Princess Margaret Cancer Centre · University of Toronto

Decoding blood stem cell inflammation
across the human lifespan.

Blood stem cells sustain lifelong blood production and immune protection, yet they are continuously shaped by inflammation arising from infection, aging, metabolism, and environmental exposures. We investigate how inflammatory experiences leave lasting molecular memories in human blood stem cells — and how these changes influence healthy aging, clonal hematopoiesis, and leukemia. By combining human stem cell biology, single-cell genomics, and translational models, we aim to develop new biomarkers and therapies that improve health throughout life.

Discover our research Meet the team

Keywords Hematopoietic stem cells · Inflammation · Aging · Clonal hematopoiesis · Leukemia · Single-cell genomics

Diagram of how inflammation, aging, and obesity drive HSC clonal expansion, AML, and disease modeling in mice
Our Mission

How inflammation rewires blood stem cells.

The Xie Lab studies how inflammation rewires human blood stem cells and contributes to aging and cancer.

We discovered that a subset of human hematopoietic stem cells can retain a long-lasting "inflammatory memory" state, providing a new framework for understanding how environmental exposures influence stem cell function and disease risk.

Our goal is to translate these discoveries into strategies that prevent blood diseases and improve patient outcomes.

In acute myeloid leukemia, the most common form of adult acute leukemia, the long-term survival rate is approximately

30% 5-year survival

Therapies designed to eradicate leukemia stem cells are urgently needed.

Why It Matters

Inflammation, aging, and cancer.

Inflammation is increasingly recognized as a central driver of aging and cancer.

Our research seeks to explain how inflammatory experiences become biologically embedded within blood stem cells and how these changes influence lifelong health. By identifying biomarkers and therapeutic vulnerabilities, we aim to promote healthy aging, prevent disease progression, and improve outcomes for patients with hematologic disorders.

Find out more about our research
Research Themes

Inflammatory memory as the unifying thread.

1

Inflammatory Memory

How do blood stem cells remember past inflammatory exposures, and how does this memory influence regeneration and disease?

 2

Clonal Hematopoiesis

Understanding how inflammation drives age-related expansion of mutant blood stem cells — and how we can intervene.

 3

Leukemia Stem Cells

Identifying inflammation-dependent vulnerabilities in AML to develop better therapies and prevent relapse.

With gratitude to our funders