Achievement

The Rutgers IGERT Program on Stem Cell Science and Engineering has nucleated several research projects around the theme of reprogramming human stem cells for regenerative and developmental tissue technologies. The first related IGERT finding was that synthetic and humanized, three-dimensional scaffold configurations can support human induced pluripotent stem cell renewal and expansion (Carlson et al., FASEB J, 2012). A second finding was the abiliity of biofunctionalized scaffolds to promote the survival, spreading, and development of neuronal cells (Cherry et al., Biointerphases, 2012). A third finding is related to over-expression of proteins in reprogrammed human stem cells, which impairs proper branching, thus mimicking neurodevelopmental disorders. Recent IGERT studies identify specific drug molecules that can reverse this effect in neural stem cells and thus can potentially point to novel treatment strategies for patients with schizophrenia.