Therapeutic/Technology: Exploring stem cell mechanisms
Control of OCT4 abundance and function in human stem cells
Research Objective Our work will reveal an essential pathway that establishes precise levels of the OCT4 transcription factor and protects stem cell identity despite genetic or environmental stress. Impact Our work will enhance our ability to generate and expand high-quality induced pluripotent stem cells from older patients or patients of neurodegenerative disease for use in […]
Drivers of trophoblast stem/progenitor cell identity in human placenta
Research Objective This proposal will elucidate the mechanisms that identify a stem/progenitor cell population in the human placenta. Impact This proposal addresses our current knowledge gap on human placental development related to formation of the maternal/fetal interface during pregnancy, and placenta-associated pregnancy complications. Major Proposed Activities Identification of DNA regions, called enhancers, regulating placenta stem/progenitor […]
Using metabolic pausing for maintaining stable and high-quality pluripotent stem cells
Identification of antigenic neo-epitopes from in vitro reprogrammed human tissue precursors for regenerative therapy
Research Objective This study examine potential immunologic changes caused by cellular reprogramming that could present a barrier to clinical application of regenerative therapies. Impact Identification and evaluation of immunologic changes caused by cellular reprogramming provides critical information to maximize the efficacy and safety of regenerative cellualar therapies. Major Proposed Activities Identify changes to the repertoire […]
New Methods for the Chemical Expansion of Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells
Research Objective We will develop a new agent that can increase the production of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells and determine how the compound functions Impact We aim to develop a method to achieve the highest fold expansion of hematopoietic stem cells from a single unit of cord blood achieved to date increasing the supply […]
Exosomal Y-RNAs as mediators of bioactivity of cardiac-derived cell therapy
Research Objective We propose to dissect the contribution of Y-RNAs, small non-coding RNA species enriched in CDC-exosomes, in mediating the effect of CDC-exosomes on cardioprotection and macrophage polarization. Impact Examining the contribution of highly represented RNA species in CDC-exo could allow a better understanding of the mechanism of action of CDC-exo and modulation of their […]
A Chromatin Context Tool for Predicting iPS Lineage Predisposition and Tissue Graftability
Induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are cells derived from skin that closely resemble embryonic stem (ES) cells and can be coaxed into many different types of cells such as nerve cells, heart cells, liver cells, and also back to skin cells. One major bottleneck in the field is our ability to coax the cells into […]
Center of Excellence for Stem Cell Genomics – Salk
The Center of Excellence in Stem Cell Genomics will bring together investigators from seven major California research institutions to bridge two fields – genomics and pluripotent stem cell research. The projects will combine the strengths of the center team members, each of whom is a leader in one or both fields. The program directors have […]
Biophysical Determinants of Early Embryonic Stem Cell Fate Specification
Regenerative therapies require effective differentiation of stem cells to cell types that are functionally identical to those found in vivo. Many current differentiation protocols merely involve optimization of proteins added to the culture media, but do not consider the microenvironmental context in which cells differentiate during development or tissue repair. When we include the biophysical […]
Engineered matrices for control of lineage commitment in human pancreatic stem cells
Patients with end-stage type 1 diabetes (T1D) can be effectively managed by allogeneic islet transplantation. However, a severe cadaveric organ shortage greatly limits use of this promising procedure. Stem cells have the potential to provide a solution to this bottleneck because of their ability to self-renew and differentiate into islet β-cells. Although progress has been […]