Ep. 91: “3D Cell Library” Featuring Dr. Rick Horwitz and Dr. Graham Johnson

Guest:

In this episode, we bring you Drs. Rick Horwitz and Graham Johnson from the Allen Institute for Cell Sciences. They discuss the Allen Cell Explorer, a 3-D cell library created using induced pluripotent stem cells.

Featured Resource: STEMdiff™ Trilineage Differentiation Kit

Resources and Links

A March for Science Happened – Scientists had to engage and take their demands to political leaders and policymakers, so they stood for hours on a sodden National Mall and then marched through puddles to Capitol Hill.

HPV Vaccine as a Cancer Prevention Needs to be Emphasized – In the United States, HPV vaccination rates lag for girls and boys mainly because the message that the vaccine prevents cancer isn’t getting out there.

All Crossed Up-Neuron Miswiring Can Lead to Depression – Researchers have pinpointed a gene called Pcdhαc2 that keeps important brain cells in mice from crossing their wires, providing a possible link between brain wiring and mood disorders like depression.

Zika Virus Hangs Out in Your Body – Weeks after the virus disappears from the bloodstream, it still lingers in the lymph nodes and the central nervous system of rhesus monkeys.

CIRM is on Its Last Leg – Major investment in regenerative medicine enters its last stage — and the money might run out before treatments are ready.

CRISPR Editing to Fight Arthritis – Scientists have rewired stem cells’ genetic circuits known as SMART cells (Stem cells Modified for Autonomous Regenerative Therapy) to produce an anti-inflammatory arthritis drug when the cells encounter inflammation.

CRISPR and Stem Cells Identify Novel Chlamydia Drug Targets – Researchers at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and their colleagues at the University of British Columbia have developed a novel method for studying how the bacterium Chlamydia trachomatis interacts with the human immune system.

Activating Stem Cells for Quicker Healing – Recent research, led by assistant professor of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine at the University of South Carolina Joseph T. Rodgers, has found a way to increase the body’s ability to heal after injury.

Photo Reference: Courtesy of Dr. Rick Horwitz and Dr. Graham Johnson