Derivation of Oligodendrocytes from iPSCs

In collaboration with Dr. Candace Kerr Ph.D. (Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University)

Stem cell research is at the vanguard of modern regenerative medicine and adult stem cells are envisaged as a potential source of personalized organ repair. We are particularly interested in the derivation and characterization of mature, functional oligodendrocytes from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and also the use of pluripotent cell-based models of oligodendrocyte differentiation to decipher the role of miRNAs in regulation of myelination. The ultimate aim is to make this research translationally feasible by optimizing differentiation protocols to obtain oligodendrocytes with myelination capabilities in vivo in our rat models of spinal cord injury.

Oligodendrocyte precursors obtained from induced pluripotent stem cells
Immunofluorescent studies to confirm that cells derived from iPSCs express the characteristic cellular markers associated with glial progenitors
Morphological images of early, mid, and late oligodendrocyte lineage cells in culture
Immunofluorescence of early, mid, and late OPC markers in culture
Immunofluorescence of OLs in culture