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

January 7, 2026

The Dallas Morning News: Humans can’t make vitamin C. A parasite might explain why

December 23, 2025

Loss of vitamin C synthesis protects animals from schistosomiasis

Agathocleous Lab, collaborators discover vitamin C deficiency can benefit animals by depriving vitamin from…

August 12, 2025

Featured in New Scientist: The real reason why we lost the ability to make vitamin C

Select Publications

Kwarteng, E., Li, Y., Nguyen, D., and M. Agathocleous. 2026. Stem cell function in vivo is supported by an alternative glycolysis endpoint. (bioRxiv)

*Chen, G., *Jun, J.H., Wijshake, T., Kwarteng, E.O., Li, Y., Yuan, M., Rose, J. 3rd, Li, S., Cobb, S., Serpa, W., Folger, B., Li, Y., Li, L., Chen, W., Collins, J.J. 3rd, #Wang, J., and M. Agathocleous#. (2025). Loss of vitamin C biosynthesis protects from the pathology of a parasitic infection. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 122 :e2517730122. (PubMed)

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)

*Contributed equally
#Co-corresponding author

Review

Agathocleous. M. (2025). The physiological functions of ascorbate in the development of cancer. Disease Models & Mechanisms 18 :dmm052201. (PubMed)