Center for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine

Explores the mechanisms behind stem cell self-renewal and differentiation with plans to expand current studies to develop stem cell lines designed to benefit transplantation medicine and the regeneration of tissues, and to provide vectors for gene therapy with direct implications for the treatment of a wide range of chronic diseases.

Phone 713.500.3429; Fax 713.500.2424

About the Center

A major focus of contemporary medicine is the development of effective therapies for the restoration of human tissues and organs lost to diseases and trauma. Regenerative Medicine is a rapidly emerging field that stands at the intersection of a variety of rapidly developing scientific disciplines: stem cell biology, tissue engineering, biomaterials, molecular biology, immunology and transplantation biology and clinical research. Implicit in the successful design, implementation and application of regenerative medicine/tissue engineering approaches to the repair of a damaged tissue or organ is the reliance on the unique biological properties of stem cells.

The mission statement of the Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine at the IMM is: To study the fundamental properties of stem cells and to translate their unique biological properties into novel cellular therapies for graft engineering and tissue regeneration for currently intractable disorders. While it is therefore implicit that any such program would span basic-translational-clinical research, it is essential that such an endeavour is ultimately underpinned by excellence in fundamental stem cell research.  The Center is also envisioned as an educational resource, which in the medium to long-term will be the basis for the development of an academic program in stem cell biology on campus. Moreover, by interfacing effectively with other programs and institutions within the UTHSC, the Center will also act as a focus to stimulate the development and implementation of novel cellular therapies for a range of diseases and disorders.

Some of the current areas of research in the Center are highlighted below:

Sarah Xuelian Huang, MBBS, PhD 
Assistant Professor of Stem Cell Biology, Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine
MBBS~Xi’an Jiaotong University College of Medicine / Xi’an, China
PhD~ Columbia University / New York, New York

  • Dr. Huang’s laboratory is interested in applying human pluripotent stem cells to study the basic mechanisms of cell fate specification in the context of both normal and pathological development of the lung. The long-term goal is translation of the acquired knowledge into prevention and treatment of currently not curable lung diseases.

Nami McCarty, PhD
Professor, Center for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine
PhD- Purdue University / West Lafayette, Indiana

  • The main focus of Dr. McCarty’s laboratory is to understand cellular and molecular mechanisms of stem cell fate determination and development in hematological malignancies. Developing targeted therapies inhibiting development of the stem-like cells in blood cancers is a major goal in her lab.