Project Objective: Research Insights
Human Embryonic Stem Cells and Remyelination in a Viral Model of Demyelination
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common neurologic disease affecting young adults under the age of 40 with the majority of MS patients diagnosed in the second or third decade of life. MS is characterized by the gradual loss of the myelin sheath that surrounds and insulates axons that allow for the conduction of nerve […]
Down-Regulation of Alloreactive Immune Responses to hES Cell-Derived Graft Tissues
Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) are proteins that are expressed on the surface of almost all cells in the body. Because HLA sequences are highly variable and each person generally has a different set of HLA gene sequences, these cell surface markers serve as the identifiers of “self” vs. “non-self”. If immune cells in the body […]
Genetic manipulation of human embryonic stem cells and its application in studying CNS development and repair
The advent of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) has offered enormous potential for regenerative medicine and for basic understanding of human biology. On the one hand, hESCs can be turned into many different cell types in culture dish, and specific cell types derived from hESCs offer an almost infinite source for cellular replacement therapies. This […]
Modeling Parkinson’s Disease Using Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the most frequent neurodegenerative movement disorder caused by damage of dopamine-producing nerve cells (DA neuron) in patient brain. The main symptoms of PD are age-dependent tremors (shakiness). There is no cure for PD despite administration of levodopa can help to control symptoms. Most of PD cases are sporadic in the general […]
Embryonic stem cell-derived thymic epithelial cells
The function of the immune system throughout life is essential for protection from infections and cancer. T lymphocytes are white blood cells that choreograph the multiple responses that the body uses to control infection. T lymphocytes are produced in the thymus, a specialized organ located in the chest in front of the heart. The production […]
Self-renewal of human embryonic stem cells
Human embryonic stem (ES) cells are a remarkable cell type that are derived from a group of cells called the inner cell mass (ICM) of a very early stage embryo (about 100 cells in total) obtained from in vitro fertilization program. Human ES cells can be expanded in culture in an undifferentiated state (self-renewal) without […]
hESCs for Articular Cartilage Regeneration
Mobility is critical for human social interactions and quality of life. In the aged mobility is progressively impaired due to painful joints. The articular cartilage in the joints is damaged. The long-term goal of our research is the utilization of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) for cartilage formation and therefore, regeneration of articular cartilage. Stem […]
Improving microenvironments to promote hematopoietic stem cell development from human embryonic stem cells
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) have been used successfully to cure various life-threatening blood diseases. Yet, matching HSCs are not available for every patient. Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) may provide an unlimited source of HSCs for therapeutic use. However, hESC derived hematopoietic cells do not develop properly in those culture conditions that are currently used, […]
In Vitro Differentiation of T cells from Human Embryonic Stem Cells.
White blood cells are the main players of human immunity in defense against infection. Defects in CD4 T white blood cells, for example, can lead to the devastating infections observed in AIDS patients and patients with a genetic immunodeficiency syndrome (“bubble boy” syndrome). A normal immune system can recognize and attack pathogens but not “self”. […]
Trophoblast differentiation of human ES cells.
Human embryonic stem (ES) cells have the potential to form any cell type, but ironically, the first cell lineage to form during development still represents a surprising challenge. The first cell type to become specialized is an epithelial cell that later defines the boundary between the embryo and mother for the formation of the placenta. […]