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Jiwang Zhang, MD, PhD
Research Assistant Professor
Department of Pathology
(888) LUHS-888 |
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are a key subset of cells in the body that function as ancestor cells to produce all types of functionally mature blood and lymphoid cells, thus play essential roles in maintenance and regeneration of blood and immune systems. The processes of self-renewal, proliferation and multipotent differentiation of HSCs are precisely controlled by intrinsic genetic pathways that are subject to regulation by extrinsic signals from the microenvironment (niche) in which stem cells reside.
We previously identified bone marrow HSC osteoblastic-niches located on bone surface. A specific N-cadherin+-spindle-shape osteoblast (SNO cells) serves as one of the important components of HSC-niche. HSCs in their osteoblastic niche keep quiescent which is important for HSC maintenance. Recent studies, including our own data, suggest that a vascular HSC-niche exist in BM which might important for HSC expansion. The dynamic exchange of HSCs between osteoblastic-niche and vesicular-niche is critical for the hematopoietic homeostasis. Disruption of the niche signal or niche-HSC interaction tends to lead to either lack of or uncontrolled cell growth, thereby develop into a variety of hematopoietic diseases including myeloproliferative disorder and leukemia.
Leukemia stem cells (LSCs) are a small subset of malignant cells in leukemia patients, yet the initiators of leukemia development and the resources of leukemia relapse. Like normal stem cells, LSCs have self-renewal capacity. LSCs derived either from normal HSCs that obtained malignant properties without losing self-renewal ability or mutant progenitors which gained the self-renewal feature. Therefore, LSCs are the key targets for clinical leukemia therapy.
Researches in my laboratory are mainly focused on
- Exploring the bone marrow HSC microenvironment (niche) formation and maturation during the embryonic and fetal development, and the interaction between stem cells and their niche in stem cell regulation.
- Investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate bone marrow HSC self-renewal, proliferation and differentiation.
- Investigating the LSCs and leukemia development by using genetically modulated mouse models.
Publications
View a partial list of
Dr. Zhang's publications through the National Library of
Medicine's PubMed online database.
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