Cell Line Generation: Embryonic Stem Cell
Skeletal muscle development from hESC and its in vivo applications in animal models of muscular dystrophy
Embryonic stem cells (ESC) originating from early stage embryos are able to differentiate into any type of cells in the body. The generation of ESC lines from human embryos (hESC) has attracted a lot of dispute among researchers, but raised the hope that one day hESCs can be used in cell replacement therapy for the […]
Addressing the Cell Purity and Identity Bottleneck Through Generation and Expansion of Clonal Human Embryonic Progenitor Cell Lines
Human embryonic stem (hES) cells and induced pluripotent (iPS) cells, such as reprogrammed skin cells, offer the potential to revolutionize medicine because they can replicate indefinitely and become virtually any cell in the body. They therefore have the potential to provide a limitless source of cells to replace cells lost to injury (spinal cord, skin […]
Role of HLA in neural stem cell rejection using humanized mice
One of the key issues in stem cell transplant biology is solving the problem of transplant rejection. Despite over three decades of research in human embryonic stem cells, little is known about the factors governing immune system tolerance to grafts derived from these cells. In order for the promise of embryonic stem cell transplantation for […]
Role of HLA in neural stem cell rejection using humanized mice
One of the key issues in stem cell transplant biology is solving the problem of transplant rejection. Despite over three decades of research in human embryonic stem cells, little is known about the factors governing immune system tolerance to grafts derived from these cells. In order for the promise of embryonic stem cell transplantation for […]
Induction of immune tolerance to human embryonic stem cell-derived allografts
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) can undergo unlimited reproduction and retain the capability to differentiate into all cell types in the body. Therefore, as a renewable source of various cell types, hESCs hold great promise for human cell replacement therapy. Significant progress has been made in establishing the conditions to differentiate hESCs into cells of […]
Development of an immune tolerant hESC source for allogeneic cell therapy applications
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are an ideal tissue source for cell replacement therapy (CRT). They have the potential for limitless self-renewal while retaining their ability to differentiate into a wide variety of cells and tissues. Since their first derivation in 1998, hESCs have been used in many studies in order to evaluate their potential […]
Stem cell tolerance through the use of engineered antigen-specific regulatory T cells
Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) occurs as a consequence of uncontrolled immune activation, culminating in the destruction of insulin-producing beta-cells. Efforts to prevent or reverse diabetes have been limited by the lack of safe and effective immunotherapies coupled with the inability to restore insulin producing beta-cells. We believe proper immune control to self-tissues to be a […]
Generation of disease models for neurodegenerative disorders in hESCs by gene targeting
The ability to target a specific locus in the mouse genome and to alter it in a specific fashion has fundamentally changed experimental design and made mice the preeminent model for studying human diseases . However, pathogenesis in humans have unique pathways that may not be revealed by only using mouse or other animal models. […]
Optimization in the Identification, Selection and Induction of Maturation of Subtypes of Cardiomyocytes derived from Human Embryonic Stem Cells
Cardiovascular diseases remain the major cause of death in the western world. Stem and progenitor cell-derived cardiomyocytes (SPC-CMs) hold great promise for the myocardial repair. However, most of SPC-CMs displayed heterogeneous and immature electrophysiological phenotypes with substantial automaticity. Implanting these electrically immature and inhomogeneous CMs to the hearts would be arrhythmogenic and deleterious. Further optimization […]
CIRM Shared Research Laboratories
Our plan is to establish a ~ 4,700 sq. ft. shared research laboratory dedicated to the experimental manipulation and ultimate clinical application of human embryonic stem cells (hESC). This Shared Research Laboratory (SRL) is centrally located on the main campus. The SRL will be used by researchers focused on understanding how hESCs are induced to […]