The Stem Cell Podcast

add guest name [/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SCP-293-Sarah-Teichmann_Thumbnail.jpg] GUEST: Dr. Sarah Teichmann is a Member of the Department of Medicine and Professor of Stem Cell Medicine at the Cambridge Stem Cell Institute.  She talks about the plasticity of different cell types and developing whole-organ cell atlases for organs such as the thymus [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07944-6]. She also discusses the Human Cell Atlas project and overcoming skepticism in its early days. Finally, she talks about integrating computational with wet lab biology, and running an interdisciplinary research group. (43:30) FEATURED PRODUCTS AND RESOURCES: * Register now for ISSCR 2025! [https://www.isscr2025.org/] * Enter to win an EasySep™ kit and magnet, cell culture reagents, and more by May 30th! [https://www.stemcell.com/forms/mouse-immunology-research-giveaway.html?utm_source=scpodcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=csi_immunologyf25&utm_content=mouse-immuno-giveaway] THE STEM CELL SCIENCE ROUND UP Parkinson’s Disease Cell Therapy Trials [https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00688-x] – Two trials confirm the safety of stem cell-derived dopaminergic neurons for Parkinson’s disease. (1:30) Multi-Zonal Liver Organoids [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08850-1] – Researchers developed a self-assembling zone-specific liver organoid to evaluate hepatic zonal polarity. (13:23) Protein Delivery to the Brain [https://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/fulltext/S1934-5909(25)00099-2] – iPSC-microglia can be harnessed to provide a promising new cell therapy platform. (22:00) Blood Vessel Organoids [https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674%2825%2900387-3] – Transcription factor-based programming of blood vessel organoids promotes brain vasculature specificity. (33:33) Image courtesy of Dr. Sarah Teichmann SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe [/newsletter]

add guest name [/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SCP-292-Hank-Greely_Thumbnail.jpg] GUEST: Professor Hank Greely is the Deane F. and Kate Edelman Johnson Professor of Law and Professor, by courtesy, of Genetics at Stanford University. He is also the Director of the Stanford Center for Law and the Biosciences. He talks about his career path into bioethics and ethical considerations for organoids, bodyoids, and embryo models. He also discusses the potential future of reproduction, including gametogenesis, ectogenesis, and genetic selection and editing of embryos. (35:47) FEATURED PRODUCTS AND RESOURCES: * Register now for ISSCR 2025, happening June 11-15 in Hong Kong! [https://isscr2025.org/] * Register now to complete a virtual training course on pluripotent stem cell quality and maintenance. [https://www.stemcell.com/forms/psc-on-demand-training.html?utm_source=scpodcast&utm_medium=banner] THE STEM CELL SCIENCE ROUND UP Somatosensory Assembloids [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08808-3] – A four-part assembloid integrates somatosensory, spinal, thalamic and cortical organoids to model the spinothalamic pathway. (1:25) Neural Grafts for Parkinson’s Disease [https://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/fulltext/S1934-5909(25)00098-0] – Cloaked human neural grafts evade immune detection in humanized mouse model. (11:00) Neural Stem Cells Outside the Central Nervous System [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41556-025-01641-w] – Peripheral neural stem cells display features similar to brain neural stem cells, including the ability to differentiate into mature neurons. (19:00) Cell Therapy for Kidney Disease [https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.adt5553] – Expanded hiPSC-derived nephron progenitor cells may be useful cell therapies for acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease. (28:00) SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe [/newsletter]

add guest name [/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/SCP-291-Scott-Younger_Thumbnail.jpg] GUEST: Dr. Scott Younger is the Director of Disease Gene Engineering within the Genomic Medicine Center at Children’s Mercy Hospital. His research focuses on producing patient-derived cellular models to develop functional precision medicine. He talks about using personalized antisense oligonucleotides to reverse disease phenotypes in organoid models of Duchenne muscular dystrophy [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08462-1]. He also discusses his lab’s personal connections to the rare disease community and the opportunities for collaborations with clinicians at Children’s Mercy. (36:52) FEATURED PRODUCTS AND RESOURCES: * Register now for ISSCR 2025! [https://www.isscr2025.org/] * Learn more about organoid applications for studying human health. [https://www.stemcell.com/forms/wallchart-dynamic-modeling-organoids.html?utm_source=scpodcast&utm_medium=banner] THE STEM CELL SCIENCE ROUND UP Chronic Stress and Intestinal Stem Cells [https://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/abstract/S1934-5909(25)00084-0] – Chronic impairs the stemness of intestinal stem cells via the vagal pathway. (1:43) Liver Regeneration [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08778-6] – Glutamate metabolically reprograms bone marrow-derived macrophages, subsequently boosting liver regeneration. (9:40) CRISPR Activation in Embryo Models [https://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/fulltext/S1934-5909(25)00083-9] – CRISPR activation-programmed embryo models mimic the pre-gastrulation embryonic stage. (18:30) Retinal Regeneration [https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.adp6864] – Human neural retinal stem-like cells in fetal retinas exhibit substantial self-renewal and differentiation potential. (27:45) Image courtesy of Dr. Scott Younger SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe [/newsletter]

add guest name [/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/SCP-290-ISSCR-2025_Thumbnail.jpg] GUESTS: Dr. Valentina Greco is the President of the International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), and Professor of Genetics and Co-Chair of the Status of Women in Medicine at Yale University. Dr. Kathryn Cheah is an ISSCR Program Committee Co-Chair and Emeritus Professor and Chair of Biochemistry at Hong Kong University. Dr. Eugenia Piddini is also an ISSCR Program Committee Co-Chair and Professorial Research Fellow in Cell Biology and School Research Director at the University of Bristol. They talk about the upcoming ISSCR 2025 [https://www.isscr2025.org/] meeting in Hong Kong from June 11-14, 2025. They discuss the meeting’s global focus, program highlights, opportunities for early-career researchers, and what they’re looking forward to in Hong Kong. (37:44) FEATURED PRODUCTS AND RESOURCES: * Submit your abstract for ISSCR 2025! [https://www.isscr2025.org/?utm_source=scpodcast&utm_medium=banner] * Wallchart: Reporting Practices for Publishing Results with hPSCs [https://www.stemcell.com/forms/wallchart-isscr-standards.html?utm_source=scpodcast&utm_medium=banner] THE STEM CELL SCIENCE ROUND UP Intestinal Organoids with Enteric Neurons [https://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/fulltext/S1934-5909(25)00046-3] – Researchers transplanted human intestinal organoids into mice, where the organoids matured and demonstrated enteric nervous system function. (2:10) Liver Regeneration and Repair [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08677-w] – Hepatic stellate cells regulate hepatocyte functions via R-spondin 3. (11:00) Epithelial Regeneration [https://www.cell.com/cell-stem-cell/abstract/S1934-5909(25)00048-7] – The mesenchymal Aspn-producing niche modulates tissue repair by regulating epithelial fetal-like reprogramming. (19:45) Whole-Transcriptome Sequencing [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41592-025-02622-5] – Spotiphy is a computational toolkit that transforms sequencing-based spatially resolved transcriptomics data into whole-transcriptome images with single-cell resolution. (28:55) Images courtesy of the ISSCR SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe [/newsletter]

add guest name [/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/SCP-289-Robert-Zweigerdt_Thumbnail.jpg] GUEST: Dr. Robert Zweigerdt is a Principal Investigator at Hannover Medical School, where his lab focuses on cardiac differentiation and the scalable culture of PSCs. He talks about regulating the lineage-specific differentiation of hPSCs [https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms13602] and generating heart-forming organoids that mirror developmental cardiogenesis [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-021-00815-9]. He also discusses the importance of mentorship and the benefits of an international research group. FEATURED PRODUCTS AND RESOURCES: * Register now for ISSCR 2025, taking place June 11-14 in Hong Kong! [https://www.isscr2025.org/] * Use STEMCELL’s STEMdiff™ Cardiomyocyte media and supplements to differentiate, enrich, expand, and cryopreserve functional hPSC-derived cardiomyocytes. [https://www.stemcell.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=stemdiff%20cardiomyocyte&catalog_type=Standard%20Product&search_source=header&order=relevance&dir=desc&utm_source=scpodcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=myo_f19] THE STEM CELL SCIENCE ROUND UP Dissecting Mouse Embryo Models [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-56908-5] – Researchers used deep learning to classify and dissect the experimental variability of stem cell-derived embryo models. Human Brain Evolution [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08622-x] – Scientists used CRISPR interference to characterize human accelerated regions of the human genome and their chimpanzee orthologues. Preventing Skin Scarring [https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.adt6387] – Verteporfin, a YAP inhibitor, promotes scarless healing and wound regeneration in pigs. Modeling Pulmonary Fibrosis [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41587-025-02569-0] – Induced respiratory airway progenitors provide a model for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis drug discovery and validation. Image courtesy of Dr. Robert Zweigerdt SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER! Never miss updates about new episodes. Subscribe [/newsletter]