The Stem Cell Podcast

Guest: In June 2023, Daylon and Arun attended the International Society for Stem Cell Research’s (ISSCR) annual meeting in Boston, Massachusetts, and recorded daily episodes discussing highlights of the first day of the meeting. In this episode, they discuss the pre-meeting workshops, including Arun’s own talk on stem cell research in space, as well as highlights from the morning’s focus sessions and innovation showcases. They also dive into the Presidential Symposium and the new technologies presented in Plenary II. Featured Products and Resources: Explore STEMCELL’s on-demand webinars. Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Emma Rawlins is a Senior Group Leader at the Gurdon Institute in the Department of Physiology, Development, and Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge. She talks about modeling fetal lung development using organoids, using single-cell RNA sequencing to create a human lung fetal atlas, and her advice to trainees to follow their hearts. Featured Products and Resources: Register for the ISSCR 2023 annual meeting Model the human respiratory system in vivo using PneumaCult™ The Stem Cell Science Round Up In Vivo Reprogramming of Astrocytes into Neurons – Researchers refute that Ptbpt1 deletion induces astrocyte-to-neuron conversion. A Parkinson’s Drug for ALS  – Clinical trial results show that the Parkinson’s disease drug ropinirole delays ALS progression. Establishment of the Adult Blood System – Researchers identified miR-223 as a negative regulator of murine hemogenic endothelial cell specification and myelopoiesis. Modeling Preneoplasia in Gastric Organoids – Gastric organoids with inactivated TP53, a common early event in gastric cancer, were created to model the earliest events in human tumor initiation. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Emma Rawlins. Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Insoo Hyun is the Director of the Center for Life Sciences and Public Learning at the Museum of Science in Boston, and a Member of the Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics. He talks about embryo models for early development, his work on the ISSCR’s guidelines for stem cell research, and advances in reproductive medicine. Featured Products and Resources: Meet the hosts of the Stem Cell Podcast at ISSCR 2023! Explore career opportunities at STEMCELL. The Stem Cell Science Round Up A New Small Molecule for Neuroregeneration – Scientists identified a PI3Kα activator that induces cell proliferation, provides cardioprotection, and stimulates nerve regeneration. Zebrafish Heart Regeneration – Researchers used ex vivo imaging to visualize intracellular calcium dynamics in the regenerating zebrafish heart. Signaling Pathways and Cell Fate – Scientists used optogenetics to study how ERK and AKT dynamics affect mouse embryonic stem cell fates. Milk and Cardiomyocyte Maturation – Maternal milk provides an essential signal that triggers the maturation of heart metabolism after birth. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Insoo Hyun Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Aileen Anderson is the Director of the Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center at the University of California, Irvine. Her lab investigates the role of inflammatory mechanisms in degeneration and regeneration in the injured central nervous system. She talks about cell therapy for spinal cord injury and how academic labs can collaborate with companies to move toward the clinic. She also discusses biomaterials to support axon regeneration. Featured Products and Resources: ISSCR 2023 is almost here! Explore STEMCELL Technologies’ collection of technical videos and webinars on neurological disease modeling. The Stem Cell Science Round Up Hypoimmune iPSCs in Non-Human Primates – Scientists validated a genetic method to block immune rejection of allogeneic cells in monkeys. Digital Retinal Organoids – A multimodal atlas of retinal organoid development shows spatial interactions over time. Skin Vascular Maturation – Researchers tracked neonatal endothelial cells to study how vasculature matures and maintains homeostasis in live mice. Bovine Blastoids – Scientists generated bovine blastocyst-like structures by assembling bovine trophoblast stem cells and expanded potential stem cells. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Aileen Anderson Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Shannon McKinney-Freeman is a Principal Investigator and Member at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Her lab focuses on the fundamental biology of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs).  She talks about the role of HSCs in sickle cell disease and the state of HSC transplantation research. She also discusses her work on hematopoietic progenitor expansion. Featured Products and Resources: Attend ISSCR 2023 in Boston! Find educational resources to help you further your research on hematopoiesis and hematological malignancies. The Stem Cell Science Round Up De-Differentiation to Prevent Grey Hair – Scientists identified a new model whereby dedifferentiation is integral to homeostatic stem cell maintenance. Seeing Stem Cell Variants – Researchers used single-cell cloning technologies to generate libraries of basal stem cells from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and control lungs. How Exercise Rejuvenates Stem Cells – Exercise increases Osteopontin expression in muscle and improves muscle regeneration. Distal Memory in Wound Healing – Cell adaptation resulting from localized tissue damage has a wide spatial impact. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Shannon McKinney-Freeman Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Sergiu Pașca is the Kenneth T. Norris, Jr. Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University and the Bonnie Uytengsu and Family Director of the Stanford Brain Organogenesis Program. His lab has pioneered and applied neural organoid and assembloid technologies to make discoveries in fundamental and clinical neuroscience. He talks about the response to his viral TED Talk and the importance of names for nervous system models. He also discusses CRISPR screening in assembloids to study autism, transplanting cortical organoids into rats, and biocompatible polymers for neural organoids. Featured Products and Resources: Register for ISSCR 2023! Submit your best cell image to the #StemCellfie contest. The Stem Cell Science Round Up Monkey Blastoids – Scientists generated monkey blastoids from ESCs and transferred them into surrogates to trigger pregnancies. Clonal Hematopoiesis and Chronic Liver Disease – Researchers used whole-exome sequencing data to study the association between clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential and chronic liver disease. Cardiomyocyte Cell Therapy – Gene editing prevents arrhythmias from cell-based therapy for myocardial infarction. Islet Transplantation Without Immunosuppression – Scientists used CRISPR to edit primary human pancreatic islet cells, making them immune-evasive. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Sergiu Pașca Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Stylianos Lefkopoulos is an Associate Editor of Nature Cell Biology. He talks about a day in the life of an editor and what he looks for in a manuscript. He also discusses the role of preprints in publishing and promoting diversity in STEM. Featured Products and Resources: Register for ISSCR 2023, taking place in Boston June 14-17. Submit your best cell image to the #StemCellfie contest! The Stem Cell Science Round Up Chemical Reprogramming – Researchers developed a reproducible and efficient protocol to generate human chemically induced pluripotent stem cells. Base Editing to Treat SCID – T cell generation was restored through adenine base editing in cell, organoid, and mouse models of CD3δ severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). Trophoplast Differentiation – Scientists generated a single-cell atlas of the entire maternal–fetal interface. Single-Cell Transcriptomics of Human Embryos During Organogenesis – Researchers used single-cell and spatial transcriptomics to provide a global view of human embryonic cell-type specification. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Stylianos Lefkopoulos Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Noriaki Ono is an Associate Professor at the University of Texas Health Center at Houston. His research focuses on bone development and regeneration. He talks about in vivo lineage tracing techniques and how early perichondrial cells contribute to developing bones. He also discusses the art and science of dentistry, mentorship, and moving his lab across the country. Featured Products and Resources: Register for ISSCR 2023, taking place in Boston June 14-17. Expand, maintain, and differentiate skeletal muscle progenitor cells. The Stem Cell Science Round Up Making Eggs from Male Mice – Researchers differentiated male iPSCs into oocytes, which gave rise to offspring after fertilization. Liver Regeneration – Transitional liver progenitor cells are bipotent and differentiate into hepatocytes during regeneration. A Key Factor for SARS-CoV-2 Infection – Scientists used a multi-organoid platform to identify the role of circadian-clock regulation in SARS-CoV-2 infection. Pancreatic Cancer Organoids – Transcriptomic analysis of pancreatic cancer organoids suggested that non-neoplastic cells in the tumor microenvironment can modulate tumor cell invasion. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Noriaki Ono Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guest: Dr. Ryan Conder is the Director of Epithelial and Organoid Systems at STEMCELL Technologies.  He talks about the next phase in organoid research and what questions organoids can help answer. He also discusses his experience doing a postdoc in Vienna, and Vancouver as a growing biotech hub. Featured Products and Resources: Register for ISSCR 2023, taking place in Boston June 14-17. Download an e-book covering the evolution of organoids, from their development to updated applications and future outlooks. The Stem Cell Science Round Up Transplanting Islets into the Omentum – Researchers transplanted islets to a bioengineered omental pouch in non-human primates. Bat iPSCs and Viruses – Scientists created iPSCs from two species of bats and identified a high number of endogenous viral sequences. Regeneration in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy – Forskolin reduced senescence of skeletal muscle stem cells and improved muscle function in a rat model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Deer Antler Regeneration – Scientists used single-cell transcriptomics to construct a cell atlas of antler regeneration. Photo Reference: Courtesy of STEMCELL Technologies Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe

Guests: Keith Alm is the CEO, Dr. Haifan Lin is the President, and Dr. David Scadden is 2023 Annual Meeting Program Chair of the ISSCR. They talk about the upcoming annual meeting being held this year in Boston, a biotech hub with a vibrant stem cell research community. They discuss the highlights of this year’s program including speakers, award winners, and more. They also discuss making this year’s meeting more accessible to trainees and researchers around the world. Featured Products and Resources: Register for ISSCR 2023, taking place in Boston June 14-17. STEMCELL Technologies is hiring! The Stem Cell Science Round Up Integrating Organoids into the Rat Visual Cortex – Researchers integrated human brain organoids into the injured visual cortices of adult rats. Mitochondria Metabolism and Neuronal Development – Metabolic rates in mitochondria help set the speed of neuronal development. Neural Progenitor Cell Villages – Researchers analyzed neural progenitor cells to identify genes associated with viral susceptibility. Activating Protein Clearance in ALS – PIKFYVE inhibition clears aggregation-prone proteins via exocytosis in ALS animal models and patient-derived motor neurons. A Therapeutic Target for ALS – SYF2 suppression alleviates disease in a diverse collection of iPSC models of ALS. Photo Reference: Courtesy of Keith Alm, Dr. Haifan Lin, and Dr. David Scadden Subscribe to our newsletter! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe