Meeting report of the International Consortium of Stem Cell Networks' Workshop Towards Clinical Trials Using Stem Cells for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis/Motor Neuron Disease.

The International Consortium of Stem Cell Networks' (ICSCN) Workshop Towards Clinical Trials Using Stem Cells for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)/Motor Neuron Disease (MND) was held on 24-25 January 2011. Twenty scientific talks addressed aspects of cell derivation and characterization; preclinical research and phased clinical trials involving stem cells; latest developments in induced pluripotent (iPS) cell technology; industry involvement and investment. Three moderated panel discussions focused on unregulated ALS/MND treatments, and the state of the art and barriers to future progress in using stem cells for ALS/MND.

Bone morphogenetic protein 4 modulates c-Kit expression and differentiation potential in murine embryonic aorta-gonad-mesonephros haematopoiesis in vitro.

The transforming growth factor-beta-related factor bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) is expressed in the human embryonic aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) coincident with the emergence of haematopoietic cells and influences postnatal mammalian haematopoietic stem cells in vitro. To investigate the role of BMP4 in mammalian embryonic haematopoiesis, cells were isolated from murine AGM and two populations of CD34(+) cells with different levels of c-Kit expression and multipotency were identified. CD34(+)/c-Kit(high) cells express CD45 and are haematopoietic-restricted progenitors.