NCE (Year 7)

The USC Stem Cell Core Facility has been successful in providing a platform for accelerated research involving pluripotent stem cells through the provision of quality controlled cells, bioreagents, shared equipment and laboratory space, biobanking, a cell repository, histology, karyotyping, technical assistance and consultation. For the past two years, the facility also provided stem cell culture training for researchers ranging from high school students to tenured professors.

During the past few months, the focus has been geared toward merging the activities of the current USC Stem Cell Core Facility with the newly established Chang Stem Cell Engineering Facility. Dr. Chang Tong is leading this newly merged facility under the direction of Dr. Qi-Long Ying. With additional donor funding resources, the facility will focus its services on genetically modified embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and iPSCs, which was derived and propagated by the existing CIRM Stem Cell Core Facility. Genetically modified ESCs and iPSCs, derived from human patients or animals, provide an opportunity to investigate the mechanisms of disease and to develop new treatments. With these genetic modifications, investigators can expose some of the cells to thousands of potential drugs at the existing Choi Family Therapeutic Screening Facility, which is located across the hall from the Chang facility.

The success of the Stem Cell Core Facility has provided a segue for the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research to become the emerging one-stop shop where scientists can have iPSCs derived, genetically modified to make tools for studying diseases, and screened for therapeutic drugs.