The New York Stem Cell Foundation

Ting Chen, PhD, a NYSCF – Druckenmiller Fellowship Alumnus at The Rockefeller University, has published work in the April issue of Nature that sheds new light on the mechanisms that govern stem cell renewal and regeneration. By using RNA screening techniques on stem cells derived from human hair follicles, Dr. Chen and her team have identified TBX1, a transcription factor that plays an important role in regulating tissue regeneration by acting as a gatekeeper for cell proliferation. By identifying and observing the behavior of transcription factors like TBX1, scientists may gain valuable insight into cell regeneration in the hopes of developing ways to control cell behavior to treat diseases such as skin cancer.

Read Dr. Chen's paper at the Nature website.

The White House Office of Science and Technology yesterday announced its National Bioeconomy Blueprint, President Obama's initiative to strengthen bioscientific research in order to drive economic growth and technological innovation in the United States. NYSCF's research pursuing ways to use induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to develop treatments for blood-related disorders was highlighted in the Blueprint. iPS cells, which are derived by reprogramming adult skin or blood cells, are particularly promising as they can give rise to nearly any type of cell in the body. Cells generated from iPS lines can be used to study the mechanisms of disease, test for the safety and efficacy of new drugs, and work towards potential therapies for healing and replacing damaged tissue. NYSCF, working with the National Institutes of Health Center for Regenerative Medicine (NIH CRM) and other collaborating institutions will be pursuing treatments for diseases like leukemia and metabolic conditions, including lysosomal storage diseases. NYSCF's team is also investigating whether the stem cell lines may be used to bolster supplies in blood banks by generating therapeutic quantites of blood for use in medical treatments.

Read the National Bioeconomy Blueprint at the White House website.

Read the Fact Sheet highlighting NYSCF's work at the White House website.

Marius Wernig, MD, a NYSCF – Robertson Investigator at Stanford University, released an update to previously published work confirming that mouse skin cells can bypass the stem cell stage and be converted directly into cells that become the three main parts of the nervous system, including the neural precursor cells that develop into neurons. In conjunction with the prior research, this new study indicates strongly that this new technique may be used to quickly generate large amounts of neural precursor cells for use in disease modeling and drug screening. In addition, Dr. Wernig and his team are hopeful that the technique may hold therapeutic potential to generate patient-specific cells to replace ones damaged by disease. This study was announced online on January 30th in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Chutima Talchai, PhD, a NYSCF – Druckenmiller Fellow at Columbia University, published work in the March 11^th issue of Nature Genetics showing that functional insulin-producing cells can be generated in the gut by manipulating the gene encoding Foxo1, an important protein for metabolism. Dr. Talchai and her co-authors are now pursuing potential applications of this discovery in treatment of Type 1 Diabetes, which is caused by the loss of insulin-producing cells and currently requires lifelong insulin injections for survival.

NYSCF sends congratulations to aspiring 2014 Winter Olympian, lawyer, and friend of the organization Seun Adebiyi for his lifesaving work in creating the first bone marrow registry in Nigeria. Because it is a public bank, the registry will offer hope not only to millions of Nigerians suffering from blood disorders, but also to patients around the globe who currently face difficulty in finding bone marrow matches for treatment. In the United States alone, African-American patients have less than a 17% chance of finding a bone marrow match, compared to a 70% chance of a match for Caucasian patients. The registry will improve the odds that patients with African ancestry around the world will find a suitable donor by linking patients and donors based in Nigeria with international donor pools.

Sriram Bandi, PhD, a NYSCF – Druckenmiller Fellowship alumnus, published work in the February 2012 Journal of Cell Science finding that cells derived from a human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line mimicked the characteristics of early stage liver cells and could potentially be used to help support liver function and metabolism in patients suffering from liver disease. The research of Dr. Bandi and his team suggests that by studying the origin and function of hESC-derived stem cells during the derivation process, scientists may be able to pinpoint suitable clinical applications across a range of diseases. Dr. Bandi completed his fellowship at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, where he is now a Research Associate at the Marion Besser Liver Research Center.

Susan L. Solomon, CEO of the New York Stem Cell Foundation, will speak on December 1, 2011, at the Investor & Partnering Forum of the Stem Cell Meeting on the Mesa in San Diego. Ms. Solomon will participate in the introductory plenary session: "Looking Ahead — Where Will We Be in Five Years."  

More information is available at: http://stemcellmeetingonthemesa.com/investor-and-partnering-forum

Dieter Egli, Ph.D., senior research fellow at the New York Stem Cell Foundation, will speak at the Cell Symposia series meeting on Stem Cell Programming and Reprogramming in Lisbon, Portugal on December 8-10, 2011.  Dr.Egli will discuss his groundbreaking research recently reported in Nature on reprogramming adult skin cells to derive embryonic stem cells containing the DNA from a type 1 Diabetes patient. 

More information is available at http://www.cell-symposia-stemcellprogramming-reprogramming.com/index.html