April 10 2008
Visit Nature Reports Stem Cells online.
Now available at: http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ekAb0Xztnp0JEp0BU280Ef
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THIS MONTH IN NATURE REPORTS STEM CELLS
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Articles this month examine clinical trials that use tissue-specific stem cells for heart disease and explore what must happen before embryonic stem cells are tested in patients. Also, how will cell therapies and stem cell biology be transformed by induced pluripotency?
On 10 and 11 April, Nature Reports Stem Cells will be at the Food and Drug Administration's meeting on safety considerations for embryonic stem cells in clinical trials. Send any questions to theniche@nature.com and read our notes on our blog, The Niche.
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ekAb0Xztnp0JEp0BsAT0Es
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OUR TOP STORIES
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What comes after induced pluripotency?
Thomas Zwaka from the Baylor College of Medicine argues that the questions reprogrammed cells engender will be just as important as the cells' applications
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ekAb0Xztnp0JEp0BsAU0Et
Stem cells for the heart: a new wave of clinical trials
Clean safety reports have cleared the way for a suite of new studies, but how or whether the treatments work is still unclear
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ekAb0Xztnp0JEp0BsAV0Eu
Burt, R. K. et al. JAMA 299, 925–936 (2008).
Prepping stem cells for the clinic
Marie Csete, the new scientific officer the California Institute for Regenerative Medicinedescribes what must happen before embryonic stem cells move into patients
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ekAb0Xztnp0JEp0BsAW0Ev
Mahendra Rao: linked in
A profile follows Rao from the National Institutes of Health to Invitrogen and back into basic science
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ekAb0Xztnp0JEp0BsAX0Ew
Stem cells: 5 things to know before jumping on the iPS bandwagon
Are induced pluripotent stem cells really embryonic stem cells minus the ethical and technical troubles?
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ekAb0Xztnp0JEp0BsAY0Ex
Related editorial: A reprogramming rush: stem-cell research is in danger of falling foul of haste
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ekAb0Xztnp0JEp0BsAZ0Ey
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Research highlights and news stories keying off recent publications
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Skin cancer needs Beta-catenin
Without Beta-catenin, cancer stem cells no longer support tumours
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ekAb0Xztnp0JEp0BsAa0E6
Malanchi, I. et al. Nature advance online publication, doi:10.1038/nature06835 (3 April 2008).
Repressing microRNAs for pluripotency
The protein REST supports renewal by repressing microRNAs
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ekAb0Xztnp0JEp0BsAb0E7
Singh, S. et al. Nature advance online publication, doi:10.1038/nature06863 (23 March 2008).
Crazy Xs
X chromosome inactivation is fluid and variable in human embryonic stem cells
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ekAb0Xztnp0JEp0BsAc0E8
Silva, S. et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA doi:10.1073/pnas.0712136105 (published online 13 March 2008).
Shen, Y. et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA doi:10.1073/pnas.0712018105 (published online 13 March 2008).
Therapeutic cloning creates perfect match
Animal-specific stem cells treat Parkinson's symptoms in mice
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ekAb0Xztnp0JEp0BsAd0EA
Tabar, V. et al. Nat. Med. advance online publication, doi:10.1038/nm1732 (21 March 2008).
Some human embryonic stem cells have more gene copies than others
Researchers should consider a new layer of genetic variability
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ekAb0Xztnp0JEp0BsAe0EB
Wu, H. et al. Stem Cells doi:10.1634/stemcells.2007-0993 (published online 27 March 2008).
Self-assembling cell sacs
Stem cells can grow inside instant membranes
http://ealerts.nature.com/cgi-bin24/DM/y/ekAb0Xztnp0JEp0BsAf0EC
Capito, R. M. et al. Science 319, 1812–1816 (2008).
