Ep. 321: “Decoding Blood Stem Cells” Featuring Dr. Vijay Sankaran

Guest:

Dr. Vijay Sankaran is a Professor at Harvard Medical School and Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He discusses how his lab uses human genetics and stem cell biology to uncover mechanisms regulating hematopoiesis and blood disease, including the discovery of key regulators such as BCL11A and HOTSCRAMBL. He also explores how advances in genome editing, stem cell engineering, and single-cell genomics are shaping new therapies for disorders such as sickle cell disease, thalassemia, and leukemia, while highlighting the challenges of translating these breakthroughs into scalable patient treatments.

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The Stem Cell Science Round Up

Building Pancreatic Cancer Models – A stem cell-derived organoid model reveals genetic and epigenetic mechanisms driving human pancreatic cancer initiation.

Functional Cancer Stem Cell Assays – Researchers have developed a microwell platform that enables rapid enrichment of breast cancer stem cells for personalized drug testing.

Human Pacemaker Assembloids – A human cardiac assembloid model recreates neural control of pacemaker activity and atrial conduction.

Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Vijay Sankaran.