ESC & iPSC News Volume 13.19 | May 16 2018

TOP STORY

Assessment of Established Techniques to Determine Developmental and Malignant Potential of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Scientists report that embryoid body assays, analyzed after differentiation under neutral conditions and under conditions promoting differentiation to ectoderm, mesoderm, or endoderm lineages, are sufficient to assess the differentiation potential of PSCs. [Nat Commun] Full Article

(Ranked by impact factor of the journal)

PCGF5 Is Required for Neural Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells

Polycomb repressive complex 1 is an important regulator of gene expression and development. Researchers report that PCGF5, one of six PCGF paralogs, is an important requirement in the differentiation of mouse ESCs towards a neural cell fate. [Nat Commun] Full Article

Single-Cell RNA-Seq of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Reveals Cellular Heterogeneity and Cell State Transitions between Subpopulations

Heterogeneity of cell states represented in pluripotent cultures have not been described at the transcriptional level. Scientists present results from the analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing data from 18,787 individual WTC CRISPRi human induced pluripotent stem cells. [Genome Res] Abstract

Quantitative Proteomics Study Reveals Changes in the Molecular Landscape of Human Embryonic Stem Cells with Impaired Stem Cell Differentiation upon Exposure to Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles

The quantitative proteomics approach is adopted to evaluate the molecular consequences of titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO₂ NPs) exposure in human ESCs. Researchers identified ≈328 unique proteins significantly affected by TiO₂ NPs exposure. [Small] Abstract

SRSF3 Promotes Pluripotency through Nanog mRNA Export and Coordination of the Pluripotency Gene Expression Program

Investigators established serine-arginine rich splicing factor 3 (SRSF3) as an essential regulator of RNAs encoding key components of the mouse pluripotency circuitry, SRSF3 ablation resulting in the loss of pluripotency and its overexpression enhancing reprogramming. [eLife] Full Article

High-Level Precise Knockin of iPSCs by Simultaneous Reprogramming and Genome Editing of Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells

The authors report the integration of blood cell reprogramming and genome editing in a single step. After optimizations, genome editing efficiency of up to 40% in the bulk iPSC population could be achieved without any selection. [Stem Cell Reports] Full Article | Graphical Abstract

Identification of the Coiled-Coil Domain as an Essential Mbd3 Element for Preserving Lineage Commitment Potential of Embryonic Stem Cells

Investigators demonstrated that Mbd3c, which lacks an entire portion of the MBD domain, exerted equivalent activity for counteracting the defective lineage commitment potential of Mbd3-knockout ESCs. [Stem Cells] Abstract

High-Efficiency Derivation of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Lines Using a Culture System with Minimized Trophoblast Cell Proliferation

The authors successfully developed a better human ESC (hESC) derivation methodology using the minimized trophoblast cell proliferation culture system. This methodology can be effectively used to derive hESCs from both normal and abnormal embryos under feeder-free conditions with higher efficiency when compared with other methodologies. [Stem Cell Res Ther] Full Article

Knockdown of CDK2AP1 in Human Embryonic Stem Cells Reduces the Threshold of Differentiation

Scientists investigated the role of cyclin dependent kinase-2 asociated protein 1 (CDK2AP1) in human ESCs (hESCs). Using a shRNA to reduce its expression in hESCs, they found that CDK2AP1 knockdown resulted in a significant reduction in the expression of the pluripotency genes, OCT4 and NANOG. [PLoS One] Full Article

Bioengineering Strategies to Accelerate Stem Cell Therapeutics

Rapid progress with three-dimensional hydrogel culture platforms provides the opportunity to grow patient-specific organoids, and has led to the discovery of drugs that stimulate endogenous tissue-specific stem cells and enabled screens for drugs to treat disease. [Nature] Abstract

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

Fate Therapeutics and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Expand Scope of License Agreement to Include Gene-Edited T-Cell Immunotherapies

Fate Therapeutics, Inc. announced that the company has gained access to additional intellectual property from Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center that enables the development of gene-edited T-cell immunotherapies. [Fate Therapeutics, Inc.] Press Release

F.D.A. Moves to Stop Rogue Clinics From Using Unapproved Stem Cell Therapies

The Food and Drug Administration said that it was seeking court orders to stop two clinics from using unapproved stem cell treatments that in some cases have seriously harmed patients. [The New York Times] Press Release

A Slow Road for Stem Cells

The steady and careful development that has guided treatments using embryonic stem cells should be applied to therapies derived from adult stem cells, too. [Nature News] Editorial

Huge Gender Disparity in Cancer Research Funding in U.K.

The analysis examined data on both public and philanthropic grants given to support cancer research in the U.K. Male PIs were awarded 69 percent of the grants, and their grants were on average 1.3 times as large as those given to women, so that they received 78 percent of the total money allocated. [The Scientist] Editorial

Patient Registries to Bolster Cell- and Gene-Therapy Clinical Trial Data

As the first personalized cell and gene therapies are approved from small clinical trials, researchers propose the creation of publicly accessible databases to pull together real-world results. [The Scientist] Editorial

Sacked Japanese Biologist Gets Chance to Retrain at Crick Institute

Prominent cell biologist Yoshinori Watanabe, who was dismissed by the University of Tokyo, is attempting to put his past behind him by embarking on an intensive retraining program with Nobel prizewinner Paul Nurse in London. The university dismissed Watanabe after an investigation concluded that he had committed scientific misconduct. [Nature News] Editorial

NEW Development Meeting – From Stem Cells to Human Development
September 23-26, 2018
Surrey, United Kingdom

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

NEW PhD Positions – Mouse Embryonic Stem Cells (University of Iceland)

Research Technologist – Stem Cell Biology (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Research Technologist – Pluripotent Stem Cells (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Research Technologist – Pluripotent Stem Cells (STEMCELL Technologies Inc.)

Postdoctoral Fellow – hiPSC Based Cardiac Regeneration (Duke University)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Human Skeletal Muscle Disease Modeling and Regeneration (Duke University)

PhD Candidate Position – Cardiovascular Diseases and iPSCs (University Medical Center Göttingen)

Scientist/Senior Scientist – Bioprocess Engineering (Bluerock Therapeutics, LLC.)

Postdoctoral Fellow Positions – Cardiovascular Stem Cell/iPSC Biology (University of Illinois at Chicago)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering (Stanford University)

Postdoctoral Position – Cancer, Immunotherapy, and Fibrosis (University of Alabama at Birmingham)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Stem Cells, Development and Cancer (Albert Einstein College of Medicine)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Immunology and iPSCs (Stanford University)

Postdoctoral Associate – hiPSC-Based Brain Organoids (Rutgers University)

Postdoctoral Fellow – Stem Cell Biology (City of Hope)

Recruit Top Talent: Reach potential candidates by posting your organization’s career opportunities on the Connexon Creative Job Board at no cost.

Have we missed an important article or publication in ESC & iPSC News? Click here to submit!

Comments or suggestions? Submit your feedback here.