Hot Topics Webinar | Stem Cell Derived Human Tissue: Biomedical Application and Potential
the chair
The webinar will focus on pluripotent stem cells (PSCs), their differentiation to somatic cell types and subsequent tissue engineering. The renewable nature of PSCs and their derivative human tissue offers the field a range of tissues for biomedical application. Their potential in modern medicine will be discussed.
I am delighted to be joined by Professor Lingyi Chen from Nankai University. The goal of his important research is to understand the regulatory mechanisms that underlie pluripotency in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) and their differentiation during early embryogenesis, in particular the cell fates of the inner cell mass and the trophectoderm during blastocyst development.
In the blastocyst, PSCs of the inner cell mass form all three germ layers of the developing embryo. Whereas the trophectoderm contributes to extra-embryonic tissue formation. As development proceeds, germ layer segregation takes place and multipotent stem cell populations are formed that differentiate into specialized tissues of the fetus. Essential to normal human development is the hierarchical control of cell potency and fate. This is determined by niche-specific factors and executed through defined changes in gene expression.
Since the 1981, murine ESCs have taken centre stage to model mammalian physiology. It was a further 17 years before the first human ESCs were isolated. This was followed by the induction of pluripotency in rodent somatic cells in 2006, and was quickly extended to human somatic cells the following year. The successful isolation of embryonic stem cells (ECSs) and the induction of pluripotency in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were deemed so important for basic research that two Nobel prizes in Physiology or Medicine were awarded in 2007 and 2012, respectively. To date, a number of PSC-derived products have entered clinical trials offering promise to treat human diseases, such as macular degeneration, diabetes, Parkinson’s and heart disease.
We hope you enjoy our webinar and look forward to seeing you on 17th August 2023.
Date: 17 August 2023 at 11:00 am CEST | 5:00 am EDT | 5:00 pm CST Asia
Webinar ID: 881 3476 7528
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Meet the Event Chair
Meet Our Speakers
Prof. David Hay
Institute for Regeneration and Repair, Centre for Regenerative Medicine, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK;
Prof. David Hay is the Professor of Tissue Engineering at the University of Edinburgh. He gained his PhD from the University of St Andrews in 2000. Following this, he undertook post-doctoral projects at Roslin Institute and the University of Edinburgh, before starting his group at the Centre for Regenerative Medicine in 2008. Prof. Hay has worked in the field of stem cell biology and differentiation for over 20 years. He and his team have highlighted the important role that pluripotent stem cells have to play in modelling human liver biology ‘in the dish’ and supporting failing liver function in vivo. The impact of this work has led to a number of peer-reviewed publications (>100), regular appearances at high profile conferences and the formation of start-up companies.
Prof. Lingyi Chen
Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, China;
Prof. Lingyi Chen obtained a BS degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Peking University, China, in 1999, and a PhD degree in Biology from Northwestern University, the United States, in 2004. After completing his postdoctoral training at Harvard University from 2005 to 2008, he worked as a Professor of Cell Biology in the College of Life Sciences, Nankai University. His research focuses on: 1. Molecular mechanisms of the pluripotency in embryonic stem cells (ESCs); 2. Molecular regulation during mouse early embryogenesis; 3. Oncogenes and their functions in tumors. In recent years, his research team uncovered the function and molecular mechanism of Cops2, Cops5, Erk signaling and lncRNA 5430416N02Rik in the self-renewal and differentiation of ESCs.
Sponsors and Partners
Organizer
On Thursday, 17 August 2023, MDPI and the journal Cells organized the Hot Topics Webinar entitled "Stem-Cell-Derived Human Tissue: Biomedical Application and Potential".
Our webinar Chair, Prof. David Hay’s research focuses on the liver, a highly functional and regenerative organ. Whilst regenerative, liver disease is an escalating global health issue. Although liver transplantation is an effective mode of therapy, it is limited due to the shortage of donor organs. Therefore, developing renewable sources of human liver tissue is an attractive solution. Pluripotent stem cell-derived liver tissue represents a potential alternative to cadaver-derived hepatocyte and whole organ transplants. In addition to their clinical application, human tissues generated in vitro also have important roles to play in developing innovative medicines to treat human disease. This was discussed in the webinar.
As per Prof. Lingyi Chen's request, the presentation will be edited from the recording.
The Q&A session and discussion, moderated by the Chair, was conducted at the end. The webinar was hosted via Zoom and required registration to attend. The full recording can be found below. In order to stay updated on future webinars, be sure to sign up to our newsletter by clicking on “Subscribe” at the top of the page.