COBRE in Digestive and Liver Disease

Cell Models Core – Project Summary The COBRE in Digestive & Liver Disease (CDLD) Cell Models Core will provide CDLD investigators with access to state-of-the-art tissue culture models of digestive and liver disease. We will use genome engineering technologies including CRIPSR-Cas9 to introduce specific genetic alterations into established cell lines and into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). The iPSCs will be differentiated to form cells of the gastrointestinal tract and liver that will be used for study by CDLD investigators. The Cell Models Core will also provide investigators with primary cells isolated from transgenic and control rodents, when requested. In addition to providing CDLD investigators cells and organoids that can be used for direct analyses, the Cell Models Core will also support investigators by providing mentoring, training, and critical reagents to allow them to establish the procedures in their own laboratories. Through such training opportunities, the Core will advance the technological toolbox of CDLD investigators, increase their competitiveness for funding, and enable them to advance as experts in digestive and liver disease research. The Core will also adopt a program of rigorous evaluation to ensure optimal performance and continual access to new technologies as they are developed. The Cell Models Core represents a new core research resource at the Medical University of South Carolina. Currently, this technology is only available to digestive disease researchers. Dr. Stephen A. Duncan, who will lead the Core, is an expert in stem cell biology and cell differentiation, and he has used genome engineering extensively to generate cells to model liver disease. The Core also recruited the expertise of Dr. Jorge Múnera who has pioneered the generation of colonic organoids from iPSCs. The isolation of primary cells is led by Dr. Don Rockey, who has over 30 years of experience in isolating primary cells from rodents. The Core leadership has already worked closely with the CDLD Research Project Leaders to generate preliminary data for their proposed projects and grant applications. A needs assessment survey ascertained that 19 digestive disease research labs plan to use the Core in the immediate future. The Core will therefore have a substantial impact and advance digestive disease and liver research at MUSC.