Researchers from the Gladstone Institute of Cardiovascular Disease (GICD), led by Director Deepak Srivastava, MD, will collaborate with a Stanford research team led by Robert Robbins, MD, professor and chair of cardiothoracic surgery, to investigate the use of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) to repair damaged heart muscle. The research consortium will be funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI).
iPS cells result from the “reprogramming” of adult cells into cells closely resembling embryonic stem cells. Like ESCs, they can develop into any cell type in the body. This technology was developed by Gladstone investigator Shinya Yamanaka, MD, PhD. the 2009 Lasker Award Recipient for Biomedical Research.
"Important gaps remain in our understanding of stem and progenitor cells," said NHLBI director Elizabeth Nabel, MD. "This consortium holds great promise to expand our knowledge and uncover therapeutic applications of great public impact.”
