Understanding how blood stem cells decide to grow or become mature cells
Official title: Investigating the mechanisms of lysosome segregation and cell fate regulation in dividing hematopoietic stem cells
Funded at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital · NIH-11398070 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Scientists are studying human blood stem cells to learn how they decide to keep renewing themselves or to turn into mature blood cells for transplant patients.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Memphis, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $757,791 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL174644-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11398070 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with blood disorders who may need hematopoietic stem cell transplants could benefit from future advances stemming from this research.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy individuals not needing stem cell therapies may not directly benefit from this study.
What this research studies
This project looks at how hematopoietic stem cells divide and how the components inside the cells influence whether both daughters stay stem cells or only one remains a stem cell. It uses advanced 3-D imaging to watch living cells over several days at single-cell detail. The goal is to identify factors that promote expanding stem cells for better transplantation without losing their ability to mature into needed blood cells. Findings could help develop better culture methods to produce enough healthy cells for patients who need transplants.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to more reliable production of stem cells for transplantation, potentially expanding access to curative therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies show that understanding stem cell division can influence stem cell expansion, but precise live-cell tracking over days is still challenging and promising.
Where this research is happening
-
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
Memphis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Loeffler, Dirk — St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- Study coordinator: Loeffler, Dirk
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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.