Palis Lab

Response of the Hematopoietic System to Ionizing Radiation

Radiation causes bone marrow damage and anemia, however, the response of the erythroid lineage to irradiation has not been well characterized. We have developed a novel method to quantify erythroid precursors using multispectral imaging flow cytometry (McGrath, et al. J Immunol Methods, 2008).  Our preliminary studies indicate that erythroid progenitors and precursors are extremely sensitive targets of radiation damage and recover in an oscillatory pattern suggesting the operation of negative feedback regulation. We are currently investigating the potential role of directed cytokine therapy to mitigate damage and enhance the recovery of hematopoietic cells following a bioterrorist attack or nuclear disaster.

Response of early-stage erythroid progenitors and late-stage erythroid progenitors

Differential response of early-stage erythroid progenitors (BFU-E) and late-stage erythroid progenitors (CFU-E) to a single dose of 4 Gy radiation.

 

 

 

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