Therapeutic/Technology: Exploring stem cell mechanisms
Etsrp/ER71 mediated stem cell differentiation into vascular lineage
Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) have the potential to differentiate into all of the cell types that make up the body. Therefore, hESCs are promising tools for the treatment of degenerative diseases and for use in regenerative medicine. One highly desirable use of hESCs is to treat cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause […]
Understanding the role of LRRK2 in iPSC cell models of Parkinson’s Disease
The goal of this research is to utilize novel research tools to investigate the molecular mechanisms that cause Parkinson’s disease (PD). The proposed work builds on previous funding from CIRM that directed the developed patient derived models of PD. The majority of PD patients suffer from sporadic disease with no clear etiology. However some PD […]
Identifying sources of mutation in human induced pluripotent stem cells by whole genome sequencing
Stem cell research offers new tools to help treat and cure diseases that affect diverse cells types in the body such as neurological diseases, heart disease and diabetes by producing human cells for transplantation or to enable drug discovery . Recent advances have allowed researchers to generate patient-matched cell types from the skin or other […]
Ubiquitin-dependent control of hESC self-renewal and expansion
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) or induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) provide an invaluable resource for regenerative medicine and disease modeling. To be able to use these cells in the clinic, hESCs and iPSCs need to be expanded without introducing genetic instability. However, current protocols of hESC and iPSC propagation frequently result in aneuploidy, a […]
Forming the Hematopoietic Niche from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
The clinical potential of pluripotent stem cells for use in regenerative medicine will be realized only when the process by which tissues are generated from these cells is significantly more efficient and controlled than is currently the case. Fundamental questions remain about the mechanisms by which pluripotent stem cells differentiate into mature tissue. The overall […]
Biological relevance of microRNAs in hESC differentiation to endocrine pancreas
There remains an urgent and critical need for a cell-based cure of diabetes, one of the most costly diseases in California. Islet transplantation with persistent immune suppression has shown promise in curing type 1 diabetes (TID). However, one major obstacle towards large scale implementation of this approach is the shortage of engraftable islets. Human ES […]
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells for Tissue Regeneration
Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have tremendous potential for patient-specific cell therapies, which bypasses immune rejection issues and ethical concerns for embryonic stem cells (ESCs). However, to fully harness the therapeutic potential of iPSCs, many fundamental issues of cell transplantation remain to be addressed, e.g., how iPSC-derived cells participate in tissue regeneration, which type of […]
Niche-Focused Research: Discovery & Development of Hematopoietic Regenerative Factors
Bone marrow and peripheral blood transplantation utilizing blood stem cells can provide curative treatment for patients with cancers and non-cancerous diseases of the blood and immune systems. Such treatments can be curative because the stem cells contained within the bone marrow or peripheral blood of healthy donors are capable of replacing the entirety of the […]
Epithelial progenitors and the stromal niche as therapeutic targets in lung disease
Chronic lung disease is an enormous societal and medical problem in California and the nation as a whole, representing the third most likely cause of death. Treatment costs were $389.2 billion in 2011 and are expected to reach $832.9 billion in 2021 according to the Milken Institute. Chronic lung diseases cover a spectrum of disorders […]
Repair and regeneration of the nephron
Kidney function is essential for removing the wastes that result from normal cell function and maintaining water and salt balance in our internal tissues. These actions are carried out by roughly a million nephrons within the kidney that filter all the body’s blood roughly once every 1-2hours. The kidney also regulates other tissues controlling blood […]