New Approach Methodologies for Precision Medicine Unit

Formerly known as the Precision Genomics and Stem Cell Therapies Unit

New approach methodologies (NAMs) and complementary nonhuman primate research resources are critically needed to advance human medicine. Precision medicine is envisioned to advance health care by customizing treatments to the individual patient.

The New Approach Methodologies for Precision Medicine Unit aims to develop critical genomic and stem cell-based resources to accelerate the implementation of precision medicine strategies for human disease. Our Center has a long-standing track record of developing cutting edge stem cell resources and we continually strive to develop new techniques and research resources to advance biomedical research. The Unit provides guidance and resources to investigators interested in developing nonhuman primate models of human-relevant genetic diseases, pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) and stem cell therapies.

Our Technical Expertise

Genomic Discovery and Genetic Modification

• Genotype to phenotype and phenotype to genotype studies
• Design and use of CRISPR/Cas9 constructs to edit NHP cells and embryos

Stem Cell Technologies

• Methods to derive transgene-free NHP iPSCs, including MHC homozygous and genome-edited cell lines
• Characterization of NHP PSC cell lines according to ISSCR Standards for Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
• Engineering PSCs to mitigate host immune response for preclinical evaluation in NHP models
• Generation of genetically modified PSC lines for mechanistic studies
• Methods to derive NHP iPSC-derived hematopoietic stem cells

Cell Therapies

• Generation and characterization of immune effector cells derived from NHP-iPSCs.
• In vivo administration of iPSC-derived hematopoietic progenitors and immune cells.
• Isolation of HSCs from bone marrow and peripheral blood.
• Transplantation of HSCs and developing novel conditioning regimens.

Recent Highlighted Publications

1. Colwell JC, Maufort JP, Williams KM, Makulec AT, Fiorentino MV, Metzger JM, Simmons HA, Basu P, Malicki KB, Karch CM, Marsh JA, Emborg ME, Schmidt JK. Replicable generation and stable maintenance of rhesus macaque iPSCs for in vitro modeling of genetic frontotemporal dementia. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2026 July 30;14:1833030. PMID: 42597777. PMCID: PMC13469415.
2. Clemons N, Thickens AS, Lambert Lepesevich L, Rosenkrans ZT, Santoro-Fernandes V, Pinchuk AN, Aluicio-Sarduy E, Mixdorf JC, D’Souza SS, Caldon J, Kink J, Forsberg MH, Hematti P, Engle JW, Slukvin I, Capitini CM, Hernandez R. Biocompatible glycoconjugation enables sensitive in vivo cell tracking by PET/CT. J Med Chem. 2026 July 9; 69(13):15570-15580. PMID: 42340745. PMCID: PMC13370869.
3. Smith PR, Kabir ME, Zhang J, Maufort JP, Forsberg MH, Sedzro DM, Berres M, Thomson JA, Capitini CM, Slukvin II. SIRPa ablated iPSC-derived macrophages resist hypophagia and enhance mAb-dependent and CAR-mediated cytotoxicity of solid tumors. Mol Ther Oncol. 2026 May 20; 34(2):201240. PMID: 42291136. PMCID: PMC13264185
4. Kumar A, Ferguson S, D’Souza SS, Bharadwaj NS, Raymond M, Gumperz JE, Slukvin II. Generation of iPSC-Derived iNKT Cells with Pro-Hematopoietic Activity. Stem Cell Rev Rep. 2026 Feb, 22(2):693-706. PMID: 41379300. PMCID: PMC12858510
5. Zhang J, Tabima DM, Vereide D, Zeng W, Albano NJ, Lyon S, Nicksic PJ, Shaffrey EC, George RE, Probasco MD, Perrin ES, Xu Y, Brown ME, Stewart R, Chesler NC, Turng LS, Poore SO, Slukvin II, Thomson JA, Maufort JP. Small-diameter artery grafts engineered from pluripotent stem cells maintain 100% patency in an allogeneic rhesus macaque model. Cell Rep Med. 2025 Mar 18;6(3):102002. PMID: 40068684; PMCID: PMC40068684.