Skeletal Program Cedars-Sinai Skip to content Close Select your preferred language English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog English English عربى 简体中文 繁體中文 فارسي עִברִית 日本語 한국어 Русский Español Tagalog Translation is unavailable for Internet Explorer Cedars-Sinai Home 1-800-CEDARS-1 1-800-CEDARS-1 Close Find a Doctor Locations Programs & Services Health Library Patient & Visitors Community My CS-Link RESEARCH clear Go Close Navigation Links Academics Faculty Development Community Engagement Calendar Research Research Areas Research Labs Departments & Institutes Find Clinical Trials Research Cores Research Administration Basic Science Research Clinical & Translational Research Center (CTRC) Technology & Innovations News & Breakthroughs Education Graduate Medical Education Continuing Medical Education Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences Professional Training Programs Medical Students Campus Life Office of the Dean Simulation Center Medical Library Program in the History of Medicine About Us All Education Programs Departments & Institutes Faculty Directory Regenerative Medicine Institute Back to Regenerative Medicine Institute About Us Stem Cell Oversight Committee Programs & Cores Blood Program Brain Program Eye Program Heart Program Gut Program Liver & Kidney Program Lung Program Regenerative Orthobiologics Center Our Team Skeletal Program Educational Programs Events Team Skeletal Program Mission Human stem cells, isolated from bone marrow, home to a fractured and osteoporotic vertebra. The Skeletal Program at the Cedars-Sinai Regenerative Medicine Institute is pioneering the use of adult stem cells, iPSCs and gene therapy to regenerate bone, cartilage, tendons, ligaments and intervertebral discs. Our mission is to develop stem cell therapies and technologies to treat skeletal injuries and degenerative disorders. The Skeletal Program includes several research areas and projects: Intervertebral disc regeneration Disease modeling and mechanisms leading to back pain induction Improvement of advanced imaging techniques to diagnose discogenic back pain Tendon tissue engineering and regeneration Post-traumatic osteoarthritis modeling and prevention Development of novel protocols for iPSC differentiation toward musculoskeletal tissues Consolidation of large bone defect regeneration through local gene therapy Focus The Skeletal Program develops protocols to differentiate adult and induced pluripotent stem cells into the desired cell type for delivery into an injured area. This stem cell technology has already proven effective in repairing complex fractures in the vertebrae, skull, jaws and long bones, as well as torn tendons and injured intervertebral discs. Some research projects conducted by the Skeletal Program aim to model the progression of various degenerative disorders and study their mechanism to facilitate future drug and treatment discovery. Our next step in this research is to conduct preclinical and clinical trials that utilize this technology for various musculoskeletal injuries and disorders. Faculty Dmitriy Sheyn, PhD View Profile Wafa Tawackoli, PhD View Profile Collaborative Research The Skeletal Program includes the Gazit Laboratory, Sheyn Laboratory and the Regenerative Orthobiologics Center. The research conducted by the investigators in the Skeletal Program involves collaborations with a number of institutes and departments at Cedars-Sinai, including the Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Hand Surgery Program, Kerlan-Jobe Institute, Cedars-Sinai Pain Center, Department of Orthopaedics, Department of Surgery, Department of Biomedical Sciences, other laboratories in the Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute, as well as other national and international institutions. Have Questions or Need Help Contact us if you have questions, or wish to learn more about the Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute. Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute Pavilion, Eighth Floor 8700 Beverly Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048 310-248-8072 Fax: 310-248-8066 FOLLOW US Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility