SpaceX Dragon cargo ship, the last to be caught by robot arm, arrives at space station – Space.com

SpaceX's robotic Dragon cargo capsule arrived at the International Space Station early this morning (March 9), delivering more than 4,300 lbs. (1,950 kilograms) of supplies to the orbiting lab.

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir used the station's huge Canadarm robotic arm to capture Dragon at 6:25 a.m. EDT (1025 GMT), while the two spacecraft were 262 miles (422 kilometers) above the Pacific Ocean near Vancouver, British Columbia, NASA officials said.

It was the last-ever arm grapple for a Dragon. The current mission the 20th SpaceX has flown under a cargo deal with NASA is the last for this first version of the SpaceX resupply vehicle. The new iteration will dock directly to the International Space Station (ISS), no arm required, just like SpaceX's astronaut-carrying Crew Dragon capsule.

Related: How SpaceX's Dragon space capsule works (infographic)

"The SpaceX 20 mission is a milestone for several reasons," Meir said this morning. "It is of course the 20th SpaceX cargo mission, but it is also the last SpaceX cargo vehicle captured by the Canadarm, as future vehicles will automatically dock to the space station. It is also the last cargo vehicle that will visit during our current crew's time on the space station."

The last SpaceX Dragon to be captured by a robotic arm on the International Space Station is seen just after capture on March 9, 2020. All future Dragons will be able to dock themselves at the station.

SpaceX's Dragon CRS-20 cargo ship was attached to the International Space Station's Harmony connecting node shortly after its capture.

This was the third trip to the space station by this particular SpaceX Dragon. It launched on a Falcon 9 rocket, also previously flown, on Friday, March 6.

The Dragon cargo capsule approached the International Space Station on March 9, 2020.

Dragon launched toward the station atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Friday night (March 6), packed with science gear. Among that hardware is Bartolomeo, a facility created by the European Space Agency and aerospace company Airbus that will provide greater research opportunities on the ISS' exterior.

Dragon also toted up a variety of scientific experiments, including one called MVP Cell-03, which "examines whether microgravity increases the production of heart cells from human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs)," NASA officials wrote in a statement. "The investigation induces stem cells to generate heart precursor cells and cultures those cells on the space station to analyze and compare with cultures grown on Earth."

"We welcome SpaceX 20 and are eager to reveal its bounty of science and space station hardware and supplies," Meir said. "Congratulations to SpaceX and all of the ISS partner teams involved."

This morning's ISS arrival is the third for this particular Dragon, which also visited the orbiting lab in February 2017 and December 2018.

Three cargo missions is the design limit for the Dragon 1 capsule iteration. But the new Dragon 2 vehicle will be capable of flying to the station and back five times, SpaceX representatives have said. Such repeated reusability is key to SpaceX's quest to slash the cost of spaceflight, thereby making ambitious exploration feats such as Mars colonization economically feasible.

That reusability involves rockets, too. For example, SpaceX landed the first stage of the two-stage Falcon 9 about 8 minutes after liftoff on Friday night, notching the 50th such touchdown for the company during an orbital launch.

SpaceX holds one NASA deal for cargo transport to the ISS and another one for crew. The company flew an uncrewed demonstration mission to the orbiting lab in March 2019 using Crew Dragon, and the capsule is poised to launch two NASA astronauts on a test flight to the ISS soon, perhaps in early May. If that flight, known as Demo-2, goes well, contracted crewed flights would likely follow in short order.

The cargo Dragon will remain attached to the ISS for about a month, then come back down to Earth for an ocean splashdown.

Mike Wall is the author of "Out There" (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate), a book about the search for alien life. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.

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SpaceX Dragon cargo ship, the last to be caught by robot arm, arrives at space station - Space.com

Notice of Capital and Business Alliance between Heartseed and MEDIPAL HOLDINGS | DNA RNA and Cells | News Channels – PipelineReview.com

DetailsCategory: DNA RNA and CellsPublished on Wednesday, 11 March 2020 09:50Hits: 476

-Cooperation in Product Development for Innovative Cardiac Regenerative Medicine-

March 10, 2020 I Tokyo-based Heartseed Inc. (Heartseed), a Keio University-originated biotechnology company developing induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived cardiac regenerative medicine, and MEDIPAL HOLDINGS CORPORATION (MEDIPAL) today announced that they have entered into a capital and business alliance.

In conjunction with the alliance, MEDIPAL will acquire an equity stake in Heartseed. In addition, MEDIPAL and its wholly owned subsidiary SPLine Corporation (SPLine) will begin collaborative research with Heartseed on the logistics of Heartseeds clinical trial supplies.

Purpose of the Alliance

Heartseed is developing HS-001, allogeneic iPSC-derived cardiomyocyte spheroids for severe heart failure, which currently has no effective treatment other than heart transplantation. In preparation for the initiation of its clinical trial, Heartseed will outsource its manufacturing to Nikon CeLL innovation Co., Ltd., and are discussing transport of the cardiomyocyte spheroids with MEDIPAL.

MEDIPAL has established a distribution system in compliance with Japanese Good Distribution Practice (GDP) guidelines. MEDIPAL is a pioneer in logistics services in the growing field of regenerative medicine, and has an extensive track record to support development of regenerative medicine products and to build a logistics system for them using its ultra-low temperature transport system.

In this alliance, MEDIPAL will contribute to the improvement of patient care by promoting development of Heartseeds innovative products from the clinical trial stage with its experience and expertise in the distribution of regenerative medicine products.

Comment from Heartseed CEO Keiichi Fukuda, MD, PhD, FACC

The iPSC-derived cardiomyocyte spheroids we are developing are unique in the mechanism that cardiomyocytes are strengthened by turning them into microtissues. The spheroids will be retained and engrafted with the ventricular myocardium for a long-term and are expected to contribute sustained direct ventricular contraction (remuscularization). It is completely

different from conventional treatment methods. To deliver the treatment to patients, logistical considerations are also important, and we are pleased to partner with MEDIPAL, which has an extensive track record in distribution of cellular medicines.

Comment from MEDIPAL Representative Director, President and CEO Shuichi

Watanabe

Their investigational agent has the potential to be an innovative treatment option for patients with severe heart failure. Promoting the development and stable supply of specialty pharmaceuticals is our mission, based on MEDIPALs management philosophy of

contributing to peoples health and the advancement of society through the creation of value in distribution. In this alliance, SPLine, which performs logistical planning for specialty pharmaceuticals, will be involved from the clinical trial stage, and will also work with us in creating a distribution system to ensure safe and reliable delivery of the product to patients after its launch.

Development of HS-001

Heartseed has allogeneic iPSC-derived highly purified ventricular-specific cardiomyocyte spheroids (HS-001) as its lead pipeline candidate, and is conducting research and development for the early commercialization of cardiac regenerative medicine using iPSCs supplied by the Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA) at Kyoto University. HS-001 is the produced by differentiating into ventricular-specific cardiomyocytes from iPSCs with the most frequent human leukocyte antigen (HLA) type1 in Japanese people, and removing undifferentiated iPSCs and non-cardiomyocytes to achieve high purity. To improve the engraftment rate, these cardiomyocytes are formed into spheroids in which approximately 1,000 cardiomyocytes are aggregated.

Since 2016, Heartseed has had more than 10 meetings with the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA), with discussions mainly focused on details of nonclinical safety studies, manufacturing processes, and quality management that are required for initiating clinical trials. Heartseed is currently conducting the nonclinical safety studies under Good Laboratory Practice (GLP)2 standards under the agreement of the PMDA on their designs.

Prior to the company-sponsored clinical trials, investigator-initiated clinical trial plan of HS-001 at Keio University had been under review by the Keio University Certified Special Committee for Regenerative Medicine since May 2019 and was approved in February 2020. This plan will be submitted to the Health Science Council of Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare after going through established procedures in Keio University Hospital. For 90 days from its submission to the Council, the plan will be examined for conformance with the regenerative medicine provision standards. If conformance is verified, Keio University will be notified and may then begin clinical research.

1. HLA type:White blood cell type, immune rejection is less likely when the HLA type matches.

2. GLP(Good Laboratory Practice):Standards for conducting studies to assess drug safety. These standards should be followed when conducting safety studies using animals in the preclinical stage.

Summary of HS-001

Severe heart failure, particularly heart failure with reduced ejection fraction

About Heartseed Inc.

About MEDIPAL HOLDINGS CORPORATION

As a holding company, MEDIPAL controls, administers and supports the operating activities of companies in which it holds shares in the Prescription Pharmaceutical Wholesale Business; the Cosmetics, Daily Necessities and

OTC Pharmaceutical Wholesale Business; and the Animal Health Products and

Food Processing Raw Materials Wholesale Business, and conducts business development for the MEDIPAL Group.

About SPLine Corporation

3.ALC: Area Logistics Center

4. FLC: Front Logistics Center

SOURCE: Heartseed

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Notice of Capital and Business Alliance between Heartseed and MEDIPAL HOLDINGS | DNA RNA and Cells | News Channels - PipelineReview.com

NanoSurface Bio Executes Exclusive License of Heart-on-Chip Technology Launched Into Space – Business Wire

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NanoSurface Biomedical announced today that it has executed an exclusive IP license agreement related to innovative heart-on-chip technology developed by researchers at the University of Washington (UW). An experimental system built from the same heart-on-chip technology was launched into space on Friday, March 6, 2020 at 11:50 PM EST aboard SpaceX's 20th resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Tissue Chips in Space initiative conducted in partnership between the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) and the ISS U.S. National Laboratory (ISS National Lab). NanoSurface will commercialize the heart-on-chip platform for use by pharmaceutical companies in preclinical drug development.

The heart-on-chip system will spend 30 days aboard the ISS as part of a series of experiments intended to study the effects of microgravity on human cells and tissues. In space we are using the heart-on-chip system in microgravity conditions to help improve our understanding of the aging process and cardiac biology, but this heart-on-chip system also has enormous potential for accelerating the discovery of new medicines back here on Earth, said Deok-Ho Kim, an Associate Professor of biomedical engineering and medicine at Johns Hopkins University, the principal investigator for the heart-on-chip experiment aboard the ISS, and the scientific founder of NanoSurface Bio.

The heart-on-chip platform uses three-dimensional engineered cardiac tissues (3D ECTs) grown from human cardiomyocytes, or beating heart cells, derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). As the 3D ECTs beat, researchers can measure the amount of force generated by each contraction, and then evaluate how that force changes after treating the tissues with candidate drugs. 3D ECTs can be made from cells from either healthy individuals or individuals with diseases, offering great promise in predictive preclinical testing of candidate drugs for safety and efficacy.

I am incredibly excited that the talented team at NanoSurface will be carrying this technology forward for use in the drug development industry, said Nathan Sniadecki, one of the inventors of the heart-on-chip technology and a professor of mechanical engineering at UW. Last year, Professor Sniadecki joined NanoSurfaces board of scientific advisors to guide the commercial development of the technology.

NanoSurface Bios execution of this exclusive license adds significant value to the portfolio of IP it has already licensed from researchers at UW. It is well recognized that the drug development process is extremely slow and expensive. At NanoSurface we are eager to develop technologies that enable the use of human iPSC-derived cells and tissues in preclinical drug development, ultimately leading to better prediction of how drugs will affect patients in the clinic, lowering costs, and speeding life-saving medicines to market, said NanoSurface CEO Michael Cho.

About NanoSurface Biomedical

NanoSurface Biomedical is a biotechnology company based in Seattle, WA that develops stem cell-based assay technologies to accelerate drug development. NanoSurfaces structurally matured cardiac tissue models, assay instruments, and discovery services leverage human stem cell technology to help pharmaceutical companies predictively assess the safety and efficacy of candidate drugs early during preclinical development. NanoSurfaces mission is to help bring life-saving medicines to market in less time and at lower cost. To learn more, visit http://www.nanosurfacebio.com.

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NanoSurface Bio Executes Exclusive License of Heart-on-Chip Technology Launched Into Space - Business Wire

Eye health: Testing the safety of stem cell therapy for age-related macular degeneration – Open Access Government

In 2020, the National Eye Institute is launching a clinical trial to test the safety of a patient-specific stem cell therapy to treat geographic atrophy, the advanced dry form of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The protocol is the first of its kind in the United States to replace a patients eye tissue with tissue derived from induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells engineered from a patients own blood.

If successful, this new approach to AMD treatment could prevent millions of Americans from going blind. AMD is a leading cause of vision loss in people age 65 and older. By 2050, the estimated number of people with AMD is expected to more than double from 2.07 million to 5.44 million.

The first symptoms of age-related macular degeneration are dark spots in ones central vision, which is used for daily activities such as reading, seeing faces and driving. But as the disease progresses, the spots grow larger and increase in number, which can lead to significant loss of the central vision.

There are two kinds of AMD: the neovascular, or wet, form and the geographic atrophy, or dry form. Remarkable progress has been made in the ability to prevent vision loss from the neovascular form. In particular, anti-VEGF therapy has been shown to preserve vision required for driving among about half of patients who take it for five years.

By contrast, no therapies exist for treating geographic atrophy. Should this NEI-led study, and future studies, confirm the safety and efficacy of iPS cell-derived RPE-replacement therapy, it would likely be the first therapy approved for the treatment of geographic atrophy.

To produce the therapy, we isolate cells from a patients blood and, in a lab, convert them into iPS cells. These iPS cells are theoretically capable of becoming any cell type of the body.

The iPS cells are then programmed to become retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). RPE cells are crucial for eye health because they nourish and support photoreceptors, the light-sensing cells in the retina. In geographic atrophy, RPE cells die, leading to the death of photoreceptors and blindness. The goal of the iPS cell-based therapy is to protect the health of the remaining photoreceptors by replacing dying RPE tissue with healthy iPS cell-derived RPE tissue.

We grow a single-cell layer of iPS cell-derived RPE on a biodegradable scaffold. That patch is then surgically placed next to the photoreceptors where, as we have seen in animal models, it integrates with cells of the retina and protects the photoreceptors from dying.

This years clinical trial is a phase I/IIa study, which means it will focus solely on assessing the safety and feasibility of this RPE replacement therapy. The dozen participants will have one eye treated. Importantly, everyone will already have substantial vision loss from very advanced disease, such that the therapy is not expected to be capable of significant vision restoration. Once safety is established, later study phases will involve individuals with earlier stage disease, for which we are hopeful that therapy will restore vision.

A safety concern with any stem cell-based therapy is its oncogenic potential: the ability for cells to multiply uncontrollably and form tumours. On this point, animal model studies are reassuring. When we genetically analysed the iPSC-derived RPE cells, we found no mutations linked to potential tumour growth.

Likewise, the risk of implant rejection is minimised by the fact that the therapy is derived from patient blood.

Several noteworthy innovations have occurred along the way to launching the trial. Artificial intelligence has been applied to ensure that iPS cell-derived RPE cells function similar to native RPE cells. In addition, Good Manufacturing Practices, have been developed to ensure quality control, which will be crucial for scaling up production of the therapy should it receive approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Furthermore, the iPS cell-derived RPE patch is being leveraged to develop more complex RPE/photoreceptor replacement therapies.

Potential breakthroughs in treatment cannot move forward without the support of patients willing to participate in clinical trial research. Patients who volunteer for trials such as this are the real heroes of this work because theyre doing it for altruistic reasons. The patients in this first trial are not likely to benefit, so they are doing it to help move the field forward for future patients.

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Eye health: Testing the safety of stem cell therapy for age-related macular degeneration - Open Access Government

Despite Pro-Life Claims, Stem Cell Therapy Has Very Real Benefits and Should Be Accessible – Patheos

Stem cell research has been the subject of discussion and heated debate for many years. Much of the social and political drama surrounding stem cells is the result of misunderstanding what stem cells are, where they come from, and what they can do for those with injuries and diseases.

Working from a common set of facts is a great way to dispel controversy, however. Whether we fall into the pro-choice or pro-life camp, it is more than evident that supporting stem cell research, including the development of stem cell therapies, is very much a pro-life position to take.

Stem cells function essentially like raw materials for the body. Depending on instructions from the body (or researchers in laboratories), stem cells can become many other types of cells with specialized functions.

The daughters of stem cells either become new stem cells (self-renewal) or they become more specialized cells for use in specific areas of the body (differentiation). These specialized cells include brain cells, heart muscle cells, bone cells, blood cells and others.

There are several reasons why stem cells are the focus of some of the most important medical science research today:

This last avenue of medical research stem cell therapies is the most consequential as well as the most controversial, depending on your point of view. Understanding stem cell therapy and its divisiveness requires understanding where stem cells come from in medical research and why they have considerable palliative potential.

Stem cells come from one of these three sources:

Embryonic stem cells are the most controversial as well as the most important type of stem cells right now. Thanks to a low-information electorate and gross misinformation from within the government, embryonic stem cells remain mired in needless debate.

Despite the rhetoric, these cells arent harvested from slain newborns. Instead, they are carefully gathered from blastocysts. Blastocysts are three-to-five-day-old embryos comprised of around 150 cells. According to some religious-political arguments, blastocysts are potential human beings, and therefore deserve legal protection.

Embryonic stem cells are the most valuable in medical research because they are fully pluripotent, which means they are versatile enough to become any type of cell the body requires to heal or repair itself.

Adults have limited numbers of stem cells in a variety of bodily tissues, including fat and bone marrow. Unlike pluripotent embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells have more limits on the types of cells they can become.

However, medical researchers keep uncovering evidence that adult stem cells may be more pliable than they originally believed. There is reason to believe cells from adult bone marrow may eventually help patients overcome heart disease and neurological problems. However, adult stem cells are more likely than embryonic stem cells to show abnormalities and environment-induced damage, including cell replication errors and toxins.

The newest efforts in stem cell research involve using genetic manipulation to turn adult stem cells into more versatile embryonic variants. This could help side-step the thorny abortion controversy, but its also not clear at present whether these altered stem cells may bring unforeseen side-effects when used in humans.

More research is required to fully understand the medical potential of perinatal stem cells. However, some scientists believe they may in time become a viable replacement for other types of stem cells. Perinatal stem cells come from amniotic fluid and umbilical cord blood.

Using a standard amniocentesis, doctors can extract umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells, hematopoietic stem cells, amniotic membrane and fluid stem cells, amniotic epithelial cells and others.

Among other things, stem cell therapy is the next step forward for organ transplants. Instead of waiting on a transplant waiting list, patients may soon be able to have new organs grown from their very own stem cells.

Bone marrow transplants are one of the best-known examples of stem cell therapy. This is where doctors take bone marrow cells and induce them to become heart muscle cells.

Stem cell-based therapies hold significant promise across a wide range of medical conditions and diseases. With the right approach, stem cells show the potential to:

As the FDA notes, there is a lot of hype surrounding stem cell therapy. Much of it is warranted, but some of it deserves caution.

According to the FDA, stem cells have the potential to treat diseases or conditions for which few treatments exist. The FDA has a thorough investigational process for new stem cell-based treatments. This includes Investigational New Drug Applications (IND) and conducting animal testing.

However, the FDA notes that not every medical entity submits an IND when they bring a new stem cell therapy to market. It is vital that patients seek out only FDA-reviewed stem cell therapies and learn all they can about the potential risks, which include reactions at the administration site and even the growth of tumors.

The FDA submitted a paper, Clarifying Stem-Cell Therapys Benefits and Risks, to the New England Journal of Medicine in 2017. Its goal is to help patients fully understand what theyre getting themselves into.

For now, a great deal more research is required before we begin deploying stem cell therapies on a larger scale. The only FDA-approved stem cell therapies on the market today involve treating cancer in bone marrow and blood. Some clinics claim their therapy delivers miracle-like cures for everything from sports injuries to muscular dystrophy, but there just isnt enough evidence yet to take them at face value.

Unfortunately, the religious and political climate makes this evidence difficult to achieve. In some parts of the United States, the hostility toward stem cell researchers and medical practitioners has reached dangerous new levels.

Republicans in Ohio and Georgia want to make it illegal for doctors to perform routine procedures on ectopic pregnancies. This condition is life-threatening for the mother and involves the removal of a nonviable embryo from the fallopian tube.

These laws wouldnt just outlaw ectopic pregnancy surgery in the name of potential human life. It would, in fact, require women to undergo a reimplantation procedure after the ectopic pregnancy is corrected by a physician. If this procedure was actually medically possible, it would be dangerous and unnecessary. Thankfully, it doesnt exist outside the nightmarish imaginations of some of the more extreme Christian lawmakers and Planned Parenthood demonstrators.

Acquiring embryonic stem cells from ectopic pregnancies would seem to be the least controversial way to go about it. Unfortunately, even that small step toward medical progress sees itself hampered by reactionary politics.

No matter how theyre acquired, however, the 150 or so cells in blastocysts are packed with medical potential. Its clear that further exploration down this road will unlock unprecedented scientific progress. It will also, almost certainly, save many times more potential life than even the most outlandish estimates of what the achievement will cost us to achieve. Abortions today are rarer and safer than ever, and the vast majority occur within eight weeks of conception.

The medical community is poised for a revolution here, using these and other nonviable embryos and blastocysts. But realizing that potential requires, among other things, that we collectively make peace with modern medicine and family planning.

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Despite Pro-Life Claims, Stem Cell Therapy Has Very Real Benefits and Should Be Accessible - Patheos

Little Tissue, Big Mission: Beating Heart Tissues to Ride Aboard The ISS – Newswise

Newswise Launching no earlier than March 6 at 11:50 PM EST, the Johns Hopkins University will send heart muscle tissues, contained in a specially-designed tissue chip the size of a small cellphone, up to the microgravity environment of the International Space Station (ISS) for one month of observation.

The project, led by Deok-Ho Kim, an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Medicine at The Johns Hopkins University and the projects principal investigator, will hopefully shed light on the aging process and adult heart health, and facilitate the development of treatments for heart muscle diseases.

Scientists already know that humans exposed to space experience changes similar to accelerated aging, so we hope the results can help us better understand and someday counteract the aging process, says Kim.

The researchers also hope the study will demystify why astronauts in space have reduced heart function and are more prone to serious irregular heartbeat; these results could help protect astronauts hearts on long missions in the future, as well as provide information on how to combat heart disease.

Kim and his team used human induced pluripotent stem cells to grow cardiomyocytes, or heart muscle cells, in a bioengineered, miniaturized tissue chip that mimics the function of the adult human heart. While other researchers have studied stem cell-derived heart muscle cells in space before, these studies relied on cells cultured on 2D surfaces, or flat planes, that arent representative of how cells exist and behave in the body, and are therefore underdeveloped compared to their counterparts in adult humans.

The teams tissue platform gives the advantage of the cells residing in a 3D environment, which will allow for better imitation of how cell signals and actions develop as they would in the human body. This 3D environment is possible thanks to a new scaffold biomaterial, or support structure which holds the tissues together, that accelerates development of the heart muscle cells within. This will allow the scientists to collect data useful for understanding the adult human body. Scientists could someday use this data and platform to develop new drugs, among many other applications.

Using a motion sensor magnet setup, the team will receive real-time measurements of how the tissues on the ISS beat. After about one month in space, the tissues will return to Earth and will be analyzed for any differences in gene expression and contraction caused by the extended stay in microgravity. Some of these tissues will be cultured for an additional week on Earth for the researchers to examine any recovery effects. The team will also have identical heart tissues on Earth at the University of Washington to serve as controls.

We hope that this project will give us meaningful data that we can use to understand the hearts structure and how it functions, so that we can improve the health of both astronauts and those down here on Earth, says Kim.

"The entire team is excited to see the results we get from this experiment. If successful, we will embark on the second phase of the study where tissues will be sent up to the ISS once again in two years, but this time, we will be able to test a variety of drugs to see which ones will best ameliorate the potentially harmful effects of microgravity on cardiac function," says Jonathan Tsui, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at The Johns Hopkins University and a member of Kims lab.

This project is funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) as part of the Tissue Chips in Space initiative in collaboration with the ISS U.S. National Laboratory.

Collaborators on this project include Eun Hyun Ahn of The Johns Hopkins University; Nathan Sniadecki and Alec Smith of The University of Washington; Peter Lee of Ohio State University; and Stefanie Countryman of Bioserve Space Technologies at the University of Colorado Boulder. For space flight the team has worked with BioServe Space Technologies to translate the ground platform into a space flight certified system.

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Little Tissue, Big Mission: Beating Heart Tissues to Ride Aboard The ISS - Newswise

SpaceX set to launch Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule from Cape Canaveral this week – Florida Today

FLORIDA TODAY's Rob Landers brings you some of today's top stories on the News in 90 Seconds. Florida Today

Get ready to rumble Friday night. And that's not just because it's Friday and it's time to party.

SpaceX is poised to launch its Falcon 9 rocket and cargo Dragon capsule from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 40 no earlier than 11:50 p.m. Friday.

From there it will head on a three-day journey to the International Space Station where Dragon will deliver science experiments, cargo and supplies to the crew onboard.

This will mark the aerospace company's 20th flight under NASA's Commercial Resupply Services contract as well as the last time SpaceX uses its Dragon 1 capsule before retiring it to make way to its newer, more advanced spacecraft: Dragon 2.

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The newer spacecraft is not only equipped to carry supplies to and from the space station, but it is also certified to refly up to five times (Dragon 1 for instance, was only certified for three re-flights) and can also carry humans, which could happen as soon as May for NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

"Some of the accomplishments of SpaceX under the CRS One program includesthe first U.S. Commercial provider toberth the ISS ... With that we're looking forward to SpaceX continuing on the CRS Two contract with SpaceX-21," said Jennifer Buchli, deputy chief scientist for NASA's International Space Station Program Science Office during a media teleconference.

SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket with cargo for the International Space Station on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2019. Cape Canaveral hosted the liftoff. Florida Today

For this mission, Dragon 1 will deliver several science experiments including:

ACE-T-Ellipsoids: Researchers from the New Jersey Institute of Technology will examine colloids small particles suspended within a fluid in microgravity to not only understand fluid physics more but to advance space-based additive manufacturing, an area of great interest to NASA and other agencies in the U.S.

MVP Cell-03: Emory University School of Medicine will study whether microgravity increases the production of heart cells from specific stem cells, called "human-induced pluripotent stem cells." Those specific cells have the potential to be used toreplenish cells that are damaged or lost due to cardiac diseases.

Flow Chemistry in Microgravity: Researchers from Boston University will study the effects of microgravity on chemical reactions as a step toward on-demand production of chemicals and materials in space.

Droplet Formation Study: Delta Faucet Company will study water droplet formation and water flow in microgravity to gain a better understanding on how to improve its showerhead technology in an effort to create better performance while also conserving water and energy.

Dragon will also deliver the European external payload hosting facility called Bartolomeo that will be an enhancement to the space station's European Columbus Module.

Contact Jaramillo at321-242-3668or antoniaj@floridatoday.com. Follow her onTwitterat@AntoniaJ_11.

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SpaceX set to launch Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule from Cape Canaveral this week - Florida Today

SpaceX Targeting March 6 for Launch of its 20th Resupply Mission to International Space Station | – SpaceCoastDaily.com

coverage of launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station will air on Space Coast Daily TVSpaceXs Dragon lifting off on a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida with research, equipment, cargo and supplies that will support dozens of investigations aboard the International Space Station. (SpaceX image)

BREVARD COUNTY CAPE CANAVERAL AIR FORCE STATION, FLORIDA NASA commercial cargo provider SpaceX is targeting 11:50 p.m. Friday, March 6, for the launch of its 20th resupply mission to the International Space Station.

Live coverage of the launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida will air on Space Coast Daily TV with prelaunch events Thursday, March 5 and March 6.

The NASA-contracted Dragon spacecraft will be filled with supplies and payloads, including critical materials to directly support dozens of the more than 250science and research investigationsthat will take place during Expeditions 62 and 63.

In addition to bringing research to station, the Dragons unpressurized trunk will transport ESAs (European Space Agency) Bartolomeo, a new commercial research platform set to be installed on the exterior of the orbiting laboratory.

Dragon will reach its preliminary orbit about 10 minutes after launch. It will then deploy its solar arrays and begin a carefully choreographed series of thruster firings to reach the space station.

When it arrives March 9, Expedition 62 Flight Engineer Jessica Meirof NASA will grapple Dragon, with Andrew Morganof NASA acting as a backup.

The station crew will monitor Dragon functions during rendezvous. After Dragons capture, mission control at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston will send ground commands for the stations arm to rotate and install it on the bottom of the stations Harmony module.

Full mission coverage is as follows (all times Eastern):

Thursday, March 5

3 p.m. NASA Social, Whats on Board science briefing from NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This briefing will highlight the following research:

Jennifer Buchli, deputy chief scientist for NASAs International Space Station Program Science Office, will share an overview of the research being conducted aboard the space station and how it benefits exploration and humanity.

Michael Roberts, interim chief scientist for the International Space Station U.S. National Laboratory, will discuss the labs work in advancing science in space, and in developing partnerships that drive industrialization through microgravity research.

Bill Corely, director of business development for Airbus Defence and Space, and Bartolomeo Project Manager Andreas Schtte, will discuss the new external science platform,Bartolomeo.

Chunhui Xu, associate professor at Emory University School of Medicine, and principal investigator for the Generation of Cardiomyocytes from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (MVP Cell-03) experiment, will discuss the study on the generation of specialized heart muscle cells for use in research and clinical applications. Chief Scientist of Techshot, Gene Boland, will share how the Multi-use Variable-g Platform will facilitate this experiment.

Paul Patton, senior manager, front end innovation and regulatory, for Delta Faucet, and Garry Marty, principal product engineer for Delta Faucet, will discuss theDroplet Formation Study, which evaluates water droplet formation and water flow of Delta Faucets H2Okinetic showerhead technology. This research in microgravity could help improve the technology, creating better performance and improved user experience while conserving water and energy.

Aaron Beeler, professor of medicinal chemistry at Boston University and principal investigator, and Matthew Mailloux, co-investigator, will discussFlow Chemistry Platform for Synthetic Reactions on ISS, which will study the effects of microgravity on chemical reactions, as a first step toward on-demand chemical synthesis on the space station.

Friday, March 6

4 p.m. Prelaunch news conference from Kennedy with representatives from NASAs International Space Station Program, SpaceX, and the U.S. Air Forces 45th Space Wing. Participants include:

Joel Montalbano, deputy manager for International Space Station Program

Jennifer Buchli, deputy chief scientist for International Space Station Program

Hans Koenigsmann, vice president, Build and Flight Reliability at SpaceX

Mike McAleenan, launch weather officer, U.S. Air Force 45th Space Wing

11:30 p.m. NASA TV launch coverage begins for the 11:50 p.m., launch.

Monday, March 9

4:30 a.m. NASA TV coverage begins of Dragon arrival to the station and capture. Capture is scheduled for approximately 6 a.m.

7:30 a.m. NASA TV coverage begins of Dragon installation to the nadir port of the Harmony module of the station

Dragon will remain at the space station for about four weeks, after which the spacecraft will return to Earth with research and cargo.

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SpaceX Targeting March 6 for Launch of its 20th Resupply Mission to International Space Station | - SpaceCoastDaily.com

The European Bank of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: Five Years of Progress – Technology Networks

Since Yamanakas demonstration in 2006 that adult cells can be reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell-like state using a specific cocktail of transcription factors, interest in the development and use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) has flourished. The potential for these cells to be used as models for drug discovery and disease research, as well as therapeutics, has resulted in more and more researchers seeking access to iPSCs.

In a bid to meet this increasing demand for quality-controlled, disease-relevant, research-grade iPSC lines, a project began in 2014 to set up the first European Bank of induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (EBiSC). Five years on and the project entered its second phase, with the aim of becoming a self-sustainable central iPSC hub by 2022.

Here,Technology Networks speaks to Rachel Steeg, Project Manager, Fraunhofer UK Research Ltd and a coordinator of EBiSC activities, to discuss phase two of the project and discover some of the benefits it is bringing to the scientific community.Anna MacDonald (AM): Can you give us an overview of EBiSC?Rachel Steeg (RS): EBiSC is a centralised, non-profit, iPSC repository with central facilities in Germany and the UK which safeguards iPSC lines derived both from within EBiSC and from external research centres. Once iPSC lines are shared with EBiSC, we perform expansion, banking and quality control at one of our central facilities according to user demand. Data are shared to users via the EBiSC catalogue (https://cells.ebisc.org/) with genomic datasets available through application to the EBiSC Data Access Committee (DAC). EBiSC lines can be ordered directly from the European Collection of Authenticated Cell Cultures (ECACC) and after completion of a single Access and Use Agreement and a Cell Line Information Pack for each line, ECACC can ship worldwide either on dry ice or using a dry shipper. Every iPSC line is securely stored at our Mirror Facility at the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering (IBMT) in Germany where an ASKION database, cryo-workbench and hermetic storage tanks track vials using barcodes, ensuring an uninterrupted cold-chain. A second project phase, currently in progress, is streamlining and optimising these core processes as well as developing new iPSC products and services.

AM: What was the motivation behind the project, and how did it get started?RS: Its now widely recognised that iPSC lines hold great promise for changing the way we investigate disease pathologies and discover new therapeutics, but issues around poor traceability, limited access and poor quality, are seen as limiting factors in really progressing with this avenue of research. EBiSC was initially launched in 2014 through a public-private partnership with IMI (Innovative Medicines Initiative) and EFPIA (European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations) with a core goal of tackling these issues aiming to making high quality and disease relevant iPSC lines with associated datasets, adult cells can be reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell-like state. Hence, the focus from the outset was to build an infrastructure that would allow EBiSC to accept iPSC lines from multiple sources and standardise them for downstream use. Sharing the data associated with these lines has been really key in this process, including sharing details of the consent, donor disease information and iPSC characterisation data in an anonymised way via hPSCreg and allowing access to sensitive datasets such as Whole Genome Sequencing through the EBiSC DAC. Finally, EBiSC eased the often lengthy process for completing transfer agreements by implementing a procedure which allows users to access lines from multiple sources under one single agreement.

AM: Why is there an increasing demand for iPSC lines?RS: As protocols detailing the maintenance and downstream use of iPSCs develop, their use in drug discovery, particularly using mature differentiated cell populations, has become easier and easier to implement. Critically, as high-quality iPSC lines are now available through repositories such as EBiSC, researchers can focus on their key research question at hand, rather than investing precious resources on accessing appropriate, fully consented patient biosamples and generating new iPSC lines from scratch. Theres also an increasing awareness that use of current animal and simplistic cell models such as transgenic primary lines is likely contributing to the high failure rates in developing novel, effective and safe therapies and a new approach is needed including incorporating iPSCs as a disease relevant human model during pre-clinical investigations.

AM: The second phase of the project was launched March 2019. What can we expect to see during this phase of development?RS: The current second project stage, again supported by IMI2, will ensure that EBiSC is legally, ethically and financially sustainable long-term by widening the products and services on offer. As well as continuing to collect and provide iPSC lines, EBiSC will also provide disease relevant differentiated cell populations such as cardiomyocytes and neurons, including sharing them in an assay ready-to-use format. As mentioned, EBiSC already has a robust infrastructure for generating, genetically modifying, banking, qualifying and distributing iPSC lines so we are now opening up this infrastructure for external use researchers can just get in touch with EBiSC and ask for help with any of these activities as a non-profit, fee-for-service activity, with revenue feeding back into the bank.

AM: What difference can having access to iPSCs from the bank make to scientists and their research?RS: For many of the disease associations represented by EBiSC, multiple lines are available from the same disease background, helping researchers achieve statistical significance in their research. By accessing iPSC lines from EBiSC, its also not just the iPSC lines themselves which can make the difference. In addition to the datasets mentioned previously and the provision of high-quality iPSC cohorts, iPSC banking, QC protocols and best practice training resources are available through the EBiSC website. EBiSC also ensures fully anonymised traceability of each line, meaning that any consent, third party or licencing restrictions which may apply, are clearly flagged to users prior to purchase.

AM: In addition to the cells, what support can EBiSC offer to researchers?RS: Protocols for how to thaw, expand and cryopreserve iPSC lines are available via the website, as are recommendations as to how users should monitor their cultures both visually and through performing routine QC. Training videos advise users on best practice and Certificates of Analysis give cell line specific recommendations for thawing and passaging. Critically, EBiSC2 now offers iPSC services, including cell line generation, gene-editing, expansion and banking (including generation of banks of >100 vials) and qualifying iPSC lines using the established EBiSC Quality Control regime.

AM: Is it possible to deposit cells in the collection? What are the main benefits of doing this?RS: Yes! Any researcher worldwide can deposit iPSC lines into EBiSC, they just need to reach out to EBiSC either through the website or by emailing us at EBiSC@eurtd.com. Theres a whole host of benefits to deposition, including always having a secure multi-site back-up of your cell line stocks, access to EBiSC generated Quality Control and characterisation data and not having to find capacity for banking and agreeing MTAs if someone wants to access your line(s). One of the main benefits highlighted by current depositors is that deposition ensures sustainability of resources after project completion, both for themselves and to satisfy funding requirements. Best of all, deposition just grants EBiSC a non-exclusive licence to share the line(s), so researchers are still free to use and share their iPSC lines as they prefer, retaining their ownership and intellectual property of the lines.

Rachel Steeg was speaking to Anna MacDonald, Science Writer, Technology Networks.

Acknowledgements:

EBiSC2 is supported as a multinational public-private Innovative Medicines Initiative in its second phase (IMI2, 2014-2020, http://www.imi.europa.eu) under grant agreement No 821362. The IMI2 Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Unions Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and EFPIA.

The content presented in the present publication reflect only the author's view and the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.

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The European Bank of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells: Five Years of Progress - Technology Networks

New study identifies trigger that turns dormant cancer stem cells into active ones – PR Web

DURHAM, N.C. (PRWEB) February 26, 2020

A new study released today in STEM CELLS identifies, for the first time, two morphologically and functionally different types of cancer stem cells found in cervical cancer. Of the two types, one exhibits an overexpression of cPLA2, a key enzyme that triggers the transformation of dormant cancer stem cells into active ones, resulting in cervical cancer metastasis and recurrence. The information in this study could lead to new targets for treatments to halt tumor recurrence and metastatic spread. Also, it might accelerate the development of combination therapies.

The current standard of treatments for cervical cancer the second leading cause of cancer death in young women worldwide is radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However, the cancers resistance to chemotherapy and radiation, combined with a tendency to metastasis in the lymph nodes or recur in the pelvis, leaves doctors searching for more effective treatments.

Cervical cancer stem cells (CCSCs) are considered the major culprit behind the cancers ability to overcome these treatments. At the same time, a majority of cancer stem-like cells or tumor-initiating cells remain dormant. It takes a change in their microenvironment to spur them to metastasize.

The mechanisms responsible for this must be identified to design more suitable therapies for the different subpopulations of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in various tissue-specific cancers, said Hua Guo, Ph.D., who headed up the investigation along with Yuchao He, Ph.D. The two are colleagues at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital. Researchers at Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and at the Center for Translational Cancer Research, Peking University First Hospital, also participated in the study.

Although several cell surface antigens have been identified in CCSCs, these markers vary among tumors because of CSC heterogeneity. However, whether these markers specifically distinguish CCSCs with different functions is unclear. The study published in STEM CELLS sought to resolve this question. And in fact, its findings demonstrate that CCSCs exist in two biologically distinct phenotypes, characterized by different levels of cPLA2 expression.

Our study showed for the first time that overexpression of cPLA2 results in a phenotype associated with mesenchymal traits, including increased invasive and migration abilities. On the other hand, CCSCs with cPLA2 downregulation show dormant epithelial characteristics, said Dr. Guo. In addition, cPLA2 regulates the reversible transition between mesenchymal and epithelial CCSC states through PKC, an atypical protein that governs cancer cell state changes.

Dr. He added, Now that we know cPLA2 triggers this transformation, we believe that cPLA2 might be an attractive therapeutic target for eradicating different states of CCSCs to eliminate tumors more effectively.

The novel study by Dr. Guo and team is of very high importance in understanding the transition between dormant cancer stem cells, which evade chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and actively dividing cells which can be better targeted, said Dr. Jan Nolta, Editor-in-Chief of STEM CELLS. I applaud the group for this important discovery which will help researchers develop better treatments for cervical cancer.

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The full article, cPLA2 reversibly regulate different subsets of cancer stem cells transformation in cervical cancer, can be accessed at https://stemcellsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/stem.3157.

Figure Caption: This study revealed that there are two morphologically and functionally distinct cancer stem cell populations regulated by cPLA2 in cervical cancer. cPLA2 might be a unique marker to identify different cancer stem cell populations and trigger quiescent epithelial cancer stem cells transform to invasive mesenchymal states. Overexpression of cPLA2 resulted in a CD44+CD24- phenotype with mesenchymal traits, whereas cervical cancer stem cells (CCSCs) with cPLA2 downregulation expressed CD133 and showed epithelial characteristics. cPLA2, as a key role to reversely regulate CCSCs states and EMT, might provide innovative therapeutic strategies intended to halt tumor recurrence and metastasis.

About the Journal: STEM CELLS, a peer reviewed journal published monthly, provides a forum for prompt publication of original investigative papers and concise reviews. The journal covers all aspects of stem cells: embryonic stem cells/induced pluripotent stem cells; tissue-specific stem cells; cancer stem cells; the stem cell niche; stem cell epigenetics, genomics and proteomics; and translational and clinical research. STEM CELLS is co-published by AlphaMed Press and Wiley.

About AlphaMed Press: Established in 1983, AlphaMed Press with offices in Durham, NC, San Francisco, CA, and Belfast, Northern Ireland, publishes three internationally renowned peer-reviewed journals with globally recognized editorial boards dedicated to advancing knowledge and education in their focused disciplines. STEM CELLS (http://www.StemCells.com) is the world's first journal devoted to this fast paced field of research. THE ONCOLOGIST (http://www.TheOncologist.com) is devoted to community and hospital-based oncologists and physicians entrusted with cancer patient care. STEM CELLS TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE (http://www.StemCellsTM.com) is dedicated to significantly advancing the clinical utilization of stem cell molecular and cellular biology. By bridging stem cell research and clinical trials, SCTM will help move applications of these critical investigations closer to accepted best practices.

About Wiley: Wiley, a global company, helps people and organizations develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. Our online scientific, technical, medical and scholarly journals, combined with our digital learning, assessment and certification solutions, help universities, learned societies, businesses, governments and individuals increase the academic and professional impact of their work. For more than 200 years, we have delivered consistent performance to our stakeholders. The company's website can be accessed at http://www.wiley.com.

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New study identifies trigger that turns dormant cancer stem cells into active ones - PR Web