How proteins are renewed as stem cells become heart, liver, and brain cells
Investigations of proteome turnover kinetics under cellular differentiation
This project tracks how proteins are made and broken down as human stem cells become heart, liver, and brain cells to find signals that matter for disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado Denver NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11379601 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The researchers will grow human induced pluripotent stem cells and guide them to become heart, liver, and brain precursor cells, then use a safe heavy-water (deuterium) label to mark newly made proteins. They will use mass spectrometry and kinetic computer modeling to measure protein production and degradation at many time points during differentiation. By comparing turnover patterns across lineages and stages, the team aims to identify proteins and pathways that change during development and may link to disease markers. The investigators will also test how altering protein degradation affects cell function to learn whether turnover changes have real biological consequences.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This project does not provide direct treatment; people who could participate are those willing to donate cells or tissue for generation of iPSC lines, especially donors with heart, liver, or neurological conditions.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate clinical treatment or symptom relief should not expect direct benefit from this laboratory research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new biomarkers and therapeutic targets for heart, liver, and neurological diseases and suggest ways to stabilize or replace key proteins.
How similar studies have performed: Similar heavy-water labeling and mass spectrometry approaches have been used successfully in animal models and some human samples, but applying them at high time resolution across human iPSC differentiation is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Aurora, UNITED STATES
- University of Colorado Denver — Aurora, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lau, Edward — University of Colorado Denver
- Study coordinator: Lau, Edward
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.