TOP STORY

Making Old Stem Cells Act Young Again
A team of researchers has found that in old mice, a several-week exposure to the blood of young mice causes their bone marrow stem cells to act "young" again. [Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase]

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SCIENCE NEWS

Fat Tissue May Be a Source of Valuable Blood Stem Cells, Study Says
Researchers have found evidence that fat tissue, known as adipose tissue, may be a promising new source of valuable and easy-to-obtain regenerative cells called hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells. [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejon]

CURRENT PUBLICATIONS

Systemic Signals Regulate Ageing and Rejuvenation of Blood Stem Cell Niches
Using complementary in vivo and in vitro heterochronic models, researchers show that age-associated changes in stem cell supportive niche cells deregulate normal haematopoiesis by causing haematopoietic stem cell dysfunction. [Nature]

Exposure to Cardiomyogenic Stimuli Fails to Transdifferentiate Human Umbilical Cord Blood-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
The aim of this study was to direct umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells to the cardiac lineage by exposure to: (1) 5-azacytidine or dimethyl sulfoxide; (2) a combination of growth factors involved in early cardiomyogenesis (BMP-2 + bFGF + IGF-1); (3) the Wnt signaling activators lithium chloride and phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate; and (4) direct contact with neonatal rat cardiomyocytes. [Basic Res Cardiol]

Epigenetic Changes to Human Umbilical Cord Blood Cells Cultured with Three Proteins Indicate Partial Reprogramming to a Pluripotent State
The objective of this study was to determine if the novel expression of these pluripotency genes coupled with the newly acquired ability of these cells to differentiate into all three germ layers was the result of epigenetic changes to these cells after reprogramming in medium containing FGF4, SCF and Flt-3 ligand (FSFl medium). [Exp Cell Res]

Altered Adhesive Properties of Cord Blood Endothelial Outgrowth Cells Expressing IL-1ra
The aim of this study was to examine the potential of endothelial outgrowth cells expanded from CD34⁺ cord blood-derived cells for overexpression of therapeutic transgenes. [Immunol Cell Biol]

Parameters for Establishing Humanized Mouse Models to Study Human Immunity: Analysis of Human Hematopoietic Stem Cell Engraftment in Three Immunodeficient Strains of Mice Bearing the IL2rgamma(null) Mutation
Researchers observed that newborn recipients exhibited enhanced engraftment as compared to adult recipients. Irrespective of the protocol or age of recipient, both immunodeficient NOD strains support enhanced hematopoietic cell engraftment as compared to the BALB/c strain. [Clin Immunol]

Viability and Functional Capacity After Thawing of Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells Cryopreserved at a Cord Blood Stem Cell Bank in Colombia
The objective of this study was to evaluate the viability and functional capacity of hematopoietic progenitor cells from cord blood samples cryopreserved at the Banco de Células Stem de Colombia. [Int J Gynecol Obstet]

INDUSTRY NEWS

Cord Blood America Improves Balance Sheet
Cord Blood America, Inc. said that it has retired almost $6 million worth of notes which had been provided by Enable Capital Management, LLC and their affiliates between 2007 and 2009. [Cord Blood America, Inc. Press Release]

£5M Funding Partnership to Bring New Innovation and Economic Benefit to United Kingdom
A £5M development at the Norwich Research Park, funded by a partnership including the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council will provide facilities for start-up and growing businesses that will turn world-class science into products and technologies. [Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council Press Release]

Stem Cell Assurance Announces a Financing and Marketing Partnership with MDwerks
Stem Cell Assurance, Inc. and MDwerks, Inc. announced a financing and marketing partnership wherein MDwerks, through its Xeni Finance subsidiary, has provided the first tranche of financing to Stem Cell for the purchase of various medical devices from Cytori Therapeutics, Inc. [PR Newswire]

Scientific Breakthrough: Baltimore's Bioparks Enjoy a Growth Spurt
Companies are taking more space in Baltimore's two emerging biotechnology research centers; at least one firm is mulling a venture capital-backed funding round; and plans to expand the University of Maryland, Baltimore's biopark are still on the table. [Baltimore Business Journal]

Siouxland Blood Bank in Merger Talks
The Siouxland Community Blood Bank is considering merging with Iowa's largest blood collection center. [Sioux City Journal]

Blood Institute is Building New Donor Center in Oklahoma City
A $9 million blood donor center being built in Oklahoma City will improve medical care for many state stem cell patients and make way for new technology that can basically "scrub blood" free of bacteria and viruses. [Tulsa World]

POLICY NEWS

Maryland Stem Cell Commission Gets 141 Applications for Grants
The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission has received 141 applications for $45 million in research grants, but only $12 million is available. [The Maryland Stem Cell Research Commission, United States]

In Tough Economic Times, National Institutes of Health Head Looks to Clinic
As he puts together his budget proposal for the coming year, National Institutes of Health director Dr. Francis Collins plans to do something a little different - emphasizing the "health" in the name of his U.S. agency. [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Clarification on the Extended Error Correction Window and Format of the Research Strategy Section for Restructured Applications Intended for Due Dates on or After January 25, 2010 (NOT-OD-10-050) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

FY2010 Recovery Act Funding Announcements: Clarification on Page Limitations for Bibliography and References Cited Section (NOT-OD-10-051) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Clarification of SF424 (R&R) Application Instructions for Resubmissions of Revision and Renewal Applications (NOT-OD-10-052) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Science Board to the Food and Drug Administration; Notice of Meeting [Food and Drug Administration, United States]

UPDATE TO RFA-OD-10-001: ARRAOS Recovery Act Limited Competition: Behavioral Economics for Nudging the Implementation of Comparative Effectiveness Research: Clinical Trials (RC4) - Announcement of Additional Funds Availability and Increased Allowable Total Costs (NOT-OD-10-053) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Notice of Intent to Publish a Request for Applications for NHLBI Research Centers at Minority-Serving Institutions (P30) (NOT-HL-11-150) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Institutional Clinical and Translational Science Award (U54) (RFA-RM-10-001) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

EVENTS

2010 BMT Tandem Meetings
February 24-28, 2010
Orlando, United States

AABB's Cord Blood Licensure Workshop
March 8-10, 2010
Rockville, United States

36th Annual Meeting of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation
March 21-24, 2010
Vienna, Austria

12th Biennial CBMTG Conference
April 7-10, 2010
Vancouver, Canada

16th Annual ISCT Meeting
May 23-26, 2010
Philadelphia, United States 

8th Annual International Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation Symposium
June 3-5, 2010
San Francisco, United States

Select Bioscience's World Biobanking Summit
August 24-25, 2010
Edinburgh, Scotland

36th Annual ASHI Meeting
September 26-30, 2010
Hollywood, United States

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Business Development Europe - Cell Therapy Products (PALL Corporation)

Research & Development Scientist - Pancreatic Cell Biology (STEMCELL Technologies)

Research & Development Scientist - Endothelial Cell Biology (STEMCELL Technologies)

Research & Development Scientist - Epithelial Cell Biology (STEMCELL Technologies)

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