How bone cells help blood stem cells recover in aging bone marrow
Regulation of hematopoietic regeneration in the aging marrow by bone
This work looks at whether bone cells help older bone marrow make new immune (myeloid) blood cells after injury or inflammation.
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 ID | NIH-11198012 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are studying how cells in the bone control the bone marrow's ability to make neutrophils and other myeloid cells, especially as people age. They focus on a protein called Lipocalin-2 (LCN2) made by bone-forming cells and use lab models, including mouse experiments and bone marrow analyses, to see how LCN2 affects blood stem cell behavior during inflammation. Mice that lack LCN2 in bone cells show weaker neutrophil responses after inflammatory challenges, suggesting bone signals help drive emergency production of myeloid cells. The team uses targeted genetic models and inflammatory triggers to trace how bone-derived signals change stem cell growth and differentiation.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients who might most directly benefit include older adults or people with low white blood cell counts after chemotherapy, severe infection, or chronic inflammatory conditions of the bone marrow.
Not a fit: People with conditions unrelated to bone marrow or blood cell production, or those with genetic marrow failure syndromes that do not involve inflammatory signaling, are unlikely to see direct benefit from this work in the near term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to therapies that help older patients or people recovering from chemotherapy or severe infection rebuild their white blood cells faster.
How similar studies have performed: Previous animal studies have shown that bone-derived signals can influence blood cell production, but translating these findings into human treatments remains largely experimental.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia University Health Sciences — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kousteni, Stavroula — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Kousteni, Stavroula
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 below.