Tuesday, August 21

There are three classes of stem cells: totipotent, multipotent, and pluripotent, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. Due to their limitless therapeutic potential, stem cells continue to be of enormous public, scientific, and clinical interest. Researchers are discovering new sources of stem cells daily. However, the initial excitement generated by the identification of novel stem cell sources must give way to focused efforts on methods to manipulate their differentiation and self-renewal capabilities. The best thing is to have a variety of stem cell sources to provide the best stem cell for potential patient therapy. The focus of CHI’s Third Annual Stem Cell Sources: Targeting Cell-Based Regenerative Therapies meeting is on the development of technologies to isolate, culture, manipulate, and differentiate stem cells. Technological progress brings fundamental understanding and will provide the foundation for more rapid advances toward the clinic.

Scientific Advisory Committee:

Jonathan Garlick, Ph.D., DDS, Professor, Division of Cancer Biology and Tissue Engineering, Tufts University

Rosemarie Hunziker, Ph.D., Program Director, Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health

David Kaplan, Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Technology Center, Tufts University School of Engineering

Mark E. Levenstein, Ph.D., Research Scientist, WiCell Research Institute

Brock C. Reeve, M.Phil., MBA, Executive Director, Harvard Stem Cell Institute 

7:30-8:30 am Registration and Morning Coffee

8:30 Chairperson’s Opening Remarks

8:45 Technology Insight: in Vivo Cell Tracking by Use of MRI
Joseph Frank, Ph.D. Chief, Experimental and Neuroimaging Section, National Institutes of Health 
Magnetic labeling of stem cells provides the ability to monitor their temporal spatial migration in vivo MRI. Various methods have been used to magnetically label cells using coated superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) nanoparticles. In this presentation, I will describe the different approaches used to label cells and show MRI and histologic results in various animal disease models and clinical studies. Magnetic Tagging of stem cells has the potential for guiding future cell-based therapies in humans and for the evaluation of cellular based treatment effects in disease models.

9:15 Novel X-Ray System for Tracking the Delivery and Distribution of Stem Cells
Dara L. Kraitchman, V.M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Radiology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine 
The administration of stem cells for cardiovascular applications using X-ray-based interventional techniques is well accepted. However, the ability to track stem cell biodistribution and engraftment is limited using these techniques. Classical direct labeling of stem cells with radiopaque contrast agents to enable visibility with X-ray imaging has not been performed due to the high toxicity of these agents. A novel approach to enhance stem cell survival and make stem cells X-ray visible for fluorscopic and computed tomography (CT) applications will be discussed. Because this approach uses FDA-approved agents on a familiar imaging platform to clinicians, the translation of these techniques to stem cell therapeutic administration are expected to be rapid.

9:45 Evaluating the in Vivo Differentiation Potential of Osteoprogenitor Cells
David Rowe, Professor, Reconstructive Sciences, University of Connecticut Health Center 
We have developed histological techniques for imaging GFP in adult tissues that can be co-localized with standard cell identification methods to assist in the interpretation of transplantation experiment. Multiplexed GFP reporters that mark stages of bone cell development or different cell types identify the differentiation outcome after transplantation. When the donor and host bone cells carry a distinguishable GFP marker, the contribution of each cell source to a tissue repair model can be assessed. Two color strategies can directly contrast two sources of progenitor cells.

10:15 Technology Watch: The Use of Emit® Technology in the Generation of Functional Hepatocytes from hES Cells
Stephen Hammond, Ph.D., CEO, Cell Biology, StemCell Services 
To understand how a stem cell differentiates into a specific tissue-cell requires not only knowledge concerning the molecular pathways of differentiation, but also the identification of the combination of signals the stem cell requires to become a specific type of a differentiated cell tissue. StemCell Services’ Emit® (Emission Identification Technology) enables direct non-invasive monitoring of the development process of human stem cells as they differentiate. Emit® technology depends on the creation of a range of fluorescent proteins controlled by a set of specific promoters able to identify those chemical signals most relevant for the conversion of a stem cell into a mature, fully functional cell. As the stem cell progresses through each stage, it expresses these specific sets of proteins, and in the process switches on one of our fluorescent detector proteins. By following the sequential switching on of individual Emit® detectors in hES cells destined to become hepatocytes we were able to precisely track hepatocyte development. We were then able to look for these triggers in our specially constructed focused ligand collections and growth factor panels.

10:30 Coffee Break, Poster and Exhibit Viewing

11:00 A Two-Stage Perfusion Bioreactor System for Mass Production of Embryonic Stem Cells
Shang-Tian Yang, Ph.D., Professor, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University 
For mass production of undifferentiated embryonic stem (ES) cells, a two-stage perfusion bioreactor system is developed with fibroblast feeder cells grown in the first reactor to condition the medium without leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) or other expensive growth factors and the second reactor grows ES cells in a three-dimensional PET fibrous matrix. The system can expand ES cells ~200-fold to 2 billion cells in a 10-ml reactor in 15 days while maintaining their pluripotency. The produced ES cells can be used for cell therapy and other biomedical applications.

11:30 Cryopreservation and hESCs
Carol Ware, Ph.D., Research Associate Professor, Comparative Medicine; Director, Human ES Cell Core, Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington
Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) have proven refractory to cryopreservation by standard tissue culture protocols. Whereas, they survive well when frozen using techniques devised for freezing mammalian embryos. Survival of hESC frozen using slow, controlled-rate freezing allows ~80% survival upon thaw with no trend toward differentiation. Effective cryopreservation allows initial maintenance of low passage cells and improves flexibility in experimental design.

12:00 pm Panel Discussion

12:30 Lunch on Your Own
(Luncheon Technology Workshop Sponsorships Available)

2:00 Chairperson’s Remarks

2:45 Regenerative Potential of Cardiosphere-Derived Cells Expanded from Adult Human Percutaneous Endomyocardial Biopsies
Rachel Ruckdeschel Smith, Ph.D. Candidate, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine 
Percutaneous endomyocardial biopsy specimens grown in primary culture readily develop multi-cellular clusters known as cardiospheres, which are plated to yield cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs). Cardiospheres are a niche-like environment containing populations of cardiac-committed progenitors and cardiac mesenchymal cells. Cardiospheres and CDCs form cardiomyocytes in vitro and in vivo. CDCs engraft long-term in a mouse infarct model, acting to preserve heart function and attenuate ventricular remodeling over a period of 6 weeks. CDCs are an attractive autologous source for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction.

3:15 Technology Spotlight (Sponsorship Available)

3:30 Refreshment Break, Poster and Exhibit Viewing

4:00 Progress in Dental Tissue and Whole Tooth Regeneration and Repair
Pamela C. Yelick, Ph.D., Director, Division of Craniofacial and Molecular Genetics, Tufts University
Dr. Yelick’s major research interests are molecular genetic analyses of craniofacial cartilage, bone, and tooth development and regeneration. Her research focuses on two areas: 1) manipulating mammalian postnatal dental stem cells for whole tooth tissue engineering applications; and 2) using the zebrafish, Danio rerio, as a model for craniofacial and tooth development and regeneration. The goals of this research include devising methods to generate bioengineered reparative dental tissues and whole teeth, and to induce replacement tooth formation in the human jaw.

4:30 Panel of Experts

5:15 Solutions at CELLutions - Break-out Discussions with Panel of Experts

6:30 Networking Reception in the Exhibit Hall

7:30 Close of Day