TOP STORIES

Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation after Nonmyeloablative Conditioning: Impact on Transplantation Outcomes in 110 Adults with Hematologic Disease
This study evaluated the efficacy of umbilical cord blood in the setting of a nonmyeloablative regimen for post-transplantation immunoprophylaxis. [Blood]

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

Duke Studies New Approach in Fetal Transplants for Metabolic Disorders
Researchers say a new development in cord blood transplants for inherited metabolic disorders may be curative for some babies who are treated while still in the womb. [Duke University, Durham]

Blood Counts are Clues to Human Disease
An international team measured hemoglobin concentration, the count and volume of red and white cells and platelets and uncovered 22 regions of the human genome implicated in the development of these blood cells. [Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, Hinxton]

Bioengineered Stem Cells May Offer New Hope for Pancreatic Cancer Patients
Bioengineered constructs used in a treatment targeting pancreatic cancer were made of engineered, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells and a gene product toxic to tumor growth that is expressed when the tumor actively recruits the stem cells. [Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston]

Blood Diagnosis - Chip-based and Mobile
An improved marker-free technique takes a few minutes and the doctor knows immediately whether there are any pathogens in the blood. [Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, Munich]

CURRENT PUBLICATIONS

Stem Cells from Umbilical Cord Blood do have Myogenic Potential, With and Without Differentiation Induction in Vitro
The researchers' objective was to analyze the potential of CD34+ stem cells from umbilical cord blood to differentiate in muscle cells and express dystrophin, in vitro. [J Transl Med]

Functional Genomic Analysis of Peripheral Blood During Early Acute Renal Allograft Rejection
Peripheral blood biomarkers that provide evidence of early graft rejection may offer an important option for post-transplant monitoring, optimize the utility of graft biopsy, and permit timely and effective therapeutic intervention to minimize the graft damage. [Transplantation]

Characterization of Natural Killer and Natural Killer-like T Cells Derived from ex Vivo Expanded and Activated Cord Blood Mononuclear Cells: Implications for Adoptive Cellular Immunotherapy
This study demonstrates that previously cryopreserved and re-thawed CB MNCs can be EvE up to 7 days to yield viable and activated NK and NKT-like subsets that appear to be cytolytic based on the cell repertoire and could be utilized in the future as adoptive cellular immunotherapy post-unrelated CB transplantation. [Exp Hematol]

Bone Marrow-derived Cells Do Not Repair Endothelium in a Mouse Model of Chronic Endothelial Cell Dysfunction
This paper assessed the hypothesis that a bone marrow transplant from healthy animals would restore normal arterial endothelium and prevent hypertension in young endothelial nitric oxide synthase-deficient (eNOS-/-) mice. [Cardiovasc Res]

INDUSTRY NEWS

STEMCELL Technologies Inc. Announces Release of Defined, Animal-Protein Free Maintenance Medium for hESCs and hiPSCs
STEMCELL Technologies Inc. (STEMCELL) is pleased to announce the release of TeSR™2, a defined, animal-protein free maintenance medium for human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells. [STEMCELL Technologies, Vancouver]

Stem Cell Therapy International, Inc. Announces U.S. Patent Awarded for Isolation of Stem Cells for Therapy
Stem Cell Therapy International, Inc. announced that its subsidiary has been awarded a U.S. Patent entitled "Method of Isolating and Culturing Mesenchymal Stem Cell Derived from Cryopreserved Umbilical Cord Blood."

Florida Blood Center to Borrow $30M for Construction Projects
LifeSouth Community Blood Centers plans to borrow up to $30 million to fund a series of construction projects at facilities in Gainesville, Alabama and Georgia.

Pennsylvania Blood Center Launches Fundraising Campaign
Miller-Keystone Blood Center's Fund Development Department has announced the launch of their 2009 Annual Appeal, with a goal to raise a minimum of $50,000.

POLICY NEWS

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

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.

Bioengineering Research Grants (BRG)(R01) (PA-10-009)

Exploratory/Developmental Bioengineering Research Grants (EBRG) [R21] (PA-10-010)

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

EVENTS

51st ASH Annual Meeting and Exposition
December 9-12, 2009
New Orleans, LA

2010 BMT Tandem Meetings
February 24-28, 2010
Orlando, Florida

The European Group for Blood & Marrow Transplantation Annual Meeting
March 21-24, 2010
Vienna, Austria

Canadian Blood and Marrow Transplant Consortium Annual Meeting
April 7-10, 2010
Vancouver, BC

16th Annual International Society for Cellular Therapy Meeting
May 22-26, 2010
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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