Herbert Strobl, M.D. Associate Professor

Head of Research Division
“Molecular Biology of Hematopoietic Stem Cells and Dendritic Cells”

Research Summary

Hematopoietic stem cells differentiate to lineage-committed progenitor cells, which in turn give rise to various leukocyte subtypes. These differentiationprocesses are regulated by a complex interplay between synergistic and antagonistic transcription factors in response to extra-cellular signals. In most of our projects, we use in vitro differentiation models of human CD34+ cord blood hematopoietic progenitor cells and monocytes to study molecular mechanismsunderlying myelopoiesis and dendritic cell (DC) subset differentiation. We use retroviral and lentiviral gene delivery systems and flow cytometry to dissect transcriptional mechanisms underlying lineage commitment and differentiation. We are particularly interested in understanding how different subsets of human DCs develop from hematopoietic stem cells andmonocytes.Epidermal/mucosal Langerhans cells (LCs) and inflammatorytype DCs represent two myeloid DC subsets, which differ in many phenotypic and functional characteristics. A better understanding of how these
DC subsets develop and function is critical for both our basic understanding ofimmune sys- tem function and for the creation of novel immunotherapy procedures. In a second research area we analyzed molecular mechanisms underlying cell plasticity of myeloid cells. In one project we studied granulopoietic monocyte differentiation in response to inflammatory signals.
In another project, we asked how epithelial genes are regulated during the life cycle of LCs.

More...