[Jul. 19] D5 Seminar- Tiago C. Luis, PhD (Imperial College London)

July 13 2023

The "D5 Medical & Life Science Seminar" course will be offered by International Research Center for Medical Sciences (IRCMS). It will run from May 2023 to March 2024, with lectures given by scientists who are affiliated with IRCMS or in collaboration with researchers at IRCMS. The lectures will be given once a month, in English, and by leading scientists in the relevant research field. Students will be taught: 1) how normal physiological functions are maintained in the human body; 2) how these systems become abnormal under certain pathophysiologic conditions; 3) why stem cells are important in animal development and homeostasis; 4) how stem cell-based approaches can help us understand disease mechanisms and find potential cure for diseases related to stem cell malfunction (e.g., cancer, aging).

Anyone who wants to join is welcome.
For students who have registered for the course, please check your attendance in Moodle.

Date      : July 19, 2023 (Wednesday)
               

Format  :  Online (Zoom)

Time      : 16:00 - 17:00
               

Speaker : Tiago C. Luis, Ph.D.  (Imperial College London)
               

Title       :  Role of the hematopoietic stem cell niche in re-establishing blood cell homeostasis upon stress.

Abstract  :

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) are responsible for the on-demand production of mature blood cells. Whereas in unperturbed adult hematopoiesis, HSCs are mainly in a quiescent or slowly proliferative state, they can become rapidly activated in response to different types of stress including injury, infection and cytotoxic treatments. HSCs reside in specialized niches in bone marrow (BM), which beyond physical support are essential to regulate their function. These niches are perceived as dynamic entities with the capacity to sense and respond to specific requirements in blood production, but the mechanisms underlying this dynamic regulation remain unclear. Accumulating evidence indicate that HSCs are highly heterogeneous, and different BM niches have been proposed, potentially supporting different subsets of HSCs. Recently a distinct subset of HSCs has been identified, which are molecularly and functionally primed for platelet replenishment. We will discuss a new feedback mechanism involving the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1, by which the BM niche regulates the response of platelet-biased HSCs to acute thrombocytopenia, to reinstate platelet homeostasis.