An induced pluripotent stem cell model of hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) reveals multiple expression and functional differences in HLHS-derived cardiac myocytes.

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) is a serious congenital cardiovascular malformation resulting in hypoplasia or atresia of the left ventricle, ascending aorta, and aortic and mitral valves. Diminished flow through the left side of the heart is clearly a key contributor to the condition, but any myocardial susceptibility component is as yet undefined. Using recent advances in the field of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), we have been able to generate an iPSC model of HLHS malformation and characterize the properties of cardiac myocytes (CMs) differentiated from these and control-iPSC lines.

Brief report: human pluripotent stem cell models of fanconi anemia deficiency reveal an important role for fanconi anemia proteins in cellular reprogramming and survival of hematopoietic progenitors.

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a genomic instability disorder caused by mutations in genes involved in replication-dependant-repair and removal of DNA cross-links. Mouse models with targeted deletions of FA genes have been developed; however, none of these exhibit the human bone marrow aplasia. Human embryonic stem cell (hESC) differentiation recapitulates many steps of embryonic hematopoietic development and is a useful model system to investigate the early events of hematopoietic progenitor specification.

Neurogenic properties and a clinical relevance of multipotent stem cells derived from cord blood samples stored in the biobanks.

Several innovative therapies with human umbilical cord blood stem cells (SCs) are currently developing to treat central nervous system (CNS) diseases. It has been shown that cord blood contains multipotent lineage-negative (LinNEG) SCs capable of neuronal differentiation. Clinically useful cord blood samples are stored in different biobanks worldwide, but the content and neurogenic properties of LinNEG cells are unknown.

In vitro modelling of cortical neurogenesis by sequential induction of human umbilical cord blood stem cells.

Neurogenesis of excitatory neurons in the developing human cerebral neocortex is a complex and dynamic set of processes and the exact mechanisms controlling the specification of human neocortical neuron subtypes are poorly understood due to lack of relevant cell models available. It has been shown that the transcription factors Pax6, Tbr2 and Tbr1, which are sequentially expressed in the rodent neocortex, regulate and define corticogenesis of glutamatergic neocortical neurons. In humans the homologues of these genes are generally expressed in a similar pattern, but with some differences.

The cord blood separation league table: a comparison of the major clinical grade harvesting techniques for cord blood stem cells.

Background And Objectives: Well over 1 million Umbilical Cord Blood units (UCB) have been stored globally in the last 10 years. Already, over 20,000 transplants been performed using UCB for haematopoietic reconstitution alone, now this potential is joined by regenerative medicine. However, more needs to be known about processing of this stem cell source for it to reach full potential.