Cell Line Generation: Embryonic Stem Cell
Induction of immune tolerance to human embryonic stem cell-derived allografts
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can undergo unlimited reproduction and retain the capability to differentiate into all cell types in the body. Therefore, as a renewable source of various cell types, hESCs hold great promise for human cell replacement therapy. Significant progress has been made in establishing the conditions to differentiate hESCs into cells of […]
Development of an immune tolerant hESC source for allogeneic cell therapy applications
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are an ideal tissue source for cell replacement therapy (CRT). They have the potential for limitless self-renewal while retaining their ability to differentiate into a wide variety of cells and tissues. Since their first derivation in 1998, hESCs have been used in many studies in order to evaluate their potential […]
Stem cell tolerance through the use of engineered antigen-specific regulatory T cells
Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) occurs as a consequence of uncontrolled immune activation, culminating in the destruction of insulin-producing beta-cells. Efforts to prevent or reverse diabetes have been limited by the lack of safe and effective immunotherapies coupled with the inability to restore insulin producing beta-cells. We believe proper immune control to self-tissues to be a […]
Generation of disease models for neurodegenerative disorders in hESCs by gene targeting
The ability to target a specific locus in the mouse genome and to alter it in a specific fashion has fundamentally changed experimental design and made mice the preeminent model for studying human diseases . However, pathogenesis in humans have unique pathways that may not be revealed by only using mouse or other animal models. […]
Optimization in the Identification, Selection and Induction of Maturation of Subtypes of Cardiomyocytes derived from Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Cardiovascular diseases remain the major cause of death in the western world. Stem and progenitor cell-derived cardiomyocytes (SPC-CMs) hold great promise for the myocardial repair. However, most of SPC-CMs displayed heterogeneous and immature electrophysiological phenotypes with substantial automaticity. Implanting these electrically immature and inhomogeneous CMs to the hearts would be arrhythmogenic and deleterious. Further optimization […]
CIRM Shared Research Laboratories
Our plan is to establish a ~ 4,700 sq. ft. shared research laboratory dedicated to the experimental manipulation and ultimate clinical application of human embryonic stem cells (hESC). This Shared Research Laboratory (SRL) is centrally located on the main campus. The SRL will be used by researchers focused on understanding how hESCs are induced to […]
North Bay CIRM Shared Research Laboratory for Stem Cells and Aging
Age-related diseases of the nervous system are major challenges for biomedicine in the 21st century. These disorders, which include Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and stroke, cause loss of neural tissue and functional impairment. Currently, there is no cure for these devastating neurological disorders. A promising approach to the treatment of […]
New Technology for the Derivation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Lines for Clinical Use
Since their discovery almost ten years ago, there has been steady progress towards the application of human embryonic stem (ES) cells in medicine. Now, the field is on the threshold of a new era. Recent results from several laboratories show that human skin cells can be converted to cells resembling ES cells through simple genetic […]
Derivation and analysis of pluripotent stem cell lines with inherited TGF-b mediated disorders from donated IVF embryos and reprogrammed adult skin fibroblasts
The field of regenerative medicine revolves around the capacity of a subset of cells, called stem cells, to become the mature tissues of the adult human body. By studying stem cells, we hope to develop methods and reagents for treating disease. For instance, we hope to develop methods for making stem cells become cardiovascular cells […]
Derivation of hESC Lines with Disease Lesions
The inner workings of the nervous system which regulate normal body movements, thought processes, feelings and senses are highly complex. How the nervous system relays and receives this variety of information is little understood, although significant inroads are being made to deduce underlying causes of many forms of neurological disorders. Many forms of retardation are […]