Hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) are responsible for sensing and integrating infectious/inflammatory cues into hematopoietic responses in bone marrow and producing hemato-immune cells at high demand in peripheral tissues. This session will describe how the pro-inflammatory environment/response and systemic inflammation act on and subsequently shape hematopoietic development, homeostasis and diseases. 

Dr. Serine Avagyan will discuss the role of inflammatory pathways in developmental origins of HSPCs, and in shaping postnatal hematopoiesis in the context of aging and genetic blood disorders. This talk will highlight recent studies investigating how inflammation affects the fate of normal and mutant HSPCs, and the pathways by which inflammatory exposure affects the selection of mutant HSPC clones due to differential clonal fitness.   

Dr. Hitoshi Takizawa will discuss an interplay between hematopoiesis and commensal bacteria, a symbiont increasingly recognized as an important modulator for hematopoiesis in health and disease. This session will highlight recent cutting-edge research deciphering pathways by which commensal bacteria and their-derived signals influence the hematopoietic programs, hemato-immune aging, stem cell clonal diseases, and thereby, discuss future preemptive/therapeutic strategies.