Mesenchymal Cell News Volume 2.04 | Feb 2 2010

TOP STORY

Wilms Tumor Cells with WT1 Mutations have Characteristic Features of Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Express Molecular Markers of Paraxial Mesoderm
Using published gene sets researchers found coexpression of a large number of genes in Wilms tumor cell lines, paraxial mesoderm and mesenchymal stem cells. [Hum Mol Genet]

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SCIENCE NEWS

Fat Tissue May Be a Source of Valuable Blood Stem Cells, Study Says
Researchers have found evidence that fat tissue, known as adipose tissue, may be a promising new source of valuable and easy-to-obtain regenerative cells called hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. [Press release from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology discussing the online prepublication in Blood]

CURRENT PUBLICATIONS

Engineering Cardiac Tissue In Vivo from Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells
Investigators evaluate the potential for generating human cardiac muscle cells in vivo from adipose-derived stem cells by co-implanting in a vascularised tissue engineering chamber with inducing rat cardiomyocytes. [Biomaterials] 

A Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor-Releasing Silk/Poly(Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid)-Based Biohybrid Scaffold for Ligament/Tendon Tissue Engineering Using Mesenchymal Progenitor Cells
This study developed a biohybrid fibrous scaffold system by coating bioactive basic fibroblast growth factor-releasing ultrafine poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) fibres over mechanically robust slowly-degrading degummed knitted microfibrous silk scaffolds. [Biomaterials] 

Direct and Indirect Effects of Microstructured Titanium Substrates on the Induction of Mesenchymal Stem Cell Differentiation Towards the Osteoblast Lineage
Researchers evaluated responses of human mesenchymal stem cells to substrate surface properties and examined the underlying mechanisms involved. [Biomaterials]

Mesenchymal Stem cells Differentiate into Renin Producing Juxtaglomerular-Like Cells Under the Control of LXR(alpha)
Researchers test the hypothesis that LXR(alpha) plays an important role not only in renin expression but also in renin-containing cell differentiation, specifically from the mesenchymal stem cell which may be the origin of the juxtaglomerular cell. [J Biol Chem]

Low Physiologic Oxygen Tensions Reduce Proliferation and Differentiation of Human Multipotent Mesenchymal Stromal Cells
Scientists analyzed the effect of low oxygen tensions on human mesenchymal stromal cells cultured with platelet-lysate supplemented media and assessed proliferation, morphology, chromosomal stability, immunophenotype and plasticity. [BMC Cell Biol]

Neuropilin-1 Regulates Platelet-Derived Growth Factor Receptor Signaling in Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Using human mesenchymal stem cells lacking vascular endothelial growth factor receptors, researchers show that the pro-angiogenic receptor neuropilin-1 associates with phosphorylated platelet-derived growth factor receptors, thereby regulating cell signaling, migration, proliferation and network assembly. [Biochem J]

Co-Transplantation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Might Prevent Death from Graft-Versus-Host Disease Without Abrogating Graft-Versus-Tumor Effects After Human Leukocyte Antigen-Mismatched Allogeneic Transplantation Following Non-Myeloablative Conditioning
Researchers investigated whether mesenchymal stem cells infusion before hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) could allow nonmyeloablative HCT (a transplant strategy based nearly exclusively on graft-versus-tumor effects for tumor eradication) from human leukocyte antigen-mismatched donors to be performed safely was. [Biol Blood Marrow Tr]

Systematic Chromosomal Aberrations Found in Murine Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Scientists observed in all the cytogenetically analysed cases, gross chromosomal alterations every time the mesenchymal stem cells went through the senescence crisis while the lymphocytes from the same animals showed a normal chromosome count. [Stem Cells Dev]

Chemotherapy-Induced Mesenchymal Stem Cell Damage in Patients with Hematological Malignancy
To address the extent to which marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are damaged by high-dose chemotherapy in vivo, the phenotype and functional properties of marrow MSCs derived from untreated and chemotherapeutically treated patients with hematological malignancy were compared. [Ann Hematol]

INDUSTRY NEWS

Biotech Vets Launch VenBio for Both Private and Public Deals
Biotech veterans from MPM Capital, OrbiMed Advisors, Pfizer Inc. and Morgan Stanley are out to transcend what they see as the limits of traditional life-sciences venture capital. [Wall Street Journal]

American Medical Systems and Tissue Genesis Sign $1.1 Million Collaboration Deal
Tissue Genesis, Inc. and American Medical Systems Holdings, Inc. announced that they have signed an agreement for the research and development of adipose (fat)-derived regenerative cells for use in treating pelvic health disorders. [Tissue Genesis, Inc. Press Release]

£5M Funding Partnership to Bring New Innovation and Economic Benefit to United Kingdom
A £5M development at the Norwich Research Park, funded by a partnership including the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council will provide facilities for start-up and growing businesses that will turn world-class science into products and technologies. [Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Press Release]

Roche Establishes New Medical Research Hub in Singapore
Roche announced that it will enter into a strategic alliance with Singapore’s scientific and medical institutions to set up a major new translational research hub in Singapore. [Roche Press Release]

T. Denny Sanford Donates $50 Million to Burnham Institute for Medical Research
Burnham Institute for Medical Research announced that philanthropist T. Denny Sanford has pledged $50 million to support and further expand and accelerate the Institute’s leading-edge medical research. [Sanford-Burnham Institute for Medical Research Press Release]

Limb Regeneration and Attosecond Research Each Get $1 Million from Keck Foundation
Two University of California, Berkeley, research projects that push the boundaries of their fields have each received $1 million grants from the W.M. Keck Foundation. [University of California, Berkeley Press Release]

Financing Woes Delay Stem Cell Lab Construction
A taxpayer-funded stem cell research laboratory planned for the Torrey Pines Mesa is among three such facilities in the works statewide that have hit snags in their construction timelines. [San Diego Business Journal]

POLICY NEWS

Virginia Governor McDonnell Proposes More Biotech Funding
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell made biotech initiatives a visible part of a job creation agenda he unveiled recently. [Virginia Republican Party, United States]

Stem Cell Bill Amended to Legalize Treatments Only
A senate bill that could repeal the state’s ban on stem cells passed a senate committee recently and is now headed to the full senate. [South Dakota Senate, United States]

Small Business Matching Grant Program
The primary objective of the Small Business Matching Grant Program is to provide grants to commercialization-ready life sciences and technology companies that have received at least the equivalent of a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research or Small Business Technology Transfer grant from federal agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, etc. [Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, United States]

National Institutes of Health Approves Wisconsin H1 Stem Cell Line for Continued Use in Federally Funded Research
Recently the National Institutes of Health officially approved the H1, also known as the WA1 line, for continued use in research funded by the U.S. government and added it to the National Stem Cell Registry. [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Science Board to the Food and Drug Administration; Notice of Meeting [Food and Drug Administration, United States]

UPDATE TO RFA-OD-10-001: ARRAOS Recovery Act Limited Competition: Behavioral Economics for Nudging the Implementation of Comparative Effectiveness Research: Clinical Trials (RC4) – Announcement of Additional Funds Availability and Increased Allowable Total Costs (NOT-OD-10-053) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Institutional Clinical and Translational Science Award (U54) (RFA-RM-10-001) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

2009 Meeting Materials, Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee – December 15, 2009 Meeting Transcript, Posted [Food and Drug Administration, United States]

EVENTS

Cambridge Health Institute’s (CHI) 17th International Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference 2010
February 3-5, 2010
San Francisco, United States

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

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

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

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

16th International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) Meeting
May 23-26, 2010
Philadelphia, United States

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

2010 American Society for Matrix Biology (ASMB) 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)

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