The Stem Cell Podcast

A podcast dedicated to culturing knowledge in stem cell research. Brought to you by STEMCELL Technologies.

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357 episodes
Updated July 21

Episodes357

Newest first

Jun 30, 2020 · 1 hr 13 min
Ep. 171: “The Heart and Human Development” Featuring Dr. Benoit Bruneau
Guest: Dr. Benoit Bruneau is the Director of the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease. His lab uses mouse models and human iPSCs to investigate the transcription factor networks that regulate sets of genes critical for heart development. Featured Products and Resources: Muscle Cell News STEMdiff™ Cardiomyocyte Media and Supplements The Stem Cell Science Round Up New Bone Grafts from Stem Cells – Researchers have identified a highly osteogenic MSC line derived from iPSCs that generates large amounts of osteogenic matrix, which acts as a scaffold during bone regeneration. Melanoma Cells Transdifferentiate into Endothelial Cells – Melanoma cells have been found that reside in a quiescent state in intravascular niches of metastatic organs, and acquire endothelial features. Modeling Neurodegeneration in Glaucoma – Scientists have developed a model to study the neurodegeneration that occurs with glaucoma by using retinal ganglion cells derived from hPSCs that were engineered with a glaucoma-causing mutation. Targeting Senescence-Related Diseases with CAR T – Investigators designed CAR T cells that effectively eliminated senescent cells, demonstrating the potential of CAR T therapy for senescence-associated diseases. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Benoit Bruneau Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe
Jun 16, 2020 · 1 hr 2 min
Ep. 170: “Human Skin Organoids” Featuring Dr. Karl Koehler
Guest: Dr. Karl Koehler is an Assistant Professor of Otolaryngology at Harvard Medical School. His lab develops organoid systems to study human sensory organ development and function, and to model congenital diseases and develop regenerative medicine therapies for the inner ear and various craniofacial tissues. Featured Products and Resources: Dermal Cell News Wiley eBook: Organoid Research Techniques The Stem Cell Science Round Up Variable Outcomes in Neural Differentiation – Investigators have found that the variability in outcomes during in vitro differentiation of human PSCs to neural lineage cells is due to differences in a developmental signaling pathway. Human Embryo-Like Model Created from Human Stem Cells – A new model has been developed to study gastrulation in early development using human ESC-derived gastruloids. Boosting Natural Killer Cell Activity with iPSCs – Using iPSCs and deleting a key gene, scientists have created natural killer cells with an enhanced ability to inhibit leukemic cells, both in vivo and in vitro. Brain Organoids that Predict Drug Permeability – Researchers have generated human central nervous system organoids with a barrier that is selective to small molecules, and that secrete cerebrospinal fluid. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Karl Koehler Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe
Jun 2, 2020 · 1 hr 23 min
Ep. 169: “The Mammalian Nervous System” Featuring Dr. Freda Miller
Guest: Dr. Freda Miller is a Senior Scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children and Professor at the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on the cellular mechanisms that regulate development of the mammalian nervous system, with a particular interest in stem cells and trophic factors. Featured Products and Resources: Neural Disease Modeling Hub STEMdiff™ Neural Crest Differentiation Kit The Stem Cell Science Round Up First Results from Major Studies of Human Genetic Variation – A massive genome-sequencing and analysis effort has produced the most comprehensive sets of data and tools for understanding human genetic variation so far. Exploring Stem Cell Differentiation – Researchers have developed a new highly multiplexed single-cell RNA sequencing method to understand the signaling pathways that drive embryonic stem cell differentiation. Tri-Cellular Cardiac Microtissue Model – By combining three types of cardiac cells, scientists have developed a human iPSC-derived microtissue platform for modeling multicellular cardiac diseases, and revealed non-cardiomyocyte contributions to heart disease. Modeling the Early Embryonic Brain – Neural tube development has been modeled by exposing embryonic stem cells to WNT signaling gradients that mimic developmental patterning. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Freda Miller Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe
May 19, 2020 · 1 hr 18 min
Ep. 168: “Adult Stem Cell-Based Organoids” Featuring Dr. Hans Clevers
Guest: Dr. Hans Clevers is a Group Leader at the Hubrecht Institute for Developmental Biology and Stem Cell Research. Dr. Clevers pioneered research into the Wnt signaling cascade, Lgr5 as a marker of tissue stem cells, and organoid technology. His group studies the molecular mechanisms of tissue development and cancer of various organs using organoids made from adult Lgr5 stem cells. Featured Products and Resources: STEMCELL Technologies Organoid Information Hub Wiley E-Book: Organoid Research Techniques: Evolution and Applications The Stem Cell Science Round Up Roadmap of Human Skeletal Muscle Development – An atlas has been created that tracks the development of human skeletal muscle from human muscle tissue and from pluripotent stem cell-derived myogenic cultures. Gatekeeper of Hair-Growing Stem Cells – Researchers have identified two transcription factors responsible for maintaining the identity of hair follicle stem cells. Removing either factor resulted in degenerated hair follicles and scar tissue similar to skin in humans with irreversible alopecia. Biosynthetic Capacity of Colon Cancer Cells – Protein synthesis has been shown to be a key property for the regenerative potential of colon cancer cells. COVID Infection of Bat Intestinal Organoids – Scientists have generated the first bat small intestinal organoids, and showed that they were susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Atlas of Human Enteroendocrine Cells – Dr. Hans Clevers summarizes his team’s latest paper describing an organoid-based platform for functional studies of human hormone-producing enteroendocrine cells. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Hans Clevers Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe
May 5, 2020 · 1 hr 12 min
Ep. 167: “From Scientist to Editor-in-Chief” Featuring Dr. Sheila Chari
Guest: Dr. Sheila Chari is the Editor-in-Chief at the journal Cell Stem Cell, and Executive Editor at Cell Press. After completing her postdoc, she moved away from the bench and became the Reviews Editor at Cell Stem Cell. As the Editor-in-Chief, Dr. Chari’s primary responsibilities are knowing and publishing the top stem cell discoveries, driving journal publishing strategy, and managing a global editorial staff. Featured Products and Resources: Digital and Remote Resources for Your Lab Stem Cell Science Newsletters The Stem Cell Science Round Up Improved Stem Cell-Derived Beta Cells – The quality of stem cell-derived beta cells can be improved by enriching the culture for specific subpopulations that differentiate homogeneously into pancreatic progenitors. CRISPR Screening for Tumor Drivers – A new organoid-based platform has been developed to identify drivers of cancer using CRISPR-Cas9. Working Together to Heal the Heart – Researchers have identified two transcription factors that work together to regulate cardiomyocyte maturation and proliferation, and whose deletion can initiate heart regeneration. How the Prostate Gland Regenerates – Investigators have found that prostate regeneration is not only driven by rare stem cells, as previously thought, but also by a large population of differentiated cells. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Sheila Chari Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe
Apr 28, 2020 · 1 hr 15 min
Special Episode: “COVID-19 Research Updates” Featuring Dr. Josef Penninger
Guest: Dr. Josef Penninger is the Director of both the Life Sciences Institute at the University of British Columbia, and the Institute for Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna, Austria. He was previously on the podcast to talk about his research developing human blood vessel organoids. Recently, Dr. Penninger’s team has identified a trial drug that can significantly block early stages of COVID-19 infection in human blood vessel and kidney organoids. Featured Products and Resources: Tools for COVID-19 Research Studying COVID-19 with Air-Liquid Interface Cultures COVID-19 Round Up COVID Drugs Cause Heart Abnormalities – Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin have been considered possible drugs for COVID-19. But patients treated with the drugs had prolonged QT intervals that can lead to arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Monkeys Protected by COVID-19 Vaccine – For the first time, a COVID-19 vaccine candidate has protected rhesus macaques from being infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. New, Rapid COVID-19 Test – A new diagnostic test for COVID-19 has been established that uses CRISPR-Cas12 to identify the SARS-CoV-2 virus in samples in less than 40 minutes. SARS-CoV-2 Mapped Out – Investigators have generated a high-resolution map of the SARS-CoV-2 transcriptome and epitranscriptome, gaining insights into unknown RNA transcripts and RNA modification sites. Cell Likely Targeted by the COVID-19 Virus – Researchers have uncovered subsets of cells in the lung, the nasal passages, and the intestine that co-express ACE2 and TMPRSS2, which promote cellular entry of SARS-CoV-2. Nose Cells Identified as Likely COVID-19 Virus Entry Point – High expression levels of two viral entry-associated genes have been found in nasal epithelial cells, highlighting the cells’ potential role in initial viral infection. Heart Model for COVID-19 Infection – To study cardiomyocyte-specific infection by SARS-CoV-2, scientists have developed a model system using iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes that is susceptible to infection and expresses low levels of ACE2. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Josef Penninger Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe
Apr 21, 2020 · 1 hr 7 min
Ep. 166: “Lung Regeneration” Featuring Dr. Darcy Wagner
Guest: Dr. Darcy Wagner is an Associate Professor in the Lung Bioengineering and Regeneration group at the Lund Stem Cell Center. Her team uses a multidisciplinary approach to understand how the extracellular environment directs stem cell behavior for endogenous and exogenous lung tissue regeneration. Featured Products and Resources: #StemCellfie Contest Digital and Remote Resources for Your Lab
Apr 7, 2020 · 1 hr 25 min
Ep. 165: “Tackling Heart Disease” Featuring Dr. Deepak Srivastava
Guest: Among his many appointments, Dr. Deepak Srivastava is the President of the Gladstone Institutes and the International Society for Stem Cell Research, and co-founder of Tenaya Therapeutics. His lab investigates the gene networks that guide cardiogenesis by developing models of heart disease using patient-derived iPSCs and CRISPR technology. Featured Products and Resources: Webinar: Modeling Arrhythmias Using hPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes and Tracking Their Excitability STEMdiff™ Cardiomyocyte Media The Stem Cell Science Round Up Reconstructing the Human Developmental Clock – By using iPSCs to mimic signaling pathways active during early development, scientists have reconstructed the human segmentation clock to model somitogenesis. Transition from Progenitor to Mature Adipocyte – Investigators have shown that platelet-derived growth factor receptors, which are markers of adipocyte progenitors, are cell-autonomous inhibitors of adipocyte differentiation. Exploiting Vulnerabilities in Pancreatic Cancer – A senescence-inducing therapy has been shown to sensitize therapy-resistant pancreatic tumors to checkpoint blockade drugs by causing vascular remodeling. Lessons in Graft Remodeling – Combining a clinical trial, computational studies and a sheep model, researchers have found that stenosis caused by tissue-engineered vascular grafts could resolve spontaneously, and provides insight for future graft design. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Deepak Srivastava Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe
Mar 24, 2020 · 1 hr 1 min
Ep. 164: “iPSCs and Highly Endangered Species” Featuring Dr. Jeanne Loring
Guest: Dr. Jeanne Loring is a Professor Emeritus and Director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at the Scripps Research Institute, and the Co-Founder of Aspen Neuroscience. Her lab works on a diverse range of projects using iPSCs, including developing cell replacement therapies for Parkinson’s disease, sending neural organoids into space, and partnering with the San Diego Zoo to make iPSCs from engangered species. Featured Products and Resources: mTeSR™ Plus Quality Control – Pluripotent Stem Cell Research The Stem Cell Science Round Up HIV Cured with Stem Cell Transplant – A second patient has been cured of HIV through a stem cell transplantation from donor cells that did not express the CCR5 gene. Combining Methods to Diagnose Cancer – A new method to diagnose and classify lymphomas and leukemias has been developed that combines microscopy, mass cytometry and machine learning. 3D Cancer Model Reveals Drivers of Disease – Investigators have created a lung cancer-spheroid model, and performed CRISPR screens to identify drivers that are essential for cancer growth in 3D and in vivo, but not in 2D. Muscle Stem Cell Atlas – Researchers have used single-cell analysis to investigate the cell communication interactions involved in muscle repair, compiling the findings into a “cell atlas” of muscle regeneration. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Jeanne Loring Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe
Mar 10, 2020 · 1 hr 2 min
Ep. 163: “Bone Tissue Regeneration” Featuring Dr. Joy Wu
Guest: Dr. Joy Wu is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Stanford University, and a a board-certified endocrinologist. With both basic and translational research, her lab investigates stem cell therapies for bone formation and the prevention of cancer metastases to bone, as well as the bone marrow hematopoietic niche. Featured Products and Resources: Embryonic Stem Cell News mTeSR™ Plus The Stem Cell Science Round Up Diabetes in Mice Cured with Stem Cells – By targeting the cytoskeleton, investigators were able to improve the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells to pancreatic β cells, and reverse diabetes when transplanting the cells into mice. New CRISPR Tools for Knock-Ins – A new CRISPR tool, called CRISPR–HOT, enables fast and efficient generation of knock-in human organoids through non-homologous end joining. Making Humanized Organs in Pigs – Host endothelium in donor organs is a source of immune rejection. Researchers generated viable human-pig chimeric embryos whose endothelial cells were entirely human-derived. Scorpion Toxin to Target Brain Cancer – A clinical trial has been launched to evaluate a CAR T-cell therapy for glioblastoma that uses a scorpion venom peptide. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Joy Wu Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe
Feb 25, 2020 · 1 hr 10 min
Ep. 162: “The Human Fetal Retina” Featuring Dr. Thomas Reh
Guest: Dr. Thomas Reh is a Professor of Biological Structure at the University of Washington School of Medicine. His lab is studying retinal development and disease using organoids, and developing methods of transplanting stem cells for retinal repair in non-human primates. Their goal is to stimulate more effective regeneration in the retina to restore vision in people that have lost their sight. Featured Products and Resources: Pluripotent Stem Cell Research Survey STEMCELL Technologies Organoid Training Course The Stem Cell Science Round Up Curing Cystic Fibrosis in Human Cells – Investigators have safely edited and repaired mutations in the CFTR gene using a Cas9 alternative in human cells derived from a cystic fibrosis intestinal organoid biobank. New Technique to Analyze Cancer Organoids – A new mass spectrometry technique has enabled the analysis of post-translational modifications and cell-type-specific signaling in intestinal organoids. Scientists Discover How the Intestine Heals Itself – Researchers have found that restoration of damaged intestinal stem cells is due to de-differentiation of their daughter cells, rather than through a reserve pool of stem cells. Improved Stem Cell Model of Early Developing Mouse Embryo – Scientists have developed a more advanced method for generating gastruloids – complex embryo-like structures developed from mouse embryonic stem cells. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Thomas Reh Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe
Feb 11, 2020 · 1 hr 14 min
Ep. 161: “Generation of Functional and Mature Beta Cells” Featuring Priye Iworima
Guest: Priye Iworima is a PhD student at the University of British Columbia. Her project is focused on developing and optimizing a differentiation protocol for generating insulin-producing cells derived from stem cells that could be used as a potential therapy for type 1 diabetes. She is also working on optimizing process parameters to facilitate the large scale manufacturing of the cells. Featured Products and Resources: STEMCELL Technologies Training Programs Webinar: Understanding Pancreatic Development and Diabetes Using Patient-Specific iPS Cells The Stem Cell Science Round Up Live Imaging of Stem Cells – For the first time, hematopoietic stem cells have been visualized in their native niche, without need for transplantation. Parkinson’s May Start before Birth – Using an iPSC-derived model of young-onset Parkinson’s, investigators have identified a molecular signature of the disease and a possible therapeutic target. Researchers Build a Better Lung Model – Researchers have used systems biology and machine learning to understand the development of hPSC-derived alveolar epithelial cells. Not “Brains in a Dish” – Scientists have shown that cortical organoids do not develop distinctive cell types or organization, thereby failing to model human brain development. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Priye Iworima Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe
Jan 28, 2020 · 1 hr 7 min
Ep. 160: “Engineering Human Cardiac Muscle” Featuring Dr. Kacey Ronaldson-Bouchard
Guest: Dr. Kacey Ronaldson-Bouchard is an Associate Research Scientist in the Laboratory for Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering at Columbia University, focusing on biomedical engineering. She is also the co-founder of TARA Biosystems, which offers physiologically relevant human “heart-on-a-chip” tissue models for cardiac risk assessment and drug discovery applications. She also a strong supporter of initiatives that mentor young women to pursue STEM related fields. Featured Products and Resources: Muscle Cell News STEMdiff™Cardiomyocyte Media The Stem Cell Science Round Up Strong Blood Vessel Graft Created – Vascular grafts have been engineered from iPSC-derived smooth muscle cells with comparable strength to the original blood vessels. New Method for Lung Regeneration – Through a procedure similar to bone marrow transplantation, investigators were able to induce lung regeneration without the need for chronic immune suppression. How Stress Causes Grey Hair – Scientists have discovered that stress activates sympathetic nerves that are part of the fight-or-flight response, driving the depletion of pigment-regenerating stem cells in hair follicles. Biodegradable Bridge for Nerve Injury – Researchers have created a biodegradable scaffold that releases a growth-promoting protein that can regenerate long sections of damaged nerves, without the need for transplanting cells. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Kacey Ronaldson-Bouchard Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe
Jan 14, 2020 · 1 hr 37 min
Ep. 159: “Stem Cell Patterning by Automated Design” Featuring Dr. Todd McDevitt
Guest: Dr. Todd McDevitt is a Senior Investigator at the Gladstone Institutes. He is also Program Director of the University of California, San Francisco’s Bioengineering Graduate Program (joint with UC Berkeley), and a Professor at UCSF’s Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences. His research focuses on engineering 3D, multicellular systems that can be used to study principles of stem cell and developmental biology. Featured Products and Resources: Webinar: Modeling Arrhythmias Using hPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes and Tracking Their Excitability mTeSR™ Plus The Stem Cell Science Round Up Improving Stem Cell Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury – Researchers have found that modulating the microenvironment of neurons after a spinal cord injury can improve the efficacy of neural progenitor cell grafts. Brain Organoids Reveal Glioblastoma Origins – Scientists have created a glioblastoma tumor cell atlas that demonstrates heterogeneity, and used cortical organoids to model tumor invasion. Single-Cell Profiling of the Human Heart – Investigators analyzed cells from normal, failed, and partially recovered human hearts at single cell resolution to better understand the cellular composition and interactions of the adult human heart. Engineering Chamber-Specific Heart Models – Clinically relevant engineered heart tissues were generated from hPSCs, and were successful in modeling cardiac disease. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Todd McDevitt Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe
Dec 24, 2019 · 1 hr 22 min
Ep. 158: “Science Communication in Industry” Featuring Dr. Nicole Quinn
Guest: Dr. Nicole Quinn is the Associate Director of Scientific Communications at STEMCELL Technologies, and one of the people hard at work behind the scenes of the Stem Cell Podcast. After completing her PhD in genomics and discovering her love of communicating science, Nicole left the bench to pursue a science communications career in the biotech industry. She now oversees the comprehensive, globally-accessible science communication program at STEMCELL Technologies, including more than 20 weekly field-specific newsletters, a podcast, several community-focused websites, and almost 40 different social media channels. Featured Products and Resources: Careers at STEMCELL Technologies Webinar: Using Social Media to Advance Your Scientific Career The Stem Cell Science Round Up Zika Vaccine Protects Fetus in Pregnant Monkeys – An experimental vaccine against the Zika virus reduced the amount of virus in pregnant rhesus macaques, and improved fetal outcomes. Treating Cystic Fibrosis with Gene Editing – Researchers used gene editing to correct a mutation in airway stem cells from cystic fibrosis patients, and were able to differentiate the cells in a pig model. Human Lung Blueprint – Scientists have created a cellular blueprint of the human lung, revealing several universal cell communication networks that drive specific functions. Circadian Rhythm Harnessed to Make Mature Islets – Investigators have found that circadian rhythms trigger epigenetic changes that enable the maturation of pancreatic islets from human stem cells. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Nicole Quinn Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe
Dec 10, 2019 · 1 hr
Ep. 157: “Secrets of Hematopoiesis” Featuring Dr. Camilla Forsberg
Guest: Dr. Camilla Forsberg is the Co-Director of the Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells, and a Professor of Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her lab seeks to understand the molecular determinants of hematopoietic stem cell fate decisions to ultimately prevent and treat both genetic and acquired disorders of the hematopoietic system. Featured Products and Resources: Hematopoiesis News HemaHub The Stem Cell Science Round Up Stem Cell Therapy Helps Broken Hearts Heal in Unexpected Way – Cardiac stem cell therapy has been shown to enhance function in damaged hearts by triggering an inflammatory-based wound healing response, rather than by producing new cardiomyocytes. Leaky Blood-Brain Barrier Induces Cognitive Impairments – In a pair of papers, scientists have found that the breakdown of the blood-brain barrier during aging can result in dysfunctional brain electrical activity due to increased inflammation, causing microseizure-like events and cognitive decline. Revolutionizing Injury Recovery with Tendon Stem Cells – Investigators have discovered the existence of tendon stem cells that are able to generate new tenocytes. New Generation Exhaustion-Resistant CAR-T Cells – Researchers have identified a protein that, when overexpressed in CAR T cells, enables the cells to overcome exhaustion and increase their effectiveness. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Camilla Forsberg Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe
Nov 26, 2019 · 1 hr 6 min
Ep. 156: “Engineering the Stem Cell Niche” Featuring Dr. Peter Zandstra
Guest: Dr. Peter Zandstra is the Director of the School of Biomedical Engineering at the University of British Columbia. His lab focuses on stem cell bioengineering, applying engineering design principles, computational modeling, and fundamental stem cell biology to study the mechanisms that control stem cell fate, and to develop technologies for the propagation of stem cells and their derivatives. Featured Products and Resources: mTeSR™ Plus Science in the City – Vancouver The Stem Cell Science Round Up AI Used to Predict Stem Cell Organization – Machine learning was used to predict and control the spatial organization of pluripotent stem cells. Hypoxia Regulates Lymphoid Development – Scientists have found that low O2 levels promotes lymphoid development in hematopoietic progenitor cells. Genetic Mutation Protects against Diabetes – Loss of function of a gene that encodes a zinc transporter protein has been found to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by enhancing insulin secretion from the pancreas. Important Role for Rare Cells in Hematopoiesis – Investigators have identified the importance of a rare population of endothelial cells for controlling hematopoiesis and regeneration after irradiation. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Peter Zandstra Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe
Nov 12, 2019 · 1 hr 6 min
Ep. 155: “Mapping Hydra Development” Featuring Dr. Celina Juliano
Guest: Dr. Celina Juliano is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of California, Davis. Her lab studies development and regeneration in the aquatic animal Hydra, which undergoes continual self-renewal, lacks senescence and has incredible regenerative capabilities. Featured Products and Resources: STEMCELL Technologies Antibodies STEMCELL Technologies Cytokines The Stem Cell Science Round Up Oct4 Not Needed for Creating iPSCs – Investigators have discovered that iPSCs can be created without expressing the transcription factor Oct4, which was previously considered vital for cellular reprogramming. Effect of Spaceflight on Heart Cells – When sent to the International Space Station, iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes readily adapted to microgravity by altering their gene expression, but returned to normal when back on Earth. Stem Cell Transplants Used to Grow Lungs – Scientists generated functional lungs in mice by transplanting stem cells into genetically defective mouse embryos. Lymphatic System Key in Hair Regeneration – Investigators have found that stem cells reshape their lymphatic niche to coordinate tissue regeneration. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Celina Juliano Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe
Oct 29, 2019 · 1 hr 24 min
Ep. 154: “Cardiac Development and Disease” Featuring Dr. Rameen Shakur
Guest: Dr. Rameen Shakur is a Jansen Fellow in Cardiology and Personalized Medicine at the Koch Institute for Integrative Science at MIT, and the Founder of Cambridge Heartwear Ltd. His academic research focuses on modeling and understanding cardiac development using iPSCs. Insights from his basic and clinical research spurred the development of Cambridge Heartwear Ltd., a medical device and algorithm company that uses AI and computer science for cardiovascular health. Featured Products and Resources: Webinar: Modeling Arrhythmias Using hPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes and Tracking Their Excitability STEMdiff™ Cardiomyocyte The Stem Cell Science Round Up New and Improved Genome Editing Tool – A new DNA editing technique, called prime editing, has been developed that doesn’t require double-strand breaks or donor DNA templates, overcoming some of the limitations of CRISPR. Regulating Regeneration in Cold-Blooded Animals – Scientists have identified a gene that gives cold-blooded animals the ability to regenerate limbs, and suggest that the gene was lost by warm-blooded animals throughout evolution. Mapping the Brain Development of Great Apes – Using human and ape brain organoids, investigators have found that human brains develop more slowly than ape brains, and identified human-specific gene expression. Special Cells Help Regenerate Heart in Zebrafish – Researchers have identified a subset of cardiomyocytes in adult zebrafish that were shown to play a role in heart regeneration. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Rameen Shakur Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe
Oct 15, 2019 · 1 hr 26 min
Ep. 153: “Signal Transduction in Stem Cells and Cancer” Featuring Dr. Stephane Angers
Guest: Dr. Stephane Angers is a Professor and Associate Dean of Research in the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto. He is an expert in the field of signal transduction, working to understand the signaling mechanisms underlying the Wnt and Hedgehog families of growth factors and the large family of G protein-coupled receptors. Featured Products and Resources: Webinar: Using Social Media to Advance Your Scientific Career Cancer Stem Cell News The Stem Cell Science Round Up First-Ever Map of the Developing Human Liver – Investigators have created the first-ever human developmental liver cell atlas, which provides insights into how the blood and immune systems develop. Engineering Vascularized Brain Organoids – Scientists have developed a method to induce vasculature in brain organoids, improving oxygen and nutrient delivery and allowing them to live longer. Improved Culture Method for Expanding Hematopoietic Stem Cells – Using a zwitterionic hydrogel, investigators achieved substantial expansion of human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, and may be used to improve the effectiveness of HSC therapies. Using Tumor Organoids to Predict Chemo Response – Researchers have developed a method to test drugs in tumor-derived organoids to determine how a cancer patient will respond to chemotherapy. Development of a Rectal Cancer Organoid Platform – The first human tumor-derived model for studying rectal cancer has been developed and was used to study the effects of chemoradiation. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Stephane Angers Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe