Speaker: Raquel Espin Palazon, genetics, development and cell biology assistant professor

Title: "Uncovering inflammatory dynamics during developmental hematopoiesis"

Abstract: Uncovering the mechanisms regulating hematopoietic specification not only would overcome current limitations related to hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell (HSPC) transplantation, but also advance cellular immunotherapies. Therefore, generating patient-derived HSPCs and their derivatives, which has eluded the field over three decades, would have an enormous impact on regenerative medicine, positively impacting current therapies available to treat solid cancers and hematopoietic disorders. In my lab, we are studying the molecular mechanisms leading to the birth of HSPCs, with the ultimate goal of mimicking those conditions in vitro to successfully recapitulate HSPC genesis and generate functional human HSPCs and their derivatives. Particularly, we are resolving fundamental questions on how, why, and when canonical inflammatory networks are utilized naturally by the developing embryo to generate HSPCs. In my talk, I will share the advances that my group has revealed since our establishment at ISU in 2019.

Host: Jeff Essner, genetics, development and cell biology professor