Snoeck Lab

The overarching focus of the Snoeck Lab is translational stem cell research, and consists of two major vignettes: hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), the historical focus of the lab, and a more recently developed project on lung development from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs).

The respiratory system arises from buds on the ventral anterior foregut endoderm (AFE) that undergo a stereotyped branching process followed by specialization of the airway epithelium in the stalks, while, distally, alveoli develop where gas exchange will take place. We have published a strategy to achieve the generation of developmental lung progenitors from hPSCs. These were capable of further differentiation into airway and, predominantly, distal lung cells in 2D cultures. Recapitulation of lung development from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) in three dimensions (3D) would allow innovative strategies for disease modeling, drug discovery and regenerative medicine. We developed two culture systems in 3D, that are used to study viral pathogenesis and fibrotic lung disease, with a focus on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).

The second vignette focuses on an adult stem cell, the hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which resides in the bone marrow (BM) and generates all blood lineages throughout life or in a patient after transplantation. HSCs are therefore not only paradigmatic stem cells, but are also used for stem cell therapies for a wide range of hematological diseases. Despite significant progress in our understanding of the biological mechanisms regulating HSC features such as self-renewal, differentiation, and quiescence, a coherent understanding of how these mechanisms act in concert to regulate HSCs homeostasis has not emerged yet, and maintenance of HSCs in vitro remains challenging. Our laboratory focuses on the cellular physiology of HSCs, in particular on the role of mitochondrial fusion and fission, the role of calcium, the regulation of nucleolar function.

For more information, visit: https://www.snoecklabstemcells.org