Paul Gadue, Ph.D. - Co-investigator Profile
My laboratory studies cell fate decisions, focusing on endoderm and mesoderm specification using mouse and human ES cells and iPS cells. ES/iPS cells can differentiate into all cell types in the body and can be propagated in culture almost indefinitely, generating a virtually unlimited number of cells. These unique characteristics lead to the exciting prospect of using these cells to study disease processes and developmental pathways in vitro and eventually to treat a wide variety of diseases using cell replacement therapies.
One focus of my laboratory is to study a unique endodermal stem cell population that we have generated from human ES and iPS cells. Endoderm stem cells have the ability to be expanded in culture like ES cells and have the capability to generate many endoderm derived tissues such as liver, pancreas and intestine. Importantly, pancreatic beta cells derived from endoderm stem cells are monohormonal and are glucose responsive in vitro. We are studying the signaling and transcriptional pathways which regulate endoderm stem cell generation and maintenance. We are also utilizing the endodermal stem cell population as a model to study pancreatic beta cell specification with the goal of generating functional beta cells from human ES and iPS cells.
Scientific Interests/Keywords
ES cells, iPS cells, In vitro differentiation
