Why some age-related blood stem cell clones grow and turn into blood cancer
Modifiable Drivers of Expansion and Malignant Transformation from Clonal Hematopoiesis
This program looks at whether changing inflammation, metabolism, or other modifiable factors can keep mutated blood stem cells in older adults from expanding and turning into blood cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Baylor College of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Houston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11378271 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
The team uses new mouse models that mimic common mutations in blood stem cells (especially DNMT3A and TET2) to see how inflammatory and metabolic stresses drive clone growth. They pair those experiments with analyses of more than 9,500 older adults in the long-running Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study, which includes diverse participants, to find human patterns linked to progression. Two shared cores provide bioinformatics and lab support so experimental and human data can be integrated. The overall aim is to identify risk factors people can change so clinicians might prevent progression from clonal hematopoiesis to blood cancers.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are older adults (21+ and especially older individuals) with evidence of clonal hematopoiesis or people willing to contribute health data and blood samples through cohort research like ARIC.
Not a fit: People without clonal hematopoiesis or whose health issues are unrelated to blood stem cells are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to ways to lower the chance that age-related mutant blood cell clones progress to leukemia or other harms.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has linked clonal hematopoiesis to higher cancer and mortality risk and suggested roles for inflammation and metabolism, but this program is more comprehensive by combining detailed mouse experiments with long-term human cohort data.
Where this research is happening
Houston, United States
- Baylor College of Medicine — Houston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Goodell, Margaret a. — Baylor College of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Goodell, Margaret a.
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.