Description of Research Expertise

Research Interest
My laboratory studies cell fate decisions, focusing on endoderm and mesoderm specification using mouse and human embryonic stem (ES) cells and induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells.

Key Words: Stem Cell Research, ES cells, Megakaryocyte, Developmental Biology, ES Cell Differentiation, Mesoderm, Endoderm, iPS cells, Liver, Beta cell

Research Details
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.

The differentiation of ES cells into a given cell type closely mimics how that cell type is formed during embryogenesis. This developmental pathway starts with the formation of the primary germ layers, mesoderm, endoderm, and ectoderm. Progressively more differentiated cell types are formed until the functional mature cell is generated. My research program focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms that regulate endoderm and mesoderm development utilizing the in vitro differentiation of ES cells and iPS cells.

One area of interest in the lab is in investigating hematopoiesis with a focus on megakaryocyte development. We are studying the molecular pathways which regulate megakaryopoeisis with the goal of optimizing the generation of platelets in vitro from ES/iPS cells. In addition, we are developing in vitro models of platelet disorders using iPS cells derived from patients with genetic diseases affecting platelet development and function.

The second area of interest in the lab is endoderm formation. We are studying 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. 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 and liver specification with the goal of generating functional beta cells and hepatocytes from human ES and iPS cells.

Rotation Projects
Please contact Dr. Gadue for rotation projects.


Lab Personnel
Xin Cheng, Posdoctoral Fellow
Lei Ying, Research Associate
Amita Tiyaboonchai, Graduate Student
Spencer Sullivan, Fellow

Human ES/iPS cell core facility*
Aline Disimone, Lab Manager
Jason Mills, Posdoctoral Fellow
Prasuna Paluru, Research Associate
Lin Lu, Research Associate
Helen Mac, Research Technician

* Dr. Gadue is associate director of the CHOP human ES/iPS cell core facility