Neural Cell News 11.04 February 1, 2017 | |
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TOP STORYThe authors showed that neural progenitor cells derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) retain the parental mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) profile and exhibit a metabolic switch toward oxidative phosphorylation. [Cell Stem Cell] Abstract | Press Release | Graphical Abstract | |
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PUBLICATIONS(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)Researchers showed that two recently isolated strains of Zika virus, an American strain from an infected fetal brain and a closely-related Asian strain, productively infect human iPSC-derived brain organoids. Both of these strains readily target to and replicate in proliferating ventricular zone apical progenitors. [Cell Stem Cell] Abstract | Graphical Abstract Tumor-Homing Cytotoxic Human Induced Neural Stem Cells for Cancer Therapy Researchers transdifferentiated human fibroblasts into tumor-homing early-stage induced NSCs (h-iNSCTE), engineered them to express optical reporters and different therapeutic gene products, and assessed the tumor-homing migration and therapeutic efficacy of cytotoxic h-iNSCTE in patient-derived glioblastoma models of surgical and nonsurgical disease. [Sci Transl Med] Abstract | Press Release The authors showed that the Notch pathway regulator Mindbomb1 co-localizes asymmetrically with centriolar satellite proteins PCM1 and AZI1 at the daughter centriole in interphase. While PCM1 and AZI1 remain asymmetric during mitosis, Mindbomb1 is associated with either one or both spindle poles. Asymmetric Mindbomb1 correlates with neurogenic divisions and Mindbomb1 is inherited by the prospective neuron. [Neuron] Abstract Scientists identified an early response to nerve injury controlled by histone deacetylase 2, which coordinates the action of other chromatin-remodelling enzymes to induce the upregulation of Oct 6, a key transcription factor for Schwann cell development. [Nat Commun] Full Article The authors generated induced human pluripotent stem cells from several individuals clinically diagnosed with fragile X syndrome and autism spectrum disorder. When differentiated to dorsal forebrain cell fates, our fragile X syndrome human pluripotent stem cell lines exhibited reproducible aberrant neurogenic phenotypes. Using global gene expression and DNA methylation profiling, they have analysed the early stages of neurogenesis in fragile X syndrome human pluripotent stem cells. [Brain] Abstract | Press Release Studies performed in murine models have identified some transcriptional determinants, including GS Homeobox 2 (Gsx2) and Early B-cell factor 1 (Ebf1). Investigators generated human embryonic stem (hES) cell lines inducible for these transcription factors, with the aims of (i) studying their biological role in human neural progenitors and (ii) incorporating TF conditional expression in a developmental-based protocol for generating medium spiny neurons (MSNs) from hES cells. [Proc Natl Acad Sci USA] Abstract Researchers generated PCSK1 (PC1/3)-deficient human embryonic stem cell (hESC) lines using both short hairpin RNA and CRISPR-Cas9, and investigated pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) processing using hESC-differentiated hypothalamic neurons. The increased levels of unprocessed POMC and the decreased ratios of processed POMC-derived peptides in both PCSK1 knockdown and knockout hESC-derived neurons phenocopied POMC processing reported in PC1/3-null mice and PC1/3-deficient patients. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article To gain insight into the mechanisms underlying the regulation of tumorigenicity in human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neural stem/progenitor cells (hiPSC-NS/PCs), scientists performed an integrated analysis using the Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip array and the HumanHT-12 v4.0 Expression BeadChip array to compare the comprehensive DNA methylation and gene expression profiles of tumorigenic hiPSC-NS/PCs and non-tumorigenic cells. [Stem Cells] Abstract The authors aimed to investigate the neuroprotective effect of RBM3 on nitric oxide (NO)-induced apoptosis in human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. They demonstrated that mild hypothermia induces RBM3 expression and confers a potent neuroprotective effect on NO-induced apoptosis, which was substantially diminished when RBM3 was silenced by siRNA. [Sci Rep] Full Article Using a methyl CpG binding protein 2 (MECP2) transgenic (TG) mouse model for the MECP2 duplication syndrome, investigators found that adult hippocampal quiescent neural stem cells were significantly accumulated in TG mice compared to wild type mice, the neural progenitor cells were reduced and the neuroblasts were increased in adult hippocampi of MECP2 TG mice. [Sci Rep] Full Article | |
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REVIEWSThe SH-SY5Y Cell Line in Parkinson’s Disease Research: A Systematic Review The authors present the outcome of a systematic review of scientific articles that have used SH-SY5Y cells to explore Parkinson’s disease (PD). They describe the cell source, culture conditions, differentiation protocols, methods/approaches used to mimic PD and the preclinical validation of the SH-SY5Y findings by employing alternative cellular and animal models. [Mol Neurodegener] Full Article The Vasculature as a Neural Stem Cell Niche Researchers discuss principles of neurovasculature-neural stem cells (NSC) crosstalk, and the implications for the design of NSC-based therapies. [Neurobiol Dis] Abstract Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the neural cell research field. | |
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INDUSTRY NEWSNeuropore Therapies Awarded Grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research Neuropore Therapies, Inc. announced that it received a grant from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in support of its toll-like receptor 2 antagonist program focused on modulating neuroinflammation and autophagy in Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. [Neuropore Therapies, Inc. (Business Wire Inc.)] Press Release BrainStorm Announces Validation of NurOwn® Cryopreservation Process BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. announced that it has validated its cryopreservation process for NurOwn® in preparation for the upcoming Phase III clinical study in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. The validation involved a comparison of NurOwn® derived from fresh mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) to those derived from cryopreserved MSC. [BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.] Press Release Vybion Huntington’s Disease Drug Patent Receives Track I Status Vybion, Inc. announced that its patent application covering methods of use and composition for INT41 Gene Therapy received Track I status from the USPTO. The INT41 patent application covers several neurodegenerative diseases in addition to Huntington’s Disease including Spinal Cerebellar Ataxia, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, and Alzheimer’s. [Vybion, Inc. (PR Newswire Association LLC.)] Press Release The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) announced the foundation’s commitment to invest $279 million in IHME to expand its work over the next decade. [University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation] Press Release | |
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POLICY NEWSOn 22 April, Empiricists around the Country Will March for Science The grassroots team coordinating the March for Science on Washington, D.C., have now set a date: 22 April. And they are inviting organizers in cities around the world to lead parallel demonstrations. [ScienceInsider] Editorial Mexican Scientists Feel the Trump Effect Trump’s harsh stance toward Mexico has made scientists nervous about the fate of U.S. funding for cross-border collaborations. “The worry is that [Trump] will limit, or perhaps end, some of the academic exchange we have,” either through new regulations or by cutting off money for collaborations, says Jaime Urrutia-Fucugauchi, a geophysicist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico and president of the Mexican Academy of Sciences. The U.S. National Science Foundation currently supports about 200 projects with Mexican collaborators. [ScienceInsider] Editorial
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EVENTSNEW 4th Immunotherapy of Cancer Conference Visit our events page to see a complete list of events in the community.
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JOB OPPORTUNITIESPostdoctoral Training Fellow – Glioma Research (Institute of Cancer Research) Postdoctoral Researcher – Stem Cell Differentiation (University of Oklahoma) Research Associate – Parkinson’s Disease (University of Bristol) PhD Position(s) – Neurosciences/Neurobiology (EU-GliaPhD) Neuroscientist – Precision Neurotherapeutics (University of California Davis) Assistant Professor – Molecular Therapeutics of Cancer (Dartmouth College) Recruit Top Talent: Reach potential candidates by posting your organization’s career opportunities on the Connexon Creative Job Board at no cost.
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Home Neural Cell News Volume 11.04 | Feb 1 2017