The Stem Cell Podcast

Guest: Dr. Kacey Ronaldson-Bouchard is an Associate Research Scientist in the Laboratory for Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering at Columbia University, focusing on biomedical engineering. She is also the co-founder of TARA Biosystems, which offers physiologically relevant human “heart-on-a-chip” tissue models for cardiac risk assessment and drug discovery applications. She also a strong supporter of initiatives that mentor young women to pursue STEM related fields. Featured Products and Resources:  Muscle Cell News STEMdiff™Cardiomyocyte Media  The Stem Cell Science Round Up Strong Blood Vessel Graft Created – Vascular grafts have been engineered from iPSC-derived smooth muscle cells with comparable strength to the original blood vessels. New Method for Lung Regeneration – Through a procedure similar to bone marrow transplantation, investigators were able to induce lung regeneration without the need for chronic immune suppression. How Stress Causes Grey Hair – Scientists have discovered that stress activates sympathetic nerves that are part of the fight-or-flight response, driving the depletion of pigment-regenerating stem cells in hair follicles. Biodegradable Bridge for Nerve Injury – Researchers have created a biodegradable scaffold that releases a growth-promoting protein that can regenerate long sections of damaged nerves, without the need for transplanting cells. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Kacey Ronaldson-Bouchard Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Todd McDevitt is a Senior Investigator at the Gladstone Institutes. He is also Program Director of the University of California, San Francisco’s Bioengineering Graduate Program (joint with UC Berkeley), and a Professor at UCSF’s Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences. His research focuses on engineering 3D, multicellular systems that can be used to study principles of stem cell and developmental biology. Featured Products and Resources: Webinar: Modeling Arrhythmias Using hPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes and Tracking Their Excitability  mTeSR™ Plus The Stem Cell Science Round Up Improving Stem Cell Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury – Researchers have found that modulating the microenvironment of neurons after a spinal cord injury can improve the efficacy of neural progenitor cell grafts. Brain Organoids Reveal Glioblastoma Origins – Scientists have created a glioblastoma tumor cell atlas that demonstrates heterogeneity, and used cortical organoids to model tumor invasion. Single-Cell Profiling of the Human Heart – Investigators analyzed cells from normal, failed, and partially recovered human hearts at single cell resolution to better understand the cellular composition and interactions of the adult human heart. Engineering Chamber-Specific Heart Models – Clinically relevant engineered heart tissues were generated from hPSCs, and were successful in modeling cardiac disease. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Todd McDevitt Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Nicole Quinn is the Associate Director of Scientific Communications at STEMCELL Technologies, and one of the people hard at work behind the scenes of the Stem Cell Podcast. After completing her PhD in genomics and discovering her love of communicating science, Nicole left the bench to pursue a science communications career in the biotech industry. She now oversees the comprehensive, globally-accessible science communication program at STEMCELL Technologies, including more than 20 weekly field-specific newsletters, a podcast, several community-focused websites, and almost 40 different social media channels. Featured Products and Resources: Careers at STEMCELL Technologies Webinar: Using Social Media to Advance Your Scientific Career The Stem Cell Science Round Up Zika Vaccine Protects Fetus in Pregnant Monkeys – An experimental vaccine against the Zika virus reduced the amount of virus in pregnant rhesus macaques, and improved fetal outcomes. Treating Cystic Fibrosis with Gene Editing – Researchers used gene editing to correct a mutation in airway stem cells from cystic fibrosis patients, and were able to differentiate the cells in a pig model. Human Lung Blueprint – Scientists have created a cellular blueprint of the human lung, revealing several universal cell communication networks that drive specific functions. Circadian Rhythm Harnessed to Make Mature Islets – Investigators have found that circadian rhythms trigger epigenetic changes that enable the maturation of pancreatic islets from human stem cells. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Nicole Quinn Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Camilla Forsberg is the Co-Director of the Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells, and a Professor of Biomolecular Engineering at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her lab seeks to understand the molecular determinants of hematopoietic stem cell fate decisions to ultimately prevent and treat both genetic and acquired disorders of the hematopoietic system. Featured Products and Resources: Hematopoiesis News HemaHub The Stem Cell Science Round Up Stem Cell Therapy Helps Broken Hearts Heal in Unexpected Way – Cardiac stem cell therapy has been shown to enhance function in damaged hearts by triggering an inflammatory-based wound healing response, rather than by producing new cardiomyocytes. Leaky Blood-Brain Barrier Induces Cognitive Impairments – In a pair of papers, scientists have found that the breakdown of the blood-brain barrier during aging can result in dysfunctional brain electrical activity due to increased inflammation, causing microseizure-like events and cognitive decline. Revolutionizing Injury Recovery with Tendon Stem Cells – Investigators have discovered the existence of tendon stem cells that are able to generate new tenocytes. New Generation Exhaustion-Resistant CAR-T Cells – Researchers have identified a protein that, when overexpressed in CAR T cells, enables the cells to overcome exhaustion and increase their effectiveness. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Camilla Forsberg Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Peter Zandstra is the Director of the School of Biomedical Engineering at the University of British Columbia. His lab focuses on stem cell bioengineering, applying engineering design principles, computational modeling, and fundamental stem cell biology to study the mechanisms that control stem cell fate, and to develop technologies for the propagation of stem cells and their derivatives. Featured Products and Resources: mTeSR™ Plus Science in the City – Vancouver The Stem Cell Science Round Up AI Used to Predict Stem Cell Organization – Machine learning was used to predict and control the spatial organization of pluripotent stem cells. Hypoxia Regulates Lymphoid Development – Scientists have found that low O2 levels promotes lymphoid development in hematopoietic progenitor cells. Genetic Mutation Protects against Diabetes – Loss of function of a gene that encodes a zinc transporter protein has been found to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by enhancing insulin secretion from the pancreas. Important Role for Rare Cells in Hematopoiesis – Investigators have identified the importance of a rare population of endothelial cells for controlling hematopoiesis and regeneration after irradiation. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Peter Zandstra Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Celina Juliano is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of California, Davis. Her lab studies development and regeneration in the aquatic animal Hydra, which undergoes continual self-renewal, lacks senescence and has incredible regenerative capabilities. Featured Products and Resources: STEMCELL Technologies Antibodies STEMCELL Technologies Cytokines The Stem Cell Science Round Up Oct4 Not Needed for Creating iPSCs – Investigators have discovered that iPSCs can be created without expressing the transcription factor Oct4, which was previously considered vital for cellular reprogramming. Effect of Spaceflight on Heart Cells – When sent to the International Space Station, iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes readily adapted to microgravity by altering their gene expression, but returned to normal when back on Earth. Stem Cell Transplants Used to Grow Lungs – Scientists generated functional lungs in mice by transplanting stem cells into genetically defective mouse embryos. Lymphatic System Key in Hair Regeneration – Investigators have found that stem cells reshape their lymphatic niche to coordinate tissue regeneration. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Celina Juliano Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Rameen Shakur is a Jansen Fellow in Cardiology and Personalized Medicine at the Koch Institute for Integrative Science at MIT, and the Founder of Cambridge Heartwear Ltd. His academic research focuses on modeling and understanding cardiac development using iPSCs. Insights from his basic and clinical research spurred the development of Cambridge Heartwear Ltd., a medical device and algorithm company that uses AI and computer science for cardiovascular health. Featured Products and Resources: Webinar: Modeling Arrhythmias Using hPSC-Derived Cardiomyocytes and Tracking Their Excitability STEMdiff™ Cardiomyocyte The Stem Cell Science Round Up New and Improved Genome Editing Tool – A new DNA editing technique, called prime editing, has been developed that doesn’t require double-strand breaks or donor DNA templates, overcoming some of the limitations of CRISPR. Regulating Regeneration in Cold-Blooded Animals – Scientists have identified a gene that gives cold-blooded animals the ability to regenerate limbs, and suggest that the gene was lost by warm-blooded animals throughout evolution. Mapping the Brain Development of Great Apes – Using human and ape brain organoids, investigators have found that human brains develop more slowly than ape brains, and identified human-specific gene expression. Special Cells Help Regenerate Heart in Zebrafish – Researchers have identified a subset of cardiomyocytes in adult zebrafish that were shown to play a role in heart regeneration. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Rameen Shakur Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Stephane Angers is a Professor and Associate Dean of Research in the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto. He is an expert in the field of signal transduction, working to understand the signaling mechanisms underlying the Wnt and Hedgehog families of growth factors and the large family of G protein-coupled receptors. Featured Products and Resources: Webinar: Using Social Media to Advance Your Scientific Career Cancer Stem Cell News The Stem Cell Science Round Up First-Ever Map of the Developing Human Liver – Investigators have created the first-ever human developmental liver cell atlas, which provides insights into how the blood and immune systems develop. Engineering Vascularized Brain Organoids – Scientists have developed a method to induce vasculature in brain organoids, improving oxygen and nutrient delivery and allowing them to live longer. Improved Culture Method for Expanding Hematopoietic Stem Cells – Using a zwitterionic hydrogel, investigators achieved substantial expansion of human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, and may be used to improve the effectiveness of HSC therapies. Using Tumor Organoids to Predict Chemo Response – Researchers have developed a method to test drugs in tumor-derived organoids to determine how a cancer patient will respond to chemotherapy. Development of a Rectal Cancer Organoid Platform – The first human tumor-derived model for studying rectal cancer has been developed and was used to study the effects of chemoradiation. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Stephane Angers Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Paul Burridge is a Professor in Pharmacology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Burridge’s lab uses human iPSCs and other next-gen technologies in pharmacogenomics, disease modeling, and regenerative medicine. Currently, they are focusing on modeling chemotherapy-induced cardiomyopathy using hiPSC-derived cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells, and fibroblasts to study drug toxicity effects. Featured Products and Resources: STEMdiffTM Cardiomyocyte Media Stem Cell Podcast Newsletter The Stem Cell Science Round Up World’s First Three-Organoid System – Scientists have created a functional connected system of liver, pancreas and bile duct organoids, and used the system to study human endoderm organogenesis. Identifying Cancer-Related Mutations – Investigators have developed a strategy to identify cancer-related point mutations in primed and naive human PSCs. Senescence in Dopaminergic Neurons – A DNA binding protein has been shown to prevent cellular senescence in dopaminergic neurons, and loss of the protein may contribute to Parkinson’s disease. Gene Editing for Fanconi Anemia – Researchers have used CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing to correct mutations in HSCs from patients with Fanconi anemia. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Paul Burridge 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 last 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 were challenged by Daylon to summarize their research in one minute. Junior Trainees: We asked junior trainees to summarize their research in only one minute. Take a listen to the episode, and vote in our Twitter poll for the researcher that did the best job! You’ll hear from: Hannah Black; Undergraduate Researcher Assistant, University of Southern California Ana Rita Leitoguinho; Graduate Student, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Aaron Sandoval; Undergraduate Student, University of Florida Oriana Genolet; Graduate Student, Max Planck Institute Senior Researchers: Dr. Justin Ichida, PhD; Assistant Professor, University of Southern California Dr. Justin Ichida focuses on developing in vitro models of human neurodegenerative diseases by converting patients’ cells into disease-affected neural cells. Dr. Irving Weissman, MD; Director, Stanford Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Dr. Irv Weissman is a pioneer in the field of hematopoietic stem cell biology and cancer research. Currently, he is studying the potential of CD47 as a cancer therapeutic, and identifying cancer stem cells from a variety of blood and solid cancers.   Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe