Description

A stem cell is a cell from the embryo, fetus, or in any adult organs, that has the ability to reproduce itself for long periods of time, and at a given signal, give rise to many specialized cell types in the body. Apart from embryonic stem cells, adult stem cells maintain this capability throughout the life of an organism. In recent years, scientific advances have suggested that stem cells could be of great potential use in the treatment of a variety of diseases.

The objective of this graduate school course is to provide the students with information about stem cell origin, their role in early development, their isolation and therapeutic promises for the future. This course will also offer students a great opportunity to take part of recent and ground breaking advances in stem cell biology. All in all, the material presented is intended to evoke more interest in the field of stem cell biology, both for the student, the layman, as well as for the bench scientist.  Ultimately, the long term goal is to encourage future research in finding alternative therapeutic modalities in stem cell-related diseases, such as cancer, Parkinson’s, diabetes, atherosclerosis, congenital diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease. This course is taught by a group of high profile scientists with a broad expertise in stem cell biology, biochemistry, clinical applications, and ethics.