Helen M. Blau

Administrative Appointments

• Director, Baxter Laboratory for Stem Cell Biology (2000 - present)
• Member, Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine (2004 - present)
• Faculty Affiliate, Bio-X Program (2005 - present)
• Faculty Affidiate, Stanford Cardiovascular Institute (2003 - present)
• Chair, Department of Molecular Pharmacology (1997 - 2002)

Honors and Awards

• Fulbright Senior Specialist, Institut Pasteur, Paris (2007)
• Board Member, Harvard Board of Overseer’s (2004-2010)
• Council Member, Institute of Medicine (IOM) (2003-2009)
• Plenary Lecturer, 400th Pontifical Academy, The Vatican (2003)
• Honorary Doctorate, University of Nijmegen, Holland (2003)

Professional Education

Postdoctoral Advisees

Benjamin Cosgrove , Penney Gilbert , Russell Haynes

Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations

• Cancer Biology
• Microbiology and Immunology
• Neurology and Neurol Sciences
• Neonatology and Developmental Biology

Web Site Links

• Blau Lab Website

Current Research Interests

The question of fundamental interest to our laboratory is how cells maintain a quiescent, proliferative or differentiated state. Once a cell becomes specialized for function in a particular tissue, that differentiated state is stable, yet the molecular mechanisms that control the expression of its characteristic repertoire of genes are largely dynamic. Our research is directed at understanding this apparent paradox and elucidating the nature of cell memory and cell plasticity. By perturbing the intracellular or extracellular milieu, we are probing the regulatory network that determines cell fate and how it can be altered. This knowledge is key to our understanding of stem cell quiescence, self-renewal, differentiation, and how cancer arises. This information is also critical to the use of somatic cells or stem cells for therapeutic purposes.

Stem Cell Biology in Bioengineered Niches: we are using nanotechnology to study the role of extrinsic tethered and soluble factors in stem cell fate determination and self-renewal. Specifically, we are studying the effects over time of soluble components (growth factors, morphogens and cytokines) and tethered insoluble components (cell-cell adhesion and extracellular matrix components) on apoptosis, cell division, and differentiation of live single cells in hydrogel microwells by time lapse microscopy. We are elucidating the cell intrinsic molecular mechanisms that govern nuclear reprogramming critical to directing adult stem cell differentiation for use in cell based therapies. To study chromatin remodeling mechanisms necessary for reprogramming, we are using cell fusion and nuclear transfer approaches.

Technology Development for Elucidation of Regulatory Pathways: using technologies developed in our laboratory (restriction enzyme generated siRNAs (REGS) for loss of function analyses and beta-galactosidase assays of protein complementation for monitoring intracellular protein translocation, membrane receptor...

Publications

• Reprogramming towards pluripotency requires AID-dependent DNA demethylation. Bhutani N, Brady JJ, Damian M, Sacco A, Corbel SY, Blau HM. Nature. 2009
• A home away from home: challenges and opportunities in engineering in vitro muscle satellite cell niches. Cosgrove BD, Sacco A, Gilbert PM, Blau HM. Differentiation. 2009 Sep-Oct; 78 (2-3): 185-94
• Nuclear reprogramming in heterokaryons is rapid, extensive, and bidirectional. Palermo A, Doyonnas R, Bhutani N, Pomerantz J, Alkan O, Blau HM. FASEB J. 2009; 23 (5): 1431-40
• Reprogramming to a muscle fate by fusion recapitulates differentiation. Pomerantz JH, Mukherjee S, Palermo AT, Blau HM. J Cell Sci. 2009; 122 (Pt 7): 1045-53
• Perturbation of single hematopoietic stem cell fates in artificial niches. Lutolf MP, Doyonnas R, Havenstrite K, Koleckar K, Blau HM. Integr Biol (Camb). 2009; 1 (1): 59-69