Ep. 108: “Skeletal Muscle” Featuring Dr. April Pyle

Guest Dr. April Pyle is an Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She is also a member of the Eli and Edythe Broad Stem Cell Center, the Center for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA. Dr. Pyle's lab uses multi-disciplinary approaches to study human pluripotent stem cell biology and differentiation of these cells for use in regenerative medicine. Featured Resource: MyoCult™ Media to Expand, Maintain and Differentiate Skeletal Muscle Progenitor Cells (Myoblasts) Resources and Links Learning How to Tolerate the Cold from Squirrels – When Elena Gracheva, a neurophysiologist at Yale University School of Medicine, and her colleagues exposed hibernators like the thirteen-lined ground squirrel and the Syrian hamster to low temperatures in the lab, they saw very little activity in their TRPM8 pathway, an area of the central nervous system known to process information about cold. Brain Organoids Wrinkle and Fold Like Real Brains Do - Researchers at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, Israel from working with the lab-grown brains or organoids, discovered that cells inside the brains contract, while cells on the outside grow and push outward. Not All Ribosomes Are Equal - Developmental biologist and geneticist Maria Barna of Stanford University School of Medicine and colleagues discovered that ribosomes actually come in many varieties, incorporating different proteins. Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual High Schoolers Report ‘Tragically High’ Suicide Risk – A new study reports that high school students who identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual are more likely to report planning or attempting suicide compared with their heterosexual peers. How Alcohol Damages Stem Cell DNA and Increases Cancer Risk - Scientists have shown how alcohol damages DNA in stem cells, helping to explain why drinking increases your risk of cancer. Cellular Barcoding to Understand Behavior of Stem Cells - By tagging bone marrow cells of mice with a genetic label, or barcode, researchers were able to track and describe the family tree of individual blood cells as they form in their natural environment. Circular RNAs and Pluripotency - Taiwanese scientists have discovered that circular RNA plays a key functional role in pluripotent stem cells, which may help the development of regenerative medicine or medical technologies. NIH Discovery Brings Stem Cell Therapy for Eye Disease Closer to the Clinic - Scientists at the National Eye Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), report that tiny tube-like protrusions called primary cilia on cells of the retinal pigment epithelium - a layer of cells in the back of the eye - are essential for the survival of the retina’s light-sensing photoreceptors. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. April Pyle Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe