About Stem Cell Research at USC
Since the dawn of this promising frontier in biomedical research, the University of Southern California has made a demonstrated commitment to stem cell research, working to attract world-class scientists, build state-of-the-art research facilities, form scientific collaborations, and most of all, forge new breakthroughs and discoveries.
Ongoing research in stem cell and regenerative medicine involving USC-affiliated researchers includes:
- Unraveling the molecular and cellular processes at play in establishing healthy functional skeletal, urinary, nervous, digestive and circulatory systems in the newborn
- Developing cell replacement therapies with different types of stem cells for treatment of degenerative diseases of the gut, liver and eye including retinal pigment transplantation for macular degeneration, the most common cause of blindness in Americans over 60
- Studying how blood is formed from primitive stem cells in the bone marrow to improve outcomes on bone marrow transplantation to treat blood diseases
- Uncovering mechanisms of normal organ repair to initiate, manipulate and augment natural repair processes and prevent damage inducing fibrosis in the kidney, ear, bones, skin, lung and heart .
- Utilizing stem cells as vehicles for correcting and stopping diseases such as blocking infection by Aids virus and preventing the onset of autoimmunity
- Deciphering disease preventing processes linked to stem cell treatments
- Production of patient specific stem lines for disease modeling and therapeutic screening of new drug targets
- Pioneering live-imaging approaches to visualize tissue repair and track the role of stem cell-directed processes
- Tissue engineering to explore the large-scale properties of cellular assemblies and to improve outcomes on transplantation into patients
- Determining why certain stem cells become cancer perpetuating cancer stem cells and developing new treatments that specifically target these cells
Researchers from across USC, including the Eli and Edythe Broad-CIRM Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, work independently and in collaborative teams exploring basic principles of organ assembly and organ renewal to translate knowledge into new therapies. The USC Broad-CIRM Center serves as a hub to connect researchers across USC and its affiliate organizations and harness the full potential of the university’s investment in regenerative medicine. Outside of the Keck School of Medicine of USC this includes researchers at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC, USC School of Pharmacy, House Ear Institute and Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, among others.