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Seminar «Development of haematopoietic stem cells»

Dr Alexander Medvinsky

January 24, 2014
12.00 – 13.30
Beijing – 1 Auditorium, China cluster (Skolkovo School of Management)

SEMINAR ABSTRACT:
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) lie at the foundation of the adult hematopoietic system and provide an organism throughout its life with all blood cell types. Several tissues demonstrate hematopoietic activity at early stages of embryonic development, but which tissue is the primary source of HSCs and what are the early embryonic precursors of definitive HSCs? I shall review recent advances in the field of HSC research that have shed light on such questions while setting them into a historical context. To understand HSC development we extensively use in vitro experimental modelling. Our recent work led us to understanding of the hierarchical organization of the developing adult haematopoietic system. Based on analysis of mouse models we have identified the localisation of the first HSCs in the human embryo. Our study reveals that the first human HSCs possess an unprecedented self-renewal capacity. A better understanding of embryonic development of human HSCs may be instrumental for creating clinically relevant protocols for the production of HSCs from human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells.

SPEAKER INTRODUCTION:
Prof. Alexander Medvinsky (http://www.crm.ed.ac.uk/research/group/ontogeny-haematopoietic-stem-cells) graduated from Moscow State University and obtained his PhD in the National Centre for Oncology, Moscow in 1987. In 1985 he joined the National Centre for Haematology, Moscow and there became interested in the development of haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). He and colleagues identified a novel potent source of definitive haematopoietic activity inside the body of the embryo, now termed the AGM region. In 1993 he moved to the National Institute for Medical Research, London where he described important functional properties of the AGM region. In 1997 he established his research group in the Institute for Stem Cell Research and became an MRC Senior Fellow. In 2006 he was appointed Professor in Haematopoietic Stem Cell Biology and since June 2012, he acts as Head of the Institute for Stem Cell Research. The main focus of the Medvinsky laboratory “Ontogeny of Haematopoietic Stem Cells” is in understanding the mechanisms underlying the development of definitive HSCs. Dr Medvinsky is the leader for the “Haematopoietic Stem Cell Biology and Regeneration” theme in the MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine.

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