Human Stem Cell Use: Embryonic Stem Cell
Derivation and analysis of pluripotent stem cell lines with inherited TGF-b mediated disorders from donated IVF embryos and reprogrammed adult skin fibroblasts
The field of regenerative medicine revolves around the capacity of a subset of cells, called stem cells, to become the mature tissues of the adult human body. By studying stem cells, we hope to develop methods and reagents for treating disease. For instance, we hope to develop methods for making stem cells become cardiovascular cells […]
Derivation of hESC Lines with Disease Lesions
The inner workings of the nervous system which regulate normal body movements, thought processes, feelings and senses are highly complex. How the nervous system relays and receives this variety of information is little understood, although significant inroads are being made to deduce underlying causes of many forms of neurological disorders. Many forms of retardation are […]
Derivation of New ICM-stage hESCs
Recent studies in the derivation of rodent pluripotent epiblast stem cells and their molecular characterizations have provided strong evidence that the conventional human embryonic stem cells may represent a distinct, later developmental stage, i.e. late epiblast stage, than the conventional murine embryonic stem cells, which is a “capture” of the ICM stage. Those two stages […]
Derivation of New ICM-stage hESCs
Recent studies in the derivation of rodent pluripotent epiblast stem cells and their molecular characterizations have provided strong evidence that the conventional human embryonic stem cells may represent a distinct, later developmental stage, i.e. late epiblast stage, than the conventional murine embryonic stem cells, which is a “capture” of the ICM stage. Those two stages […]
Optimization of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Derivation Techniques and Production/Distribution of GMP-Grade Lines
The government has strict rules for producing cells that will be transplanted into patients. For example, these regulations discourage the use of animal products that could transmit diseases to humans. In this context, the high-quality and tightly regulated procedures that govern other cell-based therapies, e.g., bone marrow transplants, will be applied to regenerative-type clinical applications […]
Generation of Pluripotent Cell Lines from Human Embryos
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) hold significant promise for regenerative medicine. In this application our goal is to derive hESC lines from pre-implantation embryos to generate a source of low passage lines that can be used in research and to develop the procedures required to generate a clinic grade cell-based product. In this application we […]
New Cell Lines for Huntington’s Disease
Huntington’s disease (HD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease with a 1/10,000 disease risk that always leads to death. These numbers do not fully reflect the large societal and familial cost of HD, which requires extensive caregiving and has a 50% chance of passing the mutation to the next generation. Current treatments treat some symptoms but […]
An in vitro and in vivo comparison among three different human hepatic stem cell populations.
Because there is still considerable morbidity and mortality associated with the process of transplantation, and because more than a thousand people die each year while on the liver transplantation list, it is evident that improved and safer liver transplantation would be valuable, as would approaches that provide for an increased number of transplantations in a […]
Prospective isolation of hESC-derived hematopoietic and cardiomyocyte stem cells
The capacity of human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) to perpetuate themselves indefinitely in culture and to differentiate to all cell types of the body has lead to numerous studies that aim to isolate therapeutically relevant cells for the benefit of patients, and also to study how genetic diseases develop. However, hESCs can cause tumors called […]
Understanding hESC-based Hematopoiesis for Therapeutic Benefit
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is the treatment of choice for many hematologic malignancies, and it is used to treat an expanding number of congenital blood disorders. However, only ~30% of patients who can benefit from this treatment have a matched sibling that can serve as the ideal donor. While the national marrow donor program and […]