“What are the most desirable characteristics of a therapeutic stem cell?” A medical geneticist, Frank develops cell therapies for genetic diseases. One of her projects explores the possibility of transplanting ABCB5+ limbal stem cells to treat lack of eyesight due to corneal damage. In 2013, Frank received funding from an HSCI Seed Grant to isolate and generate more pure populations of ABCB5+ limbal stem cells, which would improve potential transplantation outcomes. She was able to show that human limbal stem cells transplanted in mice were able to regenerate corneal tissue.
