Hematopoietic stem cell homeostasis and regulation

Focus

The mammalian hematopoietic system produces enormous numbers of mature blood cells on a daily basis and can adapt to situations of increased demand for blood cells e.g. infections or blood loss. We are investigating how hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and progenitor cells participate and interact in this highly organized and dynamic process. Traditionally, the properties of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells have mostly been addressed by transplantation based assays. However, in recent years it has become clear that such experiments reveal rather the potential of transplanted cell populations than their fate within the natural environment. We employ state of the art mouse models (e.g. HSC in vivo depletion, genetic fate mapping and cell cycle reporters) to study how hematopoiesis is maintained within the intact bone marrow niche under steady-state and stress conditions.

Selected publications:

• Munz, C. M., N. Dressel, M. Chen, T. Grinenko, A. Roers and A. Gerbaulet (2022). "Emergency hematopoiesis proceeds without contribution of hematopoietic stem cells." bioRxiv: 2022.2010.2005.510973.

• Morcos, M. N. F., C. Li, C. M. Munz, A. Greco, N. Dressel, S. Reinhardt, K. Sameith, A. Dahl, N. B. Becker, A. Roers, T. Höfer and A. Gerbaulet (2022). "Fate mapping of hematopoietic stem cells reveals two pathways of native thrombopoiesis." Nature Communications 13(1): 4504.

• Sanin, D. E., Y. Ge, E. Marinkovic, A. M. Kabat, A. Castoldi, G. Caputa, K. M. Grzes, J. D. Curtis, E. A. Thompson, S. Willenborg, S. Dichtl, S. Reinhardt, A. Dahl, E. L. Pearce, S. A. Eming^#, A. Gerbaulet^#, A. Roers^#, P. J. Murray^# and E. J. Pearce^# (2022). "A common framework of monocyte-derived macrophage activation." Science Immunology 7(70): eabl7482. ^# senior author

• Morcos, M. N. F., T. Zerjatke, I. Glauche, C. M. Munz, Y. Ge, A. Petzold, S. Reinhardt, A. Dahl, N. S. Anstee, R. Bogeska, M. D. Milsom, P. Säwen, H. Wan, D. Bryder, A. Roers and A. Gerbaulet (2020). "Continuous mitotic activity of primitive hematopoietic stem cells in adult mice." Journal of Experimental Medicine 217(6).