In vivo Organ Generation by Stem Cells

"Development of strategies for in vivo organ generation using stem cells."

DR. XABIER ARANGUREN LÓPEZ

Organ transplantation is a very effective life-saving treatment for end-stage organ diseases. Nevertheless, the number of organs available for transplantations is limited, and the waiting lists are ever increasing, recently counting around 150.000 people  Europe and 100.00 in USA, leading to a high rate of death for organ failure: only in the European continent, approximately 5.000 people die every year waiting for an organ, with a mortality rates for patients waiting for a heart, liver or lung ranging between 15 and 30%. The necessity to find additional source of organs for transplantation has boosted research on the generation of organs from pluripotent stem cells (PSCs).

We develop new therapeutic alternatives based on the generation of xeno-organs in vivo by blastocyst complementation using pluripotent stem cells. This strategy is based on the microinjection of stem cells into genetically modified embryos, incapable of generating a certain type of organ/cell type. In this way the target organ is formed exclusively from the microinjected stem cells. The group works with mouse and rat embryonic stem cells and human iPS cells, as well as with genetically modified mouse and pig models.

Dr. Xabier Aranguren López

GROUP LEADER

   +34 948 194 700 | Ext. 811024
   xlaranguren@unav.es
   Research profile

Objectives of the Research Group Organ Generation in vivo using Stem Cells

In vivo organ generation with stem cells


Generation of organs (cardiovascular system)
in a mouse model by blastocyst supplementation.


Isolation and production
of pluripotent stem cells from different species.

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Chimeras
Generation of interspecies chimeras: rat-mouse and human-pig.

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Mechanisms of the potential
Study of the mechanisms of stem cell chimerism potential.


Organ generation
Generation of humanized organs in pigs.

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Generation of transgenic models
Generation of transgenic models in mice and pigs using gene editing tools.

ADVANCED BIOENGINEERING

BIOHEART

Our research group coordinates the BIOHEART R&D project, a collaborative study of advanced bioengineering to develop cardiac tissue using cardiac stem cells and gene editing technology.

Meet the research team

Scientific activity of the Research Group Organ Generation in vivo by means of Stem Cells

Regenerative Medicine
Completed

QUIMPIG

Cima Principal Investigator: Xabier Aranguren López
Funder: Gobierno de Navarra