| Module Leader |
Associate Professor Ernst Wolvetang |
| Host Organisation |
Australian Institute for Biotechnology and Nanotechnology University of Queensland |
Module description
In order to enable the safe and cost effective future clinical application of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) and indeed iPS cells (induced pluripotent stem cells) two key issues that need to be addressed are a) the genetic and epigenetic stability of such pluripotent cells and b) the efficient and cost effective expansion of such pluripotent cells under defined feeder free conditions.
Module Leader biography
Associate Professor Ernst Wolvetang leads the human embryonic stem cell engineering group within the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology at the University of Queensland. Previously, he was head of the Basic Human Embryonic Stem Cell Biology Laboratory at the Australian Stem Cell Centre. Between 1997 and 2006, Associate Professor Wolvetang was located at the Centre for Early Human Development in the Institute for Reproduction and Development, Monash University.
He then joined the laboratory of Associate Professor Martin Pera (2003-2006) to investigate the role of signalling/gene regulation pathways in the control of growth, differentiation and apoptosis of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) by using retroviral transduction of sh RNA’s and cDNAs. This work culminated in his publication (Nature Biotechnology) describing the relationship between the expression of CD30, apoptosis and genetic instability in hESC. As a result of this work, Associate Professor Wolvetang is now recognised nationally and internationally for his knowledge on proliferation, apoptosis and genetic stability of hESC.
Contact details
Selected publications
- Méabh Cullinane, Lan Gong, Natalie Lazar-Adler, Thien Tra, Ernst Wolvetang, Mark Prescott, John D. Boyce, Rodney J. Devenish., and Ben Adler. Stimulation of autophagy suppresses the intracellular survival of Burkholderia pseudomallei in mammalian cell lines. (2008) Autophagy (in press). [IF 4.657 Cited 2]
- Hannan NRF and EJ Wolvetang. Adipocyte differentiation in human embryonic stem cells transduced with Oct4 shRNA lentivirus. (2008) Stem Cell Dev. (accepted). [IF 3.224 Cited N/A]
- Wolvetang EJ, Pera MF, Zuckerman KS. Gap-junction mediated transport of shRNA between human embryonic stem cells. (2007) Biochem.Biophys. Res.Comm. 363(3):610-5. [IF 2.749 Cited 3]
- Grandela C, Pera MF, Grimmond S, Kolle G and Wolvetang EJ. p53 is required for etoposide-induced apoptosis of human embryonic stem cells. (2007) Stem cell Research (in press, accepted Dec 2007).[IF N/A Cited N/A]
- Grandela C and Wolvetang E. (2007) hESC Adaptation, Selection and Stability. Stem Cell Rev. 2007 Fall;3(3):183-91. [IF 1.493 Cited 1]
- Davidson, KC; Daly, R; Wolvetang, EJ, et al . Wnt signaling in human embryonic stem cells.. (2007) Book chapter: Cytometry part A Volume: 69A Issue: 5 Pages: 412-412. [IF 2.978 Cited 0]
- Wolvetang E ,Herszfeld D, Langton –Bunker E, Chung T, Filipczyk A, Houssami S, Koh K, Laslett AL, Michalska A, Nguyen L, Reubinoff BE, Tellis I, Auerbach JM, Ording CJ, Looijenga LHJ, and Pera MF. (2006) CD30 is a survival factor and a biomarker for transformed human pluripotent stem cells. Nat.Biotech. 24(3):351-7. [IF 22.7 Cited 31].
- Pebay A., Wong R., Pitson SM., Wolvetang E., Peh GS., Filipczyk A., Koh KL., Tellios I., Nguyen LT., Pera MF. (2005) Essential roles of sphingosine-1-phosphate and platelet-derived growth factor in the maintenance of human embryonic stem cells. Stem Cells. 23 (10):1541-1548. [IF 6.094 Cited 31]
- Helguera P, Pelsman A, Pigino G, Wolvetang E, Head E, Busciglio J. (2005) Ets-2 Promotes the Activation of a Mitochondrial Death Pathway in Down's Syndrome Neurons. J Neurosci. 25 (9), 2295-2303. [IF 7.506 Cited 13]
- Thouas GA, Trounson AO, Wolvetang EJ and Jones GM (2004) Mitochondrial dysfunction in oocytes results in embryo developmental arrest in vitro. Biol.Rep. 71 (6), 1936-42.[IF 3.550 Cited 12]