Douglas Melton wins Ogawa-Yamanaka Stem Cell Prize
In a flask of clear, pale-yellow liquid, 300 million-400 million beta cells, the insulin-producing cells that are attacked or defective in diabetics, swirl in a cocktail of cell food and Stage 6 medium. Ten years ago, researchers were still working on protocols to turn stem cells into beta cells. Now, thanks to the efforts of Douglas Melton and his lab, researchers not only can generate beta cells, they can do so in sufficient quantities to treat patients. Because of this and his contributions to the field of cellular reprogramming, Melton, the co-director of Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI) and the Xander University Professor in Harvard’s Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, has been awarded the 2016 Ogawa-Yamanaka Stem Cell Prize and will receive a $150,000 award from the Gladstone Institutes. The Ogawa-Yamanaka Stem Cell Prize recognizes individuals whose original translational research has advanced cellular reprogramming technology for regenerative medicine. Shinya Yamanaka,...