Overview

USC Stem Cell scientists are advancing our understanding of how the body develops, maintains and repairs the brain, nerves and senses. They are using stem cells to find new regenerative therapies for conditions including Alzheimer’s disease, neurodegenerative diseases, brain tumors, hearing loss and vision loss.

Statistics

  • Alzheimer’s disease is the sixth leading cause of death in the US. An estimated 5.5 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease.
  • ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, causes progressive paralysis and usually results in fatal respiratory failure within three to five years of diagnosis.
  • Brain tumors are the most common cancer and leading cause of cancer-related death in children fourteen years and younger.
  • Twenty percent of Americans—or 48 million people—report some degree of hearing loss.
  • More than 20 million Americans report some degree of vision loss.

Researchers

Brain, Nerves and Senses News

Charles (Chuck) Murry (Photo by Gavin Sisk/ University of Washington)

USC Stem Cell welcomes new leader, renowned physician-scientist Chuck Murry

Charles (Chuck) Murry, MD, PhD, has been appointed as the next head of USC Stem Cell. In that capacity, he will be the chair of the Department of Stem Cell Biology and …

Clear experimental skull implant may enable functional ultrasound imaging of the brain for patients with serious head injuries. (Photo by Todd Patterson)

USC researchers pioneer new brain imaging technique through clear “window” in patient’s skull

In a proof-of-concept study, a research team based at the Keck School of Medicine of USC showed that functional ultrasound imaging can record brain activity through a transparent skull implant. In the …

Organoid with neurons labeled in green (Image by Joshua Berlind/Ichida Lab)

Organoids reveal how to protect the brain against dementia and ALS following traumatic injury, according to USC Stem Cell study

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) can quadruple your risk for developing dementia, and also increase your chances of developing neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS. In a new study published in Cell Stem …

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Brain, Nerves and Senses Videos

Dr. Justin Ichida’s research focuses on how genetic and environmental factors contribute to human neurodegenerative disease. His laboratory uses cellular reprogramming and stem cell technology to build patient-specific in vitro models of neurodegenerative disease, enabling the screening of drug-like compounds in search of potential therapeutics. To learn more, visit https://ichidalab.usc.edu.
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