From professional volleyball to stem cell biology, Leonardo Morsut is at the top of his game
For USC Stem Cell researcher Leonardo Morsut, the word “set” refers to a collection of scientific data. “Set” is also the prelude to spiking a volleyball over the net—something he used to do for a living as a professional athlete in Italy.
Alerting stem cells to hurry up and heal
Accelerated healing isn’t just for superheroes. A new study in Cell Reports suggests a way that mere mortals can potentially speed their recovery from a wide variety of injuries. “Our research shows …
University honors Gage Crump and other faculty for mentorship
USC Stem Cell scientist Gage Crump is one of seven faculty members with ties to the Health Sciences Campus receiving USC Mentoring Awards. The awards recognize faculty who exemplify the best in …
USC researchers close to identifying crucial gene for human cleft lip and palate
A group of researchers has found that three siblings born with cleft lip and palate share a common gene mutation associated with the birth defect. The gene intraflagellar transport 88 (IFT88) ensures …
Broad Fellow Joanna Smeeton fishes around for stem cell-based treatments for arthritis
USC Stem Cell scientist Joanna Smeeton knows what arthritis can do to people: she’s witnessed the annual exodus out of her native country of Canada during the winter months. As this year’s …
Research group awarded $12 million to establish tissue regeneration center
A research team called C-DOCTOR (Center for Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Tissue and Organ Regeneration), initiated by the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC, is one step closer to developing products that …
CIRM awards $2.29 million to support stem cell-based therapy for knee osteoarthritis
The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), California’s stem cell agency, has awarded the biopharmaceutical company Cellular Biomedicine Group Inc. (Nasdaq: CBMG) $2.29 million to support pre-clinical studies of AlloJoinTM, human fat-derived …
Bioengineering models for muscular dystrophy research
Studying muscular diseases proves extremely complicated. The current system of studying muscle cells and tissues using animal models is often inconclusive and cost-prohibitive. Looking to improve the status quo, Megan McCain—a Gabilan …
Bone defects inspire perfect union between surgeon-scientist and stem cell researchers at USC
As chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, Jay R. Lieberman regularly sees patients with bone defects too severe to heal. This unmet clinical …
Denis Evseenko receives $2.5 million from California Institute for Regenerative Medicine for osteoarthritis research
The Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) is one of four institutions to receive a multi-million dollar grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) for …
USC Stem Cell scientist Joseph T. Rodgers receives grant from the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR)
Wisdom can increase with age, but healing power does not. USC Stem Cell scientist Joseph T. Rodgers is exploring the biology behind this fact, thanks to a grant from the American Federation …
What I’m Reading: Top pick from stem cell faculty member Senta Georgia
Earlier this year, a team at the Karolinska Institute published a paper that profiled gene activity in single cells from human embryos created in the context of in vitro fertilization. Now this …
What I’m Reading: Top pick from stem cell faculty member Qi-Long Ying
In a recent study published in Cell Stem Cell, Joshua Black and colleagues demonstrated that skin cells are converted into neurons using a powerful tool called CRISPR/Cas9 to concurrently modify and activate …
What I’m reading: Top pick from stem cell faculty member Wange Lu
Our genetic material is packed into the nucleus of the cell, but is the packing process random or organized in some way? In a recent study published in Cell Stem Cell, Krijger …
Megan McCain receives American Heart Association Faculty Award
Megan McCain has received a 2016 Scientist Development Grant from the American Heart Association. The three-year, $231,000 grant supports highly promising early career scientists in cardiovascular and stroke research. McCain—Gabilan Assistant Professor …
USC researchers awarded $3.3 million NIDCR grant to find more effective treatment for common birth defect
It might surprise you to learn that your cranium is not one continuous smooth bone encasing your brain. It’s actually comprised of eight bones, separated by fibrous joints, to give your skull …
What I’m reading: Top pick from stem cell faculty member Francesca Mariani
In a recent study in the journal Cell, Kyle Loh and colleagues in Irving Weissman’s group established a rapid protocol for converting human pluripotent stem cells into mesoderm—the progenitors for heart, skeleton, …
What I’m reading: A top pick from stem cell faculty member Joseph T. Rodgers
In a recent issue of Science, Jay Shendure, Alexander Schier and colleagues present an extraordinarily powerful new approach to trace the lineage of cells as they divide within an organism.
What I’m reading: Top picks from stem cell faculty members Andy McMahon and Gage Crump
Andy McMahon: Leigh Turner and Paul Knoepfler present a disturbing report in Cell Stem Cell on the growth of businesses marketing stem cell interventions in the US. Los Angeles is one “stem …
Arthritis originated in primordial fish
We all know someone affected by arthritis—as well as that old dog down the block. But according to a new study in eLife, arthritis is much more widespread in the animal kingdom …