How aging affects blood stem cells and their role in acute myeloid leukemia
Official title: Aging-related hematopoietic stem cell intrinsic and microenvironmental signals in AML transformation
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-10935667 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how getting older affects blood stem cells and their surroundings, which might help explain how some people develop acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and it involves analyzing blood and bone marrow from patients to learn more about these changes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 13, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $2,775,137 |
| NIH project number | 1P01CA285250-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-10935667 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are older adults who have pre-leukemic conditions such as age-related clonal hematopoiesis, myelodysplastic syndromes, or myeloproliferative neoplasms.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are younger and do not have any pre-leukemic conditions or acute myeloid leukemia may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how aging impacts blood stem cells and their environment, contributing to the development of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). It focuses on understanding the changes in these stem cells and the surrounding niche that may lead to the transformation of pre-leukemic conditions into AML. By utilizing advanced genetic tools and single-cell technology, the research aims to uncover the mechanisms that allow mutated blood stem cells to thrive and eventually cause leukemia. Patients may be involved in studies that analyze their blood and bone marrow to better understand these processes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new strategies for preventing or treating acute myeloid leukemia in older adults.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding the role of aging in blood disorders, making this approach both relevant and potentially impactful.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kousteni, Stavroula — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Kousteni, Stavroula
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Aging Well with HIV: Alcohol, Risk Reduction, and Education Center (AWAR3E)
A center at Yale is exploring how aging with HIV interacts with alcohol use to create inflammation and frailty, with the goal of finding biomarkers and potential treatments.
-
Cognitive SuperAging: Exploring why some octogenarians stay sharp in memory
This NIH grant studies why a small group of people aged 80+ keep memory skills as good as much younger people, hoping to understand how to protect memory as we age.
-
Biological aging across the lifespan through a national high school-to-adult study
This grant uses a long-running national study of students and adults to collect saliva biomarkers of aging, alongside surveys, to understand how aging markers relate to health and life experiences.
-
Understanding how aging and Alzheimer’s affect how people make tough choices
This NIH grant studies how aging and Alzheimer’s risk change how people decide between immediate and delayed rewards and risky options, with the goal of helping older adults stay financially and healthwise safer.
-
Understanding how brain resilience and multiple brain pathologies influence aging and Alzheimer's disease
A long-term study follows older adults to learn how resilience to brain changes helps reduce dementia risk and what biological factors are linked to better cognitive aging.
-
National Neighborhood Data Archive helps researchers study aging health in U.S. neighborhoods
A nationwide data resource will help researchers understand how where people live affects health and aging, with a focus on respiratory illnesses in older adults.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.