There’s hope for reversing stroke-induced long-term disability
Permanent brain damage from a stroke may be reversible thanks to a developing therapeutic technique, a USC-led study has found. The novel approach combines transplanted human stem cells with a special protein …
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.
Two Zika proteins responsible for microcephaly identified
USC researchers have tracked down two Zika proteins potentially responsible for thousands of microcephaly cases in Brazil and elsewhere—taking one small step toward preventing Zika-infected mothers from birthing babies with abnormally small …
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 …
USC Stem Cell researchers listen for clues about how the gene Atoh1 enables hearing
Non-mammals such as birds can recover from deafness as quickly as humans can recover from a cut or bruise. In contrast, when humans and other mammals sustain damage to the inner ear’s …
USC Stem Cell researchers receive the inaugural Broad Innovation Awards
Two teams of scientists have won the inaugural Eli and Edythe Broad Innovation Awards in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine at USC. This year’s competition provides $120,000 each to the teams …
A gene called Prkci helps organize organisms and their organs
A gene called Prkci can point cells in the right direction, according to a new study in Developmental Biology. In the study, USC Stem Cell researcher In Kyoung Mah from the laboratory …
Diet that mimics fasting may also reduce multiple sclerosis symptoms
Evidence is mounting that a diet mimicking the effects of fasting has health benefits beyond weight loss, with a new USC-led study indicating that it may reduce symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Scientists …
Sidgmore Family Foundation gift to help hearing loss research
There has always been one insurmountable problem related to hearing loss: When the sensory hair cells in the inner ear die, they don’t regenerate. These microscopic cells signal to the brain that …
Mark Humayun receives the National Medal from President Obama
Mark S. Humayun, co-director of the USC Gayle and Edward Roski Eye Institute and director of the USC Institute for Biomedical Therapeutics, received the nation’s highest award for achievement in technology from …
Key mutations may worsen hearing loss from the chemotherapy drug cisplatin
The chemotherapy drug cisplatin can kill cancer, but it can also kill the sensory cells of the inner ear — causing permanent hearing loss. This hearing loss is likely to be more severe …
Outside the lab: Justin Ichida, a stem cell scientist with the spirit of aloha and rock ’n roll
As a third-generation Hawaiian, USC Stem Cell researcher Justin Ichida is equally comfortable with lu’aus and lead guitars as with laboratories. As an assistant professor of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine …
USC Stem Cell scientist Justin Ichida named New York Stem Cell Foundation – Robertson Investigator
Some people see an award as remuneration for work well done. Upon being named a New York Stem Cell Foundation – Robertson Investigator, ALS researcher Justin Ichida sees his award as motivation …
Amplifying cell signals for potentially lower cost stem cell interventions
Editor’s Note: USC Stem Cell principal investigators Malcolm Snead and Yan Zhou were among the authors of “Supramolecular Nanofibers Enhance Growth Factor Signaling by Increasing Lipid Raft Mobility,” published on April 12, …
USC Stem Cell scientists enter the conversation about CRISPR
CRISPR-Cas9 is a gene-editing technique that enables scientists to disable, replace or modify sections of DNA. It allows for unprecedented precision and speed in the field of genome editing. It has been used to …
PhD student Kimberley Babos featured in ISSCR Member Spotlight
Kimberley Nicole Babos, a PhD candidate and Ichida Lab member at USC, recently gave an interview to the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) for a Member Spotlight.
Meet Jon-Paul Pepper, USC Stem Cell principal investigator and director of the USC Facial Nerve Center
Meet Jon-Paul Pepper, director of the USC Facial Nerve Center and assistant professor of clinical otolaryngology–head and neck surgery at Keck Medicine of USC. As a surgeon and scientist, he is striving …
USC Stem Cell mini-symposium introduces next-generation researchers
The next generation of scientists is turning to stem cells to advance our understanding of systems ranging from the blood to the brain, from the liver to the lungs. Six of these …
Scientists Qi-Long Ying and Austin Smith win the 2016 McEwen Award for Innovation
Video by Henry Liu Researchers Qi-Long Ying from USC and Austin Smith from the University of Cambridge have won the 2016 McEwen Award for Innovation, the highest honor bestowed by the International …
Ismael Fernández-Hernández receives USC-CONACYT Provost Fellowship
We can learn a lot from fly brains, according to Ismael Fernández-Hernández, a postdoctoral fellow in the USC Stem Cell laboratory of Michael Bonaguidi. Fernández-Hernández is an accomplished researcher who showed that …