Scientists launch global effort to find the next diabetes drug
USC researchers have launched a massive scientific effort to construct a detailed, virtual 3-D model of the pancreatic beta cell and its components — a global project that aims to one day …
Researchers test stem cell–based retinal implant for common cause of vision loss with encouraging results
Physicians and researchers at the USC Roski Eye Institute have collaborated with other California institutions to show that a first-in-kind stem cell–based retinal implant is feasible for use in people with advanced …
Request for Proposals: The Doerr Stem Cell Challenge Grants 2018–2019
To stimulate interdisciplinary stem cell research across USC Overview USC Stem Cell invites applications for the Doerr Stem Cell Challenge Grants. The goal of the program is to stimulate new interdisciplinary stem …
Physicians use gene therapy to restore patient’s vision
Surgeons of The Vision Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles completed a revolutionary gene replacement procedure at 9:20 a.m. March 20, to restore vision in a patient with retinal degeneration, using the …
At USC’s Junior Faculty Mini-Symposium, stem cell scientists build to understand
When physicist Richard Feynman died in 1988, he left a message scrawled across his chalkboard: “What I cannot create, I do not understand.” Twenty years later, scientists in a very different field …
Five ways to lower your chances of getting Alzheimer’s
Retain a sharp, healthy brain and reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s disease by following five simple rules. Some of the tips are scientifically proven, while others show promise but require further investigation.
Metal-detection technique inspires USC Dornsife cancer researchers
Metal detection has helped mining companies strike gold and airport security identify passengers who are a potential threat. Now USC Dornsife scientists have pushed its use into another realm: studying cancer.
Keck School celebrates pilot funding programs
The Keck School of Medicine of USC recently held a celebration of pilot funding programs that are available for researchers. The event, held Feb. 7 on the Health Sciences Campus, was hosted …
Never accept a kidney donation from a mouse
Researchers are hard at work building mini-kidneys from human cells—using blueprints mostly drawn from lab mice. But mouse kidneys differ from their human counterparts in more than mere scale, as detailed by …
Paula Cannon and Elyn Sacks named Distinguished Professors
Paula Cannon, PhD, and Elyn Saks, PhD, JD, have been named Distinguished Professors by USC President C. L. Max Nikias. USC Provost Michael Quick, PhD, announced the appointments in a Feb. 13 …
Small molecule could make a big difference for arthritis patients
Will there come a time when a patient with arthritis can forgo joint replacement surgery in favor of a shot? USC Stem Cell scientist Denis Evseenko has reason to be optimistic. In …
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles joins national consortium to study use of stem cells in treating a rare cardiac defect
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is announcing participation in the first-ever clinical trial using stem cells from umbilical cord blood to delay or even prevent heart failure in children born with a rare …
The toxic relationship between ALS and frontotemporal dementia
ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) are two neurodegenerative diseases with a toxic relationship, according to a new USC Stem Cell study published in Nature Medicine.
Half of all dementias start with damaged “gatekeeper cells”
USC research sheds new light on how a breakdown in the brain’s vascular system predates the accumulation of toxic plaques and tangles in the brain that bring about Alzheimer’s disease. The research …
What to know about fasting, aging, the “longevity diet” and when you should eat
Biochemist Valter Longo has devoted decades to discovering connections between nutrition and successful aging. He runs the Longevity Institute at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, which aims to extend healthy …
Bérénice Benayoun studies possibility of rejuvenating genes
Bérénice Benayoun, assistant professor at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and principal investigator with USC Stem Cell, explores the role of epigenetics—the ways that genes turn “off” or “on”—in the …
USC Stem Cell scientists chew on the mysteries of jaw development
Scientists in the USC Stem Cell laboratory of Gage Crump have revealed how key genes guide the development of the jaw in zebrafish. These findings may offer clues for understanding craniofacial anomalies …
USC professor Malcolm Snead elected to AIMBE College of Fellows
Malcolm Snead, a professor at the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC and a principal investigator with USC Stem Cell, has been elected to the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering …
Deep sea creatures provide a guiding light in the quest to develop cancer-fighting therapies
A team of scientists at the Keck School of Medicine of USC is looking to some deep sea dwellers to create a better way to develop cancer-fighting therapies. Harnessing the power of …
Answers for diseases like schizophrenia may lie in how the brain maintains balance
Pop psychologists tout “balance” as key to mental health, and they may be more right than they realize. Neuroscientist Dion Dickman is gaining insight into how the brain maintains healthy balance on …