Stem Cells and Metabolism Research Program (STEMM)

Many of the groups take advantage of the possibilities of stem cell and genome editing technologies to understand molecular disease mechanisms in order to develop innovative treatments. Close ties to pediatric and neurology clinics enable efficient use of our research findings for diagnosis, patient care and counselling.

STEMM Research Program's website

Anu Wartiovaara
Mitochondrial Medicine
Biomedicum Helsinki 1

PO Box 63, 00014 University of Helsinki
Tel. +358 9 471 71965

• Pirinen E, Auranen M, Khan NA, Brilhante V, Urho N, Pessia A, Hakkarainen A, Kuula J, Heinonen U, Schmidt MS, Haimilahti K, Piirilä P, Lundbom N, Taskinen MR, Brenner C, Velagapudi V, Pietiläinen KH, Suomalainen A: Niacin Cures Systemic NAD+ Deficiency and Improves Muscle Performance in Adult-Onset Mitochondrial Myopathy. Cell Metab. in press.
• Nava MM, Miroshnikova YA, Biggs LC, Whitefield DB, Metge F, Boucas J, Vihinen H, Jokitalo E, Li X, García Arcos JM, Hoffmann B, Merkel R, Niessen CM, Dahl KN, Wickström SA: Heterochromatin-Driven Nuclear Softening Protects the Genome against Mechanical Stress-Induced Damage. Cell. in press.
• Purhonen J, Grigorjev V, Ekiert R, Aho N, Rajendran J, Pietras R, Truvé K, Wikström M, Sharma V, Osyczka A, Fellman V, Kallijärvi J: A spontaneous mitonuclear epistasis converging on Rieske Fe-S protein exacerbates complex III deficiency in mice. Nat Commun. 11:322, 2020.
• Hämäläinen RH, Landoni JC, Ahlqvist KJ, Goffart S, Ryytty S, Rahman MO, Brilhante V, Icay K, Hautaniemi S, Wang L, Laiho M, Suomalainen A:  Defects in mtDNA replication challenge nuclear genome stability through nucleotide depletion and provide a unifying mechanism for mouse progerias. Nat Metab. 1:958–965, 2019.
• Forsström S, Jackson CB, Carroll CJ, Kuronen M, Pirinen E, Pradhan S, Marmyleva A, Auranen M, Kleine IM, Khan NA, Roivainen A, Marjamäki P, Liljenbäck H, Wang L, Battersby BJ, Richter U, Velagapudi V, Nikkanen J, Euro L, Suomalainen A: Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 Drives Dynamics of Local and Systemic Stress Responses in Mitochondrial Myopathy with mtDNA Deletions. Cell Metab. 30:1040-1054, 2019.
• Li S, Prasanna X, Salo VT, Vattulainen I, Ikonen E: An efficient auxin-inducible degron system with low basal degradation in human cells. Nat Methods. 16:866-869, 2019.
• Salo VT, Li S, Vihinen H, Hölttä-Vuori M, Szkalisity A, Horvath P, Belevich I, Peränen J, Thiele C, Somerharju P, Zhao H, Santinho A, Thiam AR, Jokitalo E, Ikonen E: Seipin Facilitates Triglyceride Flow to Lipid Droplet and Counteracts Droplet Ripening via Endoplasmic Reticulum Contact. Dev Cell. 50:478-493, 2019. 
• Varimo T, Huopio H, Kariola L, Tenhola S, Voutilainen R, Toppari J, Toiviainen-Salo S, Hämäläinen E, Pulkkinen M-A, Lääperi M, Tarkkanen A, Vaaralahti K, Miettinen PJ, Hero M, Raivio T: Letrozole versus testosterone for promotion of endogenous puberty in boys with constitutional delay of growth and puberty: a randomised controlled phase 3 trial. Lancet Child Adolesc Health. 3:109-120, 2019.