Category: News

A resected rib in a young person can grow back with surprising ease—even if a large piece is missing. This remarkable healing ability was observed by Janice S. Lee, principal investigator of the Craniofacial Anomalies and Regeneration Section and Clinical Director at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), during reconstructive surgeries on…Continue Reading Why aging matters for bone healing: New clues from the rib

When Francesca Mariani learned that she would receive USC’s highest honor for outstanding teaching, a 2023 Associates Award for Excellence in Teaching, it took her by surprise. “Sometimes it feels mysterious as to why I should be getting this award,” said Mariani, an associate professor of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, and integrative anatomical…Continue Reading Francesca Mariani wins USC’s highest honor for outstanding teaching

The same stem cells that heal broken bones can also generate arthritic bone spurs called osteophytes, according to a new study in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases. “Although these stem and progenitor cells promote healthy bone repair in other contexts, they are inappropriately activated to cause a pathological bony protuberance in the context of arthritis,”…Continue Reading When it comes to arthritic bone spurs, stem cells hurt instead of heal

How do bones heal, and how could they heal better? The answer to these questions may lie in a newly discovered population of “messenger” cells, according to a recent Mariani Lab study published in the journal eLife. To read more, visit stemcell.keck.usc.edu/messenger-cells-bring-good-news-for-bone-healing….Continue Reading Messenger cells bring good news for bone healing

In this 360 video tour of USC’s stem cell research center, trainees—including a high schooler, an undergraduate, two master’s students, a PhD candidate and a postdoc from the laboratories of Francesca Mariani and Gage Crump—talk about educational opportunities….Continue Reading Mariani Lab members host 360 video tour of USC’s stem cell research center

If you lose a limb, it’s lost for life. If you damage a kidney, you won’t grow a new one. And if you have a heart attack, the scars are there to stay. But regenerative medicine is poised to change all of this. Building new tissue is within sight, and USC scientists are among the…Continue Reading Growing hope: New organs? Not yet, but stem cell research is getting closer

Lab member Max Serowoky has received the Roy E. Thomas Foundation Graduate Scholarship for Summer and Fall 2018. Congratulations!…Continue Reading Max Serowoky receives the Roy E. Thomas Foundation Graduate Scholarship

Lab member Armando Garcia has won second place at the Francisco Bravo Medical Magnet High School’s Bravo-USC Science and Engineering Fair 2018 for his poster about animal physiology. Congratulations!…Continue Reading Armando Garcia wins second place at the Bravo-USC Science and Engineering Fair

Scientists from the lab of Francesca Mariani recently shared a recipe for ribs, and it doesn’t even require barbecue sauce. In a new publication in the journal eLife, first authors Jennifer Fogel from USC, Daniel Lakeland from Lakeland Applied Sciences and colleagues examine the development of the vertebrate ribcage, which supports the body, protects the…Continue Reading Mariani Lab reveals rules for making ribs

The price of progress is not only the energy and talent of stem cell scientists, but also the research dollars that support their discoveries. In recent months, faculty members have secured numerous grants to support stem cell-based approaches to study and treat illnesses ranging from osteoarthritis to Alzheimer’s disease to cystic fibrosis. To read more,…Continue Reading USC’s stem cell scientists secure the dollars to fight disease