Long noncoding RNAs for pluripotency and cell fate commitment
The human body is composed of thousands of cell types, which all came originally from embryonic stem cells. Although all these cell types have the same genetic blueprint, different genes…
Role of the NMD RNA Decay Pathway in Maintaining the Stem-Like State
A subset of intellectual disability cases in humans are caused by mutations in an X-linked gene essential for a quality control mechanism called nonsense-mediated RNA decay (NMD). Patients with mutations…
Mechanisms to protect hESC-derived cells from allogenic immune rejection
The potential of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) to differentiate into a tremendous range of biologically active cells/tissues is the basis for many novel therapeutic strategies. However, immune-mediated rejection of…
Deciphering transcriptional control of pancreatic beta-cell maturation in vitro
The loss of pancreatic beta-cells in type 1 diabetes results in absence of insulin secreted by the pancreas, and consequently elevated blood sugar which leads to various long-term complications. Diabetic…
DECIPHERING THE INSTRUCTIONS FOR VERTEBRATE HSC SPECIFICATION AND AMPLIFICATION.
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are an important population of cells that continuously produce and replace blood and immune cells over the course of our lifetimes. These rare, self-renewing cells are…
Transcriptional regulation of pluripotency in human embryonic stem cells
All of the diverse cells in the human body contain the same genetic information, and originally arose from a single cell, a fertilized egg. Embryogenesis is a result of cell…
Understanding the status of the X chromosomes in human ESCs and preimplantation embryos
Human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) are able to divide indefinitely and under the proper conditions, can essentially become any cell in the human body. They are derived from the developing…
Role of mechanical signaling in stem cell self-renewal and differentiation
Cells feel subtle but constant pushes and tugs from their neighbors inside living organisms. Surprisingly, these tiny mechanical cues have a profound effect on how stem cells grow, divide, and…
Stem Cell Mechanisms Governing Discrete Waves of Gliogenesis in the Childhood Brain
White matter is the infrastructure of the brain, providing conduits for communication between neural regions. White matter continues to mature from birth until early adulthood, particularly in regions of brain…
Human Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes for Patients with End Stage Heart Failure
Patients with end-stage heart failure have a 2-year survival rate of only 50% with conventional medical therapy. This dismal survival rate is actually significantly worse than patients with AIDS, liver…
