Cell-based Research

Fetal Lung Injury Research

Researchers have used an in vitro system, where isolated distal epithelial cells were exposed to mechanical stretch mimicking lung injury, to test the hypothesis that transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) channels are important mechanotransducers in fetal lung injury. Their article, titled "Mechanotransduction via TRPV4 regulates inflammation and differentiation in fetal mouse distal lung epithelial cells," was published in Respiratory Research on 27 May 2015.

To read the article, click here.

Oral Microbiota in Wound Healing

Researchers have used the oral squamous carcinoma cell line TR146 and mono- and mixed cultures of species known to be present in the oral cavity in healthy or diseased states, to further investigate the role of the oral microbiota in wound healing. Their article was published online in AMB Express on 21 May 2015 and is titled "Microbial inhibition of oral epithelial wound recovery: potential role for quorum sensing molecules?"

To read the article, click here.

The Story of the MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cell Line

A review article on the MCF-7 breast cancer cell line, titled "The Story of MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cell Line: 40 years of Experience in Research," has been published in the June 2015 issue of Anticancer Research.

To read the article, click here.

Good Cell Culture Practice

Facilitating a Culture Shift in Cell Line Authentication

A multi-stakeholder, incremental approach to facilitate change in the culture of cell line authentication has been outlined in a 28 May 2015 Nature Methods commentary article titled, "Reproducibility: changing the policies and culture of cell line authentication."

To read the article, click here.

The #authenticate Community: Two New Champions

The world’s largest breast cancer organization, Susan G. Komen (Dallas, TX, US), has joined the #authenticate community. FasterCures, a center of the Milken Institute (Washington, DC, US) that is determined to remove barriers to medical progress, has also joined this tremendous group.

 
The Global Biological Standards Institute (GBSI; Washington, DC, US) #authenticate campaign is designed to raise awareness in the life science community about the powerful role cell authentication can play in improving research reproducibility and fidelity.

To meet the sponsors and champions who are dedicated to advancing #authenticate’s goals, click here.

To join the #authenticate community, click here.

Upcoming 'Risky Business' Seminar

CellBank Australia is offering a free seminar titled "Is Cell Culture a Risky Business?" to research institutions in the Sydney area in 2015. The seminar, authored and presented by Dr Amanda Capes-Davis, looks at the risks that relate to cell culture work, and how to minimize those risks through Good Cell Culture Practice.

The seminar will be given at the Westmead Millennium Institute for Medical Research (WMI; Westmead, NSW, AU) tomorrow, 4 June 2015, from 2pm- 3pm. All Westmead Research Hub researchers are welcome to attend. Please email Sal Austin at sal.austin@health.nsw.gov.au for more information and to RSVP.

Amanda was the Founding Manager of the CellBank Australia facility and chairs the International Cell Line Authentication Committee (ICLAC).