Inside Taylor's Stem Cell Laboratory

27 Apr 2026

5 Min Read

Dr Yap Wei Hsum (Academic Contributor), The Taylor's Team (Editor)

IN THIS ARTICLE

What if medicine could intervene before damage becomes irreversible, at the level of the cell itself?

This is the question driving the work at the Stem Cell Laboratory at Taylor's University, where research is centred on understanding how stem cells can be guided into functional cell types to study complex conditions such as autism, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease.

Rather than addressing disease only after symptoms appear, the work looks earlier — at how cells behave, interact, and respond within their microenvironment. By recreating these processes in controlled settings, researchers are able to model disease progression and identify new points of intervention.

Decoding Complex Diseases Through Stem Cells

To understand the research, it helps to first understand what makes stem cells significant.

In the human body, most cells have a fixed role. A nerve cell carries signals. A muscle cell contracts. An insulin-producing cell regulates blood sugar. Once specialised, these cells do not easily change function.

Stem cells are different. They are one of the few types of cells that can both replicate themselves and transform into other specialised cells when given the right signals. This makes them uniquely valuable in research, not just as building blocks of the body, but as a way to recreate and study how diseases develop at their earliest stages.

At Taylor’s Stem Cell Laboratory, this capability is not explored in isolation. It is applied to some of the most complex and least understood conditions today, treating them not as fixed diagnoses, but as processes that can be traced back to how cells behave and interact.

In autism spectrum disorder, the research moves beyond what is visible. Rather than beginning with behaviour, it starts at the cellular level, where stem cells interact with immune pathways in the brain. A central focus is neuroinflammation, a process increasingly linked to how the condition develops. By studying these early interactions, researchers are working to understand whether changes begin long before they are expressed outwardly, and what that might mean for earlier intervention.

In diabetes, the question becomes more direct. The condition is defined by the body’s inability to produce or regulate insulin, and most treatments focus on managing this imbalance externally. Here, the approach shifts toward restoration. By guiding stem cells to develop into insulin-producing cells, researchers are exploring whether it is possible to rebuild a function the body can no longer perform on its own. The challenge lies not just in creating these cells, but in ensuring they behave in a stable and controlled way.

Alzheimer’s disease presents a different kind of complexity. Rather than a single failure, it involves a gradual decline in neuronal function over time. Using stem cells, researchers are able to recreate aspects of this process in a controlled environment, observing how neurons change, deteriorate, and interact as the disease progresses. This makes it possible to study stages of the disease that would otherwise remain inaccessible, particularly in its early development.

From Controlled Science to Real-World Impact

Understanding disease at the cellular level is only one part of the equation. For research to move beyond theory, it must also be reliable, reproducible, and capable of translation into real-world applications.This is where the infrastructure and systems behind the research become critical.

At Taylor’s Stem Cell Laboratory, the work is supported by practices aligned with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), a standard typically associated with clinical and pharmaceutical environments. This ensures that every stage of the research, from how samples are handled to how experiments are conducted, follows controlled, traceable, and standardised processes.

Within the laboratory, this level of control is reflected in both workflow and environment. Access is regulated, procedures are standardised, and experiments are designed to produce results that can be replicated with consistency. This is essential in stem cell research, where small variations can lead to significantly different outcomes.

Alongside this, the laboratory brings together a fully integrated research infrastructure. From biosafety cabinets and CO₂ incubators that maintain precise growth conditions, to centrifugation systems and advanced microscopy platforms that allow continuous monitoring of cellular behaviour, each component supports the same objective, to ensure that what is observed is both accurate and dependable.

The work also extends beyond isolated experiments. Through both in vitro and in vivo systems, researchers are able to study how cells behave not only in controlled environments, but also within more complex biological contexts. This expands the scope of investigation, allowing findings to move closer to real physiological conditions.

Equally important is how biological materials are managed over time. With established cold-chain systems and biobanking capabilities, samples can be preserved, tracked, and revisited with full traceability. This ensures continuity in research, enabling long-term studies and validation of results.

Taken together, these systems do more than support research. They create a foundation where discoveries are not only made, but can be trusted, scaled, and potentially translated into therapeutic applications. This is where the impact begins to take shape.

The research conducted within the laboratory contributes to the broader advancement of regenerative and precision medicine, where treatments are increasingly designed to be targeted, personalised, and grounded in cellular-level understanding. At the same time, the development of reproducible stem cell platforms opens up the possibility of scaling these approaches, moving from individual experiments toward systems that can be applied more widely.

Research in Action

While the broader research direction sets the foundation, it is within individual projects that these ideas take concrete form.

One area of focus examines autism spectrum disorder through a cellular lens. Using zebrafish models, researchers are studying how mesenchymal stem cells may influence both behavioural patterns and underlying molecular changes. Led by Professor Dr Chong Pei Pei and postdoctoral fellow Dr Ayesha Fauzi, this work is complemented by studies on human-derived cell lines to better understand how stem cells interact with neural and fibroblast cells in both typical and autism-related conditions.

In another line of research, attention turns to the immune system. Under the direction of Associate Professor Dr Adeline Chia, the work explores how stem cells derived from sources such as Wharton's Jelly and adipose tissue can be guided into natural killer (NK) cells, with potential applications in targeting abnormal or diseased cells.

Precision remains a central theme. Also led by Associate Professor Dr Adeline Chia and Dr Ayesha Fauzi, ongoing work focuses on using synthetic mRNA-based approaches to direct stem cells into pancreatic beta cells within animal models, contributing to more targeted strategies in diabetes treatment.

A further project examines how stem cell-derived exosomes enriched with miRNA-146a interact with microglial cells in the brain. Carried out by Dr Ooi Yin Yin and PhD researcher Lee Sin Jye, this research investigates the anti-inflammatory effects of cellular signalling — a mechanism implicated in multiple neurological conditions.

Beyond individual projects, the laboratory extends its research capabilities through structured collaborations with both international and local partners. Collaborations with TKZB in China, part of the Krone Biotechnologies Group, support biotechnology development and translational alignment, while partnerships with CryoCord in Malaysia contribute to stem cell sourcing, processing, and the exploration of clinical applications.

Together, these partnerships strengthen the pathway from fundamental research to potential therapeutic development, while expanding access to expertise across molecular biology, bioprocessing, and clinical translation.

Collaborating for the Future of Medicine

As stem cell science continues to evolve, the need for strong academic–industry partnerships grows alongside it. Advancing regenerative and precision medicine requires not only scientific insight, but the ability to translate findings into scalable, real-world solutions.

If you are interested in exploring what that collaboration might look like, we welcome the conversation. You may reach out to Professor Chong Pei Pei, Director, Center for Active Living (CAL) at cal@taylors.edu.my for enquiries.

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