Marius Wernig
Academic Appointments
- Assistant Professor, Pathology - Stem Cell Institute
- Member, Bio-X
- Member, Child Health Research Institute
Key Documents
Contact Information
- Academic Offices
Personal Information Email Tel (650) 721-2495Alternate Contact Hale Ozemek Administrative Associate Email Tel Work 5-9892
Professional Overview
Administrative Appointments
- Assistant Professor, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine (2008 - present)
Honors and Awards
- Ascina Award, Republic of Austria (2010)
- New Scholar in Aging, Ellison Medical Foundation (2010)
- Robertson Investigator Award, New York Stem Cell Foundation (2010)
- Donald E. and Delia B. Baxter Faculty Scholarship, Stanford University (2009)
- Cozzarelli Prize for outstanding scientific excellence, National Academy of Sciences USA (2009)
- Longterm fellowship Human Frontiers Science Program Organisation, HFSP (2004-2006)
Postdoctoral Advisees
Anders Ahlenius, Soham Chanda, Tivadar Danko, Jorge Davila, Daniel Haag, Moritz Mall, Samuele Marro, Nan Yang
Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations
Internet Links
Scientific Focus
Current Research Interests
Our laboratory is generally interested in the molecular mechanisms that determine specific cell fates.
Recently, we have identified a pool of transcription factors that are sufficient to convert skin fibroblasts directly into functional neuronal cells that we termed induced neuronal (iN) cells. This was a surprising finding and indicated that direct lineage reprogramming may be applicable to many somatic cell types and many different directions. Indeed, following our work others have identified transcription factors that could induce cardiomyocytes, blood progenitors, and hepatocytes from fibroblasts.
We are now focussing on two major aspects of iN and iPS cell reprogramming:
(i) we are fascinated by the puzzle how a hand full of transcription factors can so efficiently reprogram the entire epigenome of a cell so that it changes identity. To that end we are applying genome-wide expression analysis, chromatin immunoprecipitation, protein biochemistry, proteomics and functional screens.
(ii) it is equally exciting to now use reprogramming methods as tools to study or treat certain diseases. iPS cells have the great advantage that they can easily be genetically manipulated rendering them ideal for treating monogenetic disorders when combined with cell transplantation-based therapies. In particular we are working on Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa in collaboration with Stanford's Dermatology Department. An exciting application of iN cell technology will be to try modeling neurological diseases in vitro. We perform both mouse and human experiments hoping to identify quantifiable phenotypes correlated with genotype and in a second step evaluate whether this assay could be used to discover novel drugs improve the disease progression.
Publications
- Direct conversion of mouse fibroblasts to self-renewing, tripotent neural precursor cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012; (7): 2527-32
- Direct lineage conversion of terminally differentiated hepatocytes to functional neurons. Cell Stem Cell. 2011; (4): 374-82
- In situ genetic correction of the sickle cell anemia mutation in human induced pluripotent stem cells using engineered zinc finger nucleases. Stem Cells. 2011; (11): 1717-26
- Induction of human neuronal cells by defined transcription factors. Nature. 2011; (7359): 220-3
- Direct conversion of fibroblasts to functional neurons by defined factors. Nature. 2010; (7284): 1035-41
- Acute reduction in oxygen tension enhances the induction of neurons from human fibroblasts. J Neurosci Methods. 2013
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