Grant Award Details
- Programmatic objectives including appropriate activities such as conference attendance, sufficient Institutional and PI support, courses etc. have been met.
Progress Reports
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Grant Application Details
- CIRM Scholars Program
This CIRM Scholars Training Program seeks continued funding of a highly successful Type II (Intermediate training) program that is currently funded for postdoctoral and clinical scholars. The host institution conducts basic research on three of the most important medical problems of modern times: cardiovascular disease, AIDS, and neurodegenerative disorders. Each of these research areas addresses promising targets for regenerative medicine. The host institution is located in a new 200,000 sq. ft. facility, including CIRM-funded laboratory space constructed without federal funding. Its location—[REDACTED] —provides an ideal environment for collaboration between scientists at the host institution, neighboring [REDACTED] laboratories, and other research institutions. The host institution is an independent research institute affiliated with [REDACTED], and we combine some of our educational activities with the robust training programs in stem cell biology at [REDACTED], thus facilitating synergy and eliminating duplication. The host institution offers a unique training for CIRM scholars, providing a commitment to educating the next generation of biomedical scientists, highly interactive research groups, and substantial individual feedback from experienced mentors. Nearly two-thirds of the 23 laboratories at the host institution are engaged in some aspect of stem cell research. The host institution is one of the top ranked recipients of CIRM funding and the CIRM scholars program is the centerpiece of all our stem cell research efforts. More than 350 fellows have trained at the host institution. In a national survey by [REDACTED], the host institution has been rated in the top 10 institutions for postdoctoral scientists to work in the U.S. for the past 3 years (over 100 universities/institutions were ranked). Continued funding of this CIRM Scholars Training Program will allow us to enhance our research program to help meet the goals of regenerative medicine, while at the same time enhancing the training of young scientists.
Contribution to the California Economy: A major goal of regenerative medicine is to repair damaged tissue. Our CIRM scholars have research programs that focus on developing new methods to differentiate human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) into specific cell types for regeneration of diseased tissues. Our program could benefit the California economy by training highly skilled scientists who will take leading positions in California’s research institutions and the biotechnology industry. These scientists will also create technology that will be the basis of creating jobs in the biomedical industry. For instance, new stem cell lines could be valuable for biotechnology companies and researchers who are screening for drug compounds for regenerative medicine. Furthermore, our CIRM scholars are working closely with California companies to develop new equipment and analysis software that could be the basis for new product lines or new businesses. As new regenerative therapies come to fruition, we anticipate that California medical centers will be leading the way. Ultimately, the most important contribution of our CIRM scholars may be to improve the health of Californians. Diseases that are the target of regenerative medicine are major causes of mortality and morbidity, resulting in billions of dollars in healthcare costs and lost days at work. As we continue our efforts in medical research, we hope to one day unlock the secrets of tissue development and repair. This knowledge will help medical researchers develop beneficial therapies beyond what is currently available and potentially improve the quality of life and life expectancy of patients who suffer from disease.
Publications
- Sci Rep (2016) Miniaturized iPS-Cell-Derived Cardiac Muscles for Physiologically Relevant Drug Response Analyses. (PubMed: 27095412)
- Nat Methods (2014) Isolation of single-base genome-edited human iPS cells without antibiotic selection. (PubMed: 24509632)
- Tissue Eng Part C Methods (2014) Automated Video-Based Analysis of Contractility and Calcium Flux in Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem-Derived Cardiomyocytes Cultured over Different Spatial Scales. (PubMed: 25333967)
- Nature (2014) Mouse liver repopulation with hepatocytes generated from human fibroblasts. (PubMed: 24572354)
- Stem Cell Reports (2014) Calcium Transients Closely Reflect Prolonged Action Potentials in iPSC Models of Inherited Cardiac Arrhythmia. (PubMed: 25254341)
- EMBO J (2013) Fending for a Braveheart. (PubMed: 23524853)
- Cell Stem Cell (2012) Derivation conditions impact X-inactivation status in female human induced pluripotent stem cells. (PubMed: 22770243)
- Methods Enzymol (2012) High-throughput screening in primary neurons. (PubMed: 22341232)
- Nature (2012) In vivo reprogramming of murine cardiac fibroblasts into induced cardiomyocytes. (PubMed: 22522929)
- Cell Stem Cell (2012) Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells from Patients with Huntington's Disease Show CAG-Repeat-Expansion-Associated Phenotypes. (PubMed: 22748968)
- Dev Cell (2011) A Genome-Wide Screen Reveals a Role for microRNA-1 in Modulating Cardiac Cell Polarity. (PubMed: 21497762)
- J Exp Med (2011) miR-24 inhibits apoptosis and represses Bim in mouse cardiomyocytes. (PubMed: 21383058)
- J Biol Chem (2011) Endogenous APOBEC3B restricts LINE-1 retrotransposition in transformed cells and human embryonic stem cells. (PubMed: 21878639)
- Hum Mol Genet (2011) Reprogramming somatic cells into iPS cells activates LINE-1 retroelement mobility. (PubMed: 21989055)
- Cell Stem Cell (2010) MicroRNA-9 coordinates proliferation and migration of human embryonic stem cell-derived neural progenitors. (PubMed: 20362537)
- J Biol Chem (2010) Identification of two APOBEC3F splice variants displaying HIV-1 antiviral activity and contrasting sensitivity to Vif. (PubMed: 20624919)
- Mol Aspects Med (2010) HIV-1 Vif versus the APOBEC3 cytidine deaminases: an intracellular duel between pathogen and host restriction factors. (PubMed: 20538015)
- Circ Res (2010) Reporter-based isolation of induced pluripotent stem cell- and embryonic stem cell-derived cardiac progenitors reveals limited gene expression variance. (PubMed: 20558827)