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Stem cells self-organize to form a hollow ball of cells. (Image by In Kyoung Mah and Francesca Mariani)

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 …

Valter Longo (Photo by Dietmar Quistorf)

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 …

Malcolm Snead (Photo courtesy of the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC)

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, …

3-D printed Cas9 enzyme that snips a DNA sequence at a location identified by CRISPR. (Photo courtesy of the NIH 3D Print Exchange, National Institutes of Health)

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 …

Tracy C. Grikscheit (Photo courtesy of Children's Hospital Los Angeles)

Stem cell researcher Tracy Grikscheit awarded $7.1 million by CIRM

Tracy C. Grikscheit, a principal investigator with USC Stem Cell and The Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, has received a $7.1 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative …

From left, Hsiang-Ying (Sherry) Lee, Sergei Doulatov, Leonardo Morsut, Alexander Pollen and Joan Font-Burgada (Photo by Cristy Lytal)

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 …

Qi-Long Ying (Photo by Cristy Lytal)

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 …

Chemotherapy kills most cancer cells, but cancer stem cell survive and seed a new tumor that resists chemotherapy.

Scientists root out the “bad seeds” of liver cancer

Researchers have found the “bad seeds” of liver cancer and believe they could one day reprogram them to remain responsive to cancer treatment, according to a new study in the January 12 …

The gene Prkci promotes the generation of differentiated cells (red). However if Prkci activity is reduced or absent, neural stem cells (green) are promoted. (Image by In Kyoung Mah)

A Prkci gene keeps stem cells in check

When it comes to stem cells, too much of a good thing isn’t wonderful: producing too many new stem cells may lead to cancer; producing too few inhibits the repair and maintenance …

Heinz-Josef Lenz (Photo courtesy of Heinz-Josef Lenz)

Heinz-Josef Lenz is first recipient of endowed chair honoring J. Terrence Lanni

The ceremony installing the J. Terrence Lanni Chair in Cancer Research was one of heartfelt tributes for two men, a doctor and a patient, who formed a tight bond over the years …

From right, Qi-Long Ying, director of the Chang Stem Cell Engineering Facility; Daniel Chang; Andy McMahon, director of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC; and Cai Li Chang (Photo by Cristy Lytal)

Chang Stem Cell Engineering Facility brings gene editing to USC and beyond

Once the stuff of science fiction, genetic engineering is now offered on a fee-for-service basis at USC. On September 19, USC Stem Cell faculty and staff welcomed their supporters, the Chang and …

August 2015 cover of Cell

Researchers mimic viral infection in colon cancer stem cells

Researchers targeting colorectal cancer stem cells — the root cause of disease, resistance to treatment and relapse — have discovered a mechanism to mimic a virus and potentially trigger an immune response …

Clockwise from top left: Andre Luis de Castro Abreu, Victoria Forte, Kathy Schall and Rodrigo Martínez Monedero (Photos by Cristy Lytal)

USC Stem Cell selects inaugural Broad Clinical Research Fellows

This year, the Broad Clinical Research Fellowships are enabling physician-investigators to explore stem cell-based approaches related to four very different medical conditions: breast cancer, kidney disease, deafness and short bowel syndrome. Each …

Fresh veggies, anyone? (Photo by Bob Nichols)

Diet that mimics fasting appears to slow aging

Want to lose abdominal fat, get smarter and live longer? New research led by USC Stem Cell principal investigator Valter Longo shows that periodically adopting a diet that mimics the effects of …

Tracy C. Grikscheit (Photo courtesy of Children's Hospital Los Angeles)

Zebrafish provide a novel model to study short bowel syndrome

USC Stem Cell investigators at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) are providing new hope for babies with short bowel syndrome (SBS) by developing a novel model of SBS in zebrafish, described in …

Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC (Photo by Chris Shinn)

Take a tour of USC’s stem cell research center

Video by Alric Devotta Director Andy McMahon leads a tour of the Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC.

Clockwise from upper left: Hao Yuan Kueh, Florian Merkle, Robert A.J. Signer, members of the audience, Pedro Batista and Joseph T. Rodgers (Photos by Cristy Lytal)

USC mini-symposium showcases the next generation of top stem cell scientists

Obesity, narcolepsy, leukemia and muscle injuries have at least one thing in common: they are engaging the next generation of top stem cell scientists. Five of these scientists presented their research at …

USC PhD student Louise Menendez examines the prototype of a potential device to treat patients with liver disease. (Photo by Cristy Lytal)

“Million-dollar ideas” seminar

At a special seminar on February 24, USC Stem Cell Principal Investigators discussed their “million-dollar ideas” for creating new tools and technologies to usher in the era of regenerative medicine. They shared …

From left, Toshio Miki, Qi-Long Ying, Paula Cannon (Photos by Cristy Lytal and Don Milici)

Three USC researchers win $4.3 million in awards from California’s stem cell agency

Three scientists from Keck Medicine of USC have won grants exceeding $4.3 million from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) for research that includes creating a temporary liver for patients, finding …

The Grikscheit Lab (Photo by Cristy Lytal)

Researchers grow functional intestine from human cells

A new study by researchers at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has shown that small intestine grown from human cells replicates key aspects of a functioning human intestine. The small intestine they developed …