learning

Bridges Conference 2018 : A Recap

/ Adonica Shaw / Leave a comment

 

Screen Shot 2018-07-24 at 10.59.32 AM

Photo courtesy of Hands on Studio

 

There’s no denying the fact that many people believe we’re on the cusp of a radical shift in the world of medicine and biotechnology. Over the past few years alone there’s been growing awareness about stem cells and their potential to provide cures for rare diseases. The results of early-stage research and preliminary clinical studies suggest that treatments for health problems like ALS, Sickle Cell Anemia, or blindness are on the horizon and that the potential for stem cells and their application could be limitless. With such promise for stem cell research, it’s no surprise that scientists and students alike are eager to jump in and pioneer what could be the next frontier in medicine.

Enter 120 college students, a handful of advisors, clinical trial participants and some of the nations’ brightest and highly-regarded researchers. On July 11th, they descended upon the Newport Beach Marriott for the opportunity to learn the latest and greatest about stem cells and successful clinical trials at the Bridges to Stem Cell Research conference.

This annual conference, which is supported and funded by CIRM, is one of two of our educational programs (the other is SPARK, that’s coming up August  7th at UC Davis). Bridges offer students an internship and the opportunity to get hands-on training and education in stem cell research at California state schools and community colleges, to prepare them for a career in stem cell research. This year’s conference was hosted and organized by the California State University, San Marcos Bridges Program.

Our goal is to provide a platform for meaningful learning to the next generation of stem cell scientists by making training accessible and giving them the skills necessary to succeed in this industry.

The Bridges conference is an opportunity for the students to showcase their research projects, learn valuable pitching and speaking skills and network with CIRM-supported scientists and their patients. The conference, spread over three days, is the highlight of the program for many of the students, and a treat for CIRM staff who get to see the next generation of scientists in action.

Day 1

CIRM kicked off the conference with a “Wow me” workshop in which students learned the basics of delivering an “elevator pitch” – a 30-second explanation, in plain English, of what they do, why they do it and why people should care. The evening concluded with a reception dinner on the back lawn of the hotel.

 

Day 2

The second day focused on talks by leading industry scientists as well as clinical trial participants in CIRM-funded trials and patient advocates. Later in the day, students participated in a “Pitch-Off” in which they were asked to put their new skills to use by creating a short video showcasing their best “elevator pitch”. Americans for Cures hosted dinner for the evening and spoke about the importance of advocacy and education in stem cell research.

Day 3

The last day the Bridges conference featured student poster presentations and concluded with career workshops.

The Bridges conference is a once in a lifetime opportunity for the students. Most of them leverage the opportunity to get first-hand feedback on their most pressing questions. For those interested in careers in science and regenerative medicine, it also presents a great opportunity to talk and network with the scientists who are the true innovators of stem cell research.

If you’re interested in learning more about the Bridges conference, follow us on twitter (@CIRMnews, #CIRMBridges2018) and on Instagram (@CIRM_Stemcells).

*All photos courtesy of Hands On Studio.

What was Old is New Again: Scientists Transplant Brain Cells into Aged Mice and Reverse Memory Loss

/ cirmweb / Leave a comment

Alzheimer’s disease starts with small, almost imperceptible steps. And then it builds. Sometimes slowly over a period of decades, other times more quickly—in just a matter of years. But no matter the speed of progression, the end outcome is always the same.

Transplanted cells (shown in green) in the hippocampus, 3 months after transplantation. Cell nuclei are labeled in blue. [Credit: Leslie Tong and Yadong Huang/Gladstone Institutes]

Transplanted cells (shown in green) in the hippocampus, 3 months after transplantation. Cell nuclei are labeled in blue. [Credit: Leslie Tong and Yadong Huang/Gladstone Institutes]

The sixth leading cause of death in the United State, Alzheimer’s develops as brain cells, or neurons, are destroyed over time. The hippocampus, the brain’s memory center, is the hardest hit, which is why memory loss is the single most common—and most devastating—symptom of the disease.

As a result, scientists have looked to the field of regenerative medicine to replace the vital cells lost to Alzheimer’s. And now, researchers at the Gladstone Institutes in San Francisco have made an important step towards that goal.

Reporting in the latest issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, researchers in the laboratory of Dr. Yadong Huang have successful transplanted early-stage brain cells, called “neuron progenitor cells,” into aged mice that have been modified to mimic Alzheimer’s symptoms. And after doing so, what they saw was extraordinary.

Not only did the cells survive the transplantation—a feat in and of itself—they began to grow and integrate into the molecular circuitry of the brain. And that’s when they noticed changes to the animals’ behavior.

These mice, whose age corresponded to humans in late-stage adulthood, were living with physical signs of memory loss. But after the cell transplants, the team saw signs that memory and learning were restored.

Leslie Tong, a graduate student at Gladstone and the University of California, San Francisco and the paper’s first author, elaborated on the importance of these findings in a news release:

“Working with older animals can be challenging from a technical standpoint, and it was amazing that the cells not only survived but affected activity and behavior.”

For a brain to function normally, there should be a balance between two types of neurons: ‘excitatory’ neurons, that act as the brain’s gas pedal, and ‘inhibitory’ neurons that serve as the brake. If this balance between these two cell types gets thrown out of whack, normal function is disrupted—and cells, especially the inhibitory neurons, degrade and die. Combined with other factors, such as genetic risk and the buildup of toxic proteins—this imbalance plays a key role in the dysfunction that eventually leads to Alzheimer’s.

The success of this treatment not only reveals the importance of maintaining this balance in memory and learning, but is also proof of concept that if neurons are lost—they can in principle be replaced.

Huang is particularly excited about the therapeutic potential of these findings. As he stated in the same news release:

“The fact that we see a functional integration of these cells into the hippocampal circuitry and a…rescue of learning and memory deficits in an aged model of Alzheimer’s disease is very exciting.”

This study, which was supported in part by CIRM, points towards several possible therapeutic strategies that could one day help human brains ravaged by Alzheimer’s regrow the cells they’ve lost—and repair the damage to learning and memory that today remains irreparable. According to Huang:

“This study tells us that if there is any way we can enhance inhibitory neuron function in the hippocampus, like through the development of small molecule compounds, it may be beneficial for Alzheimer’s disease patients.”