Mesenchymal Cell News Volume 2.02 | Jan 19 2010

TOP STORY

FDA Gives TCA Cellular Therapy Green Light to Proceed with First Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Adult Stem Cell Trial Using Patient’s Own Stem Cells 
TCA Cellular Therapy, LLC announced recently that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved its adult stem cell protocol to conduct Phase I clinical trials to treat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. [TCA Cellular Therapy, LLC, Covington]

Enumerate total hematopoietic progenitors (CFC) in cord blood units in only 7 days with MethoCult® Express by STEMCELL Technologies     REQUEST A SAMPLE

SCIENCE NEWS

Regulatory Network Balances Stem Cell Maintenance, Differentiation
Working with the small roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, researchers describe how a network of regulatory factors can maintain a stable pool of stem cells while launching a second pool of cells on the path toward maturing into differentiated cells with specific functions. [University of Wisconsin, Madison]

CURRENT PUBLICATIONS

Progression from a Stem Cell-Like State to Early Differentiation in the C. Elegans Germ Line
Germ cells in the mitotic region were investigated for their capacity to differentiate and their state of maturation. [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A]

Mesenchymal Progenitors Distinct from Satellite Cells Contribute to Ectopic Fat Cell Formation in Skeletal Muscle
This study prospectively identified PDGFR(Alpha)⁺ mesenchymal progenitors as being distinct from satellite cells and located in the muscle interstitium. [Nat Cell Biol]

Stem Cell Shape Regulates a Chondrogenic Versus Myogenic Fate Through Rac1 and N-Cadherin
Previous work has revealed that cell shape regulates human mesenchymal stem cells commitment between osteoblasts and adipocytes through RhoA signaling. This study show that cell shape also confers a switch between chondrogenic and smooth muscle cell fates. [Stem Cells]

Reactive Oxygen Species Inhibit Adhesion of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Implanted into Ischemic Myocardium via Interference of Focal Adhesion Complex
This study was designed to investigate the role of reactive oxygen species on mesenchymal stem cell adhesion. [Stem Cells]

Partial Silencing of Methyl Cytosine Protein Binding 2 (MECP2) in Mesenchymal Stem Cells Induces Senescence with an Increase in Damaged DNA
The silencing of MECP2 induces an increase in methylated cytosines in the genome. Nevertheless, MECP2 partial silencing did not change the methylation of promoters, whose expression is affected by MECP2 down-regulation. [FASEB J]

Hematopoietic Stem -and Progenitor Cells are Differentially Mobilized Dependent on the Duration of Flt3-Ligand Administration
Results indicate that hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSC/HPC) show different mobilization kinetics in response to Flt3-ligand, resulting in preferential mobilization of HPC at day 5, followed by HSC mobilization at day 10. [Haematologica]

Effect of Cryopreservation on Biological and Immunological Properties of Stem Cells from Apical Papilla
Researchers compared human freshly isolated stem cells from apical papilla (SCAP) with cryopreserved SCAP in terms of cell viability, colony-forming efficiency, cell proliferation rate, multilineage differentiation potential, profiles of mesenchymal stem cell markers, karyotype analysis, and immunological assays. [J Cell Physiol]

Characterization of Monoamine Oxidases in Mesenchymal Stem Cells: Role in Hydrogen Peroxide Generation and Serotonin-Dependant Apoptosis
Whether monoamine oxidase A is expressed in mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) was investigated and the its role in serotonin-dependent MSCs apoptosis was defined. [Stem Cells Dev]

Interferon-(Gamma) and Tumor Necrosis Factor-(Alpha) Differentially Affect Cytokine Expression and Migration Properties of Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Researchers demonstrate that under unstimulated conditions, an immortalized mesenchymal stem cell line (V54/2) constitutively expresses low levels of indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase, exert an immunosuppressive effect on activated T lymphocyte proliferation, secrete a distinct set of cytokines, and express a wide range of chemokine receptors. [Stem Cells Dev]

Enhanced Lipoplex-Mediated Gene Expression in Mesenchymal Stem Cells Using Reiterated Nuclear Localization Sequence Peptides
The present study describes the use of a cationic lipid vector (Lipofectamine 2000TM) to deliver genes to mesenchymal stem cells isolated from a number of species in vitro and determined the characteristics of this vector system in terms of dose, toxicity and the time course of expression. [J Gene Med]

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INDUSTRY NEWS

CryoLife Becomes Largest Shareowner of Medafor, Inc. and Proposes Combination Between the Two Companies
CryoLife, Inc. announced recently that it has purchased approximately 1.6 million shares of Medafor’s common stock from Medafor’s founders and certain principal shareholders for approximately $2.00 per share. [CryoLife Press Release]

Fort McPherson’s Biotech Makeover Moves Forward
A proposed 170-acre research park, expected to be the engine of a redeveloped Fort McPherson, could generate up to 7,000 jobs and lure Big Pharma to southwest Atlanta. [Atlanta Business Chronicle]

EVENTS

Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine World Congress
January 20-21, 2010
San Francisco, United States

CHI’s Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference 2010
February 3-5, 2010
San Francisco, United States

2010 Bone Marrow Transplant Tandem Meetings
February 24-28, 2010
Orlando, United States

36^th Annual Meeting of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation
March 21-24, 2010
Vienna, Austria

9th Transgenic Technology Meeting
March 22-24, 2010
Berlin, Germany

4th UK Mesenchymal Stem Cell Meeting
April 14, 2010
Leeds, United Kingdom

16th Annual ISCT meeting
May 23-26, 2010
Philadelphia, United States

2010 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting
June 4-8, 2010
Chicago, United States

5^th World Congress on Preventative and Regenerative Medicine
October 5-7, 2010
Hannover, Germany

2010 American Society for Matrix Biology Meeting
October 24-27, 2010
Charleston, United States

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Business Development Europe – Cell Therapy Products (PALL Corporation)

Research & Development Scientist – Pancreatic Cell Biology (STEMCELL Technologies)

Research & Development Scientist – Endothelial Cell Biology (STEMCELL Technologies)

Research & Development Scientist – Epithelial Cell Biology (STEMCELL Technologies)

Data Entry Assistant – Marketing (STEMCELL Technologies)

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