Course

Embryonic stem cells and Induced pluripotent stem cells, Disease modelling using induced pluripotent stem cells, Introduction to regenerative medicine, Adult stem cells and regeneration, Zebra fish and mammalian heart regeneration. Adult Neurogenesis, Hematopoietic stem cells, Cellular factors influencing tissue regeneration during tissue injury, Cell interactions with the microenvironment in tissue regeneration, Molecular signalling regulating stem cell proliferation and differentiation. Notch Signalling,  Wnt signalling, Hedgehog signalling, FGF, LIF- smad, Protein Kinase A

Stem cells and tissue engineering (Stem cell based therapies), Stem cell derived skin tissue and cartilage, Bone marrow transplantation, Umbilical cord blood stem cells and its therapeutic use, Experimental stem cell therapies in heart diseases, spinal cord injury, Boosting one’s own stem cells: stem cells and aging, Ethics and Policies in stem cell research. Paper Presentations and discussions on recent advances in stem cell biology

LEARNING OBJECTIVE:

This is an interdisciplinary course at the interface of the cutting-edge fields: stem cell research and regenerative medicine and bioengineering. The course covers how adult stem cells are specified into different cellular fate during health and disease, different model organisms used to study adult stem cell biology, role of extracellular niche and other molecular signaling pathways regulating stem cell fate decision. Course covers induced pluripotent stem cells, stem cell treatment using engineered stem cells and disease modelling using IPSCs. Course includes a discussion component where we discuss recent research advances in the field and ethics and policies in stem cell research.

COURSE OUTCOMES:

After the successful completion of the course, the students shall be able to

CO1: List various types of stem cells in the human body, the microenvironment and their potential in regenerative medicine.

CO2: Explain the cellular and molecular mechanisms of regeneration through a comparative study involving naturally regenerating species.

CO3: Compare embryonic stem cells and induced pluripotent stem cells, stem cell treatment using engineered stem cells and disease modelling using iPSCs. 

CO4: How combination of stem cells and tissue engineering opens new perspectives in tissue regeneration for stem cell therapy and regulations in stem cell therapy.

REFERENCES:

1. Mostly based on Research and Review articles from journals in stem cells and regenerative biology and medicine
2. Essentials of Stem Cell Biology by Robert Lanza and Anthony Atala
3. The Cell Biology of Stem Cells by Eran Meshorer and Kathrin Plath
4. Advances in Stem Cell Therapy by Nagwa El-Badri