Dr Stephen Minger
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Dr Chetan Shatapathy - PhD StudentSarah Pringle - PhD Student
Katerina Varanou - PhD Student
Miriam Gubernator - PhD Student
Dr Yue Wu - Postdoc
Dr Stephanie Gӧgel - Postdoc
Anastasia Petrova - PhD student
Spyridon Champeris-Tsaniras - MSc student
Stem Cell Biology Laboratory
Stem cells are self-renewing and expandable cells capable of generating every cell type in a tissue or organism. The work in our lab is focused on the derivation, propagation, characterisation and assessment of the therapeutic potential of a wide range of stem cell population, including those from early embryos, as well as those obtained from foetal and adult tissues.
Neural Stem Cells
Cellular replacement strategies offer significant therapeutic potential for as variety of CNS disorders. Indeed, patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) implanted with dopamine-rich human foetal tissue have shown remarkable clinical improvement. However, widespread application of transplantation procedures for patients with PD and other neurodegenerative conditions is currently not feasible, primarily due to paucity of transplantable tissue which must be obtained from early first trimester human embryos. One of the major projects in my lab is determine the extent to which neural stem cells can be utilised as a readily available, transplantable cell population for CNS repair. For over ten years, we have been working with neural stem/progenitor cells from developing rat forebrain, mensencephalon and spinal cord. All three populations can be readily expanded and subsequently implanted into the adult nervous system where they display neuronal differentiation, migration, integration into the host brain, and some functional improvement in various animal models of human neurodegenerative disorders and traumatic brain injury. In addition, we have been examining the extent to which neural stem cells in the adult human brain are influenced by various neurodegenerative processes, pharmacological interventions, and vascular changes.
Derivation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells
There has been significant interest from both scientists and the public in the therapeutic and scientific potential of human embryonic stem cells since they were first isolated in 1998. This enthusiasm has been stimulated by many years of basic research using mouse embryonic stem cells, during which time their ability to expand indefinitely in culture and to undergo targeted differentiation into a number of different cell types led to the proposition that many serious diseases might become treatable if the equivalent could be achieved with human cells. There is however, a significant shortage of high quality human cell lines and expertise in this area is lacking. We are addressing these issues using the combined expertise of the Stem Cell Biology Laboratory and the Assisted Conception Unit at Guy’s Hospital. With local ethical approval and under licence from the HFEA, we have established three novel human embryonic stem cell lines, including the first line human ES cell line that carrying a known genetic disorder, Cystic Fibrosis. We are placing these cells into the UK Stem Cell Bank, where they will be made available to researchers throughout the world.
Cellular replacement strategies offer significant therapeutic potential for as variety of CNS disorders. Indeed, patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) implanted with dopamine-rich human foetal tissue have shown remarkable clinical improvement. However, widespread application of transplantation procedures for patients with PD and other neurodegenerative conditions is currently not feasible, primarily due to paucity of transplantable tissue which must be obtained from early first trimester human embryos. One of the major projects in my lab is determine the extent to which neural stem cells can be utilised as a readily available, transplantable cell population for CNS repair. For over ten years, we have been working with neural stem/progenitor cells from developing rat forebrain, mensencephalon and spinal cord. All three populations can be readily expanded and subsequently implanted into the adult nervous system where they display neuronal differentiation, migration, integration into the host brain, and some functional improvement in various animal models of human neurodegenerative disorders and traumatic brain injury. In addition, we have been examining the extent to which neural stem cells in the adult human brain are influenced by various neurodegenerative processes, pharmacological interventions, and vascular changes.
Derivation of Human Embryonic Stem Cells
There has been significant interest from both scientists and the public in the therapeutic and scientific potential of human embryonic stem cells since they were first isolated in 1998. This enthusiasm has been stimulated by many years of basic research using mouse embryonic stem cells, during which time their ability to expand indefinitely in culture and to undergo targeted differentiation into a number of different cell types led to the proposition that many serious diseases might become treatable if the equivalent could be achieved with human cells. There is however, a significant shortage of high quality human cell lines and expertise in this area is lacking. We are addressing these issues using the combined expertise of the Stem Cell Biology Laboratory and the Assisted Conception Unit at Guy’s Hospital. With local ethical approval and under licence from the HFEA, we have established three novel human embryonic stem cell lines, including the first line human ES cell line that carrying a known genetic disorder, Cystic Fibrosis. We are placing these cells into the UK Stem Cell Bank, where they will be made available to researchers throughout the world.
