Charting normal and malignant hematopoiesis
The body produces hundreds of billion blood cells each day, which contribute to oxygenation and combating infections. The cells are produced from blood stem cells, which continuously divide and develop into mature blood cells. Spontaneous mutations in the blood stem cells’ DNA can cause deregulation of blood cell development. This can in turn lead to numerous diseases, including hematologic neoplasms and leukemia.
Our research focuses on charting the development of blood stem cells as they form basophils and mast cells. These cell types are typically associated with allergies. However, the same cell types are also involved in hematologic neoplasms, which our research is investigating in detail.
Using the latest single-cell omics technologies, we chart the blood cell development process in patients at the cellular and molecular levels. For example, we investigate how genetic mutations skew cell development and contribute to cell neoplasia. The complex large-scale data that is generated warrants sophisticated analysis methods. We therefore work interdisciplinary – bridging mathematics, bioinformatics, and applied mathematics – to increase our understanding of normal and malignant blood cell development.
Our long-term aim is to improve the diagnosis and treatment of hematologic neoplasms.