Michalis Agathocleous - Children's Medical Center Research Institute (CRI)

Michalis Agathocleous Lab

Research Focus

We are interested in the relationship between metabolism and cell type. We focus on the metabolism of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and their progeny, including cells of the myeloid and T cell lineages. To assess cell type specific metabolism, we have developed techniques to measure metabolites in stem cells and other rare cells isolated from tissues (Nature 549, 476-481, 2017 and Cell Metabolism 33, 1777-1792, 2021). We aim to understand how metabolism affects hematopoiesis, leukemia development, and the host’s response to infection.

Dr. Michalis Agathocleous earned his B.A. and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Cambridge, where he studied embryonic retinal development with Dr. Bill Harris….

Research Projects

Stem cell metabolism

Metabolism and infection

Metabolism of leukemia cells

Stem cell metabolism

Metabolism and infection

Metabolism of leukemia cells

Lab News

October 25, 2023

Edward Owusu Kwarteng Awarded Minority Hematology Fellow Award from ASH

Edward Owusu Kwarteng’s, Ph.D., interest in hematological research began while volunteering at a medical diagnostic lab …

May 5, 2023

The metabolism of neutrophils and its contribution to severe COVID-19

Metabolic changes in neutrophils, the most abundant type of white blood cell, may contribute…

August 10, 2021

Metabolic differences in cancer cells may be driven by cell of origin

The metabolic differences observed between cancer and normal tissue are often thought to reflect…

Select Publications

Wijshake, T., Rose, J. 3rd, Wang, J., Zielke, J., Marlar-Pavey, M., Chen, W., Collins, J. 3rd, and M. Agathocleous. (2024). Schistosome Infection Impacts Hematopoiesis. The Journal of Immunology 212, 607-616. (PubMed)

Li, Y., Hook, J.S., Ding, Q., Xiao, X., Chung, S.S., Mettlen, M., Xu, L., Moreland, J.G., and M. Agathocleous. (2023). Neutrophil metabolomics in severe COVID-19 reveal GAPDH as a suppressor of neutrophil extracellular trap formation. Nature Communications 14, 2610. (PubMed)

Jun, S., Mahesula, S., Mathews, T.P., Martin-Sandoval, M.S., Zhao, Z., Piskounova, E., and M. Agathocleous. (2021). The requirement for pyruvate dehydrogenase in leukemogenesis depends on cell lineage. Cell Metabolism 33, 1777-1792. (PubMed)

Agathocleous, M., Meecham, C.E., Burgess, R.J., Piskounova, E., Zhao, Z., Crane, G.M., Cowin, B.L., Bruner, E., Murphy, M.M., Chen, W., Spangrude, G.J., Hu, Z., DeBerardinis, R.J., and S.J. Morrison. (2017). Ascorbate regulates haematopoietic stem cell function and leukaemogenesis. Nature 549, 476-481. (PubMed)

Piskounova, E., Agathocleous, M., Murphy, M.M., Hu, Z., Mann, S., Zhao, Z., Leitch, A.M., Johnson, T.M., DeBerardinis, R.J., and S.J. Morrison. (2015). Oxidative stress inhibits distant metastasis by human melanoma cells. Nature 527, 186-191. (PubMed)

Love, N.K., Keshavan, N., Lewis, R., Harris, W.A., and M. Agathocleous. (2014). A nutrient-sensitive restriction point is active during retinal progenitor cell differentiation. Development 141, 697-706. (PubMed)

Agathocleous, M., Love, N.K., Randlett, O., Harris, J.J., Liu, J., Murray, A.J., and W.A. Harris. (2012). Metabolic differentiation in the embryonic retina. Nature Cell Biology 14, 859-864. (PubMed)