Thorold Theunissen, PhD
Assistant Professor
Developmental Biology
Developmental, Regenerative and Stem Cell Biology Program
Molecular Genetics and Genomics Program
Immunology Program
Research Abstract:
Research in my laboratory is dedicated to exploring the molecular regulation and applications of pluripotent
stem cells. I have developed culture conditions for the generation of “naive” pluripotent stem cells that closely
resemble pluripotent cells in the human blastocyst in vivo based on transcriptional and epigenetic criteria. My
laboratory investigates the signaling requirements for naive pluripotent stem cells, as a basis for improving
their long-term genetic and epigenetic stability. We also seek to leverage the unique properties of naive stem
cells to better model early human development and X-linked diseases, and compare the differentiation
potential of distinct stem cell states.
Selected Publications:
Theunissen, T.W. and R. Jaenisch (2017). Mechanisms of gene regulation in human embryos and pluripotent stem cells. Development 144, 4496-4509.
Sahakyan, A., Kim, R., Chronis, C., Sabri, S., Bonora, G., Theunissen, T.W., Kuoy, E., Langerman, J., Clark, A.T., Jaenisch, R. and K. Plath (2017). Human naïve pluripotent stem cells exhibit X chromosome dampening and X-inactivation. Cell Stem Cell, 20, 1-15.
Theunissen, T.W.*, Friedli, M.*, He, Y.*, Planet, E., Oneil, R., Markoulaki, S., Pontis, J., Wang, H., Iouranova, A., Imbeault, M., Duc, J., Cohen, M.A., Wert, K.J., Castanon, R.G., Zhang, Z., Huang, Y., Nery, J.R., Drotar, J., Lungjangwa, T., Trono, D., Ecker, J.R. and R. Jaenisch (2016). Molecular criteria for defining the naive human pluripotent state. Cell Stem Cell 19, 1-14. *Co-first author.
Theunissen, T.W.*, Powell, B.E.*, Wang, H.*, Mitalipova, M., Faddah, D., Maetzel, D., Ganz, K., Shi, L., Stelzer,Y., Zhang, J., Lungjangwa, T., Imsoonthornruksa, S., Rangajaran, S., Fan, Z.P., Young, R.A., Gray, N., and R. Jaenisch (2014). Systematic identification of culture conditions for induction and maintenance of naive human pluripotency. Cell Stem Cell 15, 471–487 (2014). *Cofirst author.
Theunissen, T.W. and R. Jaenisch (2014). Molecular control of induced pluripotency. Cell Stem
Cell 14, 720-734.
Last Updated: 8/21/2018 10:23:15 AM