Muscle Cell News Volume 3.01 | Jan 15 2018

TOP STORY

Engineers Grow Functioning Human Muscle from Skin Cells

The first functioning human muscle grown from induced pluripotent stem cells holds promise for cellular therapies, drug discovery and studying rare diseases. [Press release from Duke University discussing online prepublication in Nature Communications] Press Release | Full Article | Video

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

CARDIAC MUSCLE CELLS

Identification of Cardiomyocyte-Fated Progenitors from Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Marked with CD82

Investigators found that human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte (CM)-fated progenitors that express a tetraspanin family glycoprotein, CD82, almost exclusively differentiate into CMs both in vitro and in vivo. [Cell Rep] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Redox-Dependent BMI1 Activity Drives In Vivo Adult Cardiac Progenitor Cell Differentiation

The authors found that high BMI1 expression is associated with an adult Sca1⁺ cardiac progenitor sub-population with low reactive oxygen species levels. In homeostasis, BMI1 repressed cell fate genes, including a cardiogenic differentiation program. [Cell Death Differ] Abstract

Targeted Repair of Heart Injury by Stem Cells Fused with Platelet Nanovesicles

Inspired by the ability of platelets to recruit stem cells to sites of injury on blood vessels, scientists hypothesized that platelets might enhance the vascular delivery of cardiac stem cells (CSCs) to sites of myocardial infarction injury. They showed that CSCs with platelet nanovesicles fused onto their surface membranes express platelet surface markers that are associated with platelet adhesion to injury sites. [Nat Biomed Eng] Abstract | Press Release

Modeling Trastuzumab-Related Cardiotoxicity In Vitro Using Human Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes

Investigators utilized human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes to model trastuzumab-related cardiotoxicity in vitro. They demonstrated that cardiotoxic effects of ErbB2 inhibition by trastuzumab can be recapitulated only when the cardioprotective effects of ErbB2/4 signaling is observed. [Toxicol Lett] Abstract

SKELETAL MUSCLE CELLS

Recapitulation of Extracellular LAMININ Environment Maintains Stemness of Satellite Cells In Vitro

Researchers evaluated the satellite cell microenvironment in vivo and found that these cells are encapsulated by LMα2–5. They recapitulated this satellite cell niche in vitro by culturing satellite cells in the presence of recombinant LM-E8 fragments. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Volumetric Muscle Loss Injury Repair Using In Situ Fibrin Gel Cast Seeded with Muscle-Derived Stem Cells (MDSCs)

Scientists evaluated the regeneration potential of MDSCs for muscle loss repair using a novel in situ fibrin gel casting. Their results demonstrated MDSCs are able to engraft and form new myofibers in the defect when casted along with fibrin gel. [Stem Cell Res] Full Article

SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLS

FOXO3a (Forkhead Transcription Factor O Subfamily Member 3a) Links Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Apoptosis, Matrix Breakdown, Atherosclerosis, and Vascular Remodeling through a Novel Pathway Involving MMP13 (Matrix Metalloproteinase 13)

Researchers determined the mechanisms and consequences of FOXO3a activation in atherosclerosis and arterial remodeling after injury. FOXO3a activation induced vascular smooth muscle cell apoptosis and extracellular matrix breakdown, in part, because of transcriptional activation of MMP13. [Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol] Abstract | Download Full Article

Iron-Induced Calcification in Human Aortic Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells through Interleukin-24 (IL-24), with/without TNF-Alpha

The authors tested the accelerated effect of iron on calcification in cultured human aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (HASMCs). The role of IL-24 was confirmed from candidate genes that might contribute to calcification. HASMCs demonstrated calcification induced by iron and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). [Sci Rep] Full Article

Analysis of Combined Transcriptomes Identifies Gene Modules that Differentially Respond to Pathogenic Stimulation of Vascular Smooth Muscle and Endothelial Cells

Investigators conducted RNA-seq experiments to investigate smooth muscle cell (SMC)-versus-endothelial cell (EC) differential transcriptomic dynamics, following treatment of human primary SMCs and ECs with TNFα or IL-1β, both established inducers of SMC hyperplasia and EC dysfunction. As revealed by combined SMC/EC transcriptomes, after TNFα or IL-1β induction, 174 and 213 genes respectively showed greater up-regulation in SMCs than in ECs, while 117 and 138 genes showed greater up-regulation in ECs over SMCs. [Sci Rep] Full Article

Concise Review: Optimized Strategies for Stem Cell-Based Therapy in Myocardial Repair: Clinical Translatability and Potential Limitation

The authors review the different strategies for optimizing both donor stem cells and the target cardiac microenvironments to enhance the engraftment and efficacy of stem cells, highlighting their clinical translatability and potential limitation. [Stem Cells] Abstract | Full Article

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

Renova Therapeutics to Present Key Components of FLOURISH Gene Therapy Trial for the Treatment of Heart Failure

Renova^™ Therapeutics announced that it will present an overview of its RT-100 adenylyl cyclase type 6 gene transfer Phase III clinical trial in a poster session. [Press release from Renova^™ Therapeutics discussing research to be presented at the 2018 Keystone Symposium: Heart Failure: Crossing the Translational Divide, Keystone] Press Release

Acceleron Announces Preliminary Results from Part 1 of the ACE-083 Phase II Trial in Patients with Facioscapulohumeral Dystrophy

Acceleron Pharma Inc. announced positive preliminary results for the first two cohorts in Part 1 of the Phase II clinical trial with ACE-083 in patients with facioscapulohumeral dystrophy, a rare genetic muscle disorder that results in progressive focal muscle loss and weakness. [Acceleron Pharma Inc.] Press Release

GT Biopharma Announces Completion of Dosing in Phase I Clinical Trial of GTP-004 for Myasthenia Gravis

GT Biopharma Inc. announced that it has completed dosing in its Phase I clinical trial for GTP-004, its promising treatment for the symptoms of myasthenia gravis. The results provide evidence that GTP-004 enables the safe and well-tolerated administration of doses of pyridostigmine. [GT Biopharma Inc.] Press Release

South Korean Universities Reach Agreement with Elsevier after Long Standoff

After a months-long standoff, a consortium of hundreds of South Korean universities has reached a new deal with scientific publisher Elsevier for access to ScienceDirect, a database containing content from 3,500 academic journals and thousands of electronic books. [ScienceInsider] Editorial

Rising Star Appointed UK Science Minister

The United Kingdom has gained a new science minister as part of a broader reshuffle of government posts. Sam Gyimah, who moves from the Ministry of Justice, was appointed minister for universities and science, replacing Jo Johnson. [Nature News] Editorial

NEW Gordon Research Conferences: Fibroblast Growth Factors in Development and Disease
March 25-30, 2018
Ventura, California, United States

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

NEW Research Fellow – Rhabdomyosarcoma (Massachusetts General Hospital)

NEW Research Assistant – Cardiovascular Stem Cells (University of Oxford)

Postdoctoral Position – Cardiac Fibrosis (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Research Assistant – Muscular Dystrophy (University of Oxford)

Postdoctoral Research Scientist – Neuromuscular Biology (University of Oxford)

Faculty Position – Translational Research in Cardiac Biology (Temple University)

Postdoctoral Fellowship – Mass Spectrometry of Cardiomyocytes (Medical College of Wisconsin)

Postdoctoral Research Associate – Molecular and Integrative Cardiology and Muscle Biology (University of Minnesota Medical School)

Postdoctoral Positions – Cardiac Tissue Homeostasis and Regeneration Mechanisms (Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares)

Postdoctoral Associate – Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine (Duke University)

Postdoctoral Position – Cardiovascular Biology (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai)

Postdoctoral Position – Cardiac Metabolism (University of British Columbia)

Postdoctoral Position – Biomicrofluidics and Organ-on-a-Chip Research (University of Toronto)

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