Carl Wonders, PhD

ISSCR 11th Annual Meeting, June 12-15, 2013, in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Download the Preliminary Program for a complete schedule-at-a-glance, hotel and travel information and details on other networking and educational events. Also, see Section 2 for more information.

The ISSCR announces its 2013 award winners. The ISSCR congratulates the winners of the 2013 McEwen Award for Innovation, the ISSCR-University of Pittsburgh Outstanding Young Investigator Award and the ISSCR Public Service Award. Learn about the winners in Section 3.

ISSCR Connect. On Wednesday, March 20 at 11 AM ET (USA), Dr. Sally Temple, Co-Founder and Scientific Director of the Neural Stem Cell Institute, will present her latest research on strategies for replacing the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration. See Section 4 for more details.

The ISSCR's new journal – Stem Cell Reports. We are currently building the first issue of our new open-access journal, Stem Cell Reports. Under the editorship of Professor Christine Mummery, PhD, Leiden University Medical Center, this inaugural issue will be published in June 2013. Read more in Section 9 or visit the Stem Cell Reports website.

Don’t forget to vote! The 2013 ISSCR Elections are open until March 20. Current active and associate members are invited to:

1. Vote for a vice president
2. Vote for a treasurer
3. Vote for a new member of the ISSCR Board of Directors
4. Endorse the re-appointment of three current directors

Find out more about the election and meet the candidates. All eligible ISSCR members should have received an email containing their ballot information. If you have not yet renewed your membership for 2013, do so now and take this opportunity to help shape the future directions of the ISSCR. Contact Glori Rosenson (grosenson@isscr.org; +1-224-592-5755) with questions, or if you are an eligible member but did not receive an email ballot.

ISSCR Regional Forum Series. This September and October, the ISSCR offers two regional conferences as part of the ISSCR 2013 Regional Forum Series. Find out more on the ISSCR website.

The ISSCR congratulates the 11 winners of the 2013 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences. Among the winners are ISSCR President Shinya Yamanaka, Board of Directors member Hans Clevers and the ISSCR 2013 Annual Meeting Keynote Speaker, Eric Lander. Read more.

Reach 14,000 – Sponsor The Pulse e-newsletter. Did you know each month an exclusive sponsorship with ad space is available for the ISSCR's e-newsletter, The Pulse? By sponsoring this month's e-newsletter, STEMCELL Technologies benefits from exposure to more than 14,000 stem cell researchers, clinicians, regulatory officials, industry representatives, government authorities and others with an interest in stem cell research. Contact Amy Claver to reserve space for select upcoming issues.

ISSCR 11th Annual Meeting
June 12-15, 2013
Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Co-sponsored by the Harvard Stem Cell Institute

Register today! The Early Registration Deadline is April 17, after which registration rates go up. Take advantage of the lower rates by registering today. ISSCR members receive an additional discount, so if you’re not a member, join today; you can join and register concurrently and still receive the member rate. Contact Rico Blanco (rblanco@isscr.org; +1-224-592-5756) with questions.

Download the Preliminary Program. Find the schedule-at-a-glance, hotel and travel information and additional details on the networking and educational events happening throughout the meeting.

Plan your trip to Boston. The Headquarters Hotel for the ISSCR 11th Annual Meeting is the Westin Boston Waterfront. Rooms at this and other hotels are available at discounted rates through the ISSCR Housing Service. Once you complete your registration, you will automatically be taken to the Housing Service website. You will also have the option to follow the link in your confirmation email should you wish to book your housing at a later date. See our hotel and travel page for more information.

Junior Investigator Networking Events. Each year at the ISSCR Annual Meeting, Junior Investigators have the opportunity to participate in specific networking, career-building and social events. For 2013, the following events have been scheduled:

• Meet the Experts Lunches*: June 13 and 14, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
• Junior Investigator Social Night*: June 14, 9:00 p.m. – midnight.
• JI Career Panel Luncheon*: June 15, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

*Registration will be required for all events. Eligible meeting registrants will receive instructions by email on how to register for each event.

Pre-Meeting Events. All registered attendees are invited to arrive early and participate in these pre-meeting events scheduled for the morning of Wednesday, June 12 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.:

• Industry Wednesday Symposia - These sessions give companies the opportunity to present topical scientific issues in stem cell science as framed by industry leaders. This year, ThermoFisher will be presenting, and other companies are expected to confirm soon. Space is limited! If your company is interested in participating or would like more information, contact Amy Claver or Drew Rich today!
• Focus Sessions are member-organized presentations that offer parallel, in-depth educational opportunities and explore unique issues relating to stem cell research. The ISSCR Ethics and Public Policy Committee will be presenting a Focus Session discussing the current challenges and future directions facing the donation of somatic cells for stem cell research purposes. Additional information about this and other Focus Sessions will be available on the ISSCR 11th Annual Meeting website soon.

Innovation Showcases. Keep up to date on the latest techniques and technology. These 30-minute tutorials are offered during the lunch breaks by the top companies in stem cell research. View the latest Innovation Showcase Schedule.

Exhibitors?
See the latest technology, services and other stakeholders in the field of stem cell research and regenerative medicine in the exhibit hall. Find solutions and meet one-on-one with industry leaders. View the listing of exhibiting companies on the ISSCR Annual Meeting website.

Interested in becoming a supporter of the ISSCR 11th Annual Meeting? Contact Amy Claver.

Help to spread the word! Download the ISSCR 11th Annual Meeting PowerPoint® slide for use in your next presentation.

Are you on Twitter? Follow us @ISSCR to stay up to date on the latest Annual Meeting and Society news. Use the hashtag #ISSCR2013 to follow and join in on the conversation all the way through the meeting.

The ISSCR thanks its generous supporters who make the many events and offerings at the Annual Meeting possible:

Co-sponsor:

Meeting Supporters:

The Albert Einstein College of Medicine
American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy
BioLamina
Boston Children’s Hospital/Stem Cell Program
The Company of Biologists
European Society for Gene and Cell Therapy
Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine
Lieber Institute for Brain Development
Massachusetts General Hospital/Center for Regenerative Medicine
The New York Stem Cell Foundation
StemCells, Inc.
University of Pittsburgh, McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine

The ISSCR announces its 2013 award winners. The ISSCR is excited to present awards to recognize excellent research in and support of the fields of stem cell research and regenerative medicine and congratulates the winners, who will be presented with their awards at the ISSCR 11th Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, USA:

The 2013 McEwen Award for Innovation will be presented to James A. Thomson, PhD for the reproducible isolation of pluripotent stem cell lines from human blastocysts, a discovery that led to the study of human embryonic stem cells. Dr. Thomson will receive his award during the Presidential Symposium on Wednesday, June 12, 2013, after which he will deliver his plenary lecture.

The 2013 ISSCR-University of Pittsburgh Outstanding Young Investigator Award will be presented to Marius Wernig, MD in recognition of his research demonstrating that already specialized cells have the capacity to be reprogrammed directly to become other, distantly related cell types. Dr. Wernig will receive his award and present his talk during Plenary VI on Saturday, June 15, 2013.

The 2013 ISSCR Public Service Award will be presented to Hiromitsu Ogawa and Betty Jean Crouch Ogawa in recognition of their extraordinary support of stem cell research in Japan and the United States, where they have been supporters of Nobel Prize winner Shinya Yamanaka and The Gladstone Institutes, and through their work with the ISSCR Global Advisory Council. This award will be presented during Plenary V on Saturday, June 15, 2013.

Learn more about these awards and this year’s winners on the ISSCR website.

Join us on March 20 on ISSCR’s online education and networking platform for the next presentation in our continuing series featuring top researchers throughout the field of stem cell research!

Wednesday, March 20, 2013, 10 a.m. ET (USA) "CNS Stem Cell Transplantation – The Eyes Have It"  Sally Temple, Ph.D. Co-Founder and Scientific Director, Neural Stem Cell Institute The blossoming of human stem cell technologies offers new options for cell replacement therapies. Such therapies are greatly needed in the central nervous system (CNS) where natural regeneration is limited, and neurodegenerative diseases or traumatic injury often cause irreversible damage. While the need is great, the problem is daunting: the CNS has a highly complex cytoarchitecture, and brain or spinal cell replacement necessitates major surgery through delicate tissue. Recently, a number of centers have initiated cell replacement strategies in the retina, a more accessible part of the CNS. Within the retina, the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE), a single layer of pigmented cells lying just under the neural retina, dies in a common degenerative disease, age-related macular degeneration, resulting in the loss of central, high acuity vision. Can we successfully replace the RPE? Which stem cells should we use? This presentation will describe some of the approaches currently being pursued and one of the surprising challenges that have been uncovered by studying the plasticity of the stem cells that reside dormant within the human RPE.

ISSCR Connect is open to all ISSCR members. Make the most of the available presentations and take advantage of the networking features to search for and connect with colleagues. Not yet a member? Join today!

Problems logging in? Email Carl Wonders for assistance. We recommend checking your login well in advance of the presentation to ensure that any issues are resolved in time, as presentations begin promptly at the listed times.

Japan. On February 14, the first clinical study to use induced pluripotent stem cells in humans was given institutional review board (IRB) approval. The study, led my Masayo Takahashi at the Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe, Japan, is designed to treat age-related macular degeneration. Read more.

California, United States. On February 20, the eleven winners of the inaugural Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences were announced. The prize, worth $3 million each, was awarded to recognize excellence in research aimed at curing intractable diseases and extending human life. Read more.

Seeking a job? Have a job opening? Visit the ISSCR’s Job Bank. Upgrade to a “Featured Job” and have your opening highlighted here in The Pulse.

Featured Job: Group Leader, Lund Stem Cell Center. StemTherapy is a Strategic Research Environment in Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine funded by the Swedish Research Council and is seeking outstanding scientists for an open position as Junior Group Leader. Investigators with interests in ES/iPS cell biology and clinical investigators are encouraged to apply. However, candidates from all areas of stem cell biology will be considered. Read the full posting.

Alzheimer’s Research Trust, UK
This organization offers a range of funding opportunities in Alzheimer’s and related dementias that cover the full translational research pathway, including the basic disease process, early detection, identifying risk factors, alleviation and mechanisms of symptoms, and progress towards effective treatments. The following grant schemes are currently available:

• Equipment: provides between £10,000 - £100,000 for scientific equipment, flexibly defined. Due: April 26, 2013
• Network Cooperation: provides between £5,000 - £100,000 for projects that will promote cooperation and collaboration between two or more Alzheimer’s Research UK Network Centres. In addition to the Network Centres, the application can include co-applicants from elsewhere in the UK or abroad. Due: April 26, 2013
• Pilot Projects: provide up to £30,000 for 24 months for small innovative research projects and pilot studies. Due: March 27, 2013
• Preparatory Clinical Research Fellowship: provides salary and research/travel costs (up to £10,000) for one year. Due: April 26, 2013

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
Next responsive mode application deadline: April 24, 2013.

California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM)
View a list of current Requests for Applications.

European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO)
Short- (up to three months) and Long- (1-2 years) Term Fellowships are currently available.
Long-Term Fellowship – offered twice a year to individuals holding a PhD with less than three years of postdoctoral training. Next deadline: August 15, 2013
Short-Term Fellowship – offered on a year-round basis to pre-doctoral students and individuals holding a PhD with less than 10 years of postdoctoral training.

Wellcome Trust (UK)
The Wellcome Trust is a UK-based organization that funds research to improve human and animal health. The Wellcome Trust supports research conducted outside the UK where research develops international partnerships, or focuses on biomedical or clinical medicine in developing countries. See their list of funding opportunities. In addition, view a complete list of upcoming deadlines.

Early Postdoctoral Training Fellowship for Clinician Scientists: April 5, 2013
Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowship: May 20, 2013

ISSCR Events

ISSCR 11th Annual Meeting
International Conference 2013
Co-sponsored by HSCI and ISSCR
June 12 - 15, 2013
Boston, MA USA

Stem Cells in Translation
Regional Forum Series 2013
Sept. 15 - 18, 2013
Palazzo dei Congressi
Florence, Italy

Stem Cells in Science and Medicine
Regional Forum Series 2013
Co-produced by ISSCR and Cold Spring Harbor Asia
Oct. 14 - 18, 2013
Suzhou, China

Stem Cell Meetings

2013 Hilton Head Workshop: Regenerative Medicine - Technologies Enabling Novel Therapies
March 20 - 23, 2013
Hilton Head Island, SC USA
Discounted registration deadline: Feb. 18, 2013

StemCONN 2013: Realizing the Promise
April 3, 2013
New Haven, CT USA
Poster abstract submission deadline: Jan. 20, 2013
Discounted registration deadline: March 15, 2013
Registration closes: March 29, 2013

2nd Annual Cancer Immunotherapy Conference
April 4 - 5, 2013
Washington, DC USA

Human Pluripotent Stem Cells: Progress to Therapy
April 8 - 10, 2013
Sheffield, United Kingdom
Abstract submission deadline: March 15, 2013
Discounted registration deadline: March 25, 2013

8th Annual Wisconsin Stem Cell Symposium - Cell-Based Therapy for Heart and Vascular Disease
April 10, 2013
BioPharmaceutical Technology Center
Madison/Fitchburg, WI USA
In association with: University of Wisconsin Workshop: Developing Cellular Therapies: From Nonclinical Safety To Clinical Evaluation (April 9).
Hotel Discount Deadline: March 10, 2013
Poster Presentation Submission Deadline: March 22, 2013

Israstem Conference & Exhibition
April 22 - 23, 2013
Kfar HaMacabbia Conference Center
Ramat Gan, Israel
Abstract Submission Deadline: February 21, 2013

7th International Meeting of the Stem Cell Network NRW
April 23 - 24, 2013
Cologne, Germany
In association with: 5th Bioinformatics Stem Cells Satellite Workshop
Poster abstract submission deadline: March 15, 2013

Second ESH-EHA Scientific Workshop on Leukemic and Cancer Stem Cells: Malignant Cells and Their Microenvironment
April 25 - 27, 2013
Mandelieu (near Nice), France
Abstract submission deadline: Feb. 15, 2013

GTC 10th Stem Cell Summit
April 29 - 30, 2013
Boston, MA, USA
Discounted Registration Deadline: February 28, 2013
Abstract Submission Deadline: March 29, 2013

The Next Gen Stem Cell Conference
May 8 - 9, 2013
Saratoga National Golf Club
Saratoga Springs, NY, USA
Discounted Registration Deadline: March 10, 2013
Registration Closes: May 1, 2013

V. Else Kröner-Fresenius Symposium on Adult Stem Cells in Aging, Diseases, and Cancer
May 24 - 26, 2013
Wartburg Hotel
Eisenach, Germany
Abstract Submission Deadline: February 15, 2013
Registration Closes: March 15, 2013

The Clinical Science of Regenerative Neurology
May 30 - 31, 2013
Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Discounted Registration Deadline: March 1, 2013
Poster Presentation Submission Deadline: April 1, 2013

New Avenues for Brain Repair: Programming and Reprogramming the Central Nervous System
June 10 - 11, 2013
Boston, MA USA
Abstract submission deadline: March 15, 2013
Discounted registration deadline: April 5, 2013
Poster abstract submission deadline: April 5, 2013

Stem Cell Courses

Understanding Stem Cell Controversies
April 23 - 24, 2013
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Application Deadline: April 5, 2013

The 21st School in Life Sciences: Stem Cells and Regenerative Biology
July 21-25, 2013
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Israel
Application Deadline: May 31, 2013

EMBO Practical Course: Current methods in cell biology
Sept. 26 - Oct. 4, 2013
Heidelberg, Germany

Stem Cells: A Pathway Through the Maze
Dec. 11 - 13, 2013
Oxford, United Kingdom
Application Deadline: December 9, 2013

Regularly Occurring Courses

Cellular Dynamics International (CDI): iCertification Courses
Madison, WI, USA
Two-day training courses for CDI's iCell Products.

Life Technologies: LifeLab Pluripotent Stem Cell Workshops
Various Locations, Global
Training in culturing and characterizing hESCs and iPSCs and reprogramming techniques offered at various locations throughout the year.

STEMCELL Technologies: Training Courses
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Ongoing series of a range of specialized stem cell courses.

Stem Cell Reports. With the publishing of its inaugural issue in June 2013, the ISSCR’s new online, open-access journal has already received a significant number of manuscripts – is yours one of them? Stem Cell Reports focuses on shorter, single-point manuscripts that report original research with conceptual or practical advances of broad interest to stem cell biologists and clinicians. As an added benefit, ISSCR members will receive a 15% discount on the publication fee. Visit the Stem Cell Reports website to find out more or to submit your manuscript.

ISSCR Committee Forum
Haimes, E., Skene, L., Ballantyne, A. J., Caulfield, T., Goldstein, L. S., Hyun, I., Kimmelman, J., Robert, J. S., Roxland, B. E., Scott, C. T., Solbakk, J. H., Sugarman, J., Taylor, P. L. and Testa, G. (2013). Position statement on the provision and procurement of human eggs for stem cell research. Cell Stem Cell 12, 285-291.

Forum
Cibelli, J., Emborg, M. E., Prockop, D. J., Roberts, M., Schatten, G., Rao, M., Harding, J. and Mirochnitchenko, O. (2013). Strategies for improving animal models for regenerative medicine. Cell Stem Cell 12, 271-274.

Previews
Bass, A. J. and Wang, T. C. (2013). An inflammatory situation: SOX2 and STAT3 cooperate in squamous cell carcinoma initiation. Cell Stem Cell 12, 266-268.

Refers to Liu et al. (2013).

Clevers, H. (2013). Stem cells: a unifying theory for the crypt. Nature 495, 53-54. 

Refers to Buczacki, et al. (2013).

Franklin, R. J. M. and Bussey, T. J. (2013). Do your glial cells make you clever? Cell Stem Cell 12, 265-266.

Refers to Han et al. (2013).

Mansour, A. A. and Hanna, J. H. (2013). Oct4 shuffles Sox partners to direct cell fate. EMBO J doi:10.1038/emboj.2013.48 

Refers to Aksoy et al. (2013).

Protocols
Benayoun, L. and Shaked, Y. (2013). In Vitro Enrichment of Tumor-Initiating Cells from Human Established Cell Lines. Curr Protoc Stem Cell Biol. 24, 3.7.1–3.7.15.

Morte, M. I., Carreira, B. P., Machado, V., Carmo, A., Nunes-Correia, I., Carvalho, C. M. and Araújo, I. M. (2013). Evaluation of Proliferation of Neural Stem Cells In Vitro and In Vivo. Curr Protoc Stem Cell Biol. 24, 2D.14.1–2D.14.24.

Stecca, B., Santini, R., Pandolfi, S. and Penachioni, J. Y. (2013). Culture and Isolation of Melanoma-Initiating Cells. Curr Protoc Stem Cell Biol. 24:3.6.1–3.6.12.

Research Articles
Aksoy, I., Jauch, R., Chen, J., Dyla, M., Divakar, U., Bogu, G. K., Teo, R., Ng, C. K. L., Herath, W., Lili, S., Hutchins, A. P., Robson, P., Kolatkar, P. R. and Stanton, L. W. (2013). Oct4 switches partnering from Sox2 to Sox17 to reinterpret the enhancer code and specify endoderm. EMBO J doi:10.1038/emboj.2013.31.

Buczacki, S. J. A., Zecchini, H. I., Nicholson, A. M., Russell, R., Vermeulen, L., Kemp, R. and Winton, D. J. (2013). Intestinal label-retaining cells are secretory precursors expressing Lgr5. Nature 495, 65-69.

Findlay, G. M., Smith, M. J., Lanner, F., Hsiung, M. S., Gish, G. D., Petsalaki, E., Cockburn, K., Kaneko, T., Huang, H., Bagshaw, R. D., Ketela, T., Tucholska, M., Taylor, L., Bowtell, D. D., Moffat, J., Ikura, M., Li, S. S. C., Sidhu, S. S., Rossant, J. and Pawson, T. (2013). Interaction domains of Sos1/Grb2 are finely tuned for cooperative control of embryonic stem cell fate. Cell 152, 1008-1020.

Flesken-Nikitin, A., Hwang, C. I., Cheng, C. Y., Michurina, T. V., Enikolopov, G. and Nikitin A. Y. (2013). Ovarian surface epithelium at the junction area contains a cancer-prone stem cell niche. Nature doi:10.1038/nature11979.

Furutachi, S., Matsumoto, A., Nakayama, K. I. and Gotoh, Y. (2013). p57 controls adult neural stem cell quiescence and modulates the pace of lifelong neurogenesis. EMBO J doi:10.1038/emboj.2013.50.

Han, X., Chen, M., Wang, F., Windrem, M., Wang, S., Shanz, S., Xu, Q., Oberheim, N. A., Bekar, L., Betstadt, S., Silva, A. J., Takano, T., Goldman, S. A. and Nedergaard, M. (2013). Forebrain engraftment by human glial progenitor cells enhances synaptic plasticity and learning in adult mice. Cell Stem Cell 12, 342-353.

Liu, K., Jiang, M., Lu, Y., Chen, H., Sun, J., Wu, S., Ku, W. Y., Nakagawa, H., Kita, Y., Natsugoe, S., Peters, J. H., Rustgi, A., Onaitis, M. W., Kiernan, A., Chen, X. and Que, J. (2013). Sox2 cooperates with inflammation-mediated Stat3 activation in the malignant transformation of foregut basal progenitor cells. Cell Stem Cell 12, 304-315

Piccolo, F. M., Bagci, H., Brown, K. E., Landeira, D., Soza-Ried, J., Faytout, A., Mooijman, D., Hajkova, P., Leitch, H. G., Tada, T., Kriaucionis, S., Dawlaty, M. M., Jaenisch, R., Merkenschlager, M. and Fisher, A. G. (2013). Different roles for Tet1 and Tet2 proteins in reprogramming-mediated erasure of imprints induced by EGC protein. Mol Cell doi: 10.1016/j.molcel.2013.01.032

Reinhardt, P., Schmid, B., Burbulla, L. F., Schöndorf, D. C., Wagner, L., Glatza, M., Höing, S., Hargus, G., Heck, S. A., Dhingra, A., Wu, G., Müller, S., Brockmann, K., Kluba, T., Maisel, M., Krüger, R., Berg, D., Tsytsyura, Y., Thiel, C. S., Psathaki, O. E., Klingauf, J., Kuhlmann, T., Klewin, M., Müller, H., Gasser, T., Schöler, H. R. and Sterneckert, J. (2013). Genetic correction of a LRRK2 mutation in human iPSCs links Parkinsonian neurodegeneration to ERK-dependent changes in gene expression. Cell Stem Cell 12, 354-367.

Shimozaki, K., Clemenson, G. D. Jr. and Gage, F. H. (2013). Paired Related Homeobox Protein 1 is a regulator of stemness in adult neural stem/progenitor cells. J Neurosci 33, 4066-4075. 

Yamaji, M., Ueda, J., Hayashi, K., Ohta, H., Yabuta, Y., Kurimoto, K., Nakato, R., Yamada, Y., Shirahige, K. and Saitou, M. (2013). PRDM14 ensures naïve pluripotency through dual regulation of signaling and epigenetic pathways in mouse embryonic stem cells. Cell Stem Cell 12, 368-382.