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Surgeons perform a breakthrough one-time treatment to replace a defective gene with a healthy copy made from artificial DNA. (Photo courtesy of CHLA); featured image for Physicians use gene therapy to restore patient’s vision

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 …

From left, stem cell researchers Andres Matias Lebensohn, Maxwell Z. Wilson, Seth Shipman, Pulin Li and Yejing Ge (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for At USC’s Junior Faculty Mini-Symposium, stem cell scientists build to understand

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 …

Genetic and lifestyle factors could play a role in developing Alzheimer’s disease, researchers say. (Photo courtesy of Stocksy); featured image for Five ways to lower your chances of getting Alzheimer’s

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.

Paula Cannon (Photo by Don Milici); featured image for Paula Cannon and Elyn Sacks named Distinguished Professors

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 …

Motor nerve cells (Image courtesy of the Ichida Lab); featured image for The toxic relationship between ALS and frontotemporal dementia

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.

Diffusion MRI maps show disrupted white matter connectivity and loss of white matter fiber tracts in 1 year-old pericyte-deficient mice. (Image courtesy of the Zlokovic Lab); featured image for Half of all dementias start with damaged “gatekeeper cells”

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 …

Valter Longo (Photo by John Skalicky); featured image for What to know about fasting, aging, the “longevity diet” and when you should eat

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 (Photo courtesy of the USC Davis School of Gerontology); featured image for Bérénice Benayoun studies possibility of rejuvenating genes

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 …

Synapses between nerve cells, called neurons, and muscle cells in the fruit fly Drosophila are giving clues to how neurons maintain communication. Here, a synapse is immunostained with antibodies that recognize the neuronal membrane (blue), active zones (green) and neurotransmitter receptors (red). (Image courtesy of Dion Dickman); featured image for Answers for diseases like schizophrenia may lie in how the brain maintains balance

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 …

Abigail Zamora; featured image for Broad Clinical Research Fellows use stem cells to build bone and combat cancer

Broad Clinical Research Fellows use stem cells to build bone and combat cancer

This year’s Broad Clinical Research Fellows will apply stem cell-based approaches to two prevalent problems: non-healing bone injuries, which affect 5 million Americans each year; and neuroblastoma, which is the most common …

Michaela Patterson (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for Broad Fellows look to stem cells to treat heart disease and hearing loss

Broad Fellows look to stem cells to treat heart disease and hearing loss

When it came time to select this year’s Broad Fellow, the award committee couldn’t pick just one. Instead, they bestowed the honor on two talented postdoctoral researchers in USC Stem Cell laboratories: …

Embryonic stem cells (Image/courtesy of Qi-Long Ying); featured image for Subtle cues can dictate the fate of stem cells

Subtle cues can dictate the fate of stem cells

If you’ve seen one GSK3 molecule, do not assume that you have seen them all. A new study in Developmental Cell reveals important differences in two similar forms of GSK3, which, in …

Embryonic mouse cortex with neural stem cells (red) and neurons (green) (Image by Wen-Hsuan Chang/Wange Lu Lab); featured image for Ryk needs a chaperone

Ryk needs a chaperone

Ryk has made the headlines by requiring a chaperone. But don’t assume that Ryk is a badly behaved celebrity—it’s actually a protein featured in a new study in the Proceedings of the …

From left, Gio Suh and Lauren Ekman (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for Countdown to Commencement: Gio Suh builds muscles without exercising

Countdown to Commencement: Gio Suh builds muscles without exercising

“I’ve always wanted to be in a textbook and impact the world,” said Gio Suh, who is graduating in December 2017 from the master of science program in stem cell biology and …

Jianfu Chen (Photo courtesy of the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC); featured image for A Zika surprise: African strain can do more damage than Asian strain

A Zika surprise: African strain can do more damage than Asian strain

The Zika virus has spread to 44 countries, with thousands infected and thousands of babies born with microcephaly, a rare complication that causes small heads. But even though research dollars are being …

Pinchas Cohen (Photo courtesy of the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology); featured image for Pinchas Cohen recognized as top influencer in aging field

Pinchas Cohen recognized as top influencer in aging field

A newly published list of 2017’s top 50 “Influencers in Aging” includes Pinchas Cohen, dean of the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and principal investigator with USC Stem Cell. The list …

Nanoparticles vs. germs (Photo courtesy of @nanopeek); featured image for Peeking into the science world

Peeking into the science world

For adolescents, social media use is nearly inevitable. According to “Science Daily,” a website that circulates recently developed research news headlines, 76 percent of teenagers in the United States actively use Instagram …

Injury-related damage in a mouse chronic kidney disease model (Image by Jing Liu/McMahon Lab); featured image for The Broad Foundation awards $1 million to early-stage stem cell research projects

The Broad Foundation awards $1 million to early-stage stem cell research projects

The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation has awarded two $125,000 grants to early-stage scientific investigations at USC’s stem cell research center. The projects are among eight winners of the $1 million Fund …

Justin Ichida (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for USC Stem Cell researcher Justin Ichida honored as a champion in the fight against ALS

USC Stem Cell researcher Justin Ichida honored as a champion in the fight against ALS

The ALS Association Golden West Chapter will recognize USC Stem Cell researcher Justin Ichida with the 2017 Essey Commitment to a Cure Award for his outstanding achievements in the fight against ALS. …

Justin Ichida (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for Verge Genomics announces a multi-institution collaboration with Columbia University, MGH, USC and the University of Michigan to advance ALS research

Verge Genomics announces a multi-institution collaboration with Columbia University, MGH, USC and the University of Michigan to advance ALS research

Verge Genomics, a drug discovery company utilizing genomic data for neuroscience therapeutics, announced today that it is has established a multi-institution industry-academic collaboration with four top universities focused on accelerating the translation …