The Stem Cell Podcast

Guest Dr. Kapil Bharti is a Principal Investigator at the National Eye Institute at the NIH.  His work involves performing translational research on degenerative eye diseases using induced pluripotent stem cell technology. Dr. Bharti’s group uses this technology to develop in vitro disease models to study patient-specific disease processes, to set up high throughput drug screens, and to develop cell-based therapy for retinal degenerative diseases. Featured Resource: Extracellular Matrix News Resources and Links Normal Childbirth May Take Longer Than Thought - A study in two African countries found a slower rate of dilation for many women who went on to have healthy, vaginal births. Aging Is in the Blood - A protein located in the cells that forms a barrier between the brain and blood can prematurely age the brains of young mice. There Are Different Types of Strep Infections - Extra genes picked up by some pathogens can cause different strains to have wildly different effects on the immune system, even in the same person. Probing a 3D Brain – BrainFacts.org, which has long been sponsored by the Society of Neuroscience and other organizations, now has an interactive 3D brain that offers more information about the organ’s structures. Epigenetic and Blood Stem Cell Differentiation –Investigators demonstrated that the epigenetic silencing factor Ezh1 limits multilineage differentiation potential of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells in mouse embryos and human pluripotent stem cell derivatives. New Method for Expanding T-Cells – Researchers from Harvard University describe a system that mimics natural antigen-presenting cells and consists of a fluid lipid bilayer supported by mesoporous silica micro-rods. CRISPR to Transiently Express Genes – Dr. Izpisua Belmonte and colleagues from Salk Institute report a robust system for in vivo activation of endogenous target genes through trans-epigenetic remodeling. CRISPR Based Reprogramming to Pluripotency - Scientists show that reactivation of endogenous Oct4 or Sox2 using augmented forms of CRISPR/Cas9 is sufficient to reprogram mouse fibroblasts to pluripotency. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Kapil Bharti Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

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

Guest Dr. Michele De Luca has been involved in epithelial stem cell biology aimed at clinical applications in regenerative medicine for over 20 years. He joins the show to discuss his work and latest groundbreaking paper published in Nature. Featured Resource: Growing Organoids from Stem Cells Wallchart Resources and Links New Tax Plan Closer to Passing and Impacting Science – If the new tax plan is enacted and passed, it could limit the ability of graduate students to complete their training programs and would particularly affect those students without other means to help support their studies. Hospitals Can Help Opioid Addiction Epidemic – New opioid prescribing guidelines tested over a five-month period in Michigan kept thousands of opioid pills from being unnecessarily doled out. When We Lock Eyes with a Baby, Our Brain Waves Sync Up – The baby’s and the adult’s brain activity appeared to get in sync by meeting in the middle. SARS Bat Reservoirs – Genetic studies of viruses from horseshoe bats in one cave in China suggest the animals are reservoirs of SARS coronaviruses. A New Way to Prevent Stem Cell Loss – A nutrient sensing pathway target of rapamycin (TOR) can be subdued in order to prevent stem cell loss. 114 Million Raised to Bring Stem Cell Trial for Diabetes to Humans – Semma Therapeutics, a company that got its start in 2014, and is researching ways to use stem cells that act like key cells responsible for regulating blood sugar levels in the bodies of healthy people has just raised $114 million. Yamanaka Asks Fujifilm to Keep Licensing Fees Low – A noted Japanese stem cell researcher, Shinya Yamanaka, has asked Fujifilm Holdings to keep fees in check for using patented technology related to induced pluripotent stem cells. Stem Cells and Gene Therapy Replace Entire Epidermis of Young Boy – A 7-year-old who lost most of his skin to a rare genetic disease has made a dramatic recovery after receiving an experimental gene therapy involving a whole-body graft of genetically modified stem cells which is the most ambitious attempt yet to treat a severe form of epidermolysis bullosa, an often-fatal group of conditions that cause skin to blister and tear off at the slightest touch. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Michele De Luca Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest Dr. Leigh Turner is an associate professor in the center for Bioethics at the University of Minnesota. Turner’s research addresses ethical, legal, and regulatory issues associated with clinics engaged in direct-to-consumer marketing of unproven and unlicensed cell-based interventions. Dr. Turner is an author of numerous publications including a recent paper in Cell Stem Cell along with The Stem Cell Podcast’s past guest, Paul Knoepfler. Featured Resource: Organoid Research Resources and Links New Insight on How Mosquitos Interact with Humans – This article reveals that nasty experiences can change an Aedes aegypti mosquito’s inclination to follow certain odors, such as the whiff of human skin. Dolly the Sheep’s Severe Arthritis Not from Cloning – Experts at the University of Nottingham and the University of Glasgow say original concerns that cloning caused early-onset osteoarthritis (OA) in Dolly the sheep are unfounded. E. Coli Outbreak Traced to Raw Flour – This article reports that in 2015 and 2016, Escherichia coli-tainted flour sickened dozens of people in the United States, most of whom had eaten raw dough or batter while baking. Current CRISPR Gene Drives Are Too Strong for Outdoor Use, Studies Warn – A computer simulation released November 16 at bioRxiv.org predicts that standard forms of CRISPR gene drives, as the tools are called, can make tweaked DNA race through a population so easily that a small number of stray animals or plants could spread it to new territory. Stem Cells in Intestinal Lining May Shed Light on Behavior of Cancer Cells – A team of researchers looked for signals and cellular responses of intestinal epithelial cells during growth and renewal. Drug-Delivering Nanoparticles Seek and Destroy Elusive Cancer Stem Cells – University of Illinois researchers are sending tiny drug-laden nanoparticles on a mission to seek and destroy cancer stem cells, the elusive and rare cells that can cause cancer to come back even when years have passed since the initial tumor was treated. How Drinking Affects Neural Stem Cells – New research suggests that long-term, heavy alcohol consumption kills off brain stem cells, which play a key role in supporting healthy cognitive function. New Stem Cell Treatment Guidelines Released by FDA – In this article, U.S. Food and Drug Administration unveiled long-anticipated guidelines about stem-cell therapies that are meant to clear up confusion about which treatments are likely to be both appropriate and safe, and which pose the most risks and fewest rewards for patients. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Leigh Turner Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest The Stem Cell Podcast and STEMCELL Technologies introduce the first interview in a new series called, "Alternative Science Careers."  For the first part of this series, we are pleased to interview the host of our very own Stem Cell Podcast, Dr. Kiki Sanford. Featured Resource: Organoid Research Resources and Links In New Budget, Graduate Student Taxes Could Go Up – This editorial reports that many graduate students would face a tax hike under a clause in the federal-tax-reform bill passed by the US House of Representatives. More People Now Have High Blood Pressure after New Guidelines – According to this article, nearly half of U.S. adults now have high blood pressure, thanks to a new definition of what constitutes high: 130/80 is the new 140/90. 15,000 Scientists Signed a "Warning to Humanity" – Thousands of scientists from all around the world have come together to issue another "warning to humanity" about the unprecedented threats that we as a species, and more importantly our planet as a whole, are currently facing. Scientists Can Make Things Invisible?! – Top scientists from Ben-Gurion University have come up with a cloaking device that scatters light away from an object so it cannot be detected. Genetic Manipulation to Enhance Neurogenesis – A team of researchers at the Cologne Excellence Cluster for Cellular Stress Responses in Aging-Associated Diseases (CECAD) has now found an efficient way for cells to spontaneously differentiate into neurons by silencing one single protein with the gene-editing method CRISPR. Direct Differentiation into Blood Brain Barrier Cells – This article reports that researchers from the University of Wisconsin–Madison detail a defined, step-by-step process to make a more exact mimic of the human blood-brain barrier in the laboratory dish. Space Station to Host Stem Cells for Cardiac Research – Researchers at Emory University School of Medicine and Children's Healthcare of Atlanta have been using space-simulation machines to enhance the ability of pluripotent stem cells to turn into cardiac muscle cells but now they – or the cells they've carefully cultured, will get the chance to try the real thing on the International Space Station. Using VEGF to Increase Survival of Stem Cells – The authors show an experimental approach to improve therapeutic efficacy of proangiogenic cells for the treatment of ischemic diseases. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Kiki Sanford Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest Dr. Chad Cowan is a Principal Investigator and Associate Professor in Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University. Chad joins the hosts to talk about CRISPR and its uses with stem cell biology to study disease. Featured Resource: Investigating Metabolic Disease with Human Pluripotent Stem Cells Webinar Resources and Links E-Cigarettes Can Lead Teens to Higher Smoking Rates in Teens – According to this article, teens who vaped liquids containing higher concentrations of nicotine reported heavier and more frequent smoking and vaping six months later. 9 Million People Died from Pollution in 2015 – This article reports that in the most severely polluted countries, 25 percent of premature deaths could be attributed to pollution, especially in the air. Laws to Protect Athletes from Concussion Dangers Has an Impact – According to this article, more than 2½ years after the laws to protect young athletes against the dangers of concussions went on the books, repeat concussions began to decline among high school athletes. Inbreeding Impairs Reproductive Success – In this article, mating with a close relative, known as inbreeding, reduces human evolutionary fitness — measured by the ability to produce offspring. Method to Accelerate Maturation of Neurons Derived from Stem Cells – This article reveals that hydrogel can be used as a scaffold for engineering artificial brain tissue and promotes the development of neurons. Mutation Plus Sun Tanning (Really UV Exposure) Causes Skin Cancer – In this article, a group of scientists based at Cornell University now report that melanoma may arise from melanocyte stem cells (MCSCs), specifically, MCSCs that have become “melanoma competent” because they have accumulated a sufficient number of genetic mutations. Naked Mole Rat Cells Have a Stable Epigenome that Resists iPSC Reprogramming – Researchers observed that the reprogramming efficiency of naked mole rat fibroblasts in response to OSKM was drastically lower than that of mouse fibroblasts. Generation of a Motor Nerve Organoid with Human Stem Cell-Derived Neurons – According to this article, to build an organoid mimicking developing nerve tissue, researchers employed a strategy that allowed the neurons to follow the cell-intrinsic axon growth and fasciculation programs with minimal intervention. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Chad Cowan Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of North Carolina Medical Center, Catherine Coombs, talks to us about her work and her recent paper in Cell Stem Cell on the subject of clonal hematopoiesis. Featured Resource: Targeting Self-Renewal Function in Normal Hematopoietic and Leukemic Stem Cells Webinar Resources and Links An Estimated 124 Million Boys and Girls Are Now in the Highest Weight Range – The rising trends in children's and adolescents' BMI have plateaued in many high-income countries, albeit at high levels, but have accelerated in parts of Asia, with trends no longer correlated with those of adults. Global Survey Finds Pesticides in Much of World’s Honey – The authors report that neonicotinoid pesticides are turning up in honey on every continent with honeybees. Gun Waiting Periods Could Save Lives – A new study funded by Harvard Business School suggests that one policy—a mandatory waiting period between the sale of a gun and its delivery—could save hundreds of U.S. lives each year if implemented nationally. Dogs Learn While Sleeping – Scientists reveal that dogs learn when sleeping—just like people, a study done by researchers in Hungary with the use of electroencephalograms (EEGs) says. Establishment of Mouse Expanded Potential Stem Cells – According to this article, the most versatile stem cells ever created called "expanded-potential stem cells" (EPSCs) could enable researchers to better understand the biological mechanisms behind many failed early pregnancies. Dentists Get Cracking on the Stem Cell Front – A team of researchers from the University of Nevada Las Vegas have developed a device they hilarious call the "Tooth Cracker 5000" to extract 80 percent of the stem cells a pulp contains from a wisdom tooth. Bioengineering of Functional Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-derived Intestinal Grafts – Scientists have built a new rat intestine by combining part of the animal’s own bowel with human stem cells hoping that one day, this method could be used in humans with intestinal problems who currently have to rely on organ transplants. A Cause for Permanent Hair Loss – A team of scientists from Mumbai have uncovered a cause for permanent hair loss - over-expression of a protein called phospholipase A2-IIA could be the cause for hair loss in mice. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Catherine Coombs Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest Sierra Marable is a graduate student in the Molecular and Developmental Biology Graduate Program at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. She previously worked at the Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) at the Wake Forest School of Medicine in North Carolina where she became interested in stem cell research while researching induced pluripotent stem cells as a method for modeling development and disease at the Institute for Regenerative Medicine. Sierra joins the show to talk to us about her research and life as a graduate student. Featured Resource: Neural Stem Cells Wallchart Resources and Links Cracking the Body Clock Code Wins Trio a Nobel Prize – Three Americans, Jeffrey C. Hall, Michael Rosbash, and Michael W. Young are recognized and won the Nobel Prize for discovering the cellular gears that drive circadian rhythms. A Single Mutation in the prM Protein of Zika Virus Contributes to Fetal Microcephaly – A single genetic mutation made the Zika virus far more dangerous by enhancing its ability to kill nerve cells in developing brains. Bed Bug Aggregation on Dirty Laundry: A Mechanism for Passive Dispersal – In the absence of humans to latch onto, bedbugs (Cimex lectularius) flock to dirty clothing. Prevalence of Concussion Among US Adolescents and Correlated Factors – Scientists report that about 20 percent of U.S. adolescents have had at least one concussion. Trispecific Broadly Neutralizing HIV Antibodies Mediate Potent SHIV Protection in Macaques – According to this article, combining the antibodies, called broadly neutralizing antibodies, may stop more strains of HIV than any single one can do alone. Senate Panel Blocks NIH From Revising Translational Research Awards – The authors report that a congressional spending panel has backed scientists running a $516 million network of bench-to-bedside research centers in their fight with the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, over how it manages the network. Organoid Cystogenesis Reveals a Critical Role of Microenvironment in Human Polycystic Kidney Disease – By creating and manipulating mini-kidney organoids grown from human stem cells that contain a realistic micro-anatomy, UW Medicine researchers can now track the early stages of polycystic kidney disease. A Reversible Haploid Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Biobank Resource for Functional Genomics – Scientists at the Institute of Molecular Biotechnology of the Austrian Academy of Science developed a biobank of revertible, mutant embryonic stem cells. High-Throughput Microfluidic Labyrinth for the Label-Free Isolation of Circulating Tumor Cells – This article reveals a new chip with a labyrinth design that promises big improvements in detecting rare and aggressive cancer cells in the blood, helping doctors to anticipate tumor growth and plan customized treatments for their patients. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Sierra Marable Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Jack Parent is a professor of neurology, director of the Neurodevelopment and Regeneration Laboratory, and co-director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Center in the University of Michigan Medical School. Featured Resource: CloneR™ Defined Supplement for Single-Cell Cloning of Human ES and iPS Cells Resources and Links Potential Role of Intratumor Bacteria in Mediating Tumor Resistance to the Chemotherapeutic Drug Gemcitabine – Tumor cells grown with bacteria could stave off a common chemotherapy drug gemcitabine because some bacteria can inactivate it. Seasonal Cycling in the Gut Microbiome of the Hadza Hunter-Gatherers of Tanzania – The microbiota of a group of hunter-gatherers in Tanzania undergo changes in composition depending on seasonal changes in their diets. Hawai’i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation – Six scientists emerged from eight months of earthly isolation atop Hawaii’s Mauna Loa volcano in a NASA-funded experiment intended to simulate the social isolation of a Mars mission and explore the resulting psychological effects. Once-Abundant Ash Tree and Antelope Species Face Extinction – IUCN Red List – Populations of North America’s ash trees are in dramatic decline as a result of infections with invasive emerald ash borer beetles, with all but one the continent’s six species reclassified as critically endangered—one category away from extinction. UCLA Opens First Engineered Blood Stem Cell Clinical Trial for Cancers with the NY-ESO-1 Tumor Marker – UCLA opens first engineered blood stem cell clinical trial for cancers with the NY-ESO-1 tumor marker. Replacing Reprogramming Factors with Antibodies Selected from Combinatorial Antibody Libraries – Scientists from The Scripps Research Institute led by Kristin Baldwin have found a new approach to the "reprogramming" of ordinary adult cells into stem cells. Human Stem Cells Alter the Invasive Properties of Somatic Cells via Paracrine Activation of mTORC1 – Scientists from Markus Hengstschläger's team at the Institute of Medical Genetics of MedUni Vienna have discovered the phenomenon of the "language of stem cells” where stem cells control the cells around them, inducing them to perform specific functions. Cytoplasmic and Nuclear TAZ Exert Distinct Functions in Regulating Primed Pluripotency – A protein called TAZ can convey very different signals—depending upon not only which variety of stem cell, but also which part of the stem cell receives it. An In Vitro Model of Lissencephaly: Expanding the Role of DCX during Neurogenesis – This article reports that by reprogramming skin cells into nerve cells, researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden are creating cell models of the human brain. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Jack Parent Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: For the interview portion of the show of our 100th episode, we welcome Kevin McCormack from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, or CIRM, to talk about all of CIRM’s progress, past, present, and future...CIRM was created in 2004 to translate stem cell discoveries into therapies, and we will talk to Kevin about the progress this funding has made. Featured Resource: mTeSR™1 cGMP, Feeder-Free Maintenance Medium for Human ES and iPS Cells Resources and Links First Hurricane Harvey, Now Irma: Is Climate Change to Blame for Destructive Storms? – The connection between climate change and hurricanes is to say that climate change doesn't cause individual storms, but it can make them stronger than they would have been otherwise. Multicohort Analysis Reveals Baseline Transcriptional Predictors of Influenza Vaccination Responses – A set of nine genes can signal whether a young adult will develop a strong response to the flu vaccine. Zika Virus Has Oncolytic Activity Against Glioblastoma Stem Cells – Zika virus can infect and kill stem cells in human glioblastoma tissue, without infecting healthy brain cells. Human iPS Cell-Derived Dopaminergic Neurons Function in a Primate Parkinson’s Disease Model – The Jun Takahashi lab shows monkeys with Parkinson's disease symptoms show significant improvement over two years after being transplanted neurons prepared from human iPS cells. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Kevin McCormack Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe