Research / Clinical Summary

Ewa Carrier, MD Associate Professor, Medicine / Pediatrics Hematologic Malignancies Program Contact by Email Visit the Website

Dr. Carrier’s research focuses on stem cell biology and its transplantation to cancer and organ repair. She focuses on the properties of pluripotent stem cells, including embryonic, fetal, mesenchymal and bone marrow stem cells, to generate differentiation protocols for the treatment of a variety of disorders. The work progresses in two directions: 1) to define signaling pathways, key genes and proteins active in the differentiation of embryonic stem cells; and 2) defining artificial niches and bio-scaffolds capable of sustaining and directing implanted stem cells into organ repair. This approach, focused on creating of mini-bioreactors that will allow her to implement a new technology for the future regenerative medicine needs.

Dr. Carrier established Embryonic stem cell lines (NIH approved) to study pathways and mechanisms involved in the hematopoietic differentiation of human embryonic stem cells. Recently published paper (Carrier et al, Stem Cells, 2007) described generation of CD34+ cells from human ES cells, present work is focusing on phenotyping and genotyping of human hemangioblast, a putative progenitor of dual endothelio-hematopoietic potential that can be used for the regenerative medicine needs in the future.

Another aspect of the work is to identify a universal pluripotent stem cells within the adult stem cell population, such as mesenchymal stem cells and bone marrow stem cells that can be used for the organ repair in time frame much faster than embryonic stem cells. Such a population of embryonal-like stem cells was identified in murine bone marrow, but not in humans as yet. Her work will focus on isolating and characterizing these cells populations from the adult bone marrow that can be used in the future for cardiac, pancreatic, bone and cartilage repair.

Clinically, Dr. Carrier works on multiple protocols related to stem cell transplant for cancers, such as leukemias, lymphomas and multiple myeloma as well as autoimmune diseases. She participates in the protocols within the NIH-sponsored Clinical Trial Network, and is a member of NIH-funded national consortium to treat autoimmune diseases with stem cells. Recently, two transplants with lupus erythematosus (SLE) and myasthenia gravis were successfully performed at UCSD under Dr. Carrier. Dr. Carrier collaborates on clinical protocols used stem cells for cardiac repair and will implement protocols for stem cell transplants in type I diabetes.

References:
Srivastava AS, Nedelcu E. Esmaeli-Azad B, Mishra R, Carrier E. Thrombopoietin Enhances Generation of CD 34+ Cells from Human Embryonic Stem Cells.Stem Cells. 2007 Mar 22; [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 16764825 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE].

Shrivastava AS, Shenouda S, Mishra R, Carrier E. Transplanted embryonic stem cells successfully survive, proliferate, and migrate to damaged regions of the mouse brain.Stem Cells. 2006 Jul;24(7):1689-94. Epub 2006 Mar 30. PMID: 16574752 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE

Anand S. Srivastavaa, Sharmeela Kaushala, Rangnath Mishrab, Thomas A. Lanea and Ewa Carriera,Dexamethasone facilitates erythropoiesis in murine embryonic stem cells differentiating into hematopoietic cells in vitro.Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2006 Jul 28;346(2):508-16. Epub 2006 Jun 2. PMID: 16764825 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Moustafa, Mohamed E. 1; Srivastava, Anand S. 2; Nedelcu, Elena 2; Donahue, Jody 2; Gueorguieva, Ivelina 2; Shenouda, Steve S. 2; Minev, Boris 2; Carrier, Ewa 2,3,4 Chimerism and tolerance post-in utero transplantation with embryonic stem cells. Transplantation. 2004 Nov 15;78(9):1274-82. PMID: 15548963 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE].

M R Kamrava1, E M Anderson2, K Kalunian3, A Abshey3, P Holman3, B Medina3, E D Ball3 and E Carrier3T-cell depletion improves outcome after autologous stem cell transplant in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).Bone Marrow Transplant. 2005 Jan;35(2):205-6. No abstract available. Erratum in: Bone Marrow Transplant. 2005 Feb;35(3):321. Abshey, A [corrected to Bashey, A]. PMID: 15543199 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Zhongling Fenga, Anand S. Srivastavaa, Rangnath Mishrab and Ewa Carriera, .A regulatory role of Wnt signaling pathway in the hematopoietic differentiation of murine embryonic stem cells.Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2004 Nov 26;324(4):1333-9. PMID: 15504360 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE.

G. Radhakrishna Pillai1, Anand S. Srivastava1, Tarek I. Hassanein, Dharam P. Chauhan and Ewa Carrier. Induction of apoptosis in human lung cancer cells by curcumin. Cancer Lett. 2004 May 28;208(2):163-70. PMID: 15142674 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE].

R K Burt1, A Marmont2, R Arnold3, F Heipe3, G S Firestein4, E Carrier4, B Hahn5, W Barr1, Y Oyama1, J Snowden6, K Kalunian5 and A Traynor1Development of a phase III trial of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for systemic lupus erythematosus. Bone Marrow Transplant. 2003 Aug;32 Suppl 1:S49-51. PMID: 12931242 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE].

Chauhan, D. P.1; Srivastava, A. S.1; Moustafa, M. E.1; Shenouda, S.1; Carrier, E.1In utero gene therapy: prospect and future. Curr Pharm Des. 2004;10(29):3663-72. Review. PMID: 15579062 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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