Royan Stem Cell – Royan institute for Stem Cell Biology and Technology (RI-SCBT)

Leila Satarian Ph.D
Stem Cells and Developmental Biology

Email:L.satarian@Royan-rc.ac.ir, l.satarian@modares.ac.ir
Tel:+98-21-23562723
Fax:
CV:Leila Satarian

Dr. Leila Satarian holds a Ph.D. in Medical Physiology from Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran. During her doctoral and postdoctoral research at Royan Institute, under the supervision of Prof. Hossein Baharvand and Prof. Mohammad Javan, she developed innovative strategies for optic nerve regeneration using human neural progenitor cells and worked on differentiating human pluripotent stem cell-derived retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells. Since 2010, she has led the Royan Eye Group, and in 2014, she became a member of the stem cell faculty at Royan Institute. Currently, as an associate professor, Dr. Satarian focuses on both fundamental (notably optic nerve regeneration) and clinical aspects (particularly retinoblastoma) of retinal regeneration.

Injuries to the optic nerve, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), Stargardt’s macular dystrophy, glaucoma, diabetic neuropathy, and retinoblastoma can result in complete vision loss and significant socio-economic impacts, with limited current treatments. Fortunately, in recent years, human pluripotent stem cells and their derivatives have demonstrated promising features for clinical applications, including the potential to differentiate into retinal cells such as retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Our team at Royan Institute for Brain and Cognitive Sciences is dedicated to preventing blindness through retinal regeneration, with a particular emphasis on retinoblastoma. Our primary research goals include: • Producing high-quality, sufficient quantities of human pluripotent stem cell-derived RPE cells for preclinical trials • Elucidating the fundamental mechanisms of ciliary margin cell differentiation, focusing on pathways and gene networks via developmental biology • Applying bioinformatics to identify mesenchymal stem cell-derived soluble factors that regulate retinal pigment epithelium development • Designing advanced drug delivery systems targeting the posterior segment of the eye • Utilizing precise gene editing technologies, such as CRISPR/Cas9, for non-dividing retinal cells and retinoblastoma therapy • Exploring retinal regeneration through stem cells and their derivatives, including extracellular vesicles • Developing in vitro models and treatments for dry and wet AMD • Engineering the blood-retinal barrier using 3D printing techniques • Creating innovative drug carriers with herbal medicines for retinoblastoma treatment, both in vitro and in animal models

Mona Makhsoos Abkenar

MSc Students

Neda Makhsoos Abkenar

MSc Students

Mehrana Fallah

MSc Students

Shaghayegh Fallah

MSc Students

Shayan Alinezhad Taheri

MSc Students

Seyedeh Zeinab Mousavi

MSc Students

Pooria Asheghvatan

MSc Students

Mohadeseh Maleki

MSc Students

Ahmadreza Ghiasi

MSc Students

Seyyed Hossein Alian Nejadi

Research assistants

1. Seyedrazizadeh SZ, Poosti S, Nazari A, Alikhani M, Shekari F, Pakdel F, Shahpasand K, Satarian L, Baharvand H. Extracellular vesicles derived from human ES-MSCs protect retinal ganglion cells and preserve retinal function in a rodent model of optic nerve injury. Stem cell research & therapy. 2020 Dec; 11:1-3. 2. Nami F, Basiri M, Satarian L, Curtiss C, Baharvand H, Verfaillie C. Strategies for in vivo genome editing in nondividing cells. Trends in biotechnology. 2018 Aug 1;36(8):770-86. 3. Satarian L, Javan M, Kiani S, Hajikaram M, Mirnajafi-Zadeh J, Baharvand H. Engrafted human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived anterior specified neural progenitors protect the rat crushed optic nerve. Plos one. 2013 Aug 19;8(8):e71855. 4. Satarian L, Nourinia R, Safi S, Kanavi MR, Jarughi N, Daftarian N, Arab L, Aghdami N, Ahmadieh H, Baharvand H. Intravitreal injection of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in patients with advanced retinitis pigmentosa; a safety study. Journal of Ophthalmic & Vision Research. 2017 Jan;12(1):58. 5. Pouya A, Satarian L, Kiani S, Javan M, Baharvand H. Human induced pluripotent stem cells differentiation into oligodendrocyte progenitors and transplantation in a rat model of optic chiasm demyelination. PloS one. 2011 Nov 18;6(11):e27925.

Dr. Satarian’s lab is focused on retinal regeneration via cell therapy, drug delivery via engineering science and Retinoblastoma treatment, therefore Ph.D students interested in these interesting areas are welcome to join our group. Interested and talented students are invited to send their requests along with their CV to Lsatarian@gmail.com. Currently we do not have open positions for graduate students.