Neural Cell News Volume 8.49 | Dec 17 2014

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    Neural Cell News 8.49 December 17, 2014

    Neural Cell News

         In this issue: Publications | Reviews | Industry News | Policy News | Events | Jobs
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    TOP STORY
    A Region-Specific Neurogenesis Mode Requires Migratory Progenitors in the Drosophila Visual System
    In Drosophila, neurons in four optic lobe ganglia originate from two neuroepithelia, the outer and inner (IPC) proliferation centers. Using genetic manipulations, scientists found that one IPC neuroepithelial domain progressively transformed into migratory progenitors that matured into neural stem cells and neuroblasts in a second domain. [Nat Neurosci] Abstract | Press Release
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    PUBLICATIONS (Ranked by impact factor of the journal)
    Constitutive and Ligand-Induced EGFR Signaling Triggers Distinct and Mutually Exclusive Downstream Signaling Networks
    Researchers report that the overexpressed epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) oscillates between two distinct and mutually exclusive modes of signaling. They provide evidence for non-canonical ​EGFR signaling in glioblastoma. [Nat Commun] Abstract | Press Release

    Activated Astrocytes Enhance the Dopaminergic Differentiation of Stem Cells and Promote Brain Repair through ​bFGF
    Scientists show that light illumination of astrocytes expressing engineered channelrhodopsin variant can remarkably enhance the release of ​basic fibroblast growth factor (​bFGF) and significantly promote the dopaminergic differentiation of human embryonic stem cells in vitro. [Nat Commun] Full Article

    Rgs6 Is Required for Adult Maintenance of Dopaminergic Neurons in the Ventral Substantia Nigra
    Parkinson disease is characterized by the preferential, but poorly understood, vulnerability to degeneration of midbrain dopaminergic (mDA) neurons in the ventral substantia nigra compacta. These sensitive mDA neurons express Pitx3, a transcription factor that is critical for their survival during development. Scientists used this dependence to identify, by flow cytometry and expression profiling, the negative regulator of G-protein signaling Rgs6 for its restricted expression in these neurons. [PLoS Genet] Full Article | Press Release

    Functional and Developmental Identification of a Molecular Subtype of Brain Serotonergic Neuron Specialized to Regulate Breathing Dynamics
    Disorders involving serotonin (5HT) dysregulation are commensurately heterogeneous and numerous. Scientists hypothesized that this breadth in functionality derives in part from a developmentally determined substructure of distinct subtypes of 5HT neurons each specialized to modulate specific behaviors. By manipulating developmentally defined subgroups one by one chemogenetically, they found that the Egr2-Pet1 subgroup is specialized to drive increased ventilation in response to carbon dioxide elevation and acidosis. [Cell Rep]
    Full Article | Graphical Abstract

    p38α (MAPK14) Critically Regulates the Immunological Response and the Production of Specific Cytokines and Chemokines in Astrocytes
    Researchers studied the role of p38α signaling in astrocyte immune activation both in vitro and in vivo, and simultaneously examined the effects of astrocyte activation in CNS inflammation. [Sci Rep] Full Article

    Overexpression of SCLIP Promotes Growth and Motility in Glioblastoma Cells
    Researchers investigated the expression of SCLIP and its roles in the development of gliomas. Notably, they found that SCLIP was highly expressed in various grades of glioma samples, as compared with normal brain tissues. [Cancer Biol Ther] Abstract

    Transcriptional Profiling of Adult Neural Stem-Like Cells from the Human Brain
    Researchers found that adult human neural stem-like cells express stem cell markers and have reduced levels of markers that are typical of the mature cells in the nervous system. They report that the genes being highly expressed in adult human neural stem-like cells are associated with developmental processes and the extracellular region of the cell. [PLoS One] Full Article

    TAM Receptors Support Neural Stem Cell Survival, Proliferation and Neuronal Differentiation
    Scientists further demonstrated that all three TAM (Tyro3, Axl and Mertk) receptors were expressed by cultured primary neural stem cells (NSCs) and played a direct growth trophic role in NSC proliferation, neuronal differentiation and survival. [PLoS One] Full Article

    Effects of ROCK Inhibitor Y27632 and EGFR Inhibitor PD168393 on Human Neural Precursors Co-Cultured with Rat Auditory Brainstem Explant
    A rat auditory brainstem explant culture system was used as a screening platform for donor cells. The explants were co-cultured with human neural precursor cells (HNPCs) to determine HNPCs developmental potential in the presence of environmental cues characteristic for auditory brainstem region in vitro. [Neuroscience] Abstract

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    REVIEWS
    SOD1 Function and Its Implications for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Pathology
    The authors consider some of the new findings for superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) in health and disease, which may shed light on how single amino acid changes at sites throughout this protein can cause devastating neurodegeneration in the mammalian motor system. [Neuroscientist] Full Article

    An Alkaline Phosphatase Transport Mechanism in the Pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s Disease and Neurodegeneration
    The authors have previously proposed an immunosurveillance mechanism for epithelial barriers involving negative feedback-regulated alkaline phosphatase transcytosis as an acute phase anti-inflammatory response that hangs in the balance between the resolution and the progression of inflammation. They now extend this model to endothelial barriers, particularly the blood–brain barrier, and present a literature-supported mechanistic explanation for Alzheimer’s disease pathology with this system at its foundation. [Chem Biol Interact] Abstract

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

     
    INDUSTRY NEWS
    Acorda Announces Initiation of Phase III Trial of CVT-301 in Parkinson’s Disease
    Acorda Therapeutics, Inc. announced that the first patient has been enrolled in a Phase III study of CVT-301 for the treatment of OFF episodes in Parkinson’s disease. [Acorda Therapeutics, Inc.] Press Release

    LCT Completes Patient Implants in Parkinson’s Trial
    Living Cell Technologies Limited announced that the final patient has been successfully implanted in its Phase I/IIa clinical trial of regenerative cell therapy NTCELL® for Parkinson’s disease. [Living Cell Technologies Limited] Press Release

    BrainStorm Receives $1,100,000 for Its 8th Annual Non-Dilutive Grant from Israel’s Chief Scientist Office
    BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc. announced that wholly-owned subsidiary Brainstorm Cell Therapeutics Ltd. was awarded a grant of approximately $1.1 million from Israel’s Office of the Chief Scientist. [BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics Inc.] Press Release

    New Award Will Lay Groundwork for C9orf72 Clinical Trials
    The ALS Association announced the award of $326,662 in research funds to expand ongoing natural history studies in order to further understand the most common genetic cause of ALS, in preparation for clinical trials in those whose disease is affected by this gene. [The ALS Association] Press Release

    ImmunoCellular Therapeutics Announces Issuance of Key Patent for ICT-107 Cancer Vaccine
    ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd. announced that the US Patent and Trademark Office has issued a key patent covering ImmunoCellular’s product candidate ICT-107, a dendritic cell-based immunotherapeutic vaccine targeting six tumor antigens that are commonly expressed on glioblastoma. [ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd.] Press Release

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    POLICY NEWS
    National Institutes of Health (United States)

    Food and Drug Administration (United States)

    Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (United States)

    European Medicines Agency (European Union)

    Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (United Kingdom)

    Therapeutic Goods Administration (Australia)

     
    EVENTS
    NEW Keystone Symposia – Epigenetics and Cancer
    January 25-30, 2015
    Keystone, United States

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

     
    JOB OPPORTUNITIES
    NEW Tenure-Track Position – Cellular/Molecular Neuroscience (Carnegie Mellon University)

    NEW Postdoctoral Position – Morphogenetic Signaling Pathways in Development and Disease (University of Rochester Medical Center)

    Postdoctoral Fellowship – Neural Development (National Institutes of Health)

    Postdoctoral Position – Transposable Elements in Neural Stem Cells (Lund University)

    Assistant Professor – Clinical Neurology (UCSF)

    Postdoctoral Researcher – Chromatin and Epigenetic Regulation (Van Andel Research Institute)

    Postdoctoral Position – Stem Cell Biology (Northwestern University)

    Faculty Positions – Personalized Medicine (University of Nevada, Las Vegas)

    Research Technologist – Media Development (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

    Scientist – Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Neural Differentiation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

    Scientist – Pluripotent Stem Cell Media Development, High Throughput Screening (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

    Scientist – Cell Culture Support Products (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

    Scientist – Immunology/Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

    Research Associate – Cell Separation (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)


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