Dr. Oliver Christ, MD

 ochrist@bccrc.ca
 christ_oliver@hotmail.com

  View Publications

Department:	Terry Fox Laboratory (@ the BCCRC since 2002)
Research Role:	Graduate Student/Postdoctoral Fellow Alumnus
Education:	MD (Hematology/Oncology), University of Giessen, Germany, 1997
Birthplace:	Dillenburg, Germany
Phone:	604-877-6070 ext.3119
Fax:	604-877-0712

Research Interests:

Role of gp130 as a regulator of HSC self renewal

Identification of phenotypic profiles of cord blood-derived human hematopoietic stem cells

Previous research on the mechanisms responsible for in-vitro self-renewal of hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) has identified the receptor molecules flt-3, c-kit and gp130 as crucial for the maintenance of stem cell activity in culture. My work focuses on gp130, which is a common element (beta-chain) of the receptor complex for cytokines of the interleukin 6 family. Gp130 can mediate different biological effects, because the response of any target cell is determined by the presence (or absence) of a cytokine-specific receptor alpha chain. Primitive hematopoietic cells, in the presence of other growth factors, show a dose-dependent increase of self-renewal divisions in vitro upon stimulation with gp130. However, gp130-binding cytokines promote self-renewal only within a relatively narrow concentration range. Surplus cytokine concentrations can even mediate an inhibitory effect. My work is based on the hypothesis that an artificial overexpression of gp130 on HSC makes a cell susceptible to a wider range of growth factor concentrations. It is expected that gp130-overexpressing cells self-renew and expand more intensively when they are stimulated with gp130-binding ligands. Lately, the major focus of my work is the identification and characterization of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in human umbilical cord blood (UCB). A promising novel marker that may help identify HSC in UCB is the cytoplasmic enzyme aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH). Cells that have a high activity of ALDH can be easily isolated by FACS, using a fluorochrome-coupled substrate for ALDH. We are currently characterizing ALDH+ cells for their immunophenotype, progenitor activity and their ability to engraft in irradiated xenogeneic hosts. My work is supported by a research grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Bonn, Germany (Grant CH272-1/1).

See Also:

• Connie J. Eaves

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