Back in June 2019, we attended the ISSCR annual conference in Los Angeles, California! Here is the second of three special episodes featuring some of the top researchers in the field, and junior trainees.

Guest: Dr. Alysson Muotri is a Professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Cellular & Molecular Medicine at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine, and Co-Director of the UCSD Stem Cell Program. His research focuses on modeling neurological diseases using human iPSCs, and he is leading a project investigating the effect of microgravity on human brain organoids. Featured Products and Resources: STEMdiff™ Cerebral Organoid Kit Organoid Research Resources Resources and Links Detecting an Unreported Zika Outbreak using Genetics - By sequencing Zika virus and analyzing travel patterns, a previously unreported 2017 Zika outbreak in Cuba has been identified. Ketogenic Diet Supports Intestinal Stem Cell Proliferation - Researchers have found that ketone bodies enhance the activity of intestinal stem cells, while a glucose-rich diet has the opposite effect. Cancer Cells 'Corrupt' Their Healthy Neighbours - Scientists have developed a technique whereby metastatic cancer cells release a cell-penetrating fluorescent protein, allowing them to study the tumor microenvironment. 3D Heart Cell-on-Chip Platform - Investigators have developed an organ-on-an-electronic-chip platform, which uses biosensors to measure the electrophysiology of 3D cardiac spheroids. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Alysson Muotri Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Intro: Back in June 2019, we attended the International Society for Stem Cell Research's (ISSCR) annual conference in Los Angeles, California! Here is the first of three special episodes featuring interviews with some of the top researchers in the stem cell field, as well as with up-and-coming junior trainees who talked to Daylon about their research and experience at the conference. Junior Trainees: We asked Junior Trainees the following question: WHAT IS THE MOST EXCITING RESEARCH THAT YOU'VE SEEN AT ISSCR? Dr. Amritha Jaishankar; Associate Director, Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund Aaron Sandoval; Undergraduate Student, University of Florida Ana Rita Leitoguinho; Graduate Student, Murdoch Children's Research Institute Alejandro Torres; Graduate Student, University of California, Los Angeles Oriana Genolet; Graduate Student, Max Planck Institute Ojeni Touma; Intern, California Institute for Regenerative Medicine Vivian Lu; Graduate Student, University of California, Los Angeles Senior Researchers: Dr. Senta Georgia, PhD; Principal Investigator, Children's Hospital Los Angeles Dr. Georgia is investigating how pancreatic beta cells differentiate during organogenesis, how they increase their cell numbers during normal growth and in response to metabolic stress, and how they can be regenerated as a cellular therapy for diabetic patients. Dr. Tenneille Ludwig, PhD; Director, WiCell Stem Cell Bank Dr. Ludwig's expertise is in optimizing human pluripotent cell culture conditions, focusing on media development and biobanking. She created the first defined, feeder-free culture system for human embryonic stem cells. Dr. Kim Jensen, PhD; Associate Professor, Danish Stem Cell Centre Dr. Jensen seeks to identify and characterize the regulatory mechanisms that control cell fate during development, homeostasis and diseases such as cancer. He focuses on the epithelia of the gastrointestinal tract. Sir John Gurdon, PhD, DSc, FRS; Distinguished Group Leader, University of Cambridge Sir John Gurdon was awarded the 2012 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his pioneering work in nuclear transplantation and cloning. His research focuses on nuclear reprogramming of somatic cells by oocytes and eggs of amphibians. Dr. Daniel Besser, PhD; Managing Director, German Stem Cell Network Dr. Besser studies signal transduction mechanisms in pluripotency and reprogramming of human and mouse embryonic stem cells. At the German Stem Cell Network, he works on creating synergies between basic and applied stem cell research and fostering scientific communication and outreach. Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Steve Szilvassy is the Senior Director, Head of Hematopoietic Products at STEMCELL Technologies. He has over 25 years of experience in the fields of hematology and oncology, having held a variety of research positions, including research scientist and project team leader, in both academia and industry. Featured Products and Resources: Live Webinar: Optimized Workflows for High-Efficiency Genome Editing in Stem and Primary Cell Types Jobs at STEMCELL Technologies Resources and Links Blastocyst-Like Structures from Mouse Stem Cells - Researchers have generated 3D blastocyst-like structures from mouse PSCs that could be implanted into the uterus and grow before resorption. Making Old Brain Stem Cells Young - Investigators have found that increasing brain stiffness during aging leads to the dysfunction of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, but showed that the effects can be reversed. Stem Cell Combination Repairs Damaged Hearts - Heart muscle cells and epicardial cells derived from human ESCs were co-transplanted into rats with damaged hearts, generating grafts that had greater cell growth and that lived longer. Using CAR-T against HIV - Scientists have developed duoCAR-T cells that target multiple sites on the HIV envelope, and that were able to kill HIV cells while resisting infection themselves. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Stephen Szilvassy Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Ubaka Ogbogu is an Associate Professor at the University of Alberta cross-appointed to the Faculties of Law and Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences. He is interested in the ethical, legal and societal implications of novel and emerging biomedical research and health care technologies. Featured Products and Resources: Jobs at STEMCELL Technologies Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Updates and Debates Resources and Links Major 'Don't Eat Me' Signal Found in Cancer Cells - Researchers have identified a protein whose signaling enables cancer cells to evade detection by the immune system, making it a promising target for cancer immunotherapy. Smooth Muscle Cells Change Identity to Protect against Atherosclerosis - Investigators have found that smooth muscle cells modulate their phenotype during atherosclerosis to protect the arterial walls. Tracking Stem Cells in Skin - Scientists tracked stem cell division in the sebacious gland to understand the development and maintenance of the skin, and the effects of mutations on stem cell behavior. Reversing Sickle Cell Disease with CRISPR- CRISPR was used to edit HSCs in nonhuman primates to reverse the clinical symptoms of certain blood disorders. Modeling Monogenic Diabetes - The authors modeled monogenic diabetes using human ESCs to identify the role of the transcription factor that is mutated in the most common form of the disease. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Ubaka Ogbogu Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Jennifer Adair is an Assistant Member in the Clinical Research Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. Her lab uses a combination of cell biology, molecular biology, chemistry, engineering, nanomedicine and bioinformatics to develop new gene therapy treatments for many different diseases, including cancer. Her goal is to develop safe, cost-effective and clinically relevant applications for gene therapy that can be implemented worldwide. Featured Products and Resources: Science in Seattle StemSpan SFEM II Resources and Links Possible Drug Target for Heart Condition Identified - Researchers have found that a genetic mutation linked to dilated cardiomyopathy activates a signaling pathway that is normally turned off in healthy adult hearts. Fibrosis Target Identified - Investigators have identified a protease that is activated by TGFβ that contributes to fibrosis development. Improved Kidney Organoids - Scientists have developed a protocol for generating vascularized and functional human PSC-derived 3D kidney organoids, and used them to model disease. New Tool for Immune Monitoring using Mass Cytometry - A mass cytometry workflow has been developed for identifying major immune cell lineages to improve biomarker discovery in immunotherapy trials. Delayed Neurodevelopment in Zika-Exposed Children - In this prospective cohort study, the authors found that one third of children up to age three who were exposed to Zika in-utero had below-average neurological development. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Jennifer Adair Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Arun Sharma is a Senior Research Fellow in the Svendsen lab at Cedars-Sinai. His research focuses on the applications of iPSCs for studying cardiovascular biology, modeling diseases in a dish with genome editing technologies, and developing high-throughput platforms for screening drug toxicity and efficacy. Featured Products and Resources: STEMdiff™ Cardiomyocyte Webinar: Modeling Arrhythmias Using hPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes and Tracking Their Excitability Resources and Links Regeneration Potential of Neonatal Mouse Heart - Researchers have shown that the regeneration capacity of the neonatal mouse heart is limited, suggesting that the processes of embryonic heart development and postnatal heart generation are distinct. Guiding Human Development in a Dish- Scientists have developed a method for exposing human ESCs to gradients of key signaling molecules to mimic the early stages of embryonic development. Immune Cells Invade Aging Brains - Investigators have found that T cells invade the brain of aged mice and inhibit the proliferation of neural stem cells. Ethical Development of Stem-Cell Based Interventions - The authors address key ethical and policy challenges confronting the clinical translation of stem cell-based interventions. Dopamine Replacement Trial for Parkinson's Disease - A clinical trial is underway to assess the efficacy of transplanting PSC-derived dopamine-producing cells in Parkinson's disease patients. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Arun Sharma Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. James Hudson is Group Leader of the Organoid Research Laboratory at the QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Brisbane, Australia, whose research is focused on developing state-of-the-art bioengineering approaches for human 3D organoids to use for studying cardiac biology and discovering new heart disease therapeutics. Featured Products and Resources: STEMdiff™ Cardiomyocyte Webinar: Modeling Arrhythmias Using hPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes and Tracking Their Excitability Resources and Links Stimulating Hair Growth - Investigators have demonstrated that quiescent hair follicles can be stimulated to grow by small molecules that activate autophagy. Organoid Model of Fibrotic Lung Disease - Researchers used ESC-derived 3D organoids to model fibrotic lung disease, and identified a possible pathogenic mechanism. Antibody Conditioning for HSC Transplants - A transplant of mismatched HSCs without immune suppression by chemotherapy or radiation was successful in mice by performing a conditioning treatment with six antibodies. Improving Pancreatic Islet Transplantation - Researchers have identified a protein that improves revascularization of pancreatic islet grafts, and is a potential target for enhancing transplant outcomes in type 1 diabetes. Reprogramming Scar Tissue into Heart Muscle - For the first time, scientists have developed a stable, reproducible, and minimilistic platform to reprogram human fibroblast cells into cardiomyocytes. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. James Hudson Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Tannishtha Reya is a Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine at the University of California, San Diego. Her lab  focuses on understanding the signaling pathways that regulate the choice between stem cell renewal and commitment, and define how the same signals are subverted in cancer. Featured Products and Resources: Cancer Stem Cell News Dunn Webinar: Understanding Pancreatic Development and Diabetes Using Patient-Specific iPS Cells Resources and Links HIV-Preventing Gene Mutation Linked to Earlier Death - A variant of the CCR5 gene that protects against HIV infection, and that was infamously edited in babies using CRISPR, has been associated with an earlier death. Establishment of Expanded Potential Stem Cells - Investigators have generated pig and human expanded potential stem cells that have the features of the first cells in the developing embryo. Single Cell Trajectories of Cardiopharyngeal Fates - Scientists have mapped the development of heart lineages and identified the mechanisms dictating cardiopharyngeal fate choices. Improved Human Brain Organoids - Researchers have developed a new method of generating brain organoids with little developmental variability between the organoids. Stromal Cells Influence Pancreatic Cell Tumors - The stromal microenvironment has been shown to affect gene expression and shape tumor growth and metastasis in pancreatic cancer. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Tannishtha Reya Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Bertie Göttgens is a Professor of Molecular Hematology at the University of Cambridge. His lab studies how transcription factor networks control the function of hematopoietic stem cells, and how mutations that perturb such networks cause leukemia. In this episode, he talks about his research and his groundbreaking paper that mapped mouse gastrulation and early organogenesis. Featured Products and Resources: mTeSR™ Plus #StemCellfie Contest Resources and Links New Neurons Form in Old Age, Even in People with Alzheimer's - Researchers have shown that hippocampal neurons continue to form well into old age, as well as in individuals with mild cognitive impairments and Alzheimer's disease. Blocking an Inflammatory Protein Reverses Brain Aging - Blocking an inflammatory protein in brain cells reversed the effects of brain aging in old mice, and prevented signs of brain aging in young mice infused with old blood. New Mechanism Identified for Blood Stem Cell Development - Researchers have discovered a new role for the epidermal growth factor receptor in regulating hematopoietic stem cell development. Mapping the Bone Marrow Microenvironment - Investigators created a map of the stem cell niche in mouse bone marrow, and identified how it is influenced during healthy homeostasis and in leukemia. Non-Invasive Tool Tracks Efficacy of Transplanted Stem Cells - Exosomes isolated from blood are a potential non-invasive method for monitoring the activity of transplanted cardiac progenitor cells following a heart attack.   Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Bertie Göttgens Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe