This award will support cooperative research between Dr. Norman S. Wolf of the University of Washington and Dr. Ivan Bertoncello of the Peter MacCallum Cancer Institute, Melbourne, Australia. This research is to investigate how changes in the cellular environment of hematopoietic or blood cells affect their growth. The project will advance understanding of the mechanisms through which hematopoietic cells respond to stress and the hematopoietic cell pathologies which accompany aging. The project represents excellent collaboration between the Australian group, known internationally for their ability to isolate high proliferating colony-forming cells and for their success with long-term cultures of hematopoietic cells and the University of Washington's expertise in long-term cell cycle measurement. This is important fundamental work on the regulation of hematopoietic cells, as well as having potential for major advances in marrow transplant, blood disfunctions, and aging.
