Muscle Cell News Volume 2.07 | Mar 6 2017

TOP STORY

A Comprehensive TALEN-Based Knockout Library for Generating Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Based Models for Cardiovascular Diseases

By selectively targeting a dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)-causing mutation in patient-specific iPSC-derived cardiac myocytes (iPSC-CMs), investigators demonstrated that the knockout strategy ameliorates the DCM phenotype in vitro. They modeled the Holt-Oram syndrome in iPSC-CMs in vitro and uncovered novel pathways regulated by TBX5 in human cardiac myocyte development. [Circ Res] Abstract

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CARDIAC MUSCLE CELLS

Activation of E-Prostanoid 3 Receptor in Macrophages Facilitates Cardiac Healing after Myocardial Infarction

Researchers showed that the prostaglandin E₂/Ep3 axis promotes cardiac healing after myocardial infarction by activating reparative Ly6C^low Mos/Mps. [Nat Commun] Full Article

Notch Inhibition Enhances Cardiac Reprogramming by Increasing MEF2C Transcriptional Activity

Investigators showed that DAPT, a classical Notch inhibitor, enhances the conversion of mouse fibroblasts into induced cardiac-like myocytes by the transcription factors GATA4, HAND2, MEF2C, and TBX5. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Cholesterol Depletion Impairs Contractile Machinery in Neonatal Rat Cardiomyocytes

Little is known about how cholesterol reduction affects cardiomyocyte behavior. Investigators depleted cholesterol by incubating neonatal cardiomyocytes with methyl-beta-cyclodextrin. Traction force microscopy showed that lowering cholesterol increased the rate of cell contraction and generated defects in cell relaxation. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Autophagy Inhibitor 3-Methyladenine Alleviates Overload-Exercise-Induced Cardiac Injury in Rats

Scientists examined whether an autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine could alleviate overload-exercise-induced cardiac injury. They showed that compared with the control, mild-intensity exercise did not change the morphological structures of the heart tissues that exhibited intact myocardial fibers and neatly arranged cardiomyocytes. [Acta Pharmacol Sin] Abstract

SKELETAL MUSCLE CELLS

Selective Expansion of Skeletal Muscle Stem Cells from Bulk Muscle Cells in Soft Three-Dimensional Fibrin Gel

Researchers developed a soft three-dimensional salmon fibrin gel culture system that can selectively expand mouse muscle stem cells from bulk skeletal muscle preparations without cell sorting and faithfully maintain their regenerative capacity in culture. [Stem Cells Transl Med] Full Article

Transcription Factor EGR1 Promotes Differentiation of Bovine Skeletal Muscle Satellite Cells by Regulating MyoG Gene Expression

A time course of early growth response 1 (EGR1) expression and the effects of EGR1 on muscle-derived satellite cells (MDSC) differentiation were determined. The results demonstrated that the expression of EGR1 mRNA and protein increased significantly in differentiating MDSCs relative to that in proliferating cells. [J Cell Physiol] Abstract

Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Myoblast Differentiation under HGF and IGF-1 Stimulation for 3D Skeletal Muscle Tissue Engineering

The myogenic differentiation potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) upon co-cultivation with myoblasts and under stimulation with hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) was evaluated. The authors analyzed the behavior of MSC-myoblast co-cultures in different 3D matrices. [BMC Cell Biol] Full Article

SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLS

Generating Favorable Growth Factor and Protease Release Profiles to Enable Extracellular Matrix Accumulation within an In Vitro Tissue Engineering Environment

Researchers investigated vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC)-monocyte co-culture systems using different VSMC:monocyte ratios, within a degradable polyurethane scaffold, to assess their influence on extracellular matrix generation and degradation processes, and to elucidate relevant signaling molecules involved in this in vitro vascular tissue engineering system. [Acta Biomater] Abstract

Endothelial and Smooth Muscle Cells Derived from Human Cardiac Explants Demonstrate Angiogenic Potential and Suitable for Design of Cell-Containing Vascular Grafts

Scientists aimed to demonstrate that functional endothelial and smooth muscle cells can be obtained from an available source — post-surgically discarded cardiac tissue from the right atrial appendage and right ventricular myocardium. [J Transl Med] Full Article

Regulation of Skeletal Muscle Stem Cells by Fibroblast Growth Factors

The authors summarize the current knowledge, highlighting the role(s) for fibroblast growth factors signaling in skeletal muscle regeneration, satellite cell behavior and age-induced muscle wasting. [Dev Dyn] Abstract

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Johns Hopkins Medicine, Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund and BioCardia Announce First Patient Treated with CardiAMP Cell Therapy for Ischemic Heart Failure in Phase III Clinical Trial

Johns Hopkins Medicine, the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund and BioCardia^®, Inc. announced that the first patient has been treated in the pivotal Phase III CardiAMP^® clinical trial of a cell-based therapy for the treatment of ischemic heart failure that develops after a heart attack. [BioCardiaJ^®, Inc.] Press Release

PTC Therapeutics Announces FDA Acknowledgment of New Drug Application Filing for Translarna^™ for the Treatment of Nonsense Mutation Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

PTC Therapeutics, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has acknowledged the filing over protest of PTC’s New Drug Application for Translarna^™, an oral, first-in-class, protein restoration therapy for the treatment of nonsense mutation Duchenne muscular dystrophy. [PTC Therapeutics, Inc.] Press Release

CureDuchenne Ventures Invests in New Gene Editing Company Exonics Therapeutics to Advance CRISPR/Cas9 Therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

CureDuchenne Ventures announced that they have committed $5 million in seed financing in Exonics Therapeutics, a new biotechnology company focused on utilizing gene editing technologies like CRISPR/Cas9 to advance the development of a treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. [CureDuchenne Ventures] Press Release

What Trump’s New Travel Ban Means for Science

US President Donald Trump has signed a revised version of his controversial travel ban. The policy, issued on 6^th March, exempts citizens of Iraq and people who have already been issued US visas — including those with green cards. Like the first order, which Trump signed on 27^th January, the revised policy bars citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from the US for 90 days. [Nature News] Editorial

American Society for Cell Biology Officially Partners with March for Science Organizers

The American Society for Cell Biology recently signed an agreement officially lending its support to the national March for Science rally and teach-in in Washington, DC, scheduled for Earth Day, Saturday, April 22nd. [The American Society for Cell Biology^®] Editorial

NEW American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy (ASGCT)
May 10-13, 2017
Washington, D.C., United States

NEW Metabolism in Time and Space: Emerging Links to Cellular and Developmental Programs
May 11-13, 2017
Heidelberg, Germany

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

NEW Postdoctoral Fellow – Cellular Mechanobiology (University of Buffalo)

Postdoctoral Fellowship – Heart Regeneration (Children’s Hospital Los Angeles – University of Southern California)

Postdoctoral Research Scientist – Cardiovascular Research (Rutgers New Jersey Medical School)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Stem Cell Biology and Pharmacogenomics (Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Candidate – Cardiovascular Biology and Disease (University at Buffalo)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cell and Gene Therapy for Cardiac Arrhythmias (Duke University)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Genome Editing for Cardiac Muscle Regeneration (Duke University)

Postdoctoral Position – In Vitro Modeling of Human Skeletal Muscle Disease (Duke University)

Postdoctoral Fellow – hiPSC-based Heart Repair (Duke University)

Postdoctoral Researcher – Muscle Biology and Muscle Disease (University of Pennsylvania)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Epigenomics of Cardiac Development and iPSC/ESC Differentiation (Stanford Cardiovascular Institute)

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