TOP STORY
Scientists Discover New Method for Regenerating Heart Muscle by Direct Reprogramming
Scientists directly reprogrammed fibroblasts in the heart to become cardiomyocytes. In doing so, they also found the first evidence that unrelated adult cells can be reprogrammed from one cell type to another without having to go all the way back to a stem cell state. [Press release from the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease discussing online prepublication in Cell]
|
|
SCIENCE NEWS
NIH Genomic Mapping Study Finds Largest Set of Genes Related to Major Risk Factor for Heart Disease Scanning the genomes of more than 100,000 people from all over the world, scientists report the largest set of genes discovered underlying high cholesterol and high triglycerides. Taken together, the gene variants explain between a quarter and a third of the inherited portions of cholesterol and triglyceride measured in the blood. [Press release from the National Institutes of Health discussing online prepublication in Nature]
Molecular Mechanism Triggering Parkinson's Disease Identified in Study Scientists have identified a molecular pathway responsible for the death of key nerve cells whose loss causes Parkinson’s disease. [Press release from Stanford University School of Medicine discussing online prepublication in Nature]
Scientists Discover Protein that Shuttles RNA into Mitochondria Researchers have uncovered a role for an essential cell protein in shuttling RNA into the mitochondria. [Press release from the University of California, Los Angeles Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center discussing online prepublication in Cell]
Scientists Find Gas Pedal – and Brake – for Uncontrolled Cell Growth Researchers have identified a new way to regulate the uncontrolled growth of blood vessels, a major problem in a broad range of diseases and conditions. [Press release from the University of California, San Diego discussing online prepublication in Nature Medicine]
Newts' Ability to Regenerate Tissue Replicated in Mouse Cells by Scientists Scientists have taken a big step toward being able to confer the regenerative capacity of newts on mammalian muscle cells; they accomplished this feat in experiments with laboratory mice in which they blocked the expression of two tumor-suppressing proteins. [Press release from Stanford University School of Medicine discussing online prepublication in Cell Stem Cell]
Alphavirus-Based Vaccine May Slow Some Cancers An experimental vaccine based on a virus that causes encephalitis in the wild appears to block tumor growth in some cases of advanced cancer. Scientists say the vaccine is able to stimulate an immune response, even in the face of profound immune system suppression. [Press release from Duke University Medical Center discussing online prepublication in the Journal of Clinical Investigation]
Epileptic Seizures May Be Linked to an Ancient Gene Family Researchers have identified an ancient gene family that plays a role in regulating the excitability of nerves within the brain. [Press release from the Pennsylvania State University discussing online prepublication in Nature Neuroscience]
Cellular Suicide Spurs Cancer Two studies looked at the role of a protein called PUMA, which triggers cell death in response to damaged DNA. Both research teams observed the same phenomenon: the absence of the suicide switch protected the mice, not harmed them. [Press release from NatureNews discussing online prepublication in Genes and Development]
Researchers Find Key Step in Body's Ability to Make Red Blood Cells Researchers found that a tiny fragment of RNA prompts stem cells to mature into red blood cells. They also created an artificial RNA inhibitor to block this process. [Press release from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center discussing online prepublication in Genes and Development]
Researchers Identify a Gene Affecting Chronic Pain; Open Way for New Treatment Approach Researchers have succeeded in identifying a gene associated with susceptibility to chronic pain caused by nerve injury in humans, signaling a significant step toward better understanding and treating of the condition. [Press release from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem discussing online prepublication in Genome Research]
Taiwan Doctors Control Tumor Using Gene Therapy Doctors have succeeded in controlling a tumor in rodents using gene therapy, and plan to conduct clinical tests on human beings soon. [Press release from Earth Times discussing online prepublication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA]
Scientists Target Possible Cause of One Form of Bowel Disease A possible cause of irritable bowel syndrome has been traced to a small piece of RNA that blocks a substance protecting the colon membrane, leading to hostile conditions that can produce diarrhea, bloating and chronic abdominal pain. [Press release from Ohio State University discussing online prepublication in Gut]
Gene Brings Teeth in Shape No healthy teeth without this gene: if during tooth formation the Jagged2 gene is inactivated, and hence the Notch signaling pathway interrupted, tooth crowns will be malformed and enamel will be lacking. [Press release from ScienceDaily discussing online prepublication in Development]
Human Embryonic Stem Cells Purified in New, Rapid Technique Researchers are reporting the first success in very rapidly purifying one type of embryonic stem cell from a mix of many different types of embryonic stem cells in the culture dish. The technique avoids the need to genetically alter the cells to distinguish them. [Press release from the University of California, San Francisco discussing online prepublication in Stem Cells and Development]
“Genome Mining” May Yield New Drugs Researchers have discovered a promising new antibiotic using the “genome mining” approach. The drug was extracted from the soil bug Streptomyces after the scientists found and activated a particular group of dormant genes in the microbe. [Press release from the Press Association discussing online prepublication in Microbiology]
Scientists Develop “Designer Protein,” Opening New Door in Cancer Research Scientists have identified a way to target and destroy Glioblastoma multiforme cells without harming healthy cells. [Press release from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center discussing online prepublication in Genes and Cancer]
World's First Demonstration of Successful Adult Brain Cell Re-Growth Confirmed at Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience A research team has confirmed — through extensive research and peer-reviewed testing — the world's first successful example of brain cell re-growth in an adult mammal. [University of Lethbridge Press Release]
Herpes Virus Treats Head and Neck Cancer Patients A genetically engineered cold sore virus has been used to treat head and neck cancer patients in a Phase I/II clinical trial. [Institute of Cancer Research Press Release]
Invention’s Bit of Gold Goes a Long Way A researcher has combined nanoscale-sized-particles of gold with two powerful tools in molecular biology to make DNA analysis more than 10 times faster at room temperature, rather than previously required higher temperatures. [Simon Fraser University Press Release]
CURRENT PUBLICATIONS (Ranked by Impact Factor of the Journal)
Biological, Clinical and Population Relevance of 95 Loci for Blood Lipids Researchers screened the genome for common variants associated with plasma lipids in more than 100,000 individuals of European ancestry. Here they report 95 significantly associated loci, with 59 showing genome-wide significant association with lipid traits for the first time. [Nature]
Pathogenic LRRK2 Negatively Regulates MicroRNA-Mediated Translational Repression Results implicate deregulated synthesis of E2F1/DP caused by the miRNA pathway impairment as a key event in LRRK2 pathogenesis and suggest novel miRNA-based therapeutic strategies. [Nature]
Direct Reprogramming of Fibroblasts into Functional Cardiomyocytes by Defined Factors Researchers report that a combination of three developmental transcription factors (Gata4, Mef2c, and Tbx5) rapidly and efficiently reprogrammed postnatal cardiac or dermal fibroblasts directly into differentiated cardiomyocyte-like cells. [Cell]
PNPASE Regulates RNA Import into Mitochondria Researchers show a new role for PNPASE in regulating the import of nuclear-encoded RNAs into the mitochondrial matrix. [Cell]
MicroRNA-132-Mediated Loss of p120RasGAP Activates the Endothelium to Facilitate Pathological Angiogenesis Researchers show that the microRNA miR-132 acts as an angiogenic switch by targeting p120RasGAP in the endothelium and thereby inducing neovascularization. [Nat Med]
Transient Inactivation of Rb and ARF Yields Regenerative Cells from Postmitotic Mammalian Muscle Results show that differentiation of mammalian cells is reversed by inactivation of Arf and Rb and support the hypothesis that Arf evolved at the expense of regeneration. [Cell Stem Cell]
An Alphavirus Vector Overcomes the Presence of Neutralizing Antibodies and Elevated Numbers of Tregs to Induce Immune Responses in Humans with Advanced Cancer Data suggest that virus-like replicon particle-based vectors can overcome the presence of neutralizing antibodies to break tolerance to self antigen and may be clinically useful for immunotherapy in the setting of tumor-induced immunosuppression. [J Clin Invest]
Deletion of the Potassium Channel Kv12.2 Causes Hippocampal Hyperexcitability and Epilepsy Genetic deletion and pharmacologic block of Kv12.2 substantially reduced the firing threshold of hippocampal pyramidal neurons. [Nature Neurosci]
Apoptosis of Leukocytes Triggered by Acute DNA Damage Promotes Lymphoma Formation Mice defective in p53-induced apoptosis due to loss of its proapoptotic target gene, puma, resist gamma-irradiation-induced lymphomagenesis. [Genes Dev]
Apoptosis-Promoted Tumorigenesis: Gamma-Irradiation-Induced Thymic Lymphomagenesis Requires Puma-Driven Leukocyte Death Tumor suppression by Puma deficiency reflected its protection of leukocytes from gamma-irradiation-induced death, because their glucocorticoid-mediated decimation in Puma-deficient mice activated cycling of stem/progenitor cells and restored thymic lymphomagenesis. [Genes Dev]
Defective Erythroid Differentiation in miR-451 Mutant Mice Mediated By 14-3-3Zeta Researchers show that microRNA-451 (miR-451) regulates erythropoiesis in vivo. Mice lacking miR-451 display a reduction in hematrocrit, an erythroid differentiation defect, and ineffective erythropoiesis in response to oxidative stress. [Genes Dev]
|
|
|
BUSINESS
Five Prime Therapeutics, Inc. Announces Strategic Alliance with GlaxoSmithKline to Discover Innovative Biologics for Skeletal Muscle Disorders Five Prime Therapeutics, Inc. announced that it has formed a focused strategic drug discovery alliance with GlaxoSmithKline. [Press Release]
Axiogenesis In-Licenses Yamanaka Patent Portfolio from iPS Academia Japan Covering Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Technology Axiogenesis AG and iPS Academia Japan Inc. announced that they have executed a non-exclusive agreement with iPS Academia through which Axiogenesis obtains worldwide access to the extensive portfolio of induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology for iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes and other cell types, pioneered by Professor Shinya Yamanaka, Center for iPS Cell Research and Application at the University of Kyoto, Japan. [BusinessWire]
Seattle Genetics Expands Antibody-Drug Conjugate Collaboration with Genentech Seattle Genetics, Inc. announced that it has expanded its antibody-drug conjugate collaboration agreement with Genentech, Inc. [Seattle Genetics, Inc. Press Release]
GlaxoSmithKline and Amplimmune Form Global Strategic Collaboration Amplimmune, Inc. announced that it has entered into a broad strategic alliance with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) to further develop PD-1 targeting therapies that may be effective in the treatment of cancer and other diseases. GSK will obtain exclusive worldwide rights to AMP-224 as well as other potential next generation fusion proteins that target PD-1. [Amplimmune, Inc. Press Release]
Movetis Receives a Tender Offer from Shire of EUR19 Cash Per Share for All Outstanding Shares and Warrants Movetis NV announced that it has received a conditional offer from a Luxembourg incorporated wholly-owned subsidiary of Shire plc to acquire all outstanding shares and warrants of Movetis NV at an offer price of EUR19.00 in cash per share, valuing the Company’s equity, on a fully diluted basis, at EUR428 million. [Movetis NV Press Release]
Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Files IND Application with U.S. FDA for PLK1 SNALP Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation announced it has filed an Investigational New Drug (IND) application seeking approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin a Phase I human clinical trial to evaluate PLK1 SNALP as a treatment for solid tumor cancers. [Tekmira Pharmaceuticals Corporation Press Release]
ACT Files Documentation with FDA for Clinical Trials Using ES Cells to Treat Eye Disease Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACT) announced that it has submitted documentation and a complete response to substantively address the issues raised by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in connection with the Company’s plans to initiate a Phase I/II multicenter study using embryonic stem (ES) cell derived retinal cells to treat patients with Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy. [Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. Press Release]
Panel Recommends Defining Select Agents by DNA Sequence The way to bring synthetically designed genomes that could be potentially as deadly as known pathogens under regulation, according to a new National Academies report, is to develop a new system of defining select agents based on DNA sequences. [ScienceInsider]
Free Access to U.S. Research Papers Could Yield $1 Billion in Benefits A new economic analysis finds that making taxpayer-funded scientific papers freely available would yield more than $1 billion in benefits to the U.S. economy over 30 years–five times the costs of archiving the papers. [ScienceInsider]
|
|
|
|
|
EVENTS (Listed by Date)
NEW Securing European Funding for Biomaterials in Medicine and Healthcare: Opportunities and Approach August 12, 2010 Runcorn, United Kingdom
XXIII International Congress of the Transplantation Society August 15-19, 2010 Vancouver, Canada
CHI's 5th Annual Immunotherapeutics and Vaccine Summit (ImVacS) August 17-19, 2010 Cambridge, United States
Select Biosciences 3rd Annual Stem Cells Europe Conference August 24-25, 2010 Edinburgh, Scotland
Select Biosciences 2nd Annual World Biobanking Summit August 24-25, 2010 Edinburgh, Scotland
Select Biosciences Inaugural Cellular Therapy Summit August 24-25, 2010 Edinburgh, Scotland
Viral Vectors in Gene Therapy: Applications and Novel Production Methods August 26-September 4, 2010 Kuopio, Finland
European Workshop on Skin Stem Cells August 31-September 2, 2010 Cambridge, United Kingdom
Clinical Trials International Summit 2010 September 1-2, 2010 Shanghai, China
Third Annual Limbal Stem Cell Meeting September 10, 2010 Reading, United Kingdom
International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) – Europe 2nd Regional Meeting September 11-14, 2010 Belgirate, Italy
Hydra VI: The European Summer School on Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine September 11-17, 2010 Hydra, Greece
Joint Metastasis Research Society – American Association of Cancer Research Conference on Metastasis and the Tumor Microenvironment September 12-15, 2010 Philadelphia, United States
Stem Cells USA & Regenerative Medicine Congress 2010 September 13-15, 2010 Philadelphia, United States
Select Biosciences 7th Annual RNAi & miRNA Europe September 14-15, 2010 Dublin, Ireland
Select Biosciences Inaugural Epigenetics Europe Conference September 14-15, 2010 Dublin, Ireland
Select Biosciences Inaugural Genomics Automation Europe Conference September 14-15, 2010 Dublin, Ireland
Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) – Asia Pacific 2010 September 15-17, 2010 Sydney, Australia
First Annual BIO India International Partnering Conference September 21-22, 2010 Hyderabad, India
Cellular Therapy of Cancer Symposium – ATTACK Project Meeting September 24-27, 2010 Montpellier, France
International Society for Cellular Therapy 2nd Annual Symposium on Stem Cell Translation: Best Practices & Regulatory Considerations September 27-28, 2010 San Francisco, United States
International Society for Cell and Gene Therapy of Cancer (ISCGT) Congress September 27-29, 2010 Doha, Qatar
4th American Association of Cancer Research International Conference on Molecular Diagnostics in Cancer Therapeutic Development September 27-30, 2010 Denver, United States
Select Biosciences 6th Annual Ion Channel Targets Conference September 28-29, 2010 Washington, DC, United States
Cytokines 2010: Cytokines in Infectious Diseases, Autoimmune Disorders and Cancer October 3-7, 2010 Chicago, United States
2010 World Stem Cell Summit October 4-6, 2010 Detroit, United States
NEW 9th Annual BIO Investor Forum October 5-6, 2010 San Francisco, United States
5th World Congress on Preventive & Regenerative Medicine (WCRM) October 5-7, 2010 Hannover, Germany
17th Annual Meeting German Society for Gene Therapy (DG-GT e.V.) October 6-9, 2010 Munich, Germany
COGEM Symposium: GM Viruses as Medicine: Panacea or Pandora's Box? October 7, 2010 Amsterdam, The Netherlands
American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) Annual Meeting & Cellular Therapy and Transfusion Medicine Expo (CTTXPO) 2010 October 9-12, 2010 Baltimore, United States
18th Annual BioPartnering Europe October 10-12, 2010 London, United Kingdom
New York Stem Cell Foundation Fifth Annual Translational Stem Cell Research Meeting October 12-13, 2010 New York, United States
Translational Cancer Research for Basic Scientists October 17-22, 2010 Boston, United States
2010 NanoMedicine Summit October 18-19, 2010 Cleveland, United States
NEW BIO Intellectual Property Counsels Committee Fall Conference and Committee Meeting October 18-20, 2010 Boston, United States
European Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (ESGCT) 18th Annual Congress October 22-25, 2010 Milan, Italy
3rd Annual Dubai Congress on Anti-Aging and Aesthetic Medicine (DCAAAM) October 26-27, 2010 Dubai, United Arab Emirates
World Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine Congress Asia 2010 October 26-29, 2010 Singapore City, Singapore
Select Biosciences 3rd Annual Molecular Diagnostics World Congress October 28-29, 2010 San Diego, United States
Fraunhofer Life Science Symposium 2010 October 29-30, 2010 Leipzig, Germany
Stem Cell Society Singapore Symposium 2010: Translating Science to Therapy November 2-3, 2010 Singapore City, Singapore
World Cord Blood Congress November 4-7, 2010 Marseille, France
Select Biosciences 5th Annual European Biomarkers Summit November 9-10, 2010 Florence, Italy
Select Biosciences International Forum on Stem Cells November 12-13, 2010 Tianjin, China
Select Biosciences 2nd Annual RNAi Asia Conference November 15-16, 2010 Singapore City, Singapore
NEW BIO-Europe International Partnering Conference November 15-17, 2010 Munich, Germany
9th Annual Gene Therapy Symposium for Heart, Lung, and Blood Diseases November 17-19, 2010 Sonoma, United States
8th Annual Commercial Translation of Regenerative Medicine Conference November 18-19, 2010 London, United Kingdom
Stem Cell Network 10th Annual Scientific Meeting November 22-24, 2010 Calgary, Canada
HealthTech and Medicines Knowledge Transfer Network 7th Annual BioProcessUK Conference November 24-25, 2010 Manchester, United Kingdom
Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine International Society (TERMIS) – North America 2010 Annual Conference December 5-8, 2010 Orlando, United States
Select Biosciences 5th Annual Stem Cells World Congress January 24-25, 2011 San Diego, United States
NEW BIO Asia International Partnering Conference January 24-25, 2011 Tokyo, Japan
Phacilitate 7th Annual Cell & Gene Therapy Forum 2011 January 24-26, 2011 Washington DC, United States
Visit our events page to stay up to date with the latest events in the cell, gene and immunotherapy community.
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Cell Therapy Technologist (Opexa Therapeutics)
Recruit Top Talent Reach more than 11,000 potential candidates by posting your organization's career opportunities with Cell Therapy News. Visit here to post your career opportunities.
|
|
|