TOP STORIES

Bone Graft Grown in Exact Shape of Complex Skull-Jaw Joint
Technique could be a preferred substitute for replacing missing or damaged bones with titanium, donated bones or those harvested from elsewhere in a patient's body. [Columbia University, New York]

Animal Protein-Free Feeder-Independent Maintenance Medium for hESCs & hiPSCs by STEMCELL Technologies     WATCH THE TeSR™2 VIDEO

SCIENCE NEWS

Webinar: Feeder-independent growth of hESCs & hiPSCs using TeSR^TM2

STEMCELL Technologies Inc. Announces Release of Defined, Animal-Protein Free Maintenance Medium for hESCs and hiPSCs

Harvard Team Reports Major Step Forward in Cell Reprogramming
Researchers have found that one chemical can replace two of the genes required in producing induced pluripotent stem cells. [Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Boston]

Doctors Grow Facial Bone in Groundbreaking Procedure
In a first-of-its kind procedure, physicians have used stem cells taken from the fat tissue of a 14-year-old boy and combined them with growth protein and donor tissue to grow viable cheek bones in the teen. [Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati]

Major Improvements Made In Engineering Heart Repair Patches from Stem Cells
Researchers have succeeded in engineering human tissue patches free of some problems that have stymied stem-cell repair for damaged hearts. [University of Washington, Seattle]

New Strategy for Mending Broken Hearts?
In a series of experiments using mouse embryonic stem cells, the bioengineers used a novel mold of their own design to fashion a three-dimensional "patch" made up of heart muscle cells, known as cardiomyocytes. [Duke University, Durham]

Liver Cells Grown From Patients' Skin Cells; Treatment of Liver Diseases Possible
Scientists have successfully produced liver cells from patients' skin cells opening the possibility of treating a wide range of diseases that affect liver function. [Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee]

Stem Cells Which "Fool Immune System" May Provide Vaccination for Cancer
By immunizing the host with stem cells, the researchers are able to 'fool' the immune system to believe that cancer cells are present and thus to initiate a tumor-combating immune program. [UConn Stem Cell Institute, Farmington]

Research Shows Stem Cells Do Not Respond to DNA Damage
A team of researchers has demonstrated that unexpectedly the damage checkpoint in the cell cycle slows but does not prevent damaged human embryonic stem cells from replicating. [The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio]

Novel Polymer Delivers Genetic Medicine, Allows Tracking
Researchers have developed a new molecule that can travel into cells, deliver genetic cargo, and packs a beacon so scientists can follow its movements in living systems. [Virginia Tech, Blacksburg]

CURRENT PUBLICATIONS

The Nuclear Periphery of Embryonic Stem cells is a Transcriptionally Permissive and Repressive Compartment
Using a quantitative, cytological approach, the researchers measured the nuclear distributions of genes in undifferentiated mouse ESCs according to epigenetic state and transcriptional activity. [J Cell Sci]

Embryonic Stem Cell-like Cells Derived from Adult Human Testis
This study reports the derivation of ES-like cells from adult human testis. [Hum Reprod]

Identification of Differentially Expressed Genes in Human Embryonic Stem Cell Derived Endothelial Cells Using Suppression Subtractive Hybridization
Here, the researchers hypothesized that endothelial cells derived from hES cells would express genes specific to endothelial cells. [Stem Cells Dev]

Engraftment of Embryonic Stem Cell-derived Myogenic Progenitors in a Dominant Model of Muscular Dystrophy
To assess whether Pax3-induced embryonic stem cell-derived myogenic progenitor engraftment can be extended to a dominant type of muscle disorder, scientists transplanted these cells into FRG1 transgenic mice. [Exp Neuro]

Identification of Targets of Prox1 During in Vitro Vascular Differentiation from Embryonic Stem Cells: Functional Roles of HoxD8 in Lymphangiogenesis
The researchers here identified FoxC2 and angiopoietin-2 (Ang2), which play important roles in the maturation of lymphatic vessels, as novel targets of Prox1 in mouse embryonic-stem-cell-derived endothelial cells. [J Cell Sci]

INDUSTRY NEWS

DARA BioSciences and America Stem Cell Enter Into Amendment to Material Transfer Agreement
Under the Material Transfer Agreement, the Company is providing ASC with dipeptidylpeptidase inhibitors from its proprietary library which ASC is using to further its research and development program related to hematopoietic stem cell transplants.

Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine Researchers Receive $1.25M from NIMH to Study Schizophrenia
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine has received $1.25 million from the National Institutes of Mental Health using iPS induced neural cells to study Schizophrenia.

Mass. Biotech Firms Urged to Remain Independent
Industry leaders warned that the old model of forming a biotech company, shepherding a drug through development and years of clinical trials, and then selling the company to a pharmaceutical buyer may be played out.

POLICY NEWS

A Clear Line on Stem Cells
The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2009 will be introduced shortly codify Mr. Obama's executive order permitting federal funding of such research within guidelines established by the NIH.

Public Workshop: FDA Regulation and Licensure of Whole Blood and Blood Components

NHLBI Awards $170 Million to Fund Stem Cell Research
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, one of the National Institutes of Health, has awarded $170 million to be paid over seven years to 18 teams of research scientists to develop the high-potential field of stem and progenitor cell tools and therapies.

NIH Awards Grants to Examine Factors Influencing Women's Careers in Science
The National Institutes of Health announced today that it will fund 14 grants focusing on factors that influence the careers of women in biomedical and behavioral science and engineering.

Stem Cell Feud Goes to Constitutional Court
Currently in Korea, the Constitutional Court hosted a public hearing over whether embryos should be granted, the same legal rights as persons, and whether it would be right to use embryos left from artificial insemination for research purposes.

Russia Stem Cell Firm Sees Post-IPO Market Cap at $28m
Russia's Stem Cell Institute said on Wednesday it plans to raise up to 165 million rubles ($5.53 million) in what will be the country's first initial public offering since the financial crisis erupted last year.

EVENTS

49th American Society for Cell Biology Annual Meeting
December 5-9, 2009
San Diego, United States

Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine World Congress
January 20-21, 2010
San Francisco, United States

Phacilitate Cell and Gene Therapy
January 25-27, 2010
Washington DC, United States

Molecular Medicine Tri-Conference 2010
February 3-5, 2010
San Francisco, United States

SMi's 2nd Annual Stem Cells
February 15-16, 2010
London, United Kingdom

Stem Cell Summit
February 16, 2010
New York, United States

ISSCR 8th Annual Meeting
June 16-19, 2010
San Francisco, United States

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