We are a hematology lab at the Case Comprehensive Cancer Center harnessing the power of stem cells to better understand and treat blood disorders.
Our primary research interest is the study of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which are derived from the blood and bone marrow and are tasked with ensuring a consistent output of differentiated blood cell types throughout the lifetime of an organism.
These cells are characterized by self-renewal capacity, the ability to produce differentiated cell types, and their regenerative potential following infection, stress, or injury.
These cells are characterized by self-renewal capacity, the ability to produce differentiated cell types, and their regenerative potential following infection, stress, or injury.
Therapeutically, HSCs are utilized in a life-saving procedure known as hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HST), however many significant HST related complications limit the current utility of the procedure; including severe infections and bleeding, high incidence of graft vs. host disease, and a lengthy recovery period.
Thus, while HST is curative in many settings, it is also both an expensive procedure and a risky one.
Thus, while HST is curative in many settings, it is also both an expensive procedure and a risky one.
Our Research
We have previously demonstrated that inhibition of the prostaglandin degrading enzyme 15-PGDH improves the transplant recovery of murine HST by accelerating neutrophil and platelet regeneration, inducing a pro-hematopoietic gene signature, and enhancing the homing capacity of donor bone marrow.
Our current lab directions include:
- Small molecule development of 15-PGDH inhibitors to promote hematopoietic recovery following HST.
- Additional therapeutic application of 15-PGDH inhibitors including in models of graft versus host disease, bone marrow failure disorders, and other heme malignancies.
- Identification of novel cell types and pathways regulating hematopoietic stem cell regulation at steady state and in the context of tissue regeneration.
- Novel delivery mechanisms for targeted drug administration.
We are interested in identifying mechanisms driving the regenerative capacity of HSCs during HST, in order to develop novel therapeutics capable of reducing morbidity, mortality, and expense of human HST.