Research InterestSteve Stice

  • Finding new treatments for degenerative diseases such Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and Multiple Sclerosis andneural injuries spinal cord and head trauma as well as treating cardiovascular diseases (heart and blood vessel repair) through stem cell technologies.
  • Animal stem cells and cloning animal agriculture, veterinary and biomedicine applications.

Research Vision

Human stem cells have great potential for finding restoring damaged tissues throughout the body and speeding the drug discovery process. We are developing a combined approach of both the cells needed to restore the damaged area and using these cells in a Petri dish to discover new compounds to treat diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. Through collaborations with others, including scientists at Georgia Tech and Emory, we are developing therapies and drug discovery tools.

Animal stem cells and cloning benefits are far reaching, from treating race horse bone and cartilage damage to pig stem cells to treat diabetes in humans. Our platform technology will launch genetic progress in agricultural, veterinary and biomedical industries. It will enable farmers to have access to the best genetics faster than is currently possible with traditional animal breeding. Cloning facilitates safe and low cost production of life saving drugs in the milk of dairy cattle. We can also produce animals resistant to diseases like mad cow disease.

In the Lab:

New neural stem cells technology developed in my lab was transferred to a commercial entity, Aruna biomedical. This is the first commercialized product derived from human embryonic stem cell using federally approved stem cell lines.

  • We have produced neurons that have neural functions
  • We are working with the Navy to use our neural cells as biosensors for environmental toxins 
  • We have vascular stem cells that have characteristics that may make them suitable for  transplantation
  • We collaborate with a new company call Aruna BioMedical  that will stem cells for neural research and drug discovery
  • Developed a method to test new compounds for Alzheimer’s disease using our neural stem cell
  • We are one of five NIH stem cell training centers and have taught Scientists from Georgia to Bombay India new stem cell techniques
  • In Georgia, we produced over 50 cloned calves and 100 cloned pigs.
  • We were also the first to produce a clone from an animal that had been dead for 48 hours. This opens new opportunities in agriculture and preserving endangered species. 

Why Georgia?

Support from the Georgia Research Alliance and the opportunity to participate in commercial opportunities. We have started three new companies in the above areas.