Disease Focus: Aging
Utilizing Age-Specific Adipocyte Progenitor Cells for Cell Therapy in Older Patients
Research Objective A new type of APC serves older patients as 1) better MSC in immunomodulation (reducing inflammation) for autologous transplantation; 2) better source of somatic cells for generating heathier hiPSCs. Impact Bottlenecks: 1) Older patients suffer from sarcopenic obesity, which has no safe and effective treatment. 2) Cell therapy in older patients is often […]
Examining the efficacy of GDF11 antibody as a rejuvenator of aged human muscle stem cell capacity and muscle repair .
Research Objective To examine the efficacy of blocking blood borne GDF11 activity to rejuvenate aged human muscle stem cell regenerative capacity. Impact This project will provide a proof-of-principle that GDF11 inhibition can boost aged human skeletal muscle repair, and facilitate its translational potential. Major Proposed Activities Determine GDF11 protein levels in human sera as a […]
Evaluation of the Safety and Tolerability of KA34 in a Phase 1, Double-Blind, Dose Escalation Trial in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis
Therapeutic Candidate or Device KA34 is an intra-articularly delivered small molecule therapeutic candidate which directs the differentiation of endogenous stem and progenitor cells Indication Osteoarthritis Therapeutic Mechanism KA34 promotes the differentiation of cartilage endogenous stem cells through increased chondrogenic gene expression to generate healthy chondrocytes. KA34 will potentially limit the progression of and / or […]
Stem Cell Research and Aging
UCSC Frontiers of Stem Cells and Aging Symposium
Molecular regulation of stem cell potency
The field of stem cell biology as it applies to regenerative medicine requires a detailed understanding of what controls stem cell function. Our fundamental interest is in the molecular pathways that control how potent as a stem is in terms of its ability to make new tissues in response to injury and disease. We have […]
Promoting survival and countering hypertrophy of pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-derived chondrocytes
Degenerative joint disease, also known as osteoarthritis, currently affects more than 20 million people in the USA alone, making articular cartilage restoration one of the major priorities in medicine. Articular chondrocyte progenitors are likely to be present only early in development, which explains why previous attempts to engineer articular cartilage using adult stem cells have […]
Promoting survival and countering hypertrophy of pluripotent stem cell (PSC)-derived chondrocytes
Degenerative joint disease, also known as osteoarthritis, currently affects more than 20 million people in the USA alone, making articular cartilage restoration one of the major priorities in medicine. Articular chondrocyte progenitors are likely to be present only early in development, which explains why previous attempts to engineer articular cartilage using adult stem cells have […]
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 […]
Local Delivery of Rejuvenated Old Muscle Stem Cells to Increase Strength in Aged Patients
As humans age, the ability to regenerate skeletal muscle tissue is impaired. Injuries to the musculoskeletal system that require extended periods of immobilization lead to muscle atrophy and are particularly devastating to the elderly population. Loss of skeletal muscle mass and function reduces mobility, which negatively affects quality of life, and increases the risk of […]