Xin Chen, PhDBACK

Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins University

Histone Turnover During Stem Cell Homeostasis and Aging

It is becoming clear that adult stem cells help repair many organs such as muscle, brain, and heart as we age. However, stem cells are very difficult to study in most animals. Dr. Chen takes advantage of recently discovered adult stem cells in the fruit fly, an animal in which stem cells are remarkably easy to study, to investigate how stem cells maintain their ability to produce healthy new cells even as animals age, particularly focusing on how proper regulation of their genes is passed on to new "daughter" cells. The knowledge gained in Dr. Chen's study could ultimately help us develop stem cell therapies for a host of age-related diseases.