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November 2024

Growing mini-lungs; and what happens when cells stop talking? Metcalf Prize winners announced

I am delighted to announce the winners of the 2024 Metcalf Prizes for Stem Cell Research: Dr Rhiannon Werder from Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and Dr William Roman from the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute, based at Monash University.

Rhiannon plans to grow 3 dimensional models of human lung tissue, or ‘mini-lungs’, in a dish to better investigate respiratory infections and drive new treatment discoveries.

William is growing human muscles on a chip. He’s using them to understand how the skeletal muscle cell, the largest cell in a human body, connects with neurons and tendons to create working muscles.

Both will receive a $60,000 prize from the Foundation. More below.

The success of past Metcalf Prize winners shows our investment strategy is working. Please consider donating to help us continue our work: www.stemcellfoundation.net.au/donate.

Join us this Sunday for a free public forum and Q&A on Making cancer treatment worth it at the University of Adelaide: 10 November 3:00pm-4:30pm ACDT and livestreamed.

Science broadcaster Natasha Mitchell and a panel of cancer and stem cell experts will explore the costs and benefits of cancer treatment and how this in changing – from personalised medicine to managing side effects to supporting patients. Further details below.

Also in the news this month: 2018 Metcalf Prize winner Enzo Porrello featured on Fox 5 New York, talking about using human stem cells, genomics and AI to solve childhood heart disease; new findings on stem cells grown in microgravity aboard the International Space Station; and more in our regular our regular news roundup.

Kind regards,

Dr Graeme L Blackman AO

Chairman, National Stem Cell Foundation of Australia


In this bulletin:


Growing 'mini-lungs' to find treatments to help kids breathe easier

Dr Rhiannon Werder is growing ‘mini-lungs in a dish’ that mimic the complexity and function of lungs in living people.

The Team Leader at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) has already used stem cell-derived lung cells to create models of human genetic diseases, like cystic fibrosis, and acquired lung diseases and infections, such as the common cold.

Now she plans to grow 3 dimensional models of human lung tissue, or ‘mini-lungs’, in a dish to better investigate respiratory infections and drive new treatment discoveries.

Lung diseases and respiratory infections rank among the top causes of morbidity and mortality in children globally.

“Every time we breathe in, we breathe in potentially horrible things, meaning our lungs are under constant attack – so, it’s no wonder things go wrong,” says Rhiannon matter-of-factly.

“Epithelial cells that line the lungs are our first line of defence, and the first cells that anything we breath in interacts with,” Rhiannon says. “It’s incredible that these cells that line our lungs are so well equipped – attacks are happening almost with every breath, and most of the time you don’t even know about it, because the epithelial cells just deal with it.

“But, of course, underneath those cells are many other cell types, and to better understand respiratory diseases, we need to persuade these other cells to grow in our models of human lung tissues, or ‘mini-lungs’.

“We’ve already had really nice success incorporating immune cells, and what we’re working towards is making mini-lungs in a dish that have full complexity of the lung so that we can study respiratory infections, including how they impact children with chronic lung diseases.

Rhiannon wants her work to lead to treatments that help children breathe easier. Her focus is on how we can teach the lung cells and the immune system to deal with invaders more effectively. This ‘host directed therapy’ contrasts with traditional disease directed therapies that target specific bacteria or viruses, which can then become resistant to treatment.

Read more about Rhiannon and her research.

How do cells work together to create organs? And what happens when they stop talking?

Dr William Roman is growing human muscles on a chip. He’s using them to understand how the skeletal muscle cell, the largest cell in a human body, connects with neurons and tendons to create working muscles.

William is using his ‘mini-muscles’ as a model to understand the fundamental principles of intercellular communication, and hopes this work will enable researchers to better mimic organs outside the body.

He is also studying what happens when communication between neurons and muscle cells breaks down as we age, and in degenerative diseases such as motor neuron disease (MND).

His team’s research at Monash University’s Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute (ARMI), will lead to stem cell technologies for disease modelling, drug screening, cellular agriculture, and biorobotics.

William says, “Researchers around the world are mimicking organs, growing mini- kidneys, mini-hearts, even mini-brains. However, a key challenge with these organ-on-chip models is that different cell types do not naturally interact to form the mature connections seen in real organs. We first need a deep understanding of how stem cells communicate in space and time during development.”

Read more about William and his research

The Metcalf Prizes for Stem Cell Research are named for the late Professor Donald Metcalf, AC. Over his 50-year career, Don helped transform cancer treatment and transplantation medicine, and paved the way for potential stem cell therapy in the treatment of many other conditions.


EVENT: Join us in Adelaide to find out about making cancer treatment worth it

Bring your questions to a free public event at 3.00pm ACDT THIS SUNDAY 10 November at the University of Adelaide.

 Cancer treatment can save or extend lives, BUT sometimes it doesn’t.

  • How do we make sure we’re not giving people aggressive therapy that is ultimately futile?
  • Is saving a life enough – what about the treatments that result in serious side effects?
  • How is personalised medicine improving outcomes and patient treatment experiences?
  • How do we help people who are suffering (and their loved ones) have reasonable expectations and make informed choices?
  • What is the cost (personal, health, financial) of a treatment versus the benefit and how is this changing?

Join us at Making cancer treatment worth it – a panel event that brings top cancer and stem cell scientists to the public so they can hear the latest science and ask their own questions. The event will also be livestreamed.

When: Sunday, 10 November, 3pm - 4:30pm ACDT.

Where: Ground floor lecture theatre (G030), Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences building - The University of Adelaide, 4 North Terrace, Adelaide.

Register: events.humanitix.com/making-cancer-treatment-worth-it

On the panel:

  • Professor Mark Dawson: a haematologist and clinician-scientist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre who has revolutionised the understanding and treatment of blood cancers, such as leukaemia.
  • Associate Professor David Elliott: a cardiac stem cell researcher at Murdoch Children's Research Institute. He is working to reduce the damaging side effects of anti-cancer drugs on the hearts of children undergoing life-saving chemotherapy.
  • Professor Megan Munsie: a stem cell ethics and education expert at Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and the University of Melbourne, with deep knowledge of the extent and risks of unproven stem cell treatments and medical tourism.

ABC Radio National Big Ideas presenter Natasha Mitchell will host the conversation, recorded for national broadcast.

This event is hosted by the Australasian Society of Stem Cell Research (ASSCR) and the University of Adelaide/South Australian immunoGENomics Cancer Institute, and supported by the National Stem Cell Foundation of Australia as part of its mission to provide community education. The public event is held in conjunction with the ASSCR 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting.


Stem cell news from around the world

Between newsletters, we share stem cell news on social media:

Here are a few stories we’ve shared recently:

Fox5 New York: Researchers targeting childhood heart disease with stem cells, AI.

Interview with 2018 Metcalf Prize winner Prof Enzo Porrello from Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.

The Niche: Joe Rogan shows more love for unproven stem cells despite risks.

Science Daily: Space: A new frontier for exploring stem cell therapy.

Nature: Disease background influences fate of transplanted stem cells.

Science Daily: Researchers propose one, rare stem cell is unique in its ability to be reprogrammed.

Nature: New findings on stem cells and development of cancer.

Science Magazine: Reprogramming tumour cells to fight cancer.

New Scientist: Stem cell transplant gives hope for treating age-related sight loss.

Nature: Breakthrough discovery links immune system to Parkinson’s progression.


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