Event
“Role of ABCB5 in stem cell-intrinsic signaling pathways”
Faculty of Life Sciences Seminar by Professor Markus Hermann Frank, Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School John T. Herrin Chair in Nephrology, Boston Children’s Hospital Associate Professor of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School Co-Director, Harvard Stem Cell Institute Skin Program
Thursday 6 August 2026
University of Dundee
Dow Street
Dundee DD1 5HL
Host: Professor Mike Ferguson
Venue: MSI Small Lecture Theatre, FLS
My work focuses on the identification and functional characterization of distinct stem cell populations in human tissues, with an emphasis on their roles in tissue homeostasis, immune regulation, and disease. A central component of this work has been the study of the stem cell-expressed gene ABCB5. In the skin, ABCB5 marks a subset of dermal mesenchymal stem cells with immunomodulatory properties. These cells have been investigated for their ability to regulate inflammatory responses and support tissue repair, including in settings such as chronic wounds. Parallel efforts have examined limbal epithelial stem cell populations as well as cancer stem cell populations, particularly in melanoma, glioblastoma and colorectal cancer, with the goal of understanding mechanisms of tumor initiation, progression, and therapeutic resistance. This work has also extended into late-phase clinical translation, including the development of cell-based therapeutic strategies derived from defined stem cell populations for treatment of epidermolysis bullosa and cutaneous wound healing.