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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 …

The labs of Raymond C. Stevens, right, and Peter Kuhn will bring a cohort of approximately 50 researchers to USC. Their labs will be housed in the new USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience. (Photo by Ryan Young); featured image for USC recruits renowned leaders in molecular research

USC recruits renowned leaders in molecular research

Raymond C. Stevens and Peter Kuhn have been named Provost Professor of Biological Sciences and Chemistry and Dean’s Professor of Biological Sciences, respectively. The announcements were made by Provost Elizabeth Garrett and …

David Cobrinik (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for How a single genetic change causes retinal tumors in children

How a single genetic change causes retinal tumors in children

Retinoblastoma is a retinal tumor usually affecting children one to two years of age. Although rare, it is the most common malignant tumor of the eye in children. Left untreated, retinoblastoma can …

Circulating tumor cells (Image courtesy of Min Yu); featured image for Min Yu targets the “seeds” of breast cancer metastasis

Min Yu targets the “seeds” of breast cancer metastasis

For breast cancer patients, the era of personalized medicine may be just around the corner, thanks to recent advances by USC Stem Cell researcher Min Yu and scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital …

Multi-well plate (Image courtesy of the National Institutes of Health); featured image for USC Stem Cell and the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center accelerate drug discovery

USC Stem Cell and the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center accelerate drug discovery

Three teams of USC stem cell researchers have won a coveted prize — the opportunity to test 3,000 drug candidates or chemicals for the potential to help patients. Two teams will focus …

Andy McMahon (Photo by Phil Channing); featured image for Andy McMahon and USC Stem Cell: From discoveries to cures

Andy McMahon and USC Stem Cell: From discoveries to cures

Video by Little Pictures How do fingers become fingers and not toes? How does the brain generate the correct number of neurons? How do the kidneys branch into the complex and elegant …

Valter Longo (Photo by Dietmar Quistorf); featured image for Fasting triggers stem cell regeneration of damaged, old immune system

Fasting triggers stem cell regeneration of damaged, old immune system

In the first evidence of a natural intervention triggering stem cell-based regeneration of an organ or system, a study in the June 5 issue of Cell Stem Cell shows that cycles of …

Justin Ichida (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for The Baxter Foundation supports innovative, young medical researchers at USC

The Baxter Foundation supports innovative, young medical researchers at USC

In 1959, the Donald E. and Delia B. Baxter Foundation made its first grant of $6,000 to USC. Fifty-five years later, the foundation continues its tradition of supporting innovative medical research with …

Lindsey Barske (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for Postdocs receive Giannini Foundation fellowships

Postdocs receive Giannini Foundation fellowships

Two Keck School of Medicine of USC postdoctoral scholars recently received fellowships from the prestigious A.P. Giannini Foundation. Lindsey Barske, PhD, received her fellowship based on her work with craniofacial development, and …

Heinz-Josef Lenz (Photo courtesy of Heinz-Josef Lenz); featured image for Dhont Family Foundation invigorates USC colon cancer research

Dhont Family Foundation invigorates USC colon cancer research

Colon cancer research at USC received a boost from the Southern California-based Dhont Family Foundation, as the foundation renewed its commitment of its $1 million gift to fund Heinz-Josef Lenz’s research in …