Derrick J. Rossi

Tissue-specific stem cells are first integral in the developing fetus for the generation of tissues and organs, and later in the adult for ongoing tissue maintenance, and regeneration after injury. The fact that homeostatic maintenance and regenerative potential of tissues wanes with age has implicated stem cell decline as a central player in the aging process.

In the hematopoietic system, advancing age is accompanied by a number of pathophysiological changes whose etiology suggests stem and progenitor cell involvement. The most clinically significant of these are the decreased competence of the adaptive immune system, the increased incidence of myelogenous diseases including myeloid leukemias, and the onset of anemia in the elderly. Our lab is interested in understanding the extent to which aging of hematopoietic stem cells contributes to these pathophysiologies. To address this we are evaluating hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in the context of aging in order to elucidate underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms. In particular we are exploring the contribution of epigenetic regulatory mechanisms to hematopoietic stem cell biology and aging. We are also studying the mechanisms through which stem cells maintain genomic integrity, and examining how DNA damage accumulation impacts stem cell function during aging.