Understanding how blood stem cells go wrong in leukemia
Integrated analyses of the epigenome to understand the molecular basis of hematopoietic malignancies
Researchers will use a new lab method to map how DNA is packaged and which proteins appear on blood-forming cells to learn why leukemia develops.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wistar Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11172444 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This work will use a cutting-edge single-cell method that reads DNA packaging (epigenetic marks) together with cell surface proteins and gene activity in individual blood-forming cells. The team will build a multimodal reference map in mice to track how regulatory elements change as blood stem cells mature. They will then compare these normal trajectories to patterns seen in leukemia models to pinpoint where differentiation goes off track. Findings aim to reveal the sequence of molecular events that lead to bone marrow malignancies.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with leukemia or other bone marrow malignancies, or donors able to provide blood or bone marrow samples for research, would be most relevant to this work.
Not a fit: Patients with unrelated conditions (for example, non-blood cancers or non-cancer illnesses) or those seeking immediate changes in their care are unlikely to benefit directly from this basic lab research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could reveal molecular errors that cause leukemia and point to new targets for treatments or diagnostics.
How similar studies have performed: Related single-cell epigenomic studies have found important leukemia-associated patterns, but combining histone marks, surface proteins, gene expression, and accessibility in the same cells is a relatively new and developing approach.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- Wistar Institute — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Srivastava, Avi — Wistar Institute
- Study coordinator: Srivastava, Avi
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.