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• Adult Lung Stem Cell Laboratory
• Renal Regeneration Laboratory
• Developmental Biology Laboratory
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• Niche Laboratory
• Stem Cell Expansion Laboratory
• Tissue Repair

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Niche Laboratory

Group Leader
Susie Nilsson, PhD
Senior Scientist

Contact Details
Email: susie.nilsson@stemcellcentre.edu.au

To find out more about Susie Nilsson, PhD, click here.

Lab Members

Jochen Grassinger – Post-Doctoral Research Scientist
Melonie Storan - Post-Doctoral Research Scientist
Brenda Williams – Senior Research Assistant
Genevieve Whitty - Senior Research Assistant
Gemma Haines – Research Assistant
Cheang Ly Be – Research Assistant
Sarah Ellis – PhD Student
Rebecca Neaves – PhD Student

Research Focus

Haemopoietic stem cell niche biology.

Overview

The Niche laboratory’s research interests stem from a desire to understand the role of the haemopoietic microenvironment in stem cell biology. This is essential to be able to maximise as well as manipulate haemopoietic stem cell (HSC) potential in both normal and disease states. Considerable evidence supports the proposal that the localisation of haemopoiesis to the bone marrow involves developmentally regulated adhesive interactions between stem cells and the stromal cell mediated haemopoietic microenvironment of the marrow. We have focused our research on the lodgement of cells once they trans-endothelially migrate into the bone marrow, and the adhesion molecules on HSC and within the haemopoietic microenvironment that influence this process. We have recently developed methodologies to be able to assess engrafting transplanted cells at the single cell level and are beginning to identify key adhesion molecules that not only regulate this process, but also have effects on HSC survival, growth and differentiation. Specifically, our research focuses on identifying and characterising the mechanisms involved in attracting, retaining, regulating and releasing HSC from the stem cell niche.

Funding

NHMRC

Selected Publications

Nilsson SK, Johnston HM, Coverdale JA. Spatial localisation of transplanted hemopoietic stem cells: inferences for the localization of stem cell niches. Blood. 2001; 97: 2293-2299.

Nilsson SK, Haylock DN, Johnston HM, Occhiodoro T, Simmons PJ. Hyaluronan is synthesised by primitive hemopoietic cells, participates in their lodgement at the endosteum following transplantation and is involved in the regulation of their proliferation and differentiation in vitro. Blood. 2003; 101: 856-62.

Driessen RL, Johnston HM, Nilsson SK. Membrane-bound stem cell factor is a key regulator in the initial lodgement of stem cells within the endosteal marrow region. Exp Hematol. 2003; 12:1284-1291.

Bendall LJ, Nilsson SK, Khan NI, James A, Bonnet C, Lock RB, et al. Role of CD44 variant exon 6 in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: association with altered bone marrow localisation and increased tumour burden. Leukemia. 2004; 18: 1308-1311.

Nilsson SK, Simmons PJ. Transplantable stem cells: home to specific niches. Curr Opin Hematol. 2004; 11:102-106.

Nilsson SK, Johnston HM, Whitty GA, Williams B, Webb RJ, Denhardt DT, et al. Osteopontin, a key component of the hematopoietic stem cell niche and negative regulator of primitive hematopoietic progenitor cells. Blood. 2005; 106:1232-1239.

Haylock DN, Nilsson SK. Stem cell regulation by the haemopoietic stem cell niche. Cell Cycle. 2005; 4:1353-1355.

Nilsson SK, Simmons PJ, Bertoncello I. Hemopoietic stem cell engraftment. Exp Hematol. 2006; 34:123-129.

Haylock DN, Nilsson SK. Osteopontin: a bridge between bone and blood. Br J Haematol. 2006; 134(5): 467-74.

Haylock DN, Nilsson SK. The role of hyaluronic acid in hemopoietic stem cell biology. Reg Med 2006; 1(4): 437-445.