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A gene control element for human outer ear development shows activity in the gills (green) of a 2-week old zebrafish (Image by Mathi Thiruppathy/Crump Lab/USC Stem Cell); featured image for An earful of gill: USC Stem Cell study points to the evolutionary origin of the mammalian outer ear

An earful of gill: USC Stem Cell study points to the evolutionary origin of the mammalian outer ear

The outer ear is unique to mammals, but its evolutionary origin has remained a mystery. According to a new study published in Nature from the USC Stem Cell lab of Gage Crump, …

In the zebrafish inner ear, a cell type known as supporting cells (magenta) gives rise to new sensory hearing cells (blue). The study reveals a set of DNA control elements critical for supporting cells to regenerate hair cells after injury in zebrafish, lizards and other regenerative species. (Image by Tuo Shi/Crump and Lozito labs/USC Stem Cell); featured image for USC Stem Cell study breaks the silence on how fish and lizards regenerate hearing

USC Stem Cell study breaks the silence on how fish and lizards regenerate hearing

A new USC Stem Cell study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) has identified key gene regulators that enable some deafened animals—including fish and lizards—to naturally regenerate …

Newborn neuron (green and purple cell) in brain tissue from patients with epilepsy (Image by Aswathy Ammothumkandy/Bonaguidi Lab/USC Stem Cell); featured image for To remember conversations, keep making new brain cells

To remember conversations, keep making new brain cells

USC-led study of patients with epilepsy shows how making new neurons benefits cognition in adults. Why do adults make new brain cells? A new study published in Cell Stem Cell provides the …

A circular field of cells shows a gradient of patterns, with green spots decreasing in size as cell density increases.; featured image for By exerting “crowd control” over mouse cells, scientists make progress towards engineering tissues

By exerting “crowd control” over mouse cells, scientists make progress towards engineering tissues

Genes aren’t the sole driver instructing cells to build multicellular structures, tissues, and organs. In a new paper published in Nature Communications, USC Stem Cell scientist Leonardo Morsut and Caltech computational biologist …

From right, Dean Carolyn Meltzer, Senta Georgia, and Charles (Chuck) Murry (Photo courtesy of Charles (Chuck) Murry); featured image for Keck School of Medicine celebrates faculty achievements at annual awards ceremony

Keck School of Medicine celebrates faculty achievements at annual awards ceremony

The 2024 Faculty Awards and Recognition Ceremony was a night of recognition and reflection as Dean Carolyn C. Meltzer, the Keck School Faculty Council and the Office of Faculty Affairs, Advancement, and …

Adaptive immune cells, such as B cells (pictured), are a key component of a youthful immune system. (Image courtesy of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases); featured image for USC Stem Cell mouse study sheds light on the secret to maintaining a youthful immune system

USC Stem Cell mouse study sheds light on the secret to maintaining a youthful immune system

What keeps some immune systems youthful and effective in warding off age-related diseases? In a new paper published in Cellular & Molecular Immunology, USC Stem Cell scientist Rong Lu and her collaborators …

A stem cell innovator focusing on repairing the heart, Chuck Murry (second from right) shares his expertise in biomedical science. (Photo/Steve Cohn); featured image for Chuck Murry: Stem cell science for healing the heart

Chuck Murry: Stem cell science for healing the heart

Success in Chuck Murry’s vision for regenerating heart tissue to restore function after a heart attack would look like a radical shift in the medical landscape. Ironically enough, he chalks up his …

(Photo courtesy of iStock); featured image for Severe COVID-19 infection increases heart attack and stroke risk as much as having a history of heart disease, study finds

Severe COVID-19 infection increases heart attack and stroke risk as much as having a history of heart disease, study finds

Researchers from the Keck School of Medicine of USC, UCLA and Cleveland Clinic studied the link between COVID-19 and major cardiac events, finding an increased risk that varied by blood type. Patients …

; featured image for USC’s Rong Lu and Caltech’s Michael B. Elowitz win the NIH Director’s Transformative Research Award for their new approach to study blood and immune cell production in bone marrow

USC’s Rong Lu and Caltech’s Michael B. Elowitz win the NIH Director’s Transformative Research Award for their new approach to study blood and immune cell production in bone marrow

Is it possible to study the production of blood and immune cells inside the bone marrow? For the first time ever, the answer is yes, thanks to a new approach pioneered by …

Image/iStock; featured image for USC launches collaboration with StemCardia to advance heart regeneration therapies

USC launches collaboration with StemCardia to advance heart regeneration therapies

The new initiative brings together renowned experts at a researcher-founded biotechnology company with Keck School of Medicine experts to develop innovative solutions for heart failure, the global leading cause of death. The …

Photo/iStock; featured image for An early blood test can predict survival in patients with metastatic prostate cancer, shows USC study

An early blood test can predict survival in patients with metastatic prostate cancer, shows USC study

The non-invasive test, which measures circulating tumor cells in the blood, can predict treatment response, disease progression and overall survival in men newly diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer, according to new research …

; featured image for Wnt happens in kidney development?

Wnt happens in kidney development?

A pair of USC Stem Cell mouse studies detail how progenitor cells self-renew, differentiate, and aggregate into early kidney structures, offering insights for the creation of stem cell-based artificial kidneys. A group …

COMPASS cohort (Photo by Cristy Lytal); featured image for USC COMPASS undergraduate program prepares juniors and seniors for stem cell careers

USC COMPASS undergraduate program prepares juniors and seniors for stem cell careers

For 20 undergraduate students at USC, stem cell research is more than the topic of a lecture or an article in a textbook. It’s the focus of a comprehensive two-year program designed …

Following an acute kidney injury, damaged cells interact within disease-promoting microenvironments, a process linked to a progression to chronic kidney disease. (Image by Michal Polonsky/Caltech); featured image for New study shows cells get involved in unhealthy relationships after acute kidney injury (AKI) in mice

New study shows cells get involved in unhealthy relationships after acute kidney injury (AKI) in mice

Using cutting-edge technology, researchers at USC and Caltech develop a comprehensive map of cellular, molecular, and structural changes following AKI, revealing cellular interactions that may lead to chronic kidney disease. A study …

Charles (Chuck) Murry (Photo by Gavin Sisk/ University of Washington); featured image for USC Stem Cell welcomes new leader, renowned physician-scientist Chuck Murry

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 …

Poster session at the 2024 CIRM Trainee Network Conference at USC's Town and Gown (Photo by Sergio Bianco)

USC-hosted CIRM conference welcomes stem cell trainees from across California

At the inaugural California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) Trainee Network Conference, over 400 students and postdocs from across California gathered for three days of learning, networking, and career development on USC’s …

In specialized kidney cells that filter the blood (podocytes), both mouse and human cells express the gene MAFB (red) but the human kidney disease associated gene PLA2R1 is only active in human cells (green). (Image by Sunghyun Kim/McMahon lab); featured image for USC Stem Cell study maps how genes instruct kidneys to develop differently in mice and humans

USC Stem Cell study maps how genes instruct kidneys to develop differently in mice and humans

How similar is kidney development in humans and in the lab mice that form the foundation of basic medical research? In a new study published in Developmental Cell, USC Stem Cell scientists …

The B cell research is an important advance in treating conditions ranging from Alzheimer’s to arthritis. (Illustration/iStock); featured image for USC researchers turn the body’s B cells into tiny surveillance machines, antibody factories

USC researchers turn the body’s B cells into tiny surveillance machines, antibody factories

The technology could be used to treat or prevent chronic diseases or infections such as HIV. USC scientists have discovered a way to turn the body’s B cells into tiny surveillance machines …

Bangyan L. Stiles, a USC faculty member since 2005, has been named the Boyd P. and Elsie D. Welin Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences. (Photo by Ed Carreon); featured image for Bangyan L. Stiles Awarded Boyd P. and Elsie D. Welin Professorship of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Bangyan L. Stiles Awarded Boyd P. and Elsie D. Welin Professorship of Pharmaceutical Sciences

The five-year appointment became effective July 1, 2024. Bangyan L. Stiles, professor of pharmacology and pharmaceutical sciences, has been named the Boyd P. and Elsie D. Welin Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences. The …

The kidney contains macula densa cells, which orchestrate kidney regeneration.; featured image for To regenerate the kidney, please don’t pass the salt

To regenerate the kidney, please don’t pass the salt

USC study showing loss of salt and body fluid stimulates kidney regeneration in mice, suggests new therapeutic approach to chronic kidney disease. A loss of salt and body fluid can stimulate kidney …