How inflammation helps make blood stem cells
Official title: Molecular dissection of Hematopoietic Stem Cell specification triggered by inflammatory mediators
Funded at Iowa State University · NIH-11299031 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how inflammation signals guide the formation of blood stem cells so scientists can learn to grow patient-specific stem cells for people with blood disorders.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Iowa State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ames, United States) |
| Project start | February 1, 2022 |
| Project end | January 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $428,815 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK131162-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11299031 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with blood disorders who might eventually need hematopoietic stem cell transplants or who are willing to provide samples for translational research would be most relevant.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with conditions unrelated to blood diseases or those seeking immediate treatment are unlikely to get direct benefit from this basic lab research.
What this research studies
From my perspective as a patient, the team is studying the signals that tell early blood vessels to become lifelong blood-forming stem cells. They use lab models (including zebrafish) and genetic tools like CRISPR to turn specific inflammatory and signaling pathways on or off. The work focuses on pathways you may have heard of, such as Notch, nitric oxide, and NF-kB, and tests how each one helps stem cells appear. The goal is to find the molecular recipe that could later let doctors make transplant-ready stem cells in the lab.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make it possible to grow patient-specific hematopoietic stem cells for safer and more available stem cell transplants for blood diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have shown that inflammation and pathways like Notch and nitric oxide influence stem cell development, but reliably making transplant-ready HSCs in the lab remains largely unachieved.
Where this research is happening
-
Iowa State University
Ames, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Espin Palazon, Raquel — Iowa State University
- Study coordinator: Espin Palazon, Raquel
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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.