Since the discovery of reprogramming factors in 2006 and the boom of CRISPR gene editing strategies, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) have emerged as new cellular models. The development of 3D cell culture technologies has also contributed to the generation of induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (iPSC) derived cells, with unique applications from patient-specific drug responses testing, to regenerative medicine. I would like to introduce in this post a selection of reagents in this domain, a combination of both routine and innovative quality reagents, that I consider as bringing something extra to your stem cell research projects.

This summer, Moffett et al. published in Nature Communications (Nature Communications – doi:10.1038/s41467-017-00505-8) a new approach for cancer therapeutic research and development based on mRNA delivery. They called it ‘Hit-and-run programming’ because of the simplicity of the method. Interestingly, the optimization of the delivery was performed with eGFP mRNA.  This post describes how TriLink’s mRNAs contribute to the simple and efficient delivery of mRNA into cells.

In collaboration with our partner Ajinomoto, recognised amino-acid experts, we are launching in Europe a new Xeno-free, defined medium for Human Embryonic Stem cells and induced Pluripotent Stem cell (iPS) culture. The new StemFit^® Basic02 is a high performance single expansion medium for Stem cell and iPS cell weekend free cell culture.

Stauprimide is known to prime Embryonic Stem Cells (ESC) by targeting the c-Myc-activating transcription factor NME2. Its mechanism of action is linked to the inhibition of the nuclear localization of NME2 leading to the downregulation of the transcription of the c-myc oncogene.

In a recent study, Bouvard C. et al. evidenced that Stauprimide’s mechanism of action could also be used to pharmacologically targetc-myc transcription in cancers.