Stem cells originating from and stored in the adult organs of animals across all kingdoms are involved in the day-to-day maintenance of organ integrity as well as repair in the face of acute and chronic challenges such as disease and injury. When required, adult stem cells emerge from their quiescent state, divide, and differentiate into the appropriate cell types, which repopulate the organ. Adult stem cells can be isolated in the laboratory, expanded in culture and in some cases, used in clinical procedures such as bone marrow cell transplantation.
This Collaborative Stream is built on the hypotheses (i) that the mechanisms that drive adult stem cell mobilisation, expansion and integration in different organs share common features and (ii) that knowledge gained about the properties of stem cells in one organ will illuminate the behaviour of stem cells in other organs.
The Stream brings together for the first time the best adult stem researchers in Australia, who will share their knowledge and expertise in the biology of stem cells from a variety of organs - kidney, blood, thymus, heart, lung and neural tissue. The Stream will also analyse the properties and roles of stem cells in disease – in particular cancer, where there are strong reasons to believe that unstable stem cells are the cause of tumours in both animals and humans.
The Stream is organised into integrated teams that exploit the natural overlap in biology, organ, stem cell type or approach of their members and consists of researchers working on:
(i) solid organs (Modules 1-5 and 9) where the aim is to increase understanding of endogenous stem cells and the regenerative/repair process of organs; and
(ii) haematopoietic stem cells (Modules 7–9) to increase understanding of homeostasis of HSCs and their niche so as to improve clinical manipulation of this system.
Module 10 establishes a third team from multiple organisations working toward the creation of core databases on gene expression in mouse and human stem cells to address fundamental questions in stem cell biology.
The expected outcomes of the program are a stronger basic knowledge of ASCs; progress on pre-clinical/translational models (lung, kidney, brain); application of new technologies to the adult stem cell field (eg. real-time cell division tracking); new stem cell molecular profiles contributing to the Core Database; improved understanding of the biology of the HSC regulatory network, HSC niche factors and their function and dynamics and the role of chromatin in stemness.
Stream Leader: Professor Richard Harvey
Professor Richard Harvey, PhD, FAA (Australia), received his PhD in 1982 under supervision of the late JRE Wells from the Department of Biochemistry, University of Adelaide. After further training at Harvard University for 3 years and spending 10 years at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, he joined the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute (VCCRI) in 1998, where he is currently Co-Deputy Director and Head of the Developmental Biology Division.
Professor Harvey’s research interests include cardiac developmental biology and stem cells and he is a Research Project Director of the ASCC. In 2001, he received the Hazel Croke Research Award from the NHF; in 2004, the RT Hall Prize, the highest senior investigator award of the Cardiac Society of Australia and New Zealand; in 2005, the Julian Wells Medal and Oration, conferred by the Executive Committee of the Lorne Genome Meeting; and in 2007 the Evelyn Hall Award of the National Heart Foundation. In 2007 he was elected member of the Australian Academy of Science. He is on the editorial boards of Developmental Cell, Developmental Biology, Developmental Dynamics, Trends in Cardiovascular Medicine and Stem Cell Research.
Deputy Stream Leader: Professor Melissa Little
Professor Little is Group Leader of the Renal Development and Disease Laboratory at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience (IMB), The University of Queensland. Her research focuses on the molecular genetics of kidney development and the causes of renal disease, with the aim of developing stem cell technology for use in kidney regeneration. She has published over 80 articles in this area. Professor Little established the Renal Regeneration Consortium, a panel of national experts that works towards developing novel strategies for kidney regeneration. A direct outcome of this initiative was the incorporation of Nephrogenix Pty Ltd, which is developing cell-based therapies for renal disease.
Throughout her career, Professor Little’s achievements have been recognised by awards such as the Australian Academy of Sciences Gottschalk Medal in Medical Sciences (2004), the GlaxoSmithKline Award for Research Excellence (2005), and the Smart State Smart Women Award (2006). In 2006, she was awarded a prestigious Eisenhower Fellowship, which recognised her contribution to both the commercial and academic sectors.