Therapeutic/Technology: Therapeutic Approach
Improving Existing Drugs for Long QT Syndrome type 3 (LQT3) by hiPSC Disease-in-Dish Model
This project uses patient hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes to develop a safe and effective drug to treat a serious heart health condition. This research and product development will provide a novel method for a human genetic heart disorder characterized by long delay (long Q-T interval) between heart beats caused by mutations in the Na+ channel α subunit. […]
Use of human iPSC-derived neurons from Huntington’s Disease patients to develop novel, disease-modifying small molecule structural corrector drug candidates targeting the unique, neurotoxic conformation of mutant huntingtin
The long-term objective of this project is to develop a drug to treat Huntington’s disease (HD), the most common inherited neurodegenerative disorder. Characterized by involuntary movements, personality changes and dementia, HD is a devastatingly progressive disease that results in death 10–20 years after disease onset and diagnosis. No therapy presently exists for HD; therefore, this […]
Stem Cell Programming With Chimeric Antigen Receptors to Eradicate HIV Infection
The AIDS virus infects and destroys cells of the immune system such that the bodies of infected individuals cannot fight infections or some cancers. If untreated HIV infection leads to death. Current therapies to stop virus replication in the body are expensive and can have side effects. They also do not eliminate the virus from […]
Gene therapy-corrected autologous hepatocyte-like cells from induced pluripotent stem cells for the treatment of pediatric single enzyme disorders
Liver transplantation (LT) has been used to treat a variety of liver diseases. Within hours after birth, neonates can present with disorders of the urea cycle (UCDs), the critical metabolic liver pathway needed to detoxify waste nitrogen from the diet and cellular turnover. The overall incidence of UCDs is estimated to be 1 in 8200 […]
Beta-Globin Gene Correction of Sickle Cell Disease in Hematopoietic Stem Cells
Disorders affecting the blood, including Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), are the most common genetic disorders in the world. SCD causes significant suffering and early death, despite major improvements in medical management and advances in understanding the complex disease-related biology. A bone marrow transplant (BMT) can greatly benefit patients with SCD, by providing a life-long source […]
Development of a cell and gene based therapy for hemophilia
Hemophilia B is a bleeding disorder caused by the lack of FIX in the plasma and affects 1/30,000 males. Patients suffer from recurrent bleeds in soft tissues leading to physical disability in addition to life threatening bleeds. Current treatment (based on FIX infusion) is transient and plagued by increased risk for blood-borne infections (HCV, HIV), […]
Programming Human ESC-derived Neural Stem Cells with MEF2C for Transplantation in Stroke
The goal of this project is to produce a stem cell-based therapy for stroke (also known as an ischemic cerebral infarct). Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the USA, and a leading cause of disability among adults. Currently, there are no effective treatments once a stroke has occurred (termed completed stroke). In […]
Programming Human ESC-derived Neural Stem Cells with MEF2C for Transplantation in Stroke
The goal of this project is to produce a stem cell-based therapy for stroke (also known as an ischemic cerebral infarct). Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the USA, and a leading cause of disability among adults. Currently, there are no effective treatments once a stroke has occurred (termed completed stroke). In […]
A drug-screening platform for autism spectrum disorders using human astrocytes
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are complex neurodevelopmental diseases that affect about 1% of children in the United States. Such diseases are mainly characterized by deficits in verbal communication, impaired social interaction, and limited and repetitive interests and behavior. The causes and best treatments remain uncertain. One of the major impediments to ASD research is the […]
Gene Targeting to Endogenous Stem Cells for Segmental Bone Fracture Healing
Segmental bone fractures are a complex medical condition. These injuries cause great suffering to patients, long-term hospitalization, repeated surgeries, loss of working days, and considerable costs to the health system. It is well known that bone grafts taken from the patient (autografts) are considered the gold-standard therapy for these bone defects. Yet these grafts are […]