We explore what makes the cells that line your blood vessels (endothelium) different and special in each organ, especially the liver. This knowledge helps us fight a variety of liver diseases, cancer, and hemophilia. As "Cell Therapists", we also use human pluripotent stem cells to model human development and make healthy new endothelium that is a future therapy for liver diseases and Hemophilia A.

1.     Gage BK, Liu JC, Innes BT, MacParland SA, McGilvray ID, Bader GD, Keller GM. Generation of Functional Liver Sinusoidal Endothelial Cells from Human Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Venous Angioblasts. Cell Stem Cell. (2020) 27(2): 254-269 e259. Article.

• This study established the core mouse model used in the Gage lab where mouse liver vasculature (LSECs) are replaced by functionally mature hPSC-derived LSECs.
• Exploration of published scRNAseq data of hPSC-LSECs can be found collaboratively here with Dr. Gary Bader (U of Toronto).

2. Gage BK, Merlin S, Olgasi C, Follenzi A, Keller GM. Therapeutic Correction of Hemophilia A by Transplantation of hPSC-derived Liver Sinusoidal Endothelial Cell Progenitors. Cell Rep. (2022) 39(1): 110621. Article.

• This study developed a new higher yield differentiation protocol to make hPSC-derived venous endothelial cells with enhanced liver engraftment potential.
• In collaboration with Dr. Antonia Follenzi (Università, del Piemonte Orientale, Italy), this study also revealed that hPSC-VEC cell therapy can functionally correct severe bleeding phenotypes seen in Hemophilia A mice paving the way for future cell therapy development.

We are actively recruiting graduate students and post docs to become new Cell Therapists. Please send an email to bgage@ohri.ca with a CV and your research interests.