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Full-Text Articles in Cell and Developmental Biology

Qualitative Assessment Of Human Embryonic- And Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Neural Stem Cells Under Cgmp Methods, Michelle Hernandez May 2024

Qualitative Assessment Of Human Embryonic- And Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Neural Stem Cells Under Cgmp Methods, Michelle Hernandez

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Neural stem cell therapies represent a promising tool for the development of regenerative medicine and are being tested in clinical trials for several neurological disorders. However, the clinical applicability of stem cell therapies is dependent on the implementation of current good manufacturing practices (cGMPs) to ensure the quality, safety, and consistency that stem cell products need to meet FDA regulatory requirements. As such, there is a need for a shift to xeno-free methodologies so experimental conditions are cGMP compliant. The purpose of this study is to test a GMP compatible production method to generate multipotent neural stem cells (NSCs) from …


When Problems Become Solutions: Harnessing The Osteogenic Capacity Of Disease-Causing Stem Cells To Repair Bone Fractures, Mehreen Pasha May 2022

When Problems Become Solutions: Harnessing The Osteogenic Capacity Of Disease-Causing Stem Cells To Repair Bone Fractures, Mehreen Pasha

University Scholar Projects

While we often perceive disease as negative, there is potential to engineer seemingly negative biological phenomena into therapeutics to treat a variety of human illnesses. Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a genetic disorder involving uncontrolled, widespread, extraskeletal bone growth, or heterotopic ossification (HO). In FOP patients, stem cells called fibro/adipogenic progenitors (FAPs) follow an abnormal, osteogenic pathway. In the present study, we investigate whether we can adapt these Acvr1 mutant FAPs, which are exceptional at producing bone, to repair bone fractures in otherwise normal patients. The primary aims of this study are (1) to devise and optimize a novel method …


When Problems Become Solutions: Harnessing The Osteogenic Capacity Of Disease-Causing Stem Cells To Repair Bone Fractures, Mehreen Pasha May 2022

When Problems Become Solutions: Harnessing The Osteogenic Capacity Of Disease-Causing Stem Cells To Repair Bone Fractures, Mehreen Pasha

Honors Scholar Theses

While we often perceive disease as negative, there is potential to engineer seemingly negative biological phenomena into therapeutics to treat a variety of human illnesses. Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a genetic disorder involving uncontrolled, widespread, extraskeletal bone growth, or heterotopic ossification (HO). In FOP patients, stem cells called fibro/adipogenic progenitors (FAPs) follow an abnormal, osteogenic pathway. In the present study, we investigate whether we can adapt these Acvr1 mutant FAPs, which are exceptional at producing bone, to repair bone fractures in otherwise normal patients. The primary aims of this study are (1) to devise and optimize a novel method …


Cop9 Signalosome Component Csn-5 Promotes Accumulation And Function Of Stem Cell Regulators Fbf-1 And Fbf-2, Emily Osterli Jan 2021

Cop9 Signalosome Component Csn-5 Promotes Accumulation And Function Of Stem Cell Regulators Fbf-1 And Fbf-2, Emily Osterli

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

RNA-binding proteins FBF-1 and FBF-2 (FBFs) are required for stem cell maintenance in C. elegans, although the mechanisms by which FBFs protein levels are regulated remain unknown. Using a yeast two-hybrid screen, we identified an interaction between both FBFs and CSN-5, a component of the COP9 (constitutive photomorphogenesis 9) signalosome. This highly conserved COP9 complex can affect protein stability through a range of mechanisms including deneddylation, deubiquitination, and phosphorylation (Wolf et al., 2003). Mapping protein-protein interactions between FBFs and CSN-5 suggested that the MPN (Mpr1/Pad1 N-terminal) metalloprotease domain of CSN-5 interacts with the RNA-binding domain of FBFs at physiologically …


Arid1a Haploinsufficiency Initiates Neural Crest Transformation In A Mouse Model Of Mycn-Driven Neuroblastoma, Kirby A. Wallace Apr 2020

Arid1a Haploinsufficiency Initiates Neural Crest Transformation In A Mouse Model Of Mycn-Driven Neuroblastoma, Kirby A. Wallace

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Mouse models of cancer are critical for developing therapeutic treatments for pediatric patients. Recent sequencing studies of neuroblastoma (NBL) patient tumors have uncovered precise deletions in the chromatin remodeler and tumor suppressor gene (TSG) ARID1A. Additional causal studies supported ARID1A’s candidacy as a putative 1p36 TSG in MYCN-driven NBL. This study aimed to causally test Arid1a loss during Mycn-driven NBL initiation through the development of a mouse model of high risk NBL.In this study, we modified a Mycn-driven mouse model of NBL to incorporate Cre mediated deletion of floxed Arid1a. Briefly, in freshly isolated embryonic day 9.5 primary trunk neural …


A Micro-Optic Stalk (Muos) System To Model The Collective Migration Of Retinal Neuroblasts, Stephanie Zhang, Miles Markey, Caroline D. Pena, Tadmiri Venkatesh, Maribel Vasquez Mar 2020

A Micro-Optic Stalk (Muos) System To Model The Collective Migration Of Retinal Neuroblasts, Stephanie Zhang, Miles Markey, Caroline D. Pena, Tadmiri Venkatesh, Maribel Vasquez

Publications and Research

Contemporary regenerative therapies have introduced stem-like cells to replace damaged neurons in the visual system by recapitulating critical processes of eye development. The collective migration of neural stem cells is fundamental to retinogenesis and has been exceptionally well-studied using the fruit fly model of Drosophila Melanogaster. However, the migratory behavior of its retinal neuroblasts (RNBs) has been surprisingly understudied, despite being critical to retinal development in this invertebrate model. The current project developed a new microfluidic system to examine the collective migration of RNBs extracted from the developing visual system of Drosophila as a model for the collective motile processes …


Characterizing Changes In The Colonic Epithelium Of Lrig3 Null Mice, Natalie Pedicino Jan 2020

Characterizing Changes In The Colonic Epithelium Of Lrig3 Null Mice, Natalie Pedicino

Scripps Senior Theses

The lining of the colon, or colonic epithelium, is a very dynamic and highly regulated tissue in the human body. Colonic stem cells are a key component of this tissue, and they make up the stem cell niche, which is found at the base of the colonic crypt. Regeneration of the colonic epithelium, which occurs on a weekly basis, is a complex process, and proteins responsible for directing regeneration are still being discovered. Two critical regulatory proteins, Lrig1 and Lrig3, have been shown to modulate the EGFR pathway, a key signaling pathway for growth, differentiation, and regeneration. Data from the …


Platiscity Of C. Elegans Germline Stem Cells Under Nutritional And Metabolic Stress, Kenneth Trimmer May 2019

Platiscity Of C. Elegans Germline Stem Cells Under Nutritional And Metabolic Stress, Kenneth Trimmer

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Stem cells are integral for tissue maintenance and fertility. Therefore, understanding how stem cells are regulated under stress is imperative. When confronted with acute starvation, stem cells must conserve energy and metabolites to cope with the lack of an external source. Caenorhabditis elegans germline stem cells (GSCs) are an excellent model for studying stem cell properties and regulation as they can divide throughout the life of the organism. While GSCs are an adult stem cell population, their cell cycle structure more closely mimics mouse and human embryonic stem cells with short G1 and long S phases. In this thesis, I …


Investigating The Role Of The Chromosome 19 Microrna Cluster In Human Trophoblast Differentiation And Infantile Hemangioma, Ezinne Francess Mong Mar 2019

Investigating The Role Of The Chromosome 19 Microrna Cluster In Human Trophoblast Differentiation And Infantile Hemangioma, Ezinne Francess Mong

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Trophoblast differentiation and invasion is essential for normal implantation and establishment of the maternal-fetal interface, which allows for proper nutrient exchange and support of the fetus. For this to occur, cytotrophoblasts must undergo an epithelial to mesenchymal transition and differentiate into migratory and invasive extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs) that invade the maternal decidua and myometrium. Trophoblast differentiation, migration and invasion is highly regulated by a complex network of signaling pathways, adhesion molecules and transcription factors and is important for the remodeling of maternal spiral arteries from low flow, high resistance to high flow, low resistance vessels to allow optimal perfusion of …


Chromatin-Signaling Axis Orchestrates The Formation Of Germline Stem Cell Differentiation Niche In Drosophila, Maitreyi Upadhyay Jan 2018

Chromatin-Signaling Axis Orchestrates The Formation Of Germline Stem Cell Differentiation Niche In Drosophila, Maitreyi Upadhyay

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Stem cells have the unique capability of self-renewing into stem cells and differentiating into several terminal cell types. Loss of either of these processes can lead to aging, progression towards degenerative diseases and cancers. Insight into how self-renewal and differentiation are regulated will have tremendous therapeutic impact. Drosophila is an excellent model system for stem cell study due to the availability of various mutants, markers and RNAi technology. In order to study stem cell biology, we use female Drosophila gonads, whose stem cell population – the germline stem cells (GSCs) gives rise to gametes.


The Dlk1-Meg3 Locus In Malignant Cells Of Proposed Primordial Germ Cell Origins., Zachariah Payne Sellers Aug 2017

The Dlk1-Meg3 Locus In Malignant Cells Of Proposed Primordial Germ Cell Origins., Zachariah Payne Sellers

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are hypothesized to deposit hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) along their migration route through the embryo during the early stages of embryogenesis. PGCs also undergo global chromatin remodeling, including the erasure and reestablishment of genomic imprints, during this migration. While PGCs do not spontaneously form teratomas, their malignant development into germ cell tumors (GCTs) in vivo is often accompanied by the retention of hypomethylation at the IGF2-H19 imprinting control differentially methylated region (DMR). Previous studies in bimaternal embryos determined that proper genomic imprinting at two paternally imprinted loci was necessary for their growth and development: Igf2-H19 and …


Expansion, Characterization, Differentiation, And Visualization Of Mc 3t3-E1 Preosteoblast Cells: An In Vitro Model To Study Bone Healing And Stem Cell-Mediated Regeneration, Jakob T. Samsel, Madhu Dhar, Austin Bow, Tom Masi May 2016

Expansion, Characterization, Differentiation, And Visualization Of Mc 3t3-E1 Preosteoblast Cells: An In Vitro Model To Study Bone Healing And Stem Cell-Mediated Regeneration, Jakob T. Samsel, Madhu Dhar, Austin Bow, Tom Masi

Chancellor’s Honors Program Projects

No abstract provided.


Efficient In Vitro Development Of Photoreceptors From Human Pluripotent Stem Cells, Joseph C. Reynolds May 2015

Efficient In Vitro Development Of Photoreceptors From Human Pluripotent Stem Cells, Joseph C. Reynolds

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Degeneration of the rod and cone photoreceptors in the human retina is among the most common causes of blindness. Replacing these damaged photoreceptors may help to restore vision. Repairing the damaged retina relies on the insertion of new, healthy cells. Embryonic stem (ES) cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are two possible sources of photoreceptors to restore vision. Previous data shows that human ES cells and iPS cells can be differentiated into photoreceptors and transplanted into the eye to restore some vision. However, this process is inefficient, and costly. Here, we show a new method for inducing photoreceptor production …


Regulation Of Mammary Gland Development And Tumorigenesis By 14-3-3 Zeta, Sumaiyah Rehman May 2014

Regulation Of Mammary Gland Development And Tumorigenesis By 14-3-3 Zeta, Sumaiyah Rehman

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

Signaling pathways that play critical roles in organ development are often aberrantly regulated during cancer initiation and progression. 14-3-3z is overexpressed in more than 40% of breast cancers and is associated with poor patient prognosis. Therefore, the function of 14-3-3z in cancer and normal mammary gland development was investigated utilizing multiple in vivo and in vitro approaches. 14-3-3z is a chaperone protein that interacts with a multitude of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, thereby functioning as a critical node in multiple oncogenic signaling networks. Mammary gland-specific 14-3-3z transgenic mouse models showed that 14-3-3z overexpression was sufficient to induce mammary tumorigenesis. …


Germline Transgenic Methods For Tracking Cells And Testing Gene Function During Regeneration In The Axolotl, Shahryar Khattak, Maritta Schuez, Tobias Richter, Dunja Knapp, Saori L. Haigo, Tatiana Sandoval-Guzmán, Kristyna Hradlikova, Annett Duemmler, Ryan R. Kerney, Elly M. Tanaka Jun 2013

Germline Transgenic Methods For Tracking Cells And Testing Gene Function During Regeneration In The Axolotl, Shahryar Khattak, Maritta Schuez, Tobias Richter, Dunja Knapp, Saori L. Haigo, Tatiana Sandoval-Guzmán, Kristyna Hradlikova, Annett Duemmler, Ryan R. Kerney, Elly M. Tanaka

Biology Faculty Publications

The salamander is the only tetrapod that regenerates complex body structures throughout life. Deciphering the underlying molecular processes of regeneration is fundamental for regenerative medicine and developmental biology, but the model organism had limited tools for molecular analysis. We describe a comprehensive set of germline transgenic strains in the laboratory-bred salamander Ambystoma mexicanum(axolotl) that open up the cellular and molecular genetic dissection of regeneration. We demonstrate tissue-dependent control of gene expression in nerve, Schwann cells, oligodendrocytes, muscle, epidermis, and cartilage. Furthermore, we demonstrate the use of tamoxifen-induced Cre/loxP-mediated recombination to indelibly mark different cell types. Finally, we inducibly …


A Proposal To Test The Effects Of Factor Ecat1 On Pluripotency, From Reprogramming To Differentiation Of Human Somatic Cells, Vritti R. Goel Jan 2012

A Proposal To Test The Effects Of Factor Ecat1 On Pluripotency, From Reprogramming To Differentiation Of Human Somatic Cells, Vritti R. Goel

CMC Senior Theses

The field of stem cell research has been growing more because of the interest in using stem cells to cure diseases and heal injuries. Human embryonic stem cells, because of the controversy surrounding them—and subsequently the difficulties in acquiring samples of the existing aging cell lines—can only be used in limited capacities. While the development of induced pluripotent stem cells in the last decade has allowed the field to progress closer to medical treatments, the low efficiency of reprogramming a somatic cell to a pluripotent state, and the vast molecular and genomic differences between human embryonic stem cells and human …