USC researchers apply brainpower to understanding neural stem cell differentiation

By Cristy Lytal

How do humans and other mammals get so brainy? USC researcher Wange Lu, PhD, and his colleagues shed new light on this question in a paper published in Cell Reports on Oct. 24.

The researchers donned their thinking caps to explain how neural stem and progenitor cells differentiate into neurons and related cells called glia. Neurons transmit information through electrical and chemical signals; glia surround, support and protect neurons in the brain and throughout the nervous system. Glia do everything from holding neurons in place to supplying them with nutrients and oxygen, to protecting them from pathogens.

By studying early mouse embryo neural stem cells in a petri dish, Lu and his colleagues discovered that a protein called SMEK1 promotes the differentiation of neural stem and progenitor cells. At the same time, SMEK1 keeps these cells in check by suppressing their uncontrolled proliferation. … Read More »

December 23rd, 2013|Announcements|

USC STEM CELL SOCIAL

(Photo/Cristy Lytal) (Photo/Cristy Lytal)

The dessert tray and cheese platter seemed self-renewing at the first USC Stem Cell Social, held on Oct. 25 at the Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC. Nearly 100 guests toured the labs, viewed research posters, voted on their favorite scientific images and mingled with researchers and faculty at this public event hosted by USC Stem Cell and the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) in honor of Stem Cell Awareness Day. … Read More »

November 20th, 2013|Announcements|

Cardiovascular symposium takes the pulse of current research

By Jennifer Jing and Cristy Lytal

Researchers addressed the leading cause of death in the United States at the Los Angeles Area Cardiovascular Research Symposium and Research Award Reception, which brought together the region’s cardiovascular specialists to examine the developmental origins of heart health and disease.

Held at The Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the event was the first meeting of its kind since 1997, when the American Heart Association (AHA) disbanded local chapters in favor of regional affiliates. … Read More »

November 20th, 2013|Announcements|

Researchers at USC uncover new possibilities for sweat gland stem cells

By Marie Rippen

Sweat is important — without it, we would overheat and die. In a recent paper in the journal Public Library of Science One (PLOS ONE), USC faculty member Krzysztof Kobielak, MD, PhD, and a team of researchers explored the ultimate origin of this sticky, stinky but vital substance — sweat gland stem cells. … Read More »

November 8th, 2013|Announcements|

USC researcher reveals how to better master stem cells’ fate

By Cristy Lytal

USC scientist Qi-Long Ying, PhD, MSc, and a team of researchers have long been searching for biotech’s version of the fountain of youth — ways to encourage embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs) to endlessly self-renew, or divide to produce more stem cells.

In a pair of studies published in Nature Communications in September and in The EMBO Journal in August, Ying and his team revealed some of the ways that ESCs and EpiSCs retain their pluripotency, or ability to differentiate into virtually any kind of cell. … Read More »

October 25th, 2013|Announcements|

USC researcher reveals how to better master stem cells’ fate

By Cristy Lytal

Qi-Long Ying and a team of researchers have discovered new ways to encourage human embryonic stem cells like these to self-renew. (Photo/Courtesy Qi-Long Ying) Qi-Long Ying and a team of researchers have discovered new ways to encourage human embryonic stem cells like these to self-renew.
(Photo/Courtesy Qi-Long Ying)

USC scientist Qi-Long Ying, PhD, MSc, and a team of researchers have long been searching for biotech’s version of the fountain of youth — ways to encourage embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and epiblast stem cells (EpiSCs) to endlessly self-renew, or divide to produce more stem cells.

In a pair of studies published in Nature Communications in September and a study in The EMBO Journal in August, Ying and his team revealed some of the ways that ESCs and EpiSCs retain their pluripotency, or ability to differentiate into virtually any kind of cell. … Read More »

October 18th, 2013|Announcements|

Research team discovers protein’s ability to help and hinder cancer

By Cristy Lytal

Can the same gene prevent and promote cancer? When it comes to liver cancer, the gene that codes for P53, a protein found in humans and many other animals, can indeed do both.

In a pair of articles published in Oncogene and the Journal of Hepatology, Qi-Long Ying, PhD, associate professor of cell and neurobiology at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC, and a team of researchers revealed that P53 can both help and harm a liver exposed to carcinogenic chemicals. … Read More »

October 18th, 2013|Announcements|

Pfizer’s J. Jean Cui explains modern drug discovery to Keck School students

By Marie Rippen

Only five percent of potential cancer drugs make it from phase I clinical trail to FDA approval, but J. Jean Cui, PhD, associate research fellow at Pfizer, beat the odds.

J. Jean Cui of Pfizer shared her perspective on drug discovery with Keck School students as part of the Careers in Science seminar series. (Photo/Cristy Lytal)
J. Jean Cui of Pfizer shared her perspective on drug discovery with Keck School students as part of the Careers in Science seminar series.
(Photo/Cristy Lytal)

Cui visited the Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research on Sept. 13 to share her perspective on drug discovery with students as part of the Careers in Science seminar series, presented by the center in conjunction with the USC School of Pharmacy and the USC Center for Excellence in Research. … Read More »

October 17th, 2013|Announcements|

Excellent results from Keck Medicine laboratories

Laboratory members often go far beyond promoting discovery. They promote a stronger Keck Medicine community by raising funds and sharing award-winning images. … Read More »

September 27th, 2013|Announcements|

USC teams with CIRM to celebrate Stem Cell Awareness Day

By Cristy Lytal

For the millions of people around the world who suffer from incurable diseases and injuries, Stem Cell Awareness Day is a time for hope.

In honor of the occasion, USC Stem Cell is joining institutions and educators from around the world in hosting a series of public events to raise awareness and celebrate this promising field of medicine in partnership with the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). … Read More »

September 27th, 2013|Announcements|

Pfizer lecturer to discuss careers in therapeutic development

The USC School of Pharmacy, the 
USC Center for Excellence in Research and the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC have collaborated to present a Careers in Science lecture.

The lecture will be held on Friday, Sept. 13, from 3-6 p.m. in the conference room (BCC 101) at the Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research building at USC. … Read More »

September 6th, 2013|Announcements|

USC stem cell researcher receives a $1 million pledge for “eureka moments”

By Cristy Lytal

Chinese businessman Yong Chen has pledged $1 million to USC stem cell researcher Qi-Long Ying to support his future “eureka moments.”

“When I talked to Mr. Chen, I told him that groundbreaking discoveries often come from unexpected directions,” said Ying, PhD, associate professor of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC. “You suddenly have a very creative and unusual idea, and you test it. And it works.” … Read More »

August 30th, 2013|Announcements|

HANDS-ON IN STEM CELLS

James Hur (right), a student from Harvard-Westlake School, describes his research on healing radiation wounds at the USC Early Investigator High School (EiHS) & USC CIRM Science, Technology and Research (STAR) Colloquium and Poster Presentation on August 2. … Read More »

August 22nd, 2013|Announcements|

STEM CELL IMAGE OF THE MONTH

(Photo/Elisabeth Rutledge) (Photo/Elisabeth Rutledge)

This embryonic mouse at day 10.5 has a special glow thanks to the fluorescent labeling of its neurofilaments, which are major structural element of neurons. The picture by Elisabeth Rutledge, a PhD student in the lab of Andrew McMahon, PhD, won the July 2013 Image of the Month contest at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC.

… Read More »

August 15th, 2013|Announcements|

USC announces winners of inaugural Regenerative Medicine Initiative Awards

By Cristy Lytal

Three newly assembled research teams within USC Stem Cell, the regenerative medicine initiative at USC, will take steps that could lead to future stem-cell based therapies for certain forms of deafness, bone defects and pediatric leukemia.

The teams are the winners of USC’s Regenerative Medicine Initiative (RMI), a University-wide program kick-started by $1.2 million in funding from the office of Carmen A. Puliafito, MD, MBA, dean of the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Each RMI Award provides up to $200,000 per year for two years to multi-investigator research collaborations that harness the full potential of USC-affiliated faculty members. … Read More »

August 9th, 2013|Announcements|

USC study sheds light on stem cell reprogramming

By Josh Grossberg

Researchers are learning how to turn regular cells into stem cells, a process called reprogramming. However, some of the mechanisms of the process remain unknown, such as why only a small proportion of the cells can be reprogrammed. Researchers have at least part of the answer: the structure of genes.

“Nobody knows anything about how the 3-D genome structure is reorganized during reprogramming,” said Wange Lu, associate professor at the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC and the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “But we found out that it is a very important process. If the structure is not established correctly, the cells may cause diseases when they are used later in clinical applications.”

Lu and his team have made a series of discoveries that shed light on the process. Their findings have been published in the July issue of Cell Stem Cell. … Read More »

July 12th, 2013|Announcements|