Margaret A. Goodell, Ph.D.

Pediatrics, Hematology/Oncology
Director, Stem Cells and
Regenerative Medicine Center

Dr. Goodell has demonstrated that hematopoietic stem cells (blood system cells) are an integral part of the immune system's response to infection. In an article in Nature, she showed that these stem cells are stimulated by interferon gamma to increase their own reproduction so that they can produce immune system cells that are needed to fight the TB organism Mycobacterium tuberculosis. In a second article in Cell Stem Cell, she and her colleagues showed that not all hematopoietic stem cells are equal and that there are subtypes of these cells that give rise to different kinds of blood cells. She identified the subtype myeloid that gives rise to red blood cells, macrophages (that engulf foreign invaders in the blood stream) and lymphoid that gives rise to the body's immune system. This finding has implications for treatment, indicating that those who would use stem cells in treatment might be more effective if they seek these different subtypes rather than looking for a "pure" stem cells.

Dr. Goodell's nomation was based on the following publications:

Baldrige, M.T., King, K.Y., Boles, N.C., Weksberg, D.C., & Goodell, M.A. (2010)" "Quiescent haematopoietic stem cells are activated by IFN-gamma in response to chronic infection. ". Nature, 465(7299), 793-797.

Challen, G.A., Boles, N.C., Chambers, S.M., & Goodell, M.A. (2010) " Distinct hematopoietic stem cell subtypes are differentially regulated by TFG-beta1. ". Cell Stem Cell, 6(1)Distinct hematopoietic stem cell subtypes are differentially regulated by TFG-beta1.