Case CCC Immune Oncology Program member, Amar Desai, PhD, has been awarded $100,000 in funding for one year from the Innovative Science Accelerator Program (ISAC) for his project Antihistamines to prevent age-associated hematopoietic decline. He aims to demonstrate that repurposing a well tolerated and widely used drug could revolutionize the treatment of hematologic aging and its associated conditions.
ISAC awards seed funding for exceptionally innovative, disruptive (high-risk/high-reward) research relevant to the kidney, urologic, and hematologic disease community that has the potential for groundbreaking, paradigm-shifting, and field-changing results.
Desai's study addresses the anticipated dramatic increase of the prevalence of age-related diseases, particularly malignancies, as life-expectancies increase across the globe. He posits that the trend poses significant challenges, as approximately 80% of new cancer diagnoses occur in individuals aged 55 and older, with hematologic malignancies representing a considerable portion of the cases. Given that alterations in hematopoietic function are believed to drive the late onset of hematologic malignancies, understanding the aging process of hematopoiesis is crucial for devising effective treatments.
Desai's research explores new pathways of hematopoietic regulation, particularly focusing on the role of mast cells. Using the mast cell-deficient KitW-sh mouse model , traditionally known for their involvement in immunity and regulating hematopoiesis, his team's findings suggest that the absence of mast cells leads to notable changes in bone marrow, including peripheral neutrophilia, an increase in HSC populations, and enhanced resistance to myeloablative to stress. Further, they observed that treatment with Cetirizine, a second-generation antihistamine, results in an expanded myeloid cell and HSC population in the bone marrow.
Thus, the team hypothesizes that inhibiting mast cell derived histamine signaling through pharmacological intervention can improve hematopoietic fitness in aging organisms and limit the progression of age-related hematopoietic diseases.