Haematopoiesis in a Dish: From Tissue Dynamics to Molecular Mechanisms

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In an average adult, over 2 million new blood cells are generated every second, to replace red and white blood cells lost through natural turnover and/or fighting infectious diseases. This constant replenishment is mediated by so-called stem and progenitor cells, which are long-lived, can divide to amplify their numbers, and give rise to over 10 different specialised types of blood cells. This so-called process of haematopoiesis needs to be finely balanced, because under- or overproduction of blood cells can cause severe diseases such as anaemia and leukaemia. Research at the micro-scale of individual genes and proteins has identified many regulators of haematopoiesis. It is however difficult to extrapolate from this micro-scale to the functionality of the entire blood system. Research funders have recognised this bottleneck, and therefore now prioritise research efforts aiming to connect across scales, with the expectation of accelerating both basic research as well as the drug discovery process. Here we propose to combine the latest technologies in cell culture with molecular profiling of thousands of single cells to generate a multi-scale model of blood formation, explicitly linking the micro and macro scales across time. The proposed research will develop a platform for testing the macro-scale consequences of gene mutations found in leukaemia patients, as well as the testing of new drug candidates. Moreover, establishing this platform for blood will provide a blueprint to set up analogous research efforts for other major organs and their associated diseases.