HOW UCLA STEM CELL RESEARCH IS TRANSFORMING MEDICINE

Research areas

Our researchers are utilizing stem cells to answer complex scientific and medical questions and transform the understanding and treatment of disease.

Two people in a lab looking at test tubes

Aging & Healthspan

Aging reduces stem cells’ ability to regenerate tissues and organs. Researchers are pursuing ways to reverse this process in order to develop therapies for age-related diseases like Alzheimer’s, heart disease and cancer.

Bioengineering & Nanotechnology

These cutting-edge approaches are advancing the understanding and application of stem cells, paving the way for innovative treatments and groundbreaking developments in regenerative medicine.

Microscope image of blood stem cells

Blood & Immune Diseases

Center researchers are applying their foundational insights about the biology of blood stem cells to develop approaches to enhance immune function, treat autoimmune diseases and cure genetic blood disorders.

Bone & Muscle Diseases & Injuries

Scientists are leveraging stem cells to prevent and reverse bone loss and developing cell and gene therapies to treat muscular dystrophies.

An engineered HSC-iNKT cell attacking a human tumor cell

Cancer & Immunotherapy

Our members are developing more effective immunotherapies, creating cutting-edge cancer vaccines and improving the safety of targeted treatments.

Vibrant cell microscopy image of bone muscle

Cell & Gene Therapy

Researchers are developing cell and gene therapies to heal or replace damaged tissue and organs and address the root causes of a range of devastating conditions.

Patient-specific human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelium cells.

Eye Diseases

Our investigators seek to better understand the mechanisms that support eye health and lead to eye disease to find new therapies that prevent or mitigate vision loss.

Striking microscopy image of intestine cells

Gastrointestinal & Metabolic Diseases

Scientists are using organoids to pinpoint new treatments for intestinal disorders and identifying new ways to treat diabetes and other metabolic diseases.

An artistic representation of the newly discovered trans-action by XIST, showing the X chromosome (yellow) and the extended and dispersed distribution of XIST (green) across the X chromosome and beyond, i.e. to autosomes, as seen with microscopy.

Genetics & Genomics

Center scientists are uncovering the genetic roots of diseases ranging from autism to cancer using stem cell models and computational methods, bringing us closer to a new era of precision therapies.

Microscope scar in a dish fibrosis

Heart & Lung Diseases

Our researchers are seeking to harness the regenerative capacity of cardiac stem cells to reverse heart muscle damage and developing cell and gene therapies to regenerate damaged lungs.

Infectious Diseases

Center investigators are leveraging stem cells to enhance the body’s ability to fight off infectious diseases and develop next-generation vaccines, diagnostics and treatments that reduce the spread and effects of these often deadly conditions.

Neurological Diseases, Disorders & Injuries

Our researchers are using stem cell-based models to gain unprecedented insights into human brain and nervous system development, disease and repair.

germ cells (red) in mouse seminiferous tubules

Reproduction & Infertility

Scientists are using stem cell models to advance reproductive health by developing therapeutic strategies to treat infertility, pinpointing more effective treatments for reproductive cancers and creating more accessible contraceptives.

Stem Cell Biology

Our members are conducting foundational research to enhance our understanding of stem cell biology to help unlock the full potential of regenerative medicine and transform the way we study and treat disease.