Program Leader: Wayne A. Marasco, MD, PhD
There is a growing need for animal models to carry out in vivo developmental and regenerative medicine studies of human cells, tissues and organs. The Humanized Neonatal Mouse Center (HNMC) was created to accelerate research in the stem cell field by providing humanized mouse models to study human stem cell engraftment and differentiation in regenerative medicine. We have over 4 years of experience in constructing different types of humanized mouse models, including neonatal heart, lung and kidney injury models. We have extensive experience in hematopoietic stem cell reconstruction. It is our goal at HNMC to facilitate collaborative research in human stem cell biology, where physiologically relevant microenvironments (niches) may be created in vivo to study human stem cell fate and function under experimental settings where disease, damage or degenerative conditions can be controlled. We can provide customized humanized mouse models to the HSCI research community, to collaborate on research studies of common interest, and to advance the general use of these models for a broad range of translational and preclinical studies.
Articles of interest:
1) Hall SR et al. Identification and Isolation of Small CD44-Negative Mesenchymal Stem/Progenitor Cells From Human Bone Marrow Using Elutriation and Polychromatic Flow Cytometry. Stem Cells Transl Med. 2013 Aug;2(8):567-78. doi:10.5966/sctm.2012-0155. Epub 2013 Jul 11. PMID:2384700
2) Porrello ER, et al. Transient Regenerative Potential of the Neonatal Mouse Heart. Science 2011 Feb 25;331(6020):1078-80 PMID:21350179.
3) Kajstura J, et al. Evidence for Human Lung Stem Cells. N Engl J Med 2011;364(19):1795-806 PMID: 21561345.
For more information, contact:
Jiusong Sun, Ph.D.
Research Scientist
Department of Cancer Immunology & AIDS
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Phone: (617) 582-9663
jiusong_sun@dfci.harvard.edu