Human embryology is flourishing thanks to an impetus provided by embryo models formed from stem cells. These scientific advances require meticulous experimental work, a refined ethical framework, but also sensible public communication. Securing public support is essential to achieve societal impact.
We previously established a trophoblast differentiation protocol from primed human pluripotent stem cells (PSC). To induce this lineage, we use a combination of Bone Morphogenetic Protein-4 (BMP4) and the WNT inhibitor IWP2. This protocol has enabled us to obtain a pure population of trophectoderm (TE)-like cells that could subsequently be terminal...
Implantable vascular devices are widely used in clinical treatments for various vascular diseases. However, current approved clinical implantable vascular devices generally have high failure rates primarily due to their surface lacking inherent functional endothelium. Here, inspired by the pathological mechanisms of vascular device failure and phys...
The neural crest is a stem cell population that originates from the ectoderm during the initial steps of nervous system development. Neural crest cells delaminate from the neuroepithelium by undergoing a spatiotemporally regulated epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) that proceeds in a coordinated wave head-to-tail to exit from the neural tube. ...
Integrating independent but converging lines of research on brain function and neurodevelopment across scales, this article proposes that serotonin 2A receptor (5-HT2AR) signaling is an evolutionary and developmental driver and potent modulator of the macroscale functional organization of the human cerebral cortex. A wealth of evidence indicates th...
Port Wine Birthmarks (PWBs) are a congenital vascular malformation on the skin, occurring in 1–3 per 1000 live births. We have recently generated PWB-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) as clinically relevant disease models. The metabolites associated with the pathological phenotypes of PWB-derived iPSCs are unknown, and so we aim to exp...
Coincident transcription and DNA replication causes replication stress and genome instability. Rapidly dividing mouse pluripotent stem cells are highly transcriptionally active and experience elevated replication stress, yet paradoxically maintain genome integrity. Here, we study FOXD3, a transcriptional repressor enriched in pluripotent stem cells...
Lesional iPSCs-derived ECs can resemble pathological vascular phenotypes of PWB. Our data demonstrate multiple pathways, such as Hippo and Wnt, NF-kappa B, TNF, MAPK, and cholesterol metabolism, are dysregulated. This data suggests new therapeutics to be developed for targeting such dysregulated pathways for treatment of PWB.
Glioblastoma (GBM), the most common primary malignant brain tumor, is a highly lethal form of cancer with a very limited set of treatment options. High heterogeneity in the tumor cell population and the invasive nature of these cells decrease the likely efficacy of traditional cancer treatments, thus requiring research into novel treatment options....
