The ability to program naïve cells or to reprogram differentiated cells into particular fates will open the door to the discovery of novel therapeutics for diseases such as diabetes. The goal of the Huangfu laboratory is to understand the fundamental principles that govern the identity of a cell, and to use these principles to manipulate cell fates for regenerative medicine. The current research is focused on two areas, to understand the mechanisms that underlie the conversion of differentiated cells to induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), and to use functional genomics in human pluripotent stem cells (both embryonic stem cells and iPSCs) to study human development and disease.
Gonzalez F, Georgieva D, Vanoli F, Shi Z-D, Stadtfeld M, Ludwig T, Jasin M, Huangfu D. Homologous Recombination DNA Repair Genes Play a Critical Role in Reprogramming to a Pluripotent State. Cell Reports. 2013; Mar 28(3):651-60.
Zhu Z, Huangfu D. Human pluripotent stem cells: an emerging model in developmental biology. Development. 2013;140(4):705-717.
Huangfu D, Osafune K, Maehr R, Guo W, Eijkelenboom A, Chen S, Muhlestein W, Melton DA. Induction of pluripotent stem cells from primary human fibroblasts with only Oct4 and Sox2. Nat Biotechnol. 2008;26(11):1269-75.
Huangfu D, Maehr R, Guo W, Eijkelenboom A, Snitow M, Chen AE, Melton DA. Induction of pluripotent stem cells by defined factors is greatly improved by small-molecule compounds. Nat Biotechnol. 2008;26(7):795-7.
Brennand K, Huangfu D, Melton D. All beta cells contribute equally to islet growth and maintenance. PLoS Biol. 2007;5(7):e163.
Huangfu D, Anderson KV. Signaling from Smo to Ci/Gli: conservation and divergence of Hedgehog pathways from Drosophila to vertebrates. Development. 2006;133(1):3-14.
Huangfu D, Anderson KV. Cilia and Hedgehog responsiveness in the mouse. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2005;102(32):11325-30.
Huangfu D, Liu A, Rakeman AS, Murcia NS, Niswander L, Anderson KV. Hedgehog signalling in the mouse requires intraflagellar transport proteins. Nature. 2003;426(6962):83-7.