NEWS
October 30, 2009
Researchers at IRIC Make Headway in Understanding Hematopoietic Stem Cells
Dr. Trang Hoang, Principal Investigator at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer (IRIC) of the Université de Montréal, and her colleagues have uncovered the critical role played by the stem cell leukemia (SCL) gene in the mechanism that maintains quiescence and the long-term integrity of hematopoietic stem cells. The recent findings were published in the online early edition of Blood.
The life-long production of blood cells depends on the regenerative capacity of a small population of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) that reside normally in the bone marrow. In adults, the majority of these HSCs are quiescent (or in G0 state), but are triggered into cycling to respond to physiological needs in blood cells or following chemotherapy treatments for example. HSCs have to properly regulate their entry into and exit from the cell cycle in order to respond to those demands and avoid the exhaustion of the stem cell pool. Such regulation is critical for long-term stem cell function.
Because control of cell division and quiescence are disrupted in leukemia, Dr. Hoang and her team addressed the role of SCL in adult HSC functions. Results show that SCL controls HSC quiescence and regulates their long-term competence. Current protocols for cell therapy as well as approaches for gene therapy rely on the use of adult bone marrow stem cells. Thus, understanding the biology of HSC offers possibilities for improving these approaches and broadening their application.
The research was conducted in collaboration with Dr. Guy Sauvageau at IRIC and Dr. Norman Iscove at the Ontario Cancer Institute.
Researcher & Financing
Dr. Trang Hoang holds the Canada Research Chair in Cell Differentiation and the Genetics of Acute Leukemias. The research received funding from the Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the Cancer Research Society, and the Canadian Research Chair program.
Information
Carolyne Lord
Media Relations Officer
IRIC | Université de Montréal
514.343.7282
carolyne.lord@umontreal.ca
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