Augmentation and Differentiation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells
A side effect of chemo or radiation therapies is a destruction of the hematopoietic system. As a consequence, tumour patients suffer from various ailments after receiving such therapies. These range from a general weakness to serious immunodeficiencies with the danger of lethal infections. To minimize these discomforts and risks, patients need to be treated with growth factors, which activate and augment cells of the hematopoietic system.
We are characterizing novel growth factors which induce proliferation and/or differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells. We are testing which growth factor or which combination of growth factors is best suited to reconstitute the hematopoietic system after chemo or radiation therapy.