Dr. Nina Cabezas-Wallscheid, Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics, Germany
Dr. Nina Cabezas-Wallscheid, Leader of the 'Regulation of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Dormancy' group at the Max Planck Institute of Immunobiology and Epigenetics will present: "Regulation of hematopoietic stem cell dormancy."
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Dormancy of hematopoietic stem cells preserves their long-term reconstitution capacity and is regulated by intrinsic pathways and extrinsic components in the bone marrow niche. Upon physiological aging, the stem cell pool is characterized by a massive expansion, unbalanced blood production and loss of stemness.My laboratory aims to understand how dormancy is regulated with the ultimate goal of maintaining a lifelong healthy hematopoietic stem cell pool. We recently discovered how a single dietary metabolite, vitamin A, controls stem cell function by driving epigenetic and transcriptional changes, and found stem cell dormancy in human adult hematopoiesis, both in healthy and aberrant conditions.We are pursuing interdisciplinary projects that include dietary treatments, and primary human patient material in combination with extensive bioinformatic analysis. The laboratory is also developing of state-of-the-art omics (transcriptome, metabolome, chromatin accessibility, histone modifications) and single-cell methods that have revealed novel metabolic and epigenetic features of rare cell populations, including dormant hematopoietic stem cells.The laboratory’s ultimate goal is to develop nutritional strategies to prevent the thus-far irreversible hematopoietic system decline upon aging, while advancing emerging omics fields.
Visit the Cabezas-Wallscheid Laboratory website.
