Grant: CIHR New Investigator

This research addresses the use of blood stem cell products to restore blood flow into damaged tissues. Blood stem cell products used for transplantation include bone marrow, peripheral blood stem cells, and umbilical cord blood. These blood products can also be transfused to assist in the repair of organ damage caused by disruptions in blood flow, termed ischemic injury. New blood vessel formation is a critical first step in the repair of ischemic tissue damage. The precise cells and proteins that are most critical for vascular repair are not fully understood and we plan to characterize specific cell subsets that are most enriched for the ability restore healthy vasculature into damaged tissues. Further, in this research, proteins will be identified that are central to the vascular repair process. An immunosuppressed mouse model will be used which accepts human cells. Specialized cells will be isolated and tested for their ability to form new blood vessels in the mice. This will allow for quantification and comparison of vascular function between specific cell populations from human umbilical cord blood, bone marrow, and peripheral blood stem cell products. Using an animal model for our experiments provides biological data that will be important for developing strategies that could be used in humans. Identifying proteins that are present in blood stem cell products with increased blood-forming function will allow us to characterize important signals associated with successful vascular regeneration. Biomarkers or signals will be critical for optimizing cellular regenerative therapy. Our work will provide a platform for developing cell therapy for the treatment of heart attacks, strokes, some types of kidney failure and some cases of trauma or accidents. The potential for widespread application of regenerative vascular therapy underscores the clinical importance of this emerging area and the possibility of a profound impact on the health of Canadians