OUR PASSION
Human stem cell derived vascular structure
How to rebuild the vascular system to support organ regeneration?
Vascular networks are an integral component of every organ in the body, and play an important role in organ development and regeneration. Recent efforts in the Gu lab have largely focused on 1) delineate the organ-specific vascular signature; 2) generate vascularized heart, lung, and brain organoids to better understand the cell-cell interaction during development and disease; 3) explore the role of vascular deficiency in the etiology of heart, lung, and brain diseases.
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Human Heart Cell Atlas
What are the undefined cell types and cell states during heart and lung development?
Recent advances in single cell technology have facilitated the discovery of new cell populations in a variety of human organs. Our lab is passionate about uncovering new vascular cell types and the cell states transition across different developmental stages in both heart and lung, and understanding the anatomical location and function of these cells. Our research group has been highly engaged in both NIH LungMAP2 consortium and the Human Cell Atlas. We have also shared our single cell datasets of dissociated heart tissue through the Broad Institute Single Cell Portal.
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Human iPSC derived Cardiomyocytes
Can we model disease progression and predict prognosis in a dish?
Our lab utilizes patient-specific iPSC derivatives to recapitulate the disease progression in a dish. Using this system, we were able to determine disease-specific cellular phenotypes, and provide novel mechanistic insights that could lead to new therapeutic strategies for heart and lung regeneration. Recent efforts have been focusing on developing more complex iPSC based systems using three-dimensional organoids, tissue-engineering, and microfluidic organ-on-a-chip platforms to better characterize the mechanic features of the cardiac tissue and cell-cell communication.
References:
Gu et. al., European Heart Journal, 2015
Sa, Gu et. al., American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 2017;
Drug development and Precision Medicine
How do genetic factors impact patient-specific drug response and drug toxicity?
Instead of the traditional “one-size-fits-all” healthcare, we believe patients should be treated differently based on their genetic background. At the Center for Stem Cell & Organoid Medicine (CuSTOM), we are enthusiastic about the opportunity to customize therapeutic strategy for each patient, by assessing the drug efficacy and toxicity in patient-specific iPSC derived cells and organoids. The newly formed CuSTOM Accelerator will facilitate high-throughput drug screening and bench-to-bedside translation of stem cell technology through academic-industrial partnerships, licensing agreements, and the creation of startups.
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