Mariusz Z. Ratajczak
Dr. Ratajczak is a professor of medicine, the Henry M. and Stella M. Hoenig, and the endowed chair of cancer biology and the developmental biology research program director at the University of Louisville’s Brown Cancer Center. He is also a Professor at the Medical University of Warsaw, Poland, he is an honorary member of the Polish American Medical Society, he is an internationally known specialist in adult stem cell biology.
His 2005 discovery of very small embryonic-like stem cells in adult bone marrow tissues could revolutionize regenerative medicine. This discovery may lead to new treatments for cancer, heart disease, eye disease, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders.
Dr. Ratajczak is also known for his work on novel mechanisms of mobilization and homing of stem cells, the biological role of extracellular microvesicles, and molecular mechanisms of cancer metastasis.
Among Dr. Ratajczak’s prestigious awards are the 2022 Individual Annual Award from Ministry of Science for Scientific Achievements, 2014 Karl Landsteiner Life Time Achievement Award from the German Society of Transfusion Medicine and Immuno-Hematotherapy, 2008 President’s Award for Outstanding Scholarship, Research and Creativity from the University of Louisville, the 2008 Cancer Researcher of the Year award, the 2006 Award in Medicine and Biology from the Foundation for Polish Sciences (the highest scientific award in Poland), the 2004 Individual Award from the Polish Ministry of Health for Scientific Achievements and the 2002 Chad Kopple Spirit Award from the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.
Dr. Ratajczak was honored with the doctor honoris causa degree from the Medical University of Silesia. He has published numerous books and more than 550 peer-reviewed publications and is a frequent speaker at conferences worldwide.
His work was cited more than 31 000, and his Hirsh Index = 89.
Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY USA
Director – Stem Cell Institute, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville
Member, Immune-Oncology Program, Brown Cancer Center, University of Louisville
Visiting Professor, Department of Regenerative Medicine, Warsaw Medical University, Warsaw, Poland; 2015-
Visiting Professor, Kansai University, Osaka, Japan; 2007-
Visiting Professor, Fudan University, Shanghaj, PRC; 2008-
Honorary Professor at Xiamen University in China.
Education:
M.D. – Magna Cum Laude, Medicine, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland; 1981
Ph.D., Medicine, Center for Clinical & Experimental Medicine of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland; 1986
D.Sci. (Habilitated Ph.D.), Medicine, Center for Clinical & Experimental Medicine of Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland; 1989
Research Description:
Dr. Ratajczak is an internationally known specialist in the field of adult stem cell biology. His 2005 discovery of embryonic-like stem cells in adult bone marrow tissues has the potential to revolutionize the field of regenerative medicine. This discovery may lead to new treatments for cancer, heart disease, eye disease, diabetes and neurodegenerative disorders.
Dr. Ratajczak is also known from his work on novel mechanisms of mobilization and homing of stem cells, biological role of extracellular microvesicles and molecular mechanisms of cancer metastasis.
1. The role of developmentally early stem cells isolated from the adult tissues in regeneration.
Identification of new mechanisms responsible for tissue/organ regeneration. Dr. Ratajczak developed a concept of circulating small pluripotent very small embryonic-like stem cells (VSELs) and is developing new strategies to isolate those cells from bone marrow, mobilized peripheral blood, cord blood and peripheral tissues.
2. The role of complement in stem cell homing/mobilization.
Another area of investigations in Dr. Ratajczak’s laboratory is to elucidate the role of complement proteins in regulating human hematopoiesis. Dr. Ratajczak’s group identified a novel role of C3 complement cleavage fragments modulate the SDF-1-CXCR4 axis and thus play an important role in retaining human CXCR4+ hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow. Dr. Ratajczak also observed that antagonists of C3a receptor enhance G-CSF-mediated mobilization of hematopoietic stem cells into peripheral blood. This strategy could be explored in vivo as a new strategy to mobilize the so called “poor mobilizers”.
3. The role of bioactive lipids in stem cell homing/mobilization and cancer metastasis.
Dr. Ratajczak’s laboratory is to elucidate the role of sphingosine-1 phosphate and ceramid-1 phosphate in regulating normal human hematopoiesis and directing mobilization and homing of various BM-derived adult stem cells. His group pioneered this field. In parallel his group is studying effect of bioactive lipids in cancer metastasis.
4. Biological effects of microvesciles and exosomes.
Dr. Ratajczak’s laboratory is studying the role of membrane derived microparticles shed from the eukaryotic cells and their role in various biological processes. Recently, microvesicles, isolated from embryonic stem cells, were used by his group to improve ex vivo expansion and survival of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells. He is also interested in the role of microvesicles in the progression of cancer. He found that platelet derived microvesicles may regulate metastatic behavior of cancer cells and for a first time described that they play a novel role in horizontal transfer mRNA and miRNA between the cells
Contact details:
Mariusz Z. Ratajczak MD, PhD, D.Sci, d.hc
Professor and Endowed Chair
Stem Cell Institute at Brown Cancer Center
University of Louisville, 500 S. Floyd Street, Rm. 107
Louisville, KY 40202, USA
tel: (502) 852-1788, Fax: (502) 852-3032,
e-mail: mzrata01@louisville.edu