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Qi-Long Ying (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for Scientists Qi-Long Ying and Austin Smith win the 2016 McEwen Award for Innovation

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 …

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); featured image for A Prkci gene keeps stem cells in check

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 …

Min Yu (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for USC Stem Cell researcher Min Yu receives the NIH’s New Innovator Award

USC Stem Cell researcher Min Yu receives the NIH’s New Innovator Award

As a winner of the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, USC Stem Cell principal investigator Min Yu will strive to develop individualized medicine targeting rare and deadly breast cancer stem cells. The …

Heinz-Josef Lenz (Photo courtesy of Heinz-Josef Lenz); featured image for Heinz-Josef Lenz is first recipient of endowed chair honoring J. Terrence Lanni

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); featured image for Chang Stem Cell Engineering Facility brings gene editing to USC and beyond

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; featured image for Researchers mimic viral infection in colon cancer stem cells

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); featured image for USC Stem Cell selects inaugural Broad Clinical Research Fellows

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 …

Children's Hospital Los Angeles logo

Stem cell transplantation for children with rare form of leukemia improves outcomes

Researchers in the Division of Hematology, Oncology and Blood & Marrow Transplantation at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles have shown greatly improved outcomes in using stem cell transplantation to treat patients with a …

Fresh veggies, anyone? (Photo by Bob Nichols); featured image for Diet that mimics fasting appears to slow aging

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 …

Min Yu (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for USC Stem Cell researcher Min Yu named Pew-Stewart scholar for cancer research

USC Stem Cell researcher Min Yu named Pew-Stewart scholar for cancer research

USC Stem Cell researcher Min Yu is one of five early-career scientists to be named a 2015 Pew-Stewart scholar for cancer research. As part of this honor, she will receive $240,000 over …

From left, Jon-Paul Pepper, Min Yu and Kevin S. King; featured image for The Baxter Foundation awards grants to USC researchers Min Yu, Jon-Paul Pepper and Kevin S. King

The Baxter Foundation awards grants to USC researchers Min Yu, Jon-Paul Pepper and Kevin S. King

It takes a very special doctor to push beyond existing patient treatments and engage in the quest for new ones. That’s why the Donald E. and Delia B. Baxter Foundation has selected …

Eli and Edythe Broad CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at USC (Photo by Chris Shinn); featured image for Take a tour of USC’s stem cell research center

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.

Amy S. Lee (Photo courtesy of USC); featured image for Faculty Spotlight: Amy S. Lee

Faculty Spotlight: Amy S. Lee

Amy S. Lee’s major research focus is in the area of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and, in particular, the ER chaperone proteins GRP78 and GRP94. Lee was the first to clone human …

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); featured image for USC mini-symposium showcases the next generation of top stem cell scientists

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); featured image for “Million-dollar ideas” seminar

“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); featured image for Three USC researchers win $4.3 million in awards from California’s stem cell agency

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 …

Preet Chaudhary (Photo courtesy of USC); featured image for New option benefits patients needing bone marrow transplants

New option benefits patients needing bone marrow transplants

Keck Medical Center of USC is offering a new option for patients who need bone marrow (also called stem cell) transplants, but have not found a match. Haploidentical transplants allow patients who …

Fatih Uckun (Photo courtesy of Children's Hospital Los Angeles)

Protein-based therapy shows promise against resistant leukemia

Resistance of leukemia cells to contemporary chemotherapy is one of the most formidable obstacles to treating acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common form of childhood cancer. Now researchers at Children’s Hospital …

Circulating tumor cells (Image courtesy of Min Yu); featured image for Min Yu and Heinz-Josef Lenz seek to stop cancer in its tracks

Min Yu and Heinz-Josef Lenz seek to stop cancer in its tracks

Heinz-Josef Lenz and Min Yu both know that a cancer cell in motion doesn’t stay in motion. It comes to rest and spreads cancer. After detaching from the primary tumor and traveling …

Leukemic cells (Image courtesy of Fatih Uckun); featured image for Researchers engineer a “smart bomb” to attack childhood leukemia

Researchers engineer a “smart bomb” to attack childhood leukemia

Fatih Uckun, Jianjun Cheng and their colleagues have taken the first steps towards developing a so-called “smart bomb” to attack the most common and deadly form of childhood cancer—called B-lineage acute lymphoblastic …