Project Objective: Tool/Resources/Bottleneck
Development of a low-cost, clinical-grade iPS maintenance medium for enabling stem cell therapy manufacturing
Translational Candidate HiDef-B8, an iPS cell maintenance medium designed to reduce stem cell GMP manufacturing costs and risk. Area of Impact HiDef-B8 addresses scale-up manufacturing, by being lower-cost ($300/L) and requiring fewer passages per week (1-2 as opposed to 3-5). Mechanism of Action HiDef-B8 underwent extensive empirical optimization and alternative component screening, focused on reducing […]
T-Pure: Peripheral Blood Processing Tool for Point of Care CAR-T Manufacturing
Translational Candidate Tool kit added directly to peripheral blood allowing for purification of T cell enriched product suitable for (CAR)-T cell generation. Area of Impact The goal is to generate a tool that can address one of the most expensive and rate-limiting steps in the production of genetically engineered cells Mechanism of Action Our application […]
Cell Villages and Clinical Trial in a Dish with Pooled iPSC-CMs for Drug Discovery
Translational Candidate Human stem cells in a dish engineered into heart cells to supplement, refine, reduce, and/or ultimately replace human clinical trials. Area of Impact Increase genetic diversity of preclinical studies in human samples to derisk clinical trials and save time and costs. Mechanism of Action We will have several non-invasive human-derived stem cells collected […]
Human iPSC-derived micro-heart muscles for high-throughput cardiac drug discovery
Translational Candidate In vitro miniaturized array of heart muscle amenable for use in efficient high-throughput drug discovery and screening campaigns. Area of Impact Effective high-throughput screening of drugs on human heart muscles does not exist, hindering the discovery of therapeutics to treat heart failure. Mechanism of Action Current approaches for drug discovery often miss a […]
A Novel, Robust and Comprehensive Predictive Tool Using Human Disease-Specific Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Preclinical Drug Screening
Translational Candidate A library of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes from healthy subjects as well as patients with common hereditary cardiac disorders Area of Impact Preclinical toxicity screening and drug discovery Mechanism of Action Patients with pre-existing cardiac conditions are more susceptible to drug-induced cardiotoxicity than general population. Including iPSCs derived from this subset of […]
Multi-modal technology for non-destructive characterization of bioengineered tissues
Stem cell technologies hold great promise for engineering replacement tissues for repairing functional loss from trauma or disease. Such therapies are particularly important for replacing bone and cartilage in the aging population to maintain an active quality of life. However, the application of stem cells to generate individualized implantable grafts suffers from patient-to-patient variability that […]
Embryonic stem cell-based generation of rat models for assessing human cellular therapies
Heart failure, diabetes and neurodegenerative diseases are among the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. These diseases are characterized by the loss of specific cell types and can be treated and potentially cured with stem cell-based therapies. Before human stem cells can be used in clinical trials, however, their safety and efficacy need to […]
Injectable Hydrogels for the Delivery, Maturation, and Engraftment of Clinically Relevant Numbers of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neural Progenitors to the Central Nervous System
One critical bottleneck in the translation of regenerative medicine into the clinic is the efficient delivery and engraftment of transplanted cells. While direct injection is the least invasive method for cell delivery, it commonly results in the survival of only 5-20% of cells. Studies suggest that delivery within a carrier gel may enhance cell viability, […]
Skin-derived precursor cells for the treatment of enteric neuromuscular dysfunction
The intestine performs the essential function of absorbing food and water into the body. Without a functional intestine, children and adults cannot eat normal meals, and these patients depend on intravenous nutrition to sustain life. Many of these patients do not have a neural system that coordinates the function of the intestine. These patients have […]
Skin-derived precursor cells for the treatment of enteric neuromuscular dysfunction
The intestine performs the essential function of absorbing food and water into the body. Without a functional intestine, children and adults cannot eat normal meals, and these patients depend on intravenous nutrition to sustain life. Many of these patients do not have a neural system that coordinates the function of the intestine. These patients have […]