Jonathan Slack, B.A., Ph.D.

slack017@umn.edu

Biography 

B.A. Biochemistry (Oxon) 1971
Ph.D. (Edinburgh) 1974
Postdoc, Middlesex Hospital Medical School, London 1974-76
Staff Scientist, Imperial Cancer Research Fund 1976-95
    (at Mill Hill Institute and later Developmental Biology Unit, Oxford)
Professor of Developmental Biology, University of Bath, from 1995
Head of Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Bath 2000-2006
Director, Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota from 2007
EMBO member 1993
Waddington Medal (British Society for Developmental Biology) 2002
FMedSci 2004
Tulloch Chair in Stem Cell Biology, Genetics, and Genomics, University of Minnesota

Current Research

Transdifferentiation 

Different cell types can sometimes be interconverted by introduction of genes for the appropriate transcription factors.  We are interested in possible therapeutic applications of this technique. Current projects are being conducted both in vitro and in vivo, using adenovirus to introduce the genes.

• Reprogramming of hepatocytes to pancreatic beta cells
• Reprogramming of biliary epithelium to pancreatic beta cells
• Cell lineage of ectopic endocrine cells
• Molecular mechanisms of Barrett’s oesophagus 

Regeneration 

Some animals are able to regenerate missing parts.  Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of this could have important implications for human health.  We are presently studying the mechanisms of regeneration of the nervous system and the muscle in the Xenopus tadpole tail. 

See also:

http://www.transdifferentiation.com/

Selected Recent Publications:

Slack, J.M.W. (2000). Stem cells in epithelial tissues. Science 287, 1431-1433.

Chalmers, A. and Slack, J.M.W. (2000). The Xenopus tadpole gut.  Fate maps and morphogenetic movements. Development 127, 381-392

Shen, C.N., Slack, J.M.W. and Tosh, D. (2000). Molecular basis of transdifferentiation of pancreas to liver. Nature Cell Biology, 2, 879-887.

Slack. J.M.W. (2001). Skinny dipping for stem cells. Nature Cell Biology  3, E205-206.

Horb, M.E. and Slack, J.M.W. (2001). Endoderm Specification and Differentiation in Xenopus Embryos. Developmental Biology  236, 330-343.

Beck, C.W., Whitman, M.W. and Slack, J.M.W.  (2001). The role of BMP signalling in outgrowth and patterning of the Xenopus tail bud.  Developmental Biology  238, 303-314.

Tosh D. and Slack J.M.W. (2002). How cells change their phenotype. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology  3, 187-194.

Tosh, D., Shen, C-N. and Slack, J.M.W. (2002). Differentiated properties of hepatocytes induced from pancreatic cells. Hepatology, 36, 534-543.

Slack, J.M.W. (2002). C.H.Waddington - the last Renaissance Biologist.  Nature Reviews Genetics 3, 889-895.

Horb, M.E., Shen, C.N., Tosh, D. and Slack, J.M.W. (2003). Experimental conversion of liver to pancreas. Current Biology 13, 105-115.

Bennett, W.R. Crew, T.E. Slack, J.M.W. Ward A. (2003). Structural-proliferative units and organ growth: effects on insulin-like growth factor 2 on the growth of colon and skin. Development 130, 1079-1088.

Beck, C. W. Christen B. and Slack J. M. W. (2003). Molecular pathways needed for regeneration of spinal cord and muscle in a vertebrate. Developmental Cell, 5, 429-439.

Slack, J.M.W. (2003). Regeneration research today. Developmental Dynamics 226, 162-166.

Slack J.M.W. (2003) Parthenogenesis.  Encarta Encyclopaedia.

Gargioli C.and Slack J.M.W. (2004). Cell lineage tracing during Xenopus tail regeneration. Development 131, 2669-2679.

Slack J.M.W. (2004) Intestine in the lung.  Journal of Biology 3:10, 1-4.

Li, W.C., Horb, M. E. , Tosh, D. and Slack, J.M.W. (2005) In vitrotransdifferentiation of hepatoma cells into functional pancreatic cells. Mechanisms of Development 122, 835-847

Yu, W.Y., Slack, J.M.W. and Tosh, D. (2005) Conversion of columnar to stratified squamous epithelium in the developing mouse oesophagus. Developmental Biology  284, 157-170.

Slack, J.M.W. (2005) Stem Cells. Entry in Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Slack, J.M.W. (2005) Cell Differentiation. Entry in Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Slack, J.M.W. (2006) Amphibian muscle regeneration – dedifferentiation or satellite cells ? Trends in Cell Biology 16, 273-275

Chen, Y., Lin, G. and Slack, J.M.W. (2006) Control of muscle regeneration in the Xenopus tadpole tail by Pax7. Development 133, 2303-2313.

Quinlan, J.M., Yu, W.Y., Hornsey, M.A., Tosh, D. and Slack, J.M.W. (2006)  In vitro culture of embryonic mouse intestinal epithelium: cell differentiation and introduction of reporter genes.  BMC Developmental Biology  6: 24.

Dutton, J.R., Chillingworth, N.L., Brannon, C.A., Eberhard, D., Hornsey, M., Tosh, D and Slack, J.M.W. (2007). Beta cells occur naturally in extrahepatic bile ducts.  J. Cell Science 120, 239-245.

Lin, G. Chen, Y. and Slack, J.M.W. (2007). Regeneration of melanophores and other neural crest derivatives in the Xenopus tadpole tail. BMC Developmental Biology, 7:56

Thowfeequ, S., Ralphs, K., Yu, W.Y., Slack, J.M.W. and Tosh, D. (2007). Betacellulin inhibits amylase and glucagon expression and promotes beta-cell differentiation in mouse embryonic pancreas. Diabetologia 50, 1688-1697.

Slack, J.M.W. (2007). Transdifferentiation and metaplasia : from pure biology to the clinic. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology 8, 369-378

Slack, J. M.W. (2007). The spark of life: electricity and regeneration. Science STKE, pe54

Slack, J.M.W. (2007). Molecular biology of the cell. Chapter 5, pp 53-66 in Principles of Tissue Engineering, ed. Lanza, R., Langer, R. and Vacanti, J.P. San Diego: Academic Press.

Slack, J.M.W., Lin, G and Chen, Y. (2008). The Xenopus tadpole, a new model for regeneration research. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences 65, 54-63.

Lin, G. and Slack, J.M.W. (2008). Requirement for Wnt and FGF signaling in Xenopus tadpole tail regeneration. Dev. Biol. 316, 323-335.