Human Stem Cell Use: iPS Cell
Reprogramming Differentiated Human Cells to a Pluripotent State
If the therapeutic potential of human embryonic stem (ES) cells is to be realized, the ability to produce pluripotent stem cells with defined genetic backgrounds is essential. Pluripotent cells, through differentiation, have the ability to become any cell type. For basic and applied research, access to human ES cells derived from patients with specific diseases […]
RUNX1 in maintenance, expansion, and differentiation of therapeutic pluripotent stem cells
Recent technical advancements in human embryonic stem cell (ESC) and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) production have revolutionized their potential applications in regenerative medicine. However, a remaining big hurdle in this process is the need for efficient, effective, and stable generation of specific cell types from such stem cells for therapeutic usage. The ultimate goal […]
TCF-3: A Wnt Pathway Effector and Nanog Regulator in Pluripotent Stem Cell Self-Renewal
Despite the enormous potential for human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) for development of new treatments for human disease, there still remain important gaps in our knowledge about the molecular mechanisms regulating establishment and maintenance of the pluripotent state. Improved understanding of fundamental mechanisms regulating pluripotency could improve the […]
Cellular Reprogramming: Dissecting the Molecular Mechanism and Enhancing Efficiency
Pluripotent stem cells have a remarkable potential to develop into virtually any cell type of the body, making them a powerful tool for the study or direct treatment of human disease. Recent demonstration that induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells may be derived from differentiated adult cells offers unprecedented opportunities for basic biology research, regenerative medicine, […]
Systemic Protein Factors as Modulators of the Aging Neurogenic Niche
Approaches to repair the injured brain or even prevent age-related neurodegeneration are in their infancy but there is growing interest in the role of neural stem cells in these conditions. Indeed, there is hope that some day stem cells can be used for the treatment of spinal cord injury, stroke, or Parkinson’s disease and stem […]
Kinase signaling analysis of iPS cell reprogramming and differentiation
Like embryonic stem (ES) cells, induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells can differentiate into every cell type in the body, providing enormous potential for regenerative medicine. Unlike ES cells, the derivation of iPS cells is more straightforward technically, and can be performed on human adult cells. This potentially obviates the need for donated eggs or embryos, […]
The function of YAP in human embryonic stem cells
Embryonic stem cells have the potential to generate all tissue types that could be used for regenerative medicine, such as replacement of damaged neurons, replenish of insulin secreting beta cells, or generation of blood cells. The discovery of in vitro reprogramming of somatic cells (normal cells in our body) into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS, […]
Self-renewal and senescence in iPS cells derived from patients with a stem cell disease
The discovery of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technology promises to revolutionize our understanding of human disease and to allow the development of new cellular therapies for regenerative medicine applications. The ability to reprogram a patient’s fibroblasts to iPS cells creates the opportunity to expand human cells with a specific genetic defect and to study […]
Molecular Characterization and Functional Exploration of Nuclear Receptors in hiPSCs
Our lab is known for its discovery of the family of nuclear hormone receptors (NHRs) that use vitamins/hormones to control genes and thereby regulate embryonic development, cell growth, physiology and metabolism. Of 48 known NHRs, we discovered that a unique subset of 38 receptors are expressed in adipose-derived human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs). The […]
iPS Cell-Based Treatment of Dominant Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa
Genetic skin diseases constitute a diverse group of several hundred diseases that affect up to 2% of the population and include common disease such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and wound healing. Patients with one genetic disease, dystrophic Epidermolysis bullosa (EB), lack a normal collagen VII (COL7A1) gene and suffer from debilitating blistering and scarring that […]