His research on the basic biology of this relationship could
lead to new therapies for a variety of diseases. In the long
term, Feldman said, “We’re trying to design new tools that will
allow us to regulate stem cells in vivo. It might be possible to
redirect stem cells towards more healthful lineages, or even
induce their regenerative properties, without taking them out of
a person.” He imagines possibly heading off obesity by diverting
stem cells away from the pathway that leads to fat cells, or
treating muscle-wasting conditions by cueing stem cells to form
more muscle. In addition, the NIH selected two other research
projects at the School of Medicine for Transformative R01
Awards, which support inherently risky projects with the
potential to profoundly affect a broad area of biomedical
research. Marius Wernig, MD, and Thomas Sudhof, MD, PhD,
received funding to determine if a new technique to transform
mouse skin cells into neurons with the application of just three
genes can be used on skin cells from h