Transcriptional regulation of self-renewal in human haematopoietic stem cells

Haematopoietic stem cells (HSC) provide a lifelong supply of blood and immune cells. While they continuously produce specialised cells, they also replenish a pool of stem cells in the bone marrow, a property known as self-renewal. Thanks to this property, bone marrow or cord blood transplantation provide a life-saving treatment for blood and immune-related diseases. Nonetheless, practical limitations, such as donor-matching or insufficient number of cells render these therapies unfeasible or unsuccessful for many patients. Attempts to overcome these limitations have been unable to create a reliable source of blood stem cells for patients, mostly because of defective self-renewal. My research will focus on understanding the mechanisms that allow human HSC to function through sustained self-renewal, as determined by the expression of specific set of genes that define HSC function. By gaining a better understanding of HSC biology, my studies will contribute to the development of successful novel HSC therapies.