TOP STORY

Bone Progenitor Dysfunction Induces Myelodysplasia and Secondary Leukemia
By examining how mesenchymal osteolineage cells modulate hematopoiesis, researchers show that deletion of Dicer1 specifically in mouse osteoprogenitors, but not in mature osteoblasts, disrupts the integrity of hematopoiesis. [Nature]

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SCIENCE NEWS

New Technique to Preserve Blood
The Malaysian Health Ministry, via the National Blood Bank, has begun implementing a technology to preserve blood reserves for up to 10 years, its minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said. [The Star Press Release]

"Good" Cells can Go "Bad" in a "Bad Neighborhood"
Researchers report that normal blood stem cells "are dependent upon their environment. They get their cues from the surrounding ‘neighborhood’ of bone cells," says Scadden, co-director of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and director of the MGH Center for Regenerative Medicine. [Press release from the Harvard Stem Cell Institute discussing the online prepublication in Nature]

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CURRENT PUBLICATIONS

Pleiotrophin Regulates the Expansion and Regeneration of Hematopoietic Stem Cells
Pleiotrophin, a neurite outgrowth factor with no known function in hematopoiesis, efficiently promotes hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) expansion in vitro and HSC regeneration in vivo. [Nat Med]

Reduced Intensity Conditioning Regimens for Allogeneic Transplantation in Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
These data indicate long-term disease-free survival can be achieved using reduced intensity conditioning regimens in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. [Biol Blood Marrow Transplant] 

Going Straight to the Point: Intra-Bone Marrow Injection of Hematopoietic Progenitors
In this study, researchers review the rationale as well as the clinical and pre-clinical data that support the study of intra-bone marrow injection as a method to deliver hematopoietic cells. [Bone Marrow Transplant]

Plerixafor Plus Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor can Mobilize Hematopoietic Stem Cells from Multiple Myeloma and Lymphoma Patients Failing Previous Mobilization Attempts: European Union Compassionate Use Data
In this study, researchers present the first European compassionate use experience in mobilization failures, patients who are hardest to remobilize but were not included in registration trials. [Bone Marrow Transplant]

Comparison of Donor Chimerism Following Myeloablative and Nonmyeloablative Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
This study compares the timing of donor hematopoietic cell engraftment in patients undergoing nonmyeloablative conditioning with fludarabine and total body irradiation (TBI) with those receiving myeloablative conditioning with busulfan- or TBI-based regimens. [Bone Marrow Transplant]

High Log-Scale Expansion of Functional Human Natural Killer Cells from Umbilical Cord Blood CD34-Positive Cells for Adoptive Cancer Immunotherapy
Functional analysis showed that these ex vivo-generated natural killer (NK) cells efficiently target myeloid leukemia and melanoma tumor cell lines, and mediate cytolysis of primary leukemia cells at low NK-target ratios. [PLoS One]

INDUSTRY NEWS

OrSense Receives United States Food and Drug Administration Approval for NBM-200MP Non-Invasive Oximetry Monitoring System
OrSense Ltd. announced it has received United States Food and Drug Administration approval for NBM-200MP, a non-invasive oximetry and low signal oximetry sensor. [OrSense Ltd. Press Release]

Cell Therapeutics, Inc. Provides Update on Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committee Meeting on Pixantrone for the Treatment of Relapsed or Refractory Aggressive Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Cell Therapeutics, Inc. announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee panel voted unanimously that clinical trial data was not adequate to support approval of pixantrone for patients with relapsed or refractory aggressive non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. [Cell Therapeutics, Inc. Press Release]

The Automation Partnership (TAP) and AVISO Sign Second Distribution Agreement for TAP to Exclusively Market CellCelector™ in the UK and Ireland
The Automation Partnership announced it has entered into a second distribution agreement with AVISO GmbH, a major German manufacturer of automation for the stem cell market. [The Automation Partnership Press Release]

Abbreviated Trials Yield Misleading Results: Study
Many positive treatment effects are exaggerated in clinical trials that are stopped early due to encouraging results, a new study has found. [HealthDay News]

CryoLife Withdraws Its Proposal to Acquire Medafor
CryoLife, Inc. announced that it has withdrawn its $2.00 per share proposal to acquire Medafor, Inc. CryoLife previously notified the Medafor board of its intention to withdraw its offer in five business days. [CryoLife, Inc. Press Release]

LifeShare Blood Centers Moves Into Texarkana
A landmark deal will allow more people to save ArkLaTex lives. LifeShare Blood Centers are moving into Texarkana. [ArkLaTex Press Release]

POLICY NEWS

Carl Wieman Chosen for White House Science Post
Physicist Carl Wieman has been picked to be associate director for science in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. [Office of Science and Technology Policy, United States]

Japan Maps Out Big Science Plans
For the first time ever, Japanese scientists have produced a roadmap of where they see major research programs heading in the mid-term, about 10 years out, and a list of large-scale facilities they will need to get there. [Science Council of Japan, Japan]

Blood Products Advisory Committee; Notice of Meeting [Docket No. FDA-2010-N-0001] [Food and Drug Administration, United States]

Instructions for Completion and Peer Review of the Vertebrate Animal Section in NIH Grant Applications and Cooperative Agreements (NOT-OD-10-027) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Recovery Act: Update on American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Quarterly Reporting Requirements for Non-Competing Continuation Awards and Relinquished Projects; and Guidance to Avoid Common Errors (NOT-OD-10-065) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Recovery Act: Reminders on Annual Reporting Requirements and Notice of Revised Financial Closeout Requirements for American Recovery and Reinvestment Act-Funded Administrative Supplements and Competitive Revisions (NOT-OD-10-066) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Recovery Act: Notice on the Proper Management of Recovery Act Spending to Promote Job Creation and Increase the Pace of Scientific Research; and Policy Limiting Second No-Cost Extensions to Recovery Act Grants (NOT-OD-10-067) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Request for Comments on Proposed NIH, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and Center of Disease Control Process Change for Electronic Submission of Grant Applications (NOT-OD-10-068) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Amended NIH Policy on Submission of Late Grant Application Materials Prior to Initial Peer Review (NOT-OD-10-070) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Modification: This Notice modifies RFA-RM-10-001 (NOT-RM-10-005) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Modification to RFA-RM-09-019: Institutional Clinical and Translational Science Award (U54) (NOT-RM-10-006) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

Tissue Reference Group: TRG Annual Report FY 2009 Update [Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, United States]

April 12, 2010: Blood Products Advisory Committee Meeting Announcement [Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, United States]

EVENTS

12th Biennial Canadian Blood and Marrow Transplant Group (CBMTG) Conference
April 7-10, 2010
Vancouver, Canada

American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 101st Annual Meeting 2010
April 17-21, 2010
Washington, DC, United States

British Society for Haematology 50th Annual Scientific Meeting
April 19-21, 2010
Edinburgh, Scotland

XXIII International Symposium on Technological Innovations in Laboratory Hematology
May 10-12, 2010
Brighton, United Kingdom

16th Annual International Society for Cellular Therapy (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

International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) 8th Annual Meeting
June 16-19, 2010
San Francisco, United States

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

International Society for Hematology and Stem Cells (ISEH) 2010 Meeting
September 15-18, 2010
Melbourne, Australia

American Association of Blood Banks (AABB) Annual Meeting & Cellular Therapy and Transfusion Medicine Expo (CTTXPO) 2010
October 9-12, 2010
Baltimore, United States

52nd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition
December 4-7, 2010
Orlando, United States

Visit our events page to stay up to date with the latest events in the cell, gene and immunotherapy community.

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