Senquan Liu named STEM CELLS Young Investigator of 2020

Durham, NC – Senquan Liu, Ph.D., is STEM CELLS‘s Young Investigator of 2020 for his work on human stem-cell derived extracellular vesicles (EVs). This award fosters advancements in the field of stem cell research by honoring a young researcher who is the principal author of an article published in STEM CELLS that is deemed to have the most impact and to push the boundaries of novel and insightful research.

Dr. Liu and his team at Johns Hopkins University focused on optimizing an approach to produce and purify human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) EVs, then they investigated the properties and therapeutic potential of stem cell derived EVs.

They demonstrated for the first time that human iPSCs produce great numbers of EVs under a defined culture condition, and the concentration is 16-fold higher than by MSCs. Highly purified EVs secreted from both iPSCs and young MSCs alleviated senescence associated cellular phenotypes of aged MSCs through reducing intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level via exosomal transfer of PRDXs.

“The discovery that EVs from human stem cells can be used to alleviate cellular aging in culture by the delivery of intracellular peroxiredoxin antioxidant enzymes and other factors is an important step forward,” said Dr. Jan Nolta, Editor-in-Chief of STEM CELLS. “This knowledge could be useful for improving culture conditions and expansion without a loss in cell potency. The studies also help define shared mechanisms of aging and aging?associated diseases.”

Dr. Liu is currently an associate investigator in the Division of Life Sciences and Medicine at the University of Science and Technology of China, one of the top research universities in China.

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Learn more about Dr. Senquan Liu’s work on extracellular vesicles or read his winning paper “Highly Purified Human Extracellular Vesicles Produced by Stem Cells Alleviate Aging Cellular Phenotypes of Senescent Human Cells.”

About the Journal: STEM CELLS, a peer reviewed journal published monthly, provides a forum for prompt publication of original investigative papers and concise reviews. The journal covers all aspects of stem cells: embryonic stem cells/induced pluripotent stem cells; tissue-specific stem cells; cancer stem cells; the stem cell niche; stem cell epigenetics, genomics and proteomics; and translational and clinical research. STEM CELLS is co-published by AlphaMed Press and Wiley.

About AlphaMed Press: Established in 1983, AlphaMed Press with offices in Durham, NC, San Francisco, CA, and Belfast, Northern Ireland, publishes three internationally renowned peer-reviewed journals with globally recognized editorial boards dedicated to advancing knowledge and education in their focused disciplines. STEM CELLS® is the world’s first journal devoted to this fast paced field of research. THE ONCOLOGIST® is devoted to community and hospital-based oncologists and physicians entrusted with cancer patient care. STEM CELLS TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE® is dedicated to significantly advancing the clinical utilization of stem cell molecular and cellular biology. By bridging stem cell research and clinical trials, SCTM will help move applications of these critical investigations closer to accepted best practices.

About Wiley: Wiley, a global company, helps people and organizations develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. Our online scientific, technical, medical and scholarly journals, combined with our digital learning, assessment and certification solutions, help universities, learned societies, businesses, governments and individuals increase the academic and professional impact of their work. For more than 200 years, we have delivered consistent performance to our stakeholders. The company’s website can be accessed at http://www.wiley.com.