Snapshots: How Aggie Square is advancing innovation in Sacramento

One of the research groups moving to Aggie Square is the Wang Lab, a prime research hub in stem cell therapy and gene editing for early treatments of birth defects such as spina bifida.

The lab develops tools, technologies, and therapeutics that integrate molecular, cellular, tissue and biomaterial engineering to promote regeneration and restore function.

Some focus areas include engineering and developing stem cell/gene therapy, extracellular vesicles/nanomedicine, and extracellular matrix/biomaterial scaffolds to treat a wide spectrum of congenital conditions and acquired diseases, said Aijun Wang, professor of surgery and biomedical engineering. Wang is the vice chair for translational research, innovation and entrepreneurship at the Department of Surgery and co-directs the Center for Surgical Bioengineering at UC Davis.

Wang and his team have been collaborating with the Murthy laboratory at UC Berkeley to develop a much-needed cure for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, one of the most severe types. They are designing a therapy to treat DMD before birth by editing the gene that encodes dystrophin, a key protein in stabilizing muscle fiber. This groundbreaking work is funded by a $2 million Quest Award from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine.

UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center’s new “cancer research hub” will encompass part of the third floor and the entire fourth floor of Aggie Square.

Cancer center researchers already have a successful track record of bridging the gap between scientific discovery and clinical trials, and the new hub will accelerate progress through collaboration and teamwork. An interdisciplinary group of cancer center members will support the work at Aggie Square, including early, mid-career and senior-level faculty and research staff from across UC Davis.

The hub will house highly innovative cancer center shared resources including flow cytometry, a technique that uses laser technology to measure and sort cells. This enables researchers to identify cancer-related markers and monitor treatment responses.

The cancer research team also routinely works with industry partners on early-phase clinical trials, and Aggie Square will increase access to strategic partners within industry, academia and government — all working together to develop cancer drugs and biomarkers.

The National Center for Interventional Biophotonic Technologies, or NCIBT, is revolutionizing surgical procedures and brain monitoring using light-based, artificial intelligence-informed technologies. Thanks to a $6.3 million grant from National Institutes of Health, the center moved to Aggie Square at UC Davis.

NCIBT is advancing two optical imaging technologies developed at UC Davis — interventional fluorescence lifetime imaging (iFLIM) and interferometric diffuse optical spectroscopy (iDOS). These technologies pair with an AI-deep learning platform to provide real-time guidance of decision-making during medical and surgical procedures.

UC Davis Health surgeons already use FLIM imaging to detect head and neck cancer and brain cancer during surgery. The center also supports research and development, clinical application, and training and education of the technologies, promoting adoption of iFLIM and iDOS to improve the quality of interventional health care.