Project Objective: Research Insights
Trithorax and Polycomb methyltransferase complexes in cell fate determination.
The physiological template of our genome, called chromatin, is composed of DNA wrapped around histone proteins. In the process of development the genome is interpreted in a way that is dynamic, and yet, often heritable, to produce different specialized tissues and organs. A substantial portion of information that is required for proper interpretation of the […]
Genetic dissection of mesodermal commitment to the hematopoietic fates.
Genetic dissection of mesodermal commitment to hematopoietic fates. Hematopoietic cell transplantation is the gold standard for cell-based therapy and is routinely used to treat a wide variety of blood disorders and cancer. A major limitation exists, however, in finding donors whose immune systems are compatible with those of the patients requiring transplantation. The recent creation […]
Oral and Craniofacial Reconstruction Using Mesenchymal Stem Cells
The overall goal of this proposal is to explore a new stem cell-based treatment for major defects in the orofacial regions resulted from burns, physical injuries, genetic diseases, cancers, infectious diseases, and recently, bisphosphonate-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw (BONJ), using the patient’s own stem cells obtained from the oral cavity known as orofacial mesenchymal stem […]
Reprogramming of human somatic cells back to pluripotent embryonic stem cells
The ability to dedifferentiate or reverse lineage-committed cells to pluripotent/multipotent cells might overcome many of the obstacles (e.g. cell sources, immunocompatibility and bioethical concerns) associated with using other ES and adult stem cells in clinical applications. With an efficient dedifferentiation process, it is conceivable that healthy, abundant and easily accessible somatic cells could be reprogrammed […]
Reprogramming of human somatic cells back to pluripotent embryonic stem cells
The ability to dedifferentiate or reverse lineage-committed cells to pluripotent/multipotent cells might overcome many of the obstacles (e.g. cell sources, immunocompatibility and bioethical concerns) associated with using other ES and adult stem cells in clinical applications. With an efficient dedifferentiation process, it is conceivable that healthy, abundant and easily accessible somatic cells could be reprogrammed […]
Noncoding RNAs in Cell Fate Determination
The human body is composed of thousands of cell types, which all came originally from embryonic stem cells. Although all these cell types have the same genetic blueprint, different genes are active in different cells in order to give each its distinctiveness. The process by which the genes remember whether they are in liver, brain, […]
Human Immune System Mouse models as preclinical platforms for stem cell derived grafts
A major obstacle to stem cell based therapies is the immune response of the patient to stem cell derived tissue, which can be recognized as foreign and attacked by the patient’s immune system. T cells orchestrate immune responses and are “educated” about self versus foreign in an organ called the thymus. It may be possible […]
Engineered immune tolerance by Stem Cell-derived thymic regeneration
Stem cell therapies have the potential to transform medicine by allowing the regeneration of tissues or organs damaged by disease or trauma. In order for stem cell therapies to proceed, it will be essential that the regulation of immune responses to the stem cell derived tissues be achieved. While the function of the immune system […]
Inactivating NK cell reactivity to facilitate transplantation of stem cell derived tissue
One of the great promises of stem cell research is that it will one day be possible to prepare replacement cells or organs from stem cells such as embryonic stem cells, which can be transplanted to patients to substitute for diseased or defective patient tissues or organs. Unfortunately, the immune system reacts against, and rejects, […]
Regulatory T cell induced tolerance to ESC transplantation
The goals of this proposal are to utilize cell populations known to control immune reactions termed regulatory T cells and study their ability to protect embryonic stem cells (ESC) from immune rejection. Much has been learned about the control of immune reactions where it has been found that a variety of different factors control excessive […]