March 13 2008
Visit Nature Reports Stem Cells online.
Now available at: http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ejfS0Xztnp0JEp0BU280E1
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THIS MONTH IN NATURE REPORTS STEM CELLS
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This month's newsletter explores banks and registries. Lawyers, ethicists and scientists meet in California to figure out what the field needs, and so does a global group of stem cell funders. A registry of human embryonic stem cells is colaunched by a country that has criminalized most research on these cells. Private stem cell banking firms criticize their competitors' approaches while claiming all stem cell triumphs.
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OUR TOP STORIES
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Thickets and gaps blocking stem cell science
Cross-institutional collaborations could advance stem cell science
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ejfS0Xztnp0JEp0Bp3P0Es
The European Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry — a personal view from Germany
Joeri Borstlap, technical coordinator of the registry, explains why a country that has criminalized work on some embryonic stem cell lines is participating in this effort
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ejfS0Xztnp0JEp0Bp3Q0Et
Related story: Q&A with Anna Veiga, the registry's scientific coordinator
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ejfS0Xztnp0JEp0BpUG0EJ
Stem cell banking: lifeline or subprime?
Bryn Nelson reports that cell banks are charging high prices to store stem cells for therapeutic applications that may never be realized
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ejfS0Xztnp0JEp0Bp3R0Eu
Q&A: Head of the UK's Medical Research Council ponders global stem cell efforts
At a meeting of the International Stem Cell Forum, Sir Leszek Borysiewicz describes the need for multiple registries and banks
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ejfS0Xztnp0JEp0BqAU0EE
Umbilical cord companies in Asia
Announcements of deals to bank and use umbilical cord blood in India, Vietnam and South Korea point to an industry that is both promising and prone to overpromising
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ejfS0Xztnp0JEp0BqAV0EF
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Research highlights and news stories keying off recent publications
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MicroRNA
MicroRNA and reprogramming secrets
A gene used to reprogram differentiated cells blocks microRNA processing
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ejfS0Xztnp0JEp0Bp3T0Ew
Viswanathan, S., Daley, G. & Gregory, R. Science doi:10.1126/science.1154040 (published online 21 February 2008).
MicroRNA switches off the proliferation of skin stem cells in mice
This new mechanism is conserved across vertebrates
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ejfS0Xztnp0JEp0Bp3U0Ex
Yi, R., Poy, M. N., Stoffel, M. & Fuchs, E. Nature advance online publication, doi:10.1038/nature06642 (2 March 2008).
MicroRNA helps set cell fate
Two microRNAs boost cardiomyocyte differentiation by suppressing other lineages
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ejfS0Xztnp0JEp0Bp3V0Ey
Ivey, K. et al. Cell Stem Cell 2, 219–229 (2008).
REPROGRAMMING
Underlying differences
Various embryonic stem cell lines tend toward particular cell types
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ejfS0Xztnp0JEp0Bp3W0Ez
Osafune, K. et al. Nat. Biotechnol. advance online publication, doi:10.1038/nbt1383 (17 February 2008).
Reprogramming kinetics
Virally introduced genes must be active for several days to induce pluripotency
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ejfS0Xztnp0JEp0Bp3X0E1
Stadtfeld, M. et al. Cell Stem Cell doi:10.1016/j.stem.2008.02.001 (published online 14 February 2008).
Brambrink, T. et al. Cell Stem Cell 2,151–159 (2008).
More induced pluripotency
Yamanaka's quartet of pluripotency genes reprogrammes human skin cells in another lab
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ejfS0Xztnp0JEp0Bp3Y0E2
Lowry, W. E. et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA doi:10.1073/pnas.0711983105 (published online 11 February 2008).
Stomach and liver cells reprogrammed
Cells need fewer extra gene copies to become pluripotent, and the resulting mice don't get tumours
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ejfS0Xztnp0JEp0Bp3Z0E3
Aoi, T. et al. Science doi:10.1126/science.1154884 (published online 14 February 2008).
FUNCTION
Perfect pancreatic cells?
Pancreatic endoderm derived from embryonic stem cells forms glucose-responsive endocrine cells in vivo
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ejfS0Xztnp0JEp0Bp3a0EB
Kroon, E. et al. Nat Biotechnol. advance online publication, doi:10.1038/nbt1393 (published online 20 February 2008).
Neural crest stem cells — not guilty
In neurofibromatosis, tumours may arise from differentiated cells
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ejfS0Xztnp0JEp0Bp3b0EC
Joseph, N. M. et al. Cancer Cell 13, 129–140 (2008).
Zheng, H. et al. Cancer Cell 13, 117–128 (2008).
Blood stem cells move with daylight
Circadian control of haematopoietic stem cell release
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ejfS0Xztnp0JEp0Bp3c0ED
Mendez-Ferrer, S. et al. Nature advance online publication, doi:10.1038/nature06685 (published online 6 February 2008).
Immunosuppression by mesenchymal stem cells
Chemokines stimulate mesenchymal stem cells to produce nitric oxide, dulling T cell responses
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ejfS0Xztnp0JEp0Bp3d0EE
Ren, G. et al. Cell Stem Cell 2, 141–150 (2008).
Sugars direct stem cell homing
Glycan engineering could direct stem cells to tissue of choice
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ejfS0Xztnp0JEp0Bp3e0EF
Sackstein, R. et al. Nat. Med. 14, 181–187 (2008).
