Stem Cell Ecology and Cancer

The Stem Cell Ecology and Cancer lab is the newest and potentially most exciting lab at the SCRC. This lab is primarily focused on exploring the relationship between stem cells and cancer, examining the role of the environment on the transformation of stem cells, and investigating the involvement of the niche on disease initiation and progression. Furthermore, the Stem Cell Ecology and Cancer Lab is representative of the cooperative commitments of the SCRC, the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, and the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute in investigating this exciting and sometimes controversial subject.

Lab Personnel

• Jonathan Pollett, Ph.D., Lab Director
• Denise Barry, Ph.D.

Lab Projects

The Stem Cell Ecology and Cancer Lab concentrates its efforts on four main areas of research:
i. investigating how the balance of intrinsic and extrinsic signaling affects stem cell differentiation and transformation;

ii. assessing the contributions of the environment (host) and microenvironment in tumorigenesis (examining immune system involvement in the transformation of stem cells as well as the effect of tumorigenesis on the host);

iii. translation of the knowledge gained from this work into validating therapeutic targets by developing approaches to condition the environment to retard tumorigenesis and tumor metastasis; and,

iv. to use stem/progenitor cells to model human tumors.

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