# Hematopoietic Stem Cell engraftment in the injured niche

> **NIH NIH R01** · CINCINNATI CHILDRENS HOSP MED CTR · 2022 · $526,265

## Abstract

Abstract:
Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation remains the only curative treatment for many patients with
hematological disease. A lack of understanding of how hematopoietic stem cells and progenitors engraft in the
regenerating marrow hampers the development of new therapies to improve transplantation efficiency,
especially when donor stem cells are limiting. A major limitation for progress was the lack of tools to examine
differentiation in situ. We have developed methods to image and fate map virtually all steps of blood cell
production in situ. The objective of this proposal is to generate an atlas of hematopoietic cell engraftment and
determine how the local microenvironment promotes engraftment.
We have found that different subsets of sinusoids and megakaryocytes identify physically distinct regions of
high or poor donor cell engraftment. We hypothesize that regions of high donor cell engraftment represent
progenitor niches that selectively promote short-term engraftment. In contrast areas of low donor cell
engraftment represent stem cells niches that promote clonal stem cell renewal and long-term engraftment.
We will test this hypothesis in two aims. In Aim 1 we will generate an imaging atlas of regenerative
hematopoiesis and test the hypothesis that progenitors and stem cells differentially localize to different bone
marrow regions. In Aim 2 we will investigate the mechanisms through which unique niches in the regenerating
microenvironment support regenerative hematopoiesis.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10413317
- **Project number:** 1R01HL162649-01
- **Recipient organization:** CINCINNATI CHILDRENS HOSP MED CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** Daniel Lucas
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $526,265
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-04-01 → 2026-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10413317

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10413317, Hematopoietic Stem Cell engraftment in the injured niche (1R01HL162649-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10413317. Licensed CC0.

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