Tracking how proteins change when stem cells become heart, liver, or nerve cells
Investigations of proteome turnover kinetics under cellular differentiation
Researchers are measuring how quickly proteins are made and broken down as human stem cells turn into heart, liver, and nerve cells to help people with heart, liver, or brain conditions.
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-11158742 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project follows human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) as they differentiate into cardiomyocytes, hepatocytes, and neuroprogenitor cells. Scientists will use a safe deuterium labeling method together with mass spectrometry and kinetic modeling to map protein lifetimes at many time points. By combining protein abundance and turnover data, the team aims to reveal how protein production and degradation change during cell development and to flag possible disease-related markers. The work is lab-based and relies on human-derived cells and collaborations across labs to build a detailed temporal map of proteome remodeling.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who might participate are those willing to donate blood or skin cells for generating iPSC lines, or patients with heart, liver, or neural conditions interested in contributing research samples.
Not a fit: Patients looking for immediate treatments should not expect direct benefit because this is basic laboratory research focused on cell biology rather than a clinical treatment trial.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could uncover new disease markers and biological targets that improve diagnosis or future therapies for heart, liver, and neurological disorders.
How similar studies have performed: Related methods using deuterium labeling and mass spectrometry have previously measured protein turnover in animal models and human samples and have revealed novel markers, though applying these methods across high-resolution time courses in 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.