One of the ultimate goals in adult stem cell research is to better understand the biology of these cells so that scientists may develop strategies to directly manipulate them without posing ethical questions raised by embryonic stem cells. Dr. Sung's lab is interested in the cell biology of stem cells in the central nervous system (CNS). Her lab discovered a novel marker, Tctex-1, for the adult neural stem cells and showed its important role in the niche for neurogenesis. Strategies to purify and manipulate the genetic-tagged adult CNS stem cells and their therapeutic potentials in damaged brains and eyes are underway.
Chuang JZ, Zhao Y, Sung CH. SARA-regulated vesicular targeting underlies formation of the light-sensing organelle in mammalian rods. Cell. 2007 Aug 10;130(3):535-47.
Yeh TY, Peretti D, Chuang JZ, Rodriguez-Boulan E, Sung CH. Regulatory dissociation of Tctex-1 light chain from dynein complex is essential for the apical delivery of rhodopsin. Traffic. 2006 Nov;7(11):1495-502. Epub 2006 Sep 1.
Dedesma C, Chuang JZ, Alfinito PD, Sung CH. Dynein light chain Tctex-1 identifies neural progenitors in adult brain. J Comp Neurol. 2006 Jun 20;496(6):773-86.