Program Leader: Amy Wagers, PhD

Two years ago, the Cell Development Program emerged from the common interest of six HSCI junior faculty members in elucidating the biochemical pathways that control nuclear reprogramming and mechanisms of cellular differentiation. This dynamic program brings together a group of like-minded and collaborative young investigators from five HSCI-affiliated research institutions who are committed to supporting each other's research projects as well as fostering the careers of other junior investigators.

It has been an exciting year for the Cell Development Program. The team's research efforts have established new model systems for testing nuclear reprogramming in cell culture and in whole organisms, and have opened the door to answering fundamental questions in stem cell biology and cell fate determination. Their success has resulted in multiple high-profile publications and provides a compelling example of the advantages gained through collaborative science.

Multiple Breakthroughs

One breakthrough publication came from program member Konrad Hochedlinger, PhD, and colleagues, in which his team defined molecularly and temporally the sequence of events that occurs during conversion of adult cells into an embryonic-like state following exposure to virally-introduced "reprogramming genes." This important work on adult mouse skin cells will help researchers narrow the field of candidate chemicals and proteins that might be used to safely turn these processes on and off. Developing such a chemically-based strategy will be essential for many therapeutic uses of reprogrammed cells because currently researchers must use cancer-causing genes to initiate the reprogramming process, and retroviruses, which could activate additional cancer genes, to insert these genes into the target cells.

Another major breakthrough came from Amy Wagers, PhD, whose lab demonstrated that transplanted skeletal muscle stem cells can engraft to both improve muscle function in mice with a form of muscular dystrophy and to replenish a functional stem cell pool that can be used in the repair of future muscle injuries. This study supports the concept that skeletal muscle contains functional adult stem cells and that transplantation of these cells can support therapeutic muscle regeneration.

Kevin Eggan, PhD, also published a landmark paper that represents the first time scientists are known to have produced human pluripotent stem cell lines from the cells of adult patients suffering from a genetically-based disease. The newly derived stem cells, which were generated from patients with ALS, will be to use to uncover the root cause of this disease and to screen for new drugs that may help treat the disease.

Supporting the HSCI's Mission

The Cell Development Program's faculty are some of the most active members of the HSCI community and frequently contribute to the institute's mission beyond the scope of their research projects. By participating in HSCI Inter-lab Meetings, symposiums, retreats, public forums, internship programs, and other internal events and initiatives, these faculty members both encourage scientific exchange and support HSCI's public outreach missions. The faculty also support the research infrastructure of the HSCI, with five members serving as directors of HSCI core facilities, including the newly established iPS core, which is the first effort of its kind and aimed at generating and distributing human disease-specific stem cell lines for research.

Members have also helped foster both inter-state and international collaboration by hosting a Junior Faculty Symposium with colleagues from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and working on joint projects with researchers from the United Kingdom Centres of Excellence at Cambridge and Edinburgh. These efforts help accelerate progress by identifying and capitalizing on new opportunities for collaboration by leveraging the unique expertise of the different labs.

A Growing Community

Encouraged by both the Cell Development Program's members and its success, a new group of five junior faculty members has come together to establish the new Stem Cell Regulation Program. This exciting collaboration, which was inspired by discussions at events organized by HSCI, will focus on the molecular regulation of stem cell identity, maintenance, and differentiation in normal development and disease.