Research Synopsis

Stem Cells and Tissue Repair

The Stem cells in tissue repair group, comprised of investigators from multiple departments, share common goals regarding the enhancement of tissue repair following administration of bone marrow or blood derived cells. Common goals include identification of which cells are responsible for enhancing tissue repair in their organ or tissue of interest, determining the kinetics and extent of engraftment of transplanted cells, elucidating the mechanisms underlying this engraftment; and testing whether the newly formed cells are functional. Dr. Diane Krause has shown that, in both mice and humans, bone marrow cells can differentiate into nonhematopoietic cells including epithelial cells of the liver, lung, GI tract, skin and kidney. Her laboratory is working on the mechanisms by which this occurs, and also assessing the ameliorative effects of bone marrow administration in after tissue injury and in mouse modes of human diseases such as cystic fibrosis. While it is not yet clear that the ability of BM cells to differentiate into nonhematopoietic cells will be clinically useful, these very exciting findings present many critical questions that are also being addressed in the laboratories of Dr. Lloyd Cantley (kidney), Dr. Marie Egan (lung, GI tract), Dr. Erica Herzog (lung), Dr. Mario Strazzabosco (liver), Dr. Hugh Taylor (endometrium), Dr. Frank Giordano (heart), Dr. Martha Harding (liver), Dr. Jeffery Kocsis (spinal cord), Dr. Eugene Redmond (brain), Dr. Jordan Pober (revascularization following ischemia) and Dr. Josh Johnson (ovary). Although, this is already a rather collaborative group of scientists with many coauthored publications, it is hoped that the enhancement program of the YSCP will create an even more vibrant environment for the exchange of ideas, visiting speakers, and integration with other researchers whose expertise would be valuable such as those working on the stem cell niche and homing. Dr. Lynn Cooley studies early stages of oogenesis involving differentiation of the daughters of germline stem cells. Analogous to Dr. Johnson’s work, she also studies caspase activity and programmed cell death in ovarian cells.