Volume 9.00 | Jan 8 - ESC & iPSC News

ESC & iPSC News 9.00 January 8, 2014

TOP STORY

Biologists Discover Solution to Problem Limiting Development of Human Stem Cell Therapies
Biologists have discovered an effective strategy that could prevent the human immune system from rejecting the grafts derived from human embryonic stem cells, a major problem now limiting the development of human stem cell therapies. [Press release from the University of California, San Diego discussing online prepublication in Cell Stem Cell] Press Release | Abstract | Graphical Abstract

Take the "if" out of "diff": Reduce variability when differentiating to endothelial cells

PUBLICATIONS (Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

N⁶-Methyladenosine Modification Destabilizes Developmental Regulators in Embryonic Stem Cells
Researchers identified two proteins, the putative N⁶-methyladenosine (m⁶A) MTase, methyltransferase-like 3 (Mettl3), and a related but uncharacterized protein Mettl14, that function synergistically to control m⁶A formation in mammalian cells. Knockdown of Mettl3 and Mettl14 in mouse embryonic stem cells led to similar phenotypes, characterized by lack of m⁶A RNA methylation and lost self-renewal capability. [Nat Cell Biol] Abstract

High-Throughput Sequencing Reveals the Disruption of Methylation of Imprinted Gene in Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Researchers found that methylation of an imprinted gene, Zrsr1, was consistently disrupted in the induced pluripotent stem cell lines with reduced pluripotency. [Cell Res] Abstract

Modeling and Rescuing Neurodevelopmental Defect of Down Syndrome Using Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from Monozygotic Twins Discordant for Trisomy 21
Researchers report the generation and characterization of induced pluripotent stem cells derived from monozygotic twins discordant for trisomy 21 in order to eliminate the effects of the variability of genomic background. [EMBO Mol Med] Abstract

Inhibition of Stearoyl-CoA Desaturase Selectively Eliminates Tumorigenic Nanog-Positive Cells: Improving the Safety of iPS Cell Transplantation to Myocardium
The authors found that plurisin#1 treatment significantly decreased the mRNA and protein level of Nanog, a marker for both cell pluripotency and tumor progression; importantly, they provide evidence that PluriSin#1 treatment at 20 µM for 1 day significantly induces the apoptosis of Nanog-positive induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell derivates. [Cell Cycle] Full Article

Identification of a Novel Gene Signature of ES Cells Self-Renewal Fluctuation through System-Wide Analysis
Investigators aimed to characterize the high-pluripotent Embryonic Stem (ES) cell metastate marked by the expression of Zscan4 through a supervised machine learning framework based on an ensemble of support vector machine classifiers. [PLoS One] Full Article

Generation of iPSC Lines from Archived Non-Cryoprotected Biobanked Dura Mater
Researchers report the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from frozen non-cryoprotected dural tissue stored at -80°C for up to 11 years. This autopsy cohort included subjects with Alzheimer’s disease and four other neurodegenerative diseases. [Acta Neuropathol Commun] Abstract | Full Article | Press Release

PI3K/Akt1 Signaling Specifies Foregut Precursors by Generating Regionalized Extra-Cellular Matrix
The authors used mouse embryonic stem cell differentiation to uncover a new mechanism for PI3K signaling that is required for endoderm specification. They found that PI3K signaling promotes the transition from naïve endoderm precursors into committed anterior endoderm. [eLife] Full Article | Press Release

Myogenic Differentiation of Muscular Dystrophy-Specific Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Use in Drug Discovery
Researchers have a particular interest in modeling skeletal muscle from various genetic backgrounds; however, efficient and reproducible methods for the myogenic differentiation of induced pluripotent stem cells have not previously been demonstrated. [Stem Cell Transl Med] Abstract

Pluripotent Stem Cells Derived from Mouse and Human White Mature Adipocytes
Scientists defined stem cell characteristics of dedifferentiated fat cells as they are generated from adipocytes and the relationship between these characteristics and lineage differentiation. [Stem Cell Transl Med] Abstract

Use TeSR-E7 to generate iPS cells with high quality colony morphology for easy identification and rapid subcloning. Request your sample.

REVIEWS

Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Culture: Considerations for Maintenance, Expansion, and Therapeutics
The authors dissect human pluripotent stem cell growth components by comparing cell culture methods and identifying the benefits and pitfalls associated with each one. They further provided criteria, considerations, and suggestions to achieve optimal cell growth for human pluripotent stem cell expansion, differentiation, and use in future therapeutic applications. [Cell Stem Cell] Abstract

Visit our reviews page to see a complete list of reviews in the ESC & iPSC research field.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Cellular Dynamics Signs Agreement with Nestle Institute of Health Sciences to Supply iCell® and MyCell® Products for Nutritional Research
Cellular Dynamics International announced signing a long-term supply agreement with the Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences SA. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. [Cellular Dynamics International Inc.]
Press Release

GE to Expand in Life Sciences with Acquisition of Strategic Assets from Thermo Fisher Scientific
GE and Thermo Fisher Scientific announced that they have entered into an agreement for GE Healthcare to acquire Thermo Fisher’s HyClone™ cell culture media and sera, and gene modulation and magnetic beads businesses for approximately $1.06 billion. [Business Wire] Press Release

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Mesenchymal Stem Cells (a Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology collaboration). Request your free copy.

POLICY NEWS

French Academy Decries Slide in Research Spending
The French Academy of Sciences has issued its strongest distress signal in decades to warn against the consequences of recent declines in government research spending. [Nature News] Editorial

Europe Waters Down Transnational ‘Research Buddy’ Plan
Europe’s latest research-funding program includes, for the first time, money for ‘low-performing’ member states to set up research centers in their regions, in partnership with well-established institutions from other countries. But some observers were disappointed earlier this month when the European Union announced that the host countries will manage the centers – a rule that critics say could be challenging for fledgling institutions and perhaps perpetuate problems, such as nepotism, that have contributed to their poor performance in the first place. [Nature News] Editorial

EVENTS

NEW Free Webinar: Epigenetic Dynamics in Stem Cells and Differentiation
February 19, 15:00 GMT
Webinar

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

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

NEW Postdoctoral Associate – Hematopoietic Differentiation (Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine)

NEW Postdoctoral Researcher – Stem Cell Biology (University of Luxembourg)

Postdoctoral Position – Epigenetic Regulation of Heart Formation Using Human ES & iPS Cells (University of Pittsburgh)

Postdoctoral Associate – Stem Cell Biology (State University of New York)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering (Stanford University School of Medicine)

Clinical MD – Clinical Development Program for Oncology and Autoimmune Diseases (Immunomedics, Inc.)

Chief Medical Officer – Novel Therapeutics in Oncology and Autoimmune Disease (Immunomedics, Inc.)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Liver Tissue Engineering (Harvard Medical School)

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