Nominations for the training grant were solicited October 2021. There was a high degree of interest, and the quality of pre- and postdoctoral applicants was very high across a diversity of scientific disciplines. Six pre-doctoral students and six postdoctoral students were appointed from the applicant pool. The trainees engaged in the rigorous educational elements of the program, including a multi-institutional team-taught Core Course that provided current information in stem cell biology, medicine, and ethics.
The trainees participated in the core course, building scholarly interactions across institutions. They also participated in and presented at a multi-institutional retreat in December 2022 that encourages scholarly interaction between colleagues within the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine (a CIRM major facility). Trainees also engaged the broader San Diego community by participating in K12 outreach programs and mentoring high school and undergraduate summer interns.
In their first year in the program, trainees made significant scientific progress in projects to advance the fields of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. They made strides toward identifying strategies and therapies to differentiate neural progenitor cells to treat multiple sclerosis, regenerate heart tissue after heart failure, regenerate pancreatic beta cells for diabetes, and expand progenitor cells for lung and intestinal diseases. They also made significant progress in oncology, investigating the role of natural killer cells in allogeneic CAR-T cells for cancer cell therapy and identifying therapies that prevent tumor progression through suppression of cancer stem cells. Other trainees studied stem cells in the context of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.
Through this program, trainees are not only developing advanced skills to pursue future careers in stem cell research and regenerative medicine, but they are also conducting fundamental and applied research that has potential to address critical unmet medical needs impacting millions.
Reporting Period:
Year 2
Our trainees have continued to engage in the rigorous educational elements of the program. We had several new trainees join this year who were given the option to take the multi-institutional team-taught Core Course their predessor have already taken, which provided current information in stem cell biology, medicine, and ethics.
The trainees will also participated in and presented at a multi-institutional retreat in January 2024 that encourages scholarly interaction between colleagues within the Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine (a CIRM major facility). Trainees also engaged the broader San Diego community by participating in K12 outreach programs and mentoring high school and undergraduate summer interns.
Trainees have made significant scientific progress in projects to advance the fields of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine. They made strides toward identifying strategies and therapies to differentiate neural progenitor cells to treat multiple sclerosis, regenerate heart tissue after heart failure, regenerate pancreatic beta cells for diabetes, and expand progenitor cells for lung and intestinal diseases. They also made significant progress in oncology, investigating the role of natural killer cells and allogeneic CAR-T cells for cancer cell therapy and identifying therapies that prevent tumor progression through suppression of cancer stem cells. Other trainees studied stem cells in the context of neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.
Through this program, trainees are not only developing advanced skills to pursue future careers in stem cell research and regenerative medicine, but they are also conducting fundamental and applied research that has potential to address critical unmet medical needs impacting millions.
Grant Application Details
Application Title:
Training Scholars in Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research
Statement of Benefit to California:
The proposed research and training program will provide interdisciplinary training for a diverse group of graduate and postdoctoral fellows in regenerative medicine with the goal of advancing stem cell research and increasing the number of scientific leaders and researchers in stem cell research. The program will give trainees a well-rounded understanding of regenerative medicine approaches, stem cell biology, therapeutic development, and their clinical and ethical implications. Trainees will not only gain experience in chemistry and biology, but also have the opportunity to engage with translational research and precision and digital medicine. The activities enabled by this training program will provide trainees a unique approach and set of tools with which to subsequently pursue regenerative medicine and stem cell biology in basic research, biotechnology or pharmaceutical enterprises. Trainees will engage in a variety of outreach activities to educate the local community on topics relating to regenerative medicine, with the goal of reducing disparities and disproportionate access to science. We expect that these trainees will become the future scientific leaders and researchers in the field of regenerative medicine who will address critical unmet medical needs using stem cell and regenerative medicine-based therapies for the benefit of the public. The State of California will benefit not only from the scientific and therapeutic advances that trainees will make, but also the cultivation of talented young people in the field and development of a well-trained workforce.
