The Stem Cell Podcast

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

Guest: Dr. Adrian Teo is a Principal Investigator at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology at the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore. His research focuses on using stem cell technology to model human pancreatic development in vivo and to study the mechanisms that cause diabetes and underlie diabetic complications. Featured Products and Resources: Pancreatic Cell News Ray Dunn Webinar Resources and Links Advancing Cell Therapies for Diabetes - Researchers mapped stem cell-derived beta cell differentiation, and developed an improved process for purifying beta cells, which can be used to enhance cell therapies for diabetes. Essential Role of YAP in Liver Regeneration - YAP signaling, which activates the transcription of certain genes, has been shown to be necessary for the survival and regeneration of liver epithelial cells upon injury. Gene Therapy Repairs Heart Attack Damage in Pigs - Expression of a microRNA delivered by adeno-associated viral vectors stimulated cardiac repair in pig hearts following a heart attack. How Low Oxygen Affects the Premature Brain - Using 3D brain-region-specific organoids, research have identified certain brain cells that are susceptible to harm from exposure to oxygen deprivation during early development. Tumor-Initiating Cells Addicted to Methionine - Scientists have found that tumor-initiating cells are metabolically dependent on methionine, providing a potential therapeutic target.   Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Adrian Teo Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Rita Perlingeiro is the Lillehei Professor in Stem Cell and Regenerative Cardiovascular Medicine at the Lillehei Heart Institute. Her lab is interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms controlling lineage-specific differentiation of pluripotent stem cells, and applying this information to generate tissue-specific stem/progenitor cells endowed with in vivo regenerative potential. Much of her work is focused on muscular dystrophies. Featured Products and Resources: Muscle Cell News MyoCult™ Resources and Links New CAR T-Cell Therapy Less Toxic - A Phase I clinical trial has shown that a redesigned CAR T-cell molecule was less toxic and produced fewer side effects in patients, making the treatment safer. Using MSCs to Engineer an HSC Niche - Researchers have identified genes in mesenchymal stem cells that enhanced the production of niche factors that could maintain hematopoietic stem cells in culture. Generating Ovarian Cancer Organoids - Investigators developed a protocol for generating and expanding ovarian cancer organoids, and demonstrated their potential applications. Stress-Resistant Muscle Stem Cells - Scientists have identified a population of muscle stem cells that resist radiation and are able to expand under severe stress. Muscle Stem Cells Protected from Environmental Stress - The expression of a transcription factor has been shown to protect muscle stem cells against environmental stress caused by a toxic pollutant.   Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Rita Perlingeiro Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Josef Penninger is the Director of the Life Sciences Institute at the University of British Columbia and a Canada 150 Chair in Functional Genetics. He was previously the Scientific and Founding Director of the Institute for Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. His research is focused on understanding the complex mechanisms of how diseases develop, particularly in cardiovascular, autoimmune and bone diseases, and cancers. Featured Products and Resources: Science in the City - Vancouver EC-Cult™ Resources and Links Shutting Down Glioblastoma at its Earliest Moments - By performing cell-by-cell genetic analyses of developing brain tissues in neonatal mice and laboratory models of brain cancer, scientists have identified a molecular driver of glioblastoma. The Bone Marrow Microenvironment at Single-Cell Resolution -  Researchers have mapped the transcriptional landscape of mouse bone marrow cell populations, both at homeostasis and under conditions of stress-induced hematopoiesis. Exploring the Mouse Gut Endoderm at Single Cell Resolution - Investigators have shown that throughout embryogenesis endoderm cells acquire a transcriptional identity that reflects their future fate and spatial positioning. Specification of Positional Identity in the Forebain - Scientists have grown topographically organized human forebrain organoids using engineered signaling centers. The Developmental Origin and Lifespan of Osteoclasts - Researchers have identified the developmental origin of osteoclasts and a mechanism that controls their maintenance in bones after birth.   Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Josef Penninger Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Kristen Brennand is an Associate Professor of Genetics and Genomics, Neuroscience, and Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. A major focus of her work is in developing in vitro models for schizophrenia in order to identify novel insights into the molecular and cellular phenotypes of mental illness. Her lab has established a new mechanism using iPSC-based models to systematically test the impact of causal variants in human cells. Featured Resource: Subscribe to Neural Cell News Dr. Kristen Brennand Webinar: Using hiPSCs to Study Genetic Variants Linked to Schizophrenia Resources and Links Testicular Graft Produces Sperm and Live Offspring - Primates that had prepubertal testicular tissue removed, frozen, and grafted back later in life were able to produce sperm and offspring. Using Cardiac Organoids for Drug Screening - Cardiac organoids were used to identify pro-regenerative drugs without detrimental side effects on cardiac function. A Common Embryonic Origin of Neural Progenitors - Investigators have found that in mice, a single population of neural progenitors contributes to lifelong neurogenesis in the hippocampus. New Brain Cells Made throughout Life - Scientists have shown that humans can make new brain cells into their nineties, but this production progressively declines in individuals with Alzheimer's disease. Using Phenotypes to Identify Schizophrenia Genes - Researchers have developed a phenotypic atlas of schizophrenia-associated genes, and identified 30 genes for further study.   Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Kristen Brennand Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Robert Mays is the Co-founder and Vice President of Regenerative Medicine and Head of Neuroscience Programs at Athersys Inc. He focuses on Athersys' proprietary stem cell product, MultiStem®, and its applications in regenerative medicine and drug discovery, with a specific focus on injuries and diseases affecting the central nervous system. Featured Resource: Apply to become a co-host on the Stem Cell Podcast! Cytokines Resources and Links New Drug Developed to Treat Heart Attack Damage - Using iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, scientists have developed a new drug that minimizes cardiomyocyte death following a heart attack. Enhancing iPSC Immune Compatibility - Researchers used CRISPR to make immunocompatible donor iPSCs that could increase iPSC-based regenerative medicine applications. Kidney Organoids Created from Urine - Researchers have generated kidney tubular epithelial organoids from both kidney tissue and urine cells, which can be used for personalized disease modeling. Modeling Developmental Disorder with Brain Organoids - Cerebral organoids were used to model the developmental disorder neuronal heterotopia, providing insight into the mechanisms causing impaired neuronal migration. Cancer-Specific Inhibitor Identified - Researchers have identified a cancer-specific inhibitor that targets the metabolic needs of cancer cells.   Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Robert Mays Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Andrew Murphy is an Associate Professor at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute and Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. He seeks to understand the processes by which hematopoietic stem cells and the bone marrow niche become affected in disease, specifically in the context of cardiovascular and metabolic disease. Featured Resource: Apply to become a co-host on the Stem Cell Podcast! Hematopoiesis Hub Resources and Links Quiescence Increases the Resistance and Function of Old Neural Stem Cells - Increased quiescence makes aged neural stem cells resistant to regeneration. But, if activation is enforced, both young and old NSCs show similar proliferation and differentiation capacity. A Gliogenic Switch for Human Astrocytes - Researchers have developed a new method to rapidly differentiate astrocytes from PSC-derived neural stem cells using a protein switch. Generating Thalamic Organoids - Researchers have created thalamic organoids and fused them together with an organoid of the frontal cortex to study brain development and disease. CRISPR Therapy for Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (Article 1)(Article 2) - Two separate research groups have used CRISPR to suppress the accelerated aging observed in mice with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome. CRISPR Makes iPSCs Invisible to the Immune System - Using CRISPR, scientists have created iPSCs that evade the immune system and prevent transplant rejection, poising them as a "universal" donor stem cell.   Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Andrew Murphy Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Paul Frenette is the Chair and Director of the Ruth L. and David S. Gottesman Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Research at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Frenette's research focuses on the molecular and cellular constitutents of the stem cell niche, mechanisms of sickle cell vaso-occlusion, the role of the nervous system in cancer, and understanding how hematopoietic stem cells and mature blood cells traffic in vivo. Featured Resource: STEMvision™ Resources and Links An Improved Approach for Generating Kidney Organoids - Researchers have developed a new in vitro method for generating vascularized, mature kidney organoids by exposing them to fluidic shear stress. Functional Insulin-Producing Cells Grown in Lab - For the first time, mature insulin-producing cells have been developed from stem cells. Reprogramming Pancreatic Cells to Treat Diabetes - Scientists have reprogrammed pancreatic α-cells into insulin-producing pancreatic β-cells that were able to reverse diabetes in mice. A Bioengineered Factory for T Cells - Researchers have developed an injectable bone marrow-like scaffold that enhances T cell development following a bone marrow transplant. Sleep Protects against Heart Disease - By subjecting mice to chronic sleep fragmentation, researchers have discovered a neuro-immune axis that links sleep to hematopoiesis and atherosclerosis.   Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Paul Frenette Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Stephanie Willerth is an Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair at the University of Victoria. Her research focuses on using engineering-based approaches to stem cell biology. Her team develops bioactive scaffolds for directing stem cell differentiation, and investigates the expression of transcription factors that regulates this process. The goal of her group's research is to develop engineered tissues that can be transplanted in the human nervous system to treat diseases like Parkinson's or repair damaged spinal cord tissue. Featured Resources: STEMdiff™ Neural System for hPSC-Based Neurological Modeling Science in Vancouver Resources and Links A Druggable Target for Alzheimer's Disease - Researchers have identified a cholesterol product regulating Tau proteostasis, which could serve as a drug target for Alzheimer’s disease. New Biomarker and Drug Target for ALS - Using an iPSC model of human motor neurons, researchers discovered that the STMN2 gene may be a potential biomarker and therapeutic target for ALS. Generation of Lung Organoids - Researchers have developed a protocol for differentiating hPSCs into human lung and bud tip progenitor organoids. Scientists Grow Human Blood Vessels in a Dish - Scientists have grown functional human vascular organoids that can be used to model and study vascular diseases. Organoid-Induced Differentiation of T Cells - Artificial thymic organoids were used to generate mature T cells from PSCs, providing a renewable source for treatment.   Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Stephanie Willerth Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe