About

Years: 2020 – 2021

Training Site: University of Ghana

Country: Ghana

Mentors: Jonathan Stiles, PhD; Andrew Anthony Adjei, M.Sci, PhD

Title: “Establishing a Human IPSC and Brain Organoid Repository to Investigate Effects of Malaria-Associated Heme on Infant Brains”

Program Objectives: The main objective of this project is to establish a repository of blood and urine cells that can be used to obtain and reprogram iPSCs to develop ex vivo human brain organoids. The organoids will be used to recapitulate the mechanisms associated with heme-induced damage and attenuation by NRG1 in the developing brain.

Aim 1: To establish a repository of plasma, urine and blood-derived mesenchymal cells from HCM survivors and non survivors as well as controls to investigate biomarkers of HCM susceptibility or resistance.

Aim 2: To assess the quality, viability and potential for reprogramming iPSC’s derived from urine and blood-derived mesenchymal cells, into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC).

NIH Support: NHLBI