• The next generation of potency assays for hematopoietic graft – a poll
    There is a necessity for development of improved potency assays in hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation clinic. Today I’d like to offer a poll, where you express your opinion on this matter. Background: Potency is defined as the specific capacity of a cellular product to affect a given result. The potency of cell product in HSC transplantation clinic is assessing a function of stem and progenitor cells. The current analogs of potency assays in HSC transplantation clinic are total nucleated [...]
  • The history of reprogramming 3.0

    by Alexey Bersenev April 24, 2012 direct reprogramming

    We’ve used a term “reprogramming 3.0” to describe the methodology of induced direct reprogramming (or transdifferentiation) by defined factors in vivo. This is a relatively new and, potentially, groundbreaking technique. It was developed few years ago by researchers working in diabetes field. Let’s look at some important studies in historical context. 2002. Taniguchi proposed to use a transcription factor Pdx-1 to induce insulin production by pancreatic beta-cells. It was quite different from classical gene therapy, because it wasn’t simple replacement [...]

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    Is human VSEL stem cells a real thing?

    by Alexey Bersenev April 21, 2012 cord blood

    Very Small Embryonic-Like (VSEL) stem cells is a proposed pluripotent population, residing in adult tissues. It was discovered by Mariusz Ratajczak‘s group in 2005. Since that, VSEL stem cells were isolated from a few mouse and human tissues and tested in disease models. Mariusz Ratajczak is proposing VSEL stem cells as a future of regenerative medicine. Recently, VSEL stem cells platform was commercialized by NeoStem. However, there is some skepticism among other stem cell scientists about the validity of VSEL [...]

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    Reprogramming 3.0

    by Alexey Bersenev April 18, 2012 methods

    This post has been modified on Apr. 21, 2012 “We really want to make it happen in patients, not Petri dishes.” Shinya Yamanaka Today, with remarkable study by Srivastava’s group, we can declare the next big step of reprogramming 3.0. The authors used tree transcription factors (Gata4, Mef2c and Tbx5) to reprogram fibroblast of infarcted heart tissue into beating healthy cardiomyocytes. The real breakthrough is that reprogramming was induced in vivo, without taking cells out of the body. To learn [...]

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    Trends in regenerative medicine industry – from 2007 to 2011

    by Alexey Bersenev April 16, 2012 RegenMed digest

    New report about a progress in regenerative medicine industry was just published online in Tissue Engineering Part B. This is a detailed update to 2008 Lysaght’s report. The report contains a lot of very interesting data. The authors compared 2007 data with current data and, for the first time, presented some trends. The first (Lysaght) report is freely available here (.pdf). Unfortunately, the current 2011 report is not in open access. So, I was playing with their data and going [...]

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    Methods and protocols digest: Cardiac repair – part II

    by Alexey Bersenev April 15, 2012 methods

    This is a new issue of Method and Protocols Digest. Follow us for fresh and free content! Distribution of cardiac stem cells in the human heart (ISRN Cardiology) Model of repopulation of myocytes by bone marrow cells (PLoS ONE) Creation and transplantation of embryonic stem cell-based cardiopatches (Stem Cells TM) Magnetic enhancement of cell retention after intracoronary delivery of cardiac-derived stem cells (Cell Transplantation) Viral gene transfer to rat hearts in vivo (Protocol Exchange) Potency of cardiac stem cell compared [...]

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    Evaluation of overnight storage conditions for hematopoietic cell product

    by Alexey Bersenev April 12, 2012 cell product

    Recently I came across of very interesting study, which was assessing the impact of overnight storage on the quality of hematopoietic cell product. This is a very important issue for every clinical stem cell lab. ON storage of autologous PBSC at RT significantly decreased the quality of HPCs. These data indicate that ON storage of autologous PBSC at 4°C would be the most reasonable approach for maintaining the quality of HPCs when immediate processing is not possible. I wonder if [...]

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    Chromosomal instability of human dental pulp stem cells

    by Alexey Bersenev April 10, 2012 mesenchymal

    We’re collecting data about spontaneous transformation of stem/ progenitor cells in culture and tumorigenic potential of these events. We’re paying a special attention to clinical-grade adult stem cells, because of safety ongoing clinical trials. Please find a list of observations at the end of this post. Dental pulp is considerably promising and attractive source of human adult stem cells for therapy. Now we have got the first study, assessing transformation events in human dental stem cell cultures: To investigate cytogenetic [...]

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    2012 Till & McCulloch stem cell meeting

    by Alexey Bersenev April 9, 2012 notes

    I’m proud to say that I’m invited to participate in Till & McCulloch stem cell research meeting this year. This year, the conference will combine annual meetings of: Stem Cell Network, ThéCell, the Centre for Commercialization of Regenerative Medicine, and the Ontario Stem Cell Initiative. This meeting will bring together stem cell researchers, regenerative medicine and cell therapy industry professionals, policy makers and physicians. Meeting’s agenda looks very interesting and list of speakers is impressive. I think, it will be [...]

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    Paul Berg on stem cells

    by Alexey Bersenev April 8, 2012 interviews

    Paul Berg is a remarkable man! He pioneered a basic genetic engineering methods and was awarded by Nobel Prize for this work. When I was a teenager, I was reading about Paul Berg and genetic engineering for the first time. I was so inspired, that it had become crucial in my career decision. I became passionate about biomedical science. I was also fascinated by historical Asilomar Conference on Recombinant DNA. To me, It was one of the best examples of [...]

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    Automation of cell culture – cell count and viability

    by Alexey Bersenev April 6, 2012 cell culture

    We’re starting a new series – Automation of cell culture. We will discuss the benefits and possibilities of cell culture automation with emphasis on large-scale GMP-grade clinical manufacturing. The benefits of automated cell count and viability are obvious. Automation allows to minimize counting errors and culture contamination. I’d roughly divide the methods for cell count and viability for manual, semi- automated and fully automated. The example of manual method is cell counting with hemocytometer. In this case you are sampling [...]

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