July newsletter: notes from ISSCR
In a Q&A, the new president of the International Society for Stem Cell
Research describes career prospects for new scientists as "buoyant." An
expert commentary warns about what scientists hunting epigenetic
mechanisms might overlook. Several articles come straight from the
annual meeting of ISSCR. There, experts discussed how to set standards
for clinical trials and cell identities; the notions of cancer stem
cells, cell fate, and transdifferentiation came up for re-examination.
Our top stories
Fiona Watt: expanding niches for stem cell researchers
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The new president of the ISSCR explains why young scientists should
think twice before making induced pluripotent stem cells
Stem cell meeting 2008: in with the old, in with the new
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Natalie DeWitt and Monya Baker explore the growing resolution on
mechanisms of cellular memory, the emerging questions on how cells can
flit straight from one differentiated fate to another and whether cancer
stem cells exist
How do you know a reprogrammed cell is reprogrammed?
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Scientists consider minimum standards for induced pluripotent stem cells
Stem cell society condemns unproven treatments
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Guidelines describing what is considered ethical behaviour for stem cell
practitioners
Related story: Scientists face down stem cell tourism
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How to assess a stem cell genome
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In a commentary, Michael Teitell, of the University of California, Los
Angeles, argues that to pick the best cell line for the job, genetic
variation should be better understood
California's new lines: what got funded
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The California Institute of Regenerative Medicine awarded $23 million
for 16 grants to create pluripotent stem cell lines. Of the 50
submissions, 29 proposed creating lines from reprogrammed adult cells;
17 from IVF embryos; 3 from nuclear transfer. Twelve proposals came from
for-profit companies; Find out how many of each were funded.
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(You'll need to scroll to the end.)
Research highlights and news stories keying off recent publications:
Pluripotency
The latest pluripotency factor is a lone warrior
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Ronin takes a place beside Oct4, Nanog and Sox2
Dejosez, M. et al. Cell 133, 1162-1174 (2008).
Small molecules boost reprogramming rates
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Induced pluripotent stem cells edge away from viruses
Shi, Y. et al. Cell Stem Cell 2, 525-528 (2008).
Huangfu, D. et al. Nature Biotechnol. advance online publication,
doi:10.1038/nbt1418 (22 June 2008).
Easing out the viruses in induced pluripotency
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In neural stem cells, only two transgenes are necessary for
reprogramming
Kim, J. B. et al. Nature advance online publication,
doi:10.1038/nature07061 (29 June 2008).
Two networks of pluripotency
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An analysis of transcription factor binding sites finds clusters that
clarify cooperative binding
Chen, X. et al. Cell 133, 1106-1117 (2008).
'Reprogramming-ready' mice
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Transgenic mice offer a source of genetically identical induced
pluripotent stem cells
Wernig, M. et al. Nature Biotechnol. advance online publication,
doi:10.1038/nbt1483 (1 July 2008).
Muscle, money, mind, blood and more
Embryonic stem cells answer questions about breast cancer
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A cell-based assay identifies deleterious mutations in BRCA2
Kuznetsov, S., Liu, P. & Sharan, S. Nature Med. advance online
publication, doi:10.1038/nm.1719 (6 July 2008).
A metasignalling network makes muscles age
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Regeneration is actively repressed in a metasignalling network between
TGF-beta and Notch
Carlson, M. E., Hsu, M. & Conboy, I. M. Nature advance online
publication, doi:10.1038/nature07034 (15 June 2008).
Finding new muscle in cardiac stem cells
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Researchers discover a new type of stem cell in the heart's protective
layer
Zhou, B. et al. Nature advance online publication,
doi:10.1038/nature07060 (22 June 2008).
Cai, C.-L. et al. Nature advance online publication,
doi:10.1038/nature06969 (14 May 2008).
US stem cell scientists consider relocating
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Survey shows state policies and resources influence decisions
Levine, A. Public Admin. Rev. 68, 681-694 (2008).
Growing blood in a dish
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New models for generating functional haematopoietic stem cells ex vivo
Ledran, M. H. et al. Cell Stem Cell 3, 85-98 (2008).
Taoudi, S. et al. Cell Stem Cell 3, 99-108 (2008).
Mind control
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Overexpression of single genes directs neural progenitors to adopt
specific fates
Li, Z. et al. J. Neurosci. 28, 6557-6568 (2008).
Li, H. et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA doi:10.1073/pnas.0802876105
(published online 30 June 2008).
Jessberger, S. et al. Nature Neurosci. advance online publication,
doi:10.1038/nn.2148 (29 June 2008).
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