Category: News

In a new study published in Cell Stem Cell, USC scientists report significant progress in cultivating nephron progenitor cells (NPCs), the cells destined to form the kidney’s filtration system, the nephrons. NPCs hold immense promise for understanding kidney development, modeling diseases, and discovering new treatments. “By enhancing our capability to grow NPCs from human stem…Continue Reading USC-led study introduces a new and improved way to grow the cells that give rise to the kidney’s filtration system

It’s hard to obtain research funding for safe ideas, and it’s even harder to find funding for risky ones. But thanks to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director’s Awards, USC Stem Cell scientists Justin Ichida and Zhongwei Li have secured the funding to pursue their high-risk, high-reward ideas for treating ALS and kidney disease….Continue Reading Justin Ichida and Zhongwei Li receive NIH Director’s Awards

A team of scientists at the Keck School of Medicine of USC has created what could be a key building block for assembling a synthetic kidney. In a new study in Nature Communications, Zhongwei Li and his colleagues describe how they can generate rudimentary kidney structures, known as organoids, that resemble the collecting duct system…Continue Reading Li Lab and colleagues make big progress in building mini-kidneys

Li lab published a preprint in bioRxiv entitled “Generation of kidney ureteric bud and collecting duct organoids that recapitulate kidney branching morphogenesis.” In this research article, an expandable, 3D branching ureteric bud (UB) organoid culture model has been generated. The UB organoid can be derived from primary UB progenitors from mouse and human fetal kidneys, or…Continue Reading 【New Publication】Generation of kidney ureteric bud and collecting duct organoids that recapitulate kidney branching morphogenesis

Li lab published an article entitled “Epigenetic Regulation of Kidney Progenitor Cells” in STEM CELLS Translational Medicine. In this review article, current understanding of epigenetic mechanisms involved in the cell fate determination of various kidney progenitor cells, including nephron progenitor cells, ureteric bud progenitor cells, and interstitial progenitor cells, have been summarized. And the potential contribution…Continue Reading 【New Publication】Epigenetic Regulation of Kidney Progenitor Cells

Zhongwei Li secures funding from Dean’s Pilot Award to investigate the cell fate plasticity of kidney progenitor cells….Continue Reading Zhongwei Li receives 2019 Dean’s Pilot Award

Welcome new lab members– Jing Wang and Tingman (Eva) Zhu. Both Jing and Eva are Master’s students in USC’s Translational Biotechnology program. Welcome!…Continue Reading Li Lab welcome new lab members Jing Wang and Tingman (Eva) Zhu

Welcome new lab member– Jyun Hao Chen. Jyun Hao is a trainee in the Bridges to Stem Cell Research and Therapy program funded by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), the state stem cell agency. Welcome!…Continue Reading Li Lab welcome new lab member Jyun Hao Chen

Growing stem cells isn’t just something faculty do in the lab. Zhongwei Li is one of eight faculty in the Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine who recently welcomed new babies into their families—more than half of them within the past year. Here, Dr. Li and other faculty parents share their joy and…Continue Reading Faculty balance babies with biomedical research

Dr. Zhongwei Li, together with Dr. Toshikazu Araoka from Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA) in Japan, and Dr. Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte from Salk Institute, published a book chapter in a new Springer book “Kidney Organogenesis: Methods and Protocols”. In this new book chapter entitled “Gene Editing in 3D Cultured Nephron Progenitor…Continue Reading 【New Publication】Gene Editing in 3D Cultured Nephron Progenitor Cell Lines