Human Stem Cell Use: iPS Cell
Use of human iPSC-derived neurons from Huntington’s Disease patients to develop novel, disease-modifying small molecule structural corrector drug candidates targeting the unique, neurotoxic conformation of mutant huntingtin
The long-term objective of this project is to develop a drug to treat Huntington’s disease (HD), the most common inherited neurodegenerative disorder. Characterized by involuntary movements, personality changes and dementia, HD is a devastatingly progressive disease that results in death 10–20 years after disease onset and diagnosis. No therapy presently exists for HD; therefore, this […]
Gene therapy-corrected autologous hepatocyte-like cells from induced pluripotent stem cells for the treatment of pediatric single enzyme disorders
Liver transplantation (LT) has been used to treat a variety of liver diseases. Within hours after birth, neonates can present with disorders of the urea cycle (UCDs), the critical metabolic liver pathway needed to detoxify waste nitrogen from the diet and cellular turnover. The overall incidence of UCDs is estimated to be 1 in 8200 […]
Development of a cell and gene based therapy for hemophilia
Hemophilia B is a bleeding disorder caused by the lack of FIX in the plasma and affects 1/30,000 males. Patients suffer from recurrent bleeds in soft tissues leading to physical disability in addition to life threatening bleeds. Current treatment (based on FIX infusion) is transient and plagued by increased risk for blood-borne infections (HCV, HIV), […]
A drug-screening platform for autism spectrum disorders using human astrocytes
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are complex neurodevelopmental diseases that affect about 1% of children in the United States. Such diseases are mainly characterized by deficits in verbal communication, impaired social interaction, and limited and repetitive interests and behavior. The causes and best treatments remain uncertain. One of the major impediments to ASD research is the […]
Engineered iPSC for therapy of limb girdle muscular dystrophy type 2B
Limb girdle muscular dystrophy type 2B (LGMD 2B) is a form of muscular dystrophy that leads to muscle degeneration and disability. In LGMD 2B, a vital muscle protein is mutated, and its absence leads to progressive degeneration of muscles in the body that are needed for mobility. To create a therapy, we will provide a […]
Development of Novel Autophagy Inducers to Block the Progression of and Treat Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Other Neurodegenerative Diseases
ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that primarily affects motor neurons (MNs). It results in paralysis and loss of control of vital functions, such as breathing, leading to premature death. Life expectancy of ALS patients averages 2–5 years from diagnosis. About 5,600 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year, and about 30,000 […]
The CIRM Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Biorepository – A Resource for Safe Storage and Distribution of High Quality iPSCs
Critical to the long term success of the CIRM iPSC Initiative of generating and ensuring the availability of high quality disease-specific human IPSC lines is the establishment and successful operation of a biorepository with proven methods for quality control, safe storage and capabilities for worldwide distribution of high quality, highly-characterized iPSCs. Specifically the biorepository will […]
iPSC-derived Hepatocytes as Platforms for Research in Viral Hepatitis and Non-alcoholic Steatohepatitis
Hepatitis C and fatty liver disease are the two most common liver diseases in California. Individuals from different backgrounds are susceptible to these liver diseases, but they have unique genetic profiles that may influence the severity of disease and the response to specific therapies. Technology now makes it possible to generate stem cells from a […]
Human iPSC modeling and therapeutics for degenerative peripheral nerve disease
The applicant is an MD/PhD trained physician scientist, whose clinical expertise is neuromuscular disorders including peripheral nerve disease. The proposal is aimed at providing a research proposal and career development plan that will allow the applicant to develop an independent research program, which attempts to bring stem cell based therapies to patients with peripheral nerve […]
White matter neuroregeneration after chemotherapy: stem cell therapy for “chemobrain”
Chemotherapy for cancer is often life saving, but it also causes a debilitating syndrome of impaired cognition characterized by deficits in attention, concentration, information processing speed, multitasking and memory. As a result, many cancer survivors find themselves unable to return to work or function in their lives as they had before their cancer therapy. These […]