Science Careers

For many years, the study of neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and ALS, as well as the process of neurological recovery following spinal injuries or strokes, has been hindered by a lack of accurate models. Traditional research often relies on postmortem brain samples, which may not be well-preserved and typically reflect the final stages of disease. Rodent models also fall short in mimicking the complexity of human neural characteristics. Therefore, developing suitable in vitro cell models is essential for a deeper understanding of the involvement of neural and immune cells, as well as inflammation, in the development of neurological disorders.

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have emerged as a revolutionary tool in this context. These are cells from the body that can be reprogrammed back into embryonic-like stem cells, which then have the potential to develop into any type of human cell. Reprogramming cells from individuals with neurological diseases enables the exploration of disease-specific molecular pathways, particularly in neuron subtypes affected by the disease, such as dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson’s disease. This technology also facilitates the study of human neuronal development, offering opportunities for early intervention by targeting disease pathways before and during the early stages of the disease. Furthermore, once the neural phenotype associated with a neurological condition is established in vitro, researchers can use organoids or “disease-in-a-dish” models for more precise drug testing.

However, challenges remain in the use of iPSCs. They require exacting conditions to maintain their pluripotency, viability, and ability to multiply, which can be costly and involve complex, time-consuming culture methods. Over time, iPSC cultures can also develop genetic and phenotypic variability, even within cell lines originating from a single cell. It is therefore crucial to develop straightforward, reliable, and standardized methods for the monitoring, assessment, and comparison of iPSC lines.

In this upcoming Science webinar, experts will:

• Detail the use of neuro iPSC lines in researching neurological diseases and conditions
• Discuss the application of high-throughput flow cytometry for the monitoring, assessment, and comparison of iPSC lines
• Elaborate on the potential for therapeutic developments that could significantly slow down or prevent the progression of neurodegenerative diseases
• Answer questions during the live broadcast.

The webinar is expected to run for about 60 minutes.

Three-dimensional (3D) cell culture technologies, such as organoids, boomed over the past decade. As such, precision medicine, the tailoring of disease prevention and treatment based on a patient’s genes, environment, and lifestyle, is getting closer to becoming a reality for more and more diseases. First applied in the customized treatment of individual cystic fibrosis patients in 2016, organoids are now being considered for cancers as well as neurodegenerative diseases. Last year organoids were even successfully transplanted into a patient with ulcerative colitis.

Grown from either pluripotent stem cells or adult stem cells and comprising of organ-specific cell types, organoids can be efficiently established from patient-derived normal and tumor tissue samples, cryopreserved, and stored in living organoid biobanks. These biobanks of different cancers and diseases can be used in optimizing drug screening. Many compounds can be screened for a specific disease, or a specific compound can be screened for many forms of a given disease. Additionally, multiple organoids derived from the same patient can be used over time to assess drug response, drug resistance, and prediction of patient outcome.

In this Science webinar, the speakers will:

• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of organoid technology for modeling genetic, infectious, and malignant diseases
• Provide the current state of organoid technology and summarize its applications in drug development and personalized medicine
• Give examples from their own research (i.e., pancreatic cancer and neurodegenerative diseases)
• Answer questions during the live broadcast.

This webinar will last for approximately 60 minutes.

While cancer remains a formidable challenge, accounting for one out of every six deaths globally, the past decade has seen leaps in our collective understanding of the basic science of cancer as well as treatment approaches. Many of these advances stem from innovative strategies for pursuing the big questions in cancer. In 2017, Cancer Grand Challenges named its inaugural cohort of teams, each set against one of the most vexing problems in cancer research of the time: mapping tumors in 3D, differentiating lethal versus non-lethal cancers, and identifying unusual mutagen patterns. As the Challenge cycle draws to a close, it’s time to look back at how this unique team-based approach changed the landscape of cancer research in ways both expected and surprising.

In this Science webinar, attendees will:

• Learn how cancer research has changed over the past decade,
• Hear about the unexpected interconnectivity that is now emerging from the distinct challenges,
• Explore the unique benefits of a team- and challenge-based cancer research funding strategy,
• Be able to ask questions of the expert panel.