Yorba Linda, CA (PRWEB) March 30, 2015

Developing new treatments for Diabetes Type 2 complications is challenging due to the use of cellular models that recapitulate only some subset of the specific features, but not the entirety of the disease.

A company that specializes in developing and manufacturing fully functioning human cells to precise specifications has created iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (heart muscle cells), which have been used to develop environmentally and genetically driven in vitro models of Diabetes Type 2. The development process involves mimicking diabetic clinical chemistry to induce a phenotypic surrogate of diabetic cardiomyopathy, observing structural and functional disarray.

Cellular Dynamics International (CDI) is sponsoring a new educational webinar, Diabetic Cardiomyopathy Modeling & Screening with iPSC-derived Cardiomyocytes, to present the first patient-specific iPSC model of a complex metabolic condition, demonstrating the power of this model for discovery and testing of new therapeutic strategies. The webinar concludes with the presentation of a new approach using chemical biology to ultimately elucidate novel mechanisms activating the repair and regeneration of cardiomyocytes. Webinar speakers are Roberto Iacone, PhD and Brad Swanson, PhD.

Dr. Iacone, Senior Principal Scientist at Roche, pharma and research development (pRED), Basel, Switzerland, established the Stem Cell Group in the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Discovery at the company. Research in his group has focused on understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms and development complications in the heart using patient-specific iPSCs: the patient in a dish paradigm. The group is establishing in vitro disease modeling to identify new drugs for the retina remodeling linked to age-related macular degeneration. His research interest includes the identification and characterization of genes that regulate tissue repair and regeneration, aiming to develop regenerative medicines activating endogenous tissue progenitors.

Dr. Swanson is Senior Director of Cell Biology Research and Development, Cellular Dynamics International, Madison, Wisconsin, where he led the effort to develop the first commercially available human iPSC-derived cell product, iCell Cardiomyocytes, and several other iPSC models. Previously, he was a Senior Scientist at Roche NimbleGen, where he established the industrys first sequence capture product for targeted next generation sequencing workflows. Swanson received his PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology (cardiac differentiation) from UW-Madison, undertook postdoctoral research in T cell behavior at the National Jewish Medical Center-HHMI in Denver, Colorado, and joined Columbus Childrens Research Institute/Ohio State University Center for Vaccines and Immunity as an Assistant Professor.

The free webinar, hosted by LabRoots, will be presented on April 7, 2015, at 8:30 am PST/11:30 am EST/5:30 pm CET.

For full details and free registration, click here.

About Cellular Dynamics International, Inc. Cellular Dynamics International, Inc. is a leading developer and producer of fully functioning human cells in industrial quantities to precise specifications. CDI's proprietary products include true human cells in multiple cell types (iCell products), human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and custom iPSCs and iCell products (MyCell Products). CDI's products provide standardized, easy-to-use, cost-effective access to the human cell, the smallest fully functioning operating unit of human biology. Customers use our products, among other purposes, for drug discovery and screening; to test the safety and efficacy of their small molecule and biologic drug candidates; for stem cell banking; and in the research and development of cellular therapeutics. CDI was founded in 2004 by Dr. James Thomson, a pioneer in human pluripotent stem cell research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. CDI's facilities are located in Madison, Wisconsin, with a second facility in Novato, California. See http://www.cellulardynamics.com.

About LabRoots: LabRoots is the leading scientific social networking website and producer of online educational events and webinars. And we are a powerful advocate in amplifying global networks and communities, and contributing to the advancement of science through content sharing capabilities and encouraging group interactions.

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Cellular Dynamics Webinar Spotlights Diabetic Cardiomyopathy-in-a-dish Model that May Elucidate Mechanisms for Repair ...