Mechanisms Underlying Stem Cell Plasticity

我们将建立干细胞（SC）和定向祖细胞的定性和定量潜力， 造血组织（HSC）用于修复上皮组织的损伤。这些研究旨在 检查负责组织修复和再生的机制。我们相信为了确定 什么调节修复/再生，我们必须表明：a）是什么因素引起的转换， 造血干细胞进入肝脏; B）负责修复的靶细胞是什么; c）细胞如何 d）我们如何在移植后追踪细胞;以及e） 随着时间的推移修复/再生。我们这些研究的长期目标是利用造血干细胞， 非造血组织，为糖尿病、囊性纤维化以及 肝或肾衰竭我们的计划是建立机制，使成年SC重新编程， 特定的损伤信号。因此，我们的具体目标是：1）我们计划确定修复/再生潜力 SC用于急性或慢性损伤的肝脏的修复。此外，我们将研究损伤信号对 使用一种新的体外试验将HSC转化为损伤组织表型的功能细胞。融合 是可能负责转换的附加机制。因此，我们也将研究 如果和当它发生的后果积液，以了解这种细胞修复机制。我们的体外 研究将补充体内移植研究，以确定SC的功能潜力， 疗法我们的目标2）是研究哪些靶细胞可以影响受损组织的修复。有没有可能 组织有自己的SC储存库，可以在特定情况下修复？我们将尝试隔离SC 从上皮组织中，我们已经使用的方法，成功地分离HSC，并确定 这些细胞修复受损上皮和造血组织的潜力。 相关性 我们这些研究的长期目标是利用造血和非造血组织的SC， 为糖尿病、囊性纤维化以及肝或肾衰竭等疾病提供治疗选择。我们 计划是建立机制，使成年SC重编程，以响应特定的损伤信号。

We will establish the qualitative and quantitative potential of stem cells (SC) and committed progenitor cells of hematopoietic tissue (HSC) for the repair of damage to epithelial tissues. These studies are designed to examine the mechanisms responsible for tissue repair and regeneration. We believe in order to determine what regulates repair/regeneration we must show: a) What the factors are that induce conversion of hematopoietic stem cells into liver; b) what are the target cells responsible for the repair; c) how the cells can be delivered to the site of injury; d) how we can track the cells after transplantation; and e) what is the level of repair/regeneration over time. Our long term goals of these studies are to utilize SC from hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic tissue to offer treatment options for diseases such as Diabetes, Cystic Fibrosis, as well as liver or kidney failure. Our plan is to establish the mechanisms which allow adult SC to reprogram in response to specific injury signals. Thus our specific aims are: 1) we plan to determine the repair/regeneration potential of SC for repair of acutely or chronically injured liver. Further, we will examine the effect of injury signals on the conversion of HSC into functional cells of the injured tissue phenotype using a novel in vitro assay. Fusion is an additional mechanism which might be responsible for conversion. Therefore we will also study the consequences effusion if and when it occurs to understand this mechanism of cellular repair. Our in vitro studies will be complemented with in vivo transplant studies to determine the functional potential for SC therapy. Our aim 2) is to study which target cells can affect the repair of injured tissue. Is it possible that each tissue has its own reservoir of SC which can repair in particular circumstances? We will attempt to isolate SC from epithelial tissues by methods which we have already used to successfully isolated HSC and determine the potential for these cells to repair injured epithelial and hematopoietic tissue. Relevance Our long term goals of these studies are to utilize SC from hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic tissue to offer treatment options for diseases such as Diabetes, Cystic Fibrosis, as well as liver or kidney failure. Our plan is to establish the mechanisms which allow adult SC to reprogram in response to specific injury signals.