Leveraging Hypomethylating Agents for Better MDS Therapy

Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is a clinically and molecularly heterogeneous disease, which primarily occurs in older adults. Although hypomethylating agents have survival benefit and are the current standard of care, many MDS patients will not garner a response from therapy. [Curr Hematol Malig Rep] Abstract

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

FDA Authorizes First Next Generation Sequencing-Based Test to Detect Very Low Levels of Remaining Cancer Cells in Patients with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia or Multiple Myeloma

The FDA permitted marketing of ClonoSEQ assay, a next generation sequencing-based test for minimal residual disease in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia or multiple myeloma. [U.S. Food and Drug Administration] Press Release

Seattle Genetics and Takeda Announce Positive Results from Phase III ECHELON-2 Clinical Trial Evaluating ADCETRIS^® (Brentuximab Vedotin) in Frontline CD30-Expressing Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma

Seattle Genetics, Inc. and Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited announced that the Phase III ECHELON-2 clinical trial met its primary endpoint. [Seattle Genetics, Inc.] Press Release

TG Therapeutics Announces Update Regarding UNITY-CLL Phase III Trial

TG Therapeutics announced that the independent Data Safety Monitoring Board for the UNITY-CLL Phase III trial met to review ongoing data from the study and advised the company that the interim analysis of overall response rate could not be conducted at this time as the data were not sufficiently mature to conduct the analysis. [TG Therapeutics, Inc.] Press Release

Protagonist Therapeutics Announces Fast Track Designation Granted by U.S. FDA to Hepcidin Mimetic PTG-300

Protagonist Therapeutics, Inc. announced that the FDA has granted Fast Track designation to therapeutic candidate PTG-300 for the treatment of chronic anemia due to ineffective erythropoiesis in patients with beta-thalassemia. [Protagonist Therapeutics Inc.] Press Release

Pluristem Therapeutics Announces FDA Orphan Drug Designation for PLX Cell Therapy for the Treatment of Graft Failure and Incomplete Recovery following Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

Pluristem Therapeutics Inc. announced that the FDA has granted Orphan Drug Designation to the company’s PLX cell therapy for the treatment of graft failure and incomplete hematopoietic recovery following hematopoietic cell transplantation. [Pluristem Therapeutics Inc.] Press Release

Cancer Immunologists Scoop Medicine Nobel Prize

Two scientists who pioneered an entirely new way to treat cancer have won the 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. [Nature News] Editorial

China to Train African Scientists as Part of $60-Billion Development Plan

China wants to train Africa’s next generation of scientists. Its lofty goal is to improve African science in fields from agriculture and climate change to quantum physics and artificial intelligence. [Nature News] Editorial

U.K. Scientists ‘Are Going to Be All Right,’ after Brexit, Science Minister Promises

In January, U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May appointed Sam Gyimah as science and universities minister as a part of a broader cabinet reshuffle. During his visit, Gyimah spoke with Science about the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union, a topic that is causing a great deal of anxiety among U.K. scientists. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Airlines Fight Effort to Force Them to Carry Lab Animals

A last-ditch attempt by biomedical science advocates to force airlines to transport nonhuman primates and other research animals appears to be facing stiff headwinds. Last week, four international carriers strongly urged the U.S. Department of Transportation to summarily reject a plea from a leading research advocacy organization to order the airlines to resume flying animals to research facilities around the world. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

NEW The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) Annual Meeting 2018
December 8-12, 2018
San Diego, California, United States

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

NEW Postdoctoral Associate – Hematopoiesis and Leukemia (The Jackson Laboratory)

NEW Research Assistant – Stem Cell Biology in Blood System Aging and Blood Cancer (The Jackson Laboratory)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Myelodysplasia and Acute Myeloid Leukemia (University of New South Wales)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Immunology/Hematopoiesis (Lund University)

Postdoctoral Position – Stem Cells, Development and Cancer (Albert Einstein College of Medicine)

Assistant, Associate or Full Professors – Malignant Hematopoiesis (Cincinnati Children’s Research Medical Center)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Leukemic Stem Cell Biology (McGill University)

Tenure Track or Early Career/Tenure-Eligible Investigator – Developmental Biology (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Senior Scientist – CAR T-Cell Research (CELLECTIS Inc.)

Postdoctoral Fellows – Hematopoiesis and Blood Disorders (Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute)

Faculty Position – Hematopathologist (St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Aging of Hematopoietic Stem Cells (City of Hope)

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