Education and Training:

M.D., University of Patras, Greece (2000)

M.Sc., University of Patras, Greece (2003)

Ph.D., Genetics, University of Patras, Greece (2006)

Post-doctoral fellow, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY (2006-09)

Research Associate, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY (2009-11)

CURRENT CLINICAL INTERESTS

Hematology, myelodysplasia, gene therapy, regenerative medicine

CURRENT RESEARCH INTERESTS

Generation, genetic modification and hematopoietic differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, hematopoiesis, erythropoiesis, myelodysplasia, gene therapy

RESEARCH DESCRIPTION

Our laboratory aims to understand normal and abnormal hematopoiesis with the goals of identifying new therapeutic targets and developing novel cell and gene therapies.. 

Our major focus is the investigation of the mechanisms and genetic basis of myelodysplasia. Harnessing human induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cell technology, we are developing new models of dysplastic hematopoiesis through the reprogramming of patient-derived hematopoietic cells and the genetic engineering of normal (wild-type) human pluripotent stem cells. Our goal is to use genetic and chemical screens to identify candidate genes and pathways responsible for the disease phenotype(s) and further study their role in hematopoiesis.

In a second area of research we are developing innovative technologies towards the use of iPS cells in cell transplantation therapies. We have developed a number of tools to generate transgene-free human iPS cells and to genetically engineer them in safe harbor sites in the human genome. Current projects include development of conditional suicide genes for protection against teratoma formation, as well as identification of universal genomic safe harbor sites for the genetic engineering of human cells.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Hammachi F, Morrison GM, Sharov AA, Livigni A, Narayan S, O’Malley J, Papapetrou EP, Kaji K, Ko MSH, Ptashne M, Brickman JM. Transcriptional activation by Oct4 is sufficient for the maintenance and induction of pluripotency. Cell Reports.

Sadelain M, Papapetrou EP, Bushman FD. Safe harbors for integration of new DNA in the human genome. Nature Reviews Cancer 2011 (Epub ahead of print, PMID: 22129804).

Papapetrou EP, Sadelain M. Generation of transgene-free human induced pluripotent stem cells with an excisable single polycistronic vector. Nature Protocols 2011;6:1251-73.

Papapetrou EP, Sadelain M. Derivation of genetically modified human pluripotent stem cells with integrated transgenes at unique mapped genomic sites. Nature Protocols 2011; 6: 1274-1289.

Papapetrou EP, Lee G, Malani N, Setty M, Riviere I, Tirunagari LMS, Kadota K, Roth, SL, Giardina P, Viale A, Leslie C, Bushman FD, Studer L, Sadelain M. Genomic safe harbors permit high b-globin transgene expression in thalassemia induced pluripotent stem cells. Nature Biotechnology 2011; 29(1): 73-8.

Kim H, Lee G, Ganat Y, Papapetrou EP, Lipchina I, Socci ND, Sadelain M, Studer L. miR-371-3 expression predicts neural differentiation propensity in human pluripotent stem cells. Cell Stem Cell 2011; 8(6): 695-706.

Brady T, Roth SL, Malani N, Wang GP, Berry CC, Leboulch P, Hacein-Bey-Abina S, Cavazzana-Calvo M, Papapetrou EP, Sadelain M, Savilahti H, Bushman FD. A method to sequence and quantify DNA integration for monitoring outcome in gene therapy. Nucleic Acids Research 2011; 39(11): e72.

Müller F-Z, Schuldt B, Williams R, Mason D, Altun G, Papapetrou EP, Danner S, Goldman JE, Herbst A, Schmidt NO, Aldenhoff JB, Loring JF. A bioinformatic assay for pluripotency in human cells. Nature Methods 2011; 8(4): 315-7.

Papapetrou EP, Sadelain M. Reconstructing blood from induced pluripotent stem cells. F1000 Medicine Reports 2010, 2: 44.

Yang JS, Maurin T, Robine N, Rasmussen K, Jeffrey K, Chandwani R, Papapetrou EP, Sadelain M, O’Carroll D, Lai E. Conserved vertebrate miR-451 provides a platform for Dicer-independent, Ago2-mediated microRNA biogenesis. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2010; 107(34): 15163-8.

Papapetrou EP, Korkola JE, Sadelain M. A genetic strategy for single and combinatorial analysis of miRNA function in mammalian hematopoietic stem cells. Stem Cells 2010; 28(2): 287-96.

Lee G, Papapetrou EP, Kim H, Chambers S, Tomishima M, Fasano C, Viale A, Tabar, V, Sadelain M, Studer L. Modeling pathogenesis and treatment of familial dysautonomia using patient-specific iPSCs. Nature 2009; 461(7262): 402-6.

Papapetrou EP, Tomishima MJ, Chambers CM, Gruber Y, Reed E, Menon J, Tabar V, Mo Q, Studer L, Sadelain M. Stoichiometric and temporal requirements of Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc expression for efficient human iPSC induction and differentiation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2009; 106(31): 12759-64.

Chambers SM, Fasano CA, Papapetrou EP, Tomishima M, Sadelain M, Studer L. Highly efficient neural conversion of human ES and iPS cells by dual inhibition of SMAD signaling. Nature Biotechnology 2009; 27(3): 275-80.

Papapetrou EP, Kovalovsky D, Beloeil L, Sant’Angelo D, Sadelain M. Harnessing endogenous miR-181a to segregate transgenic antigen receptor expression in developing versus post-thymic T cells in murine hematopoietic chimeras. J Clin Invest 2009; 119(1): 157-68.

Papapetrou EP, Ziros PG, Micheva ID, Zoumbos NC, Athanassiadou A. Gene transfer into human hematopoietic progenitor cells with an episomal vector carrying an S/MAR element. Gene Therapy 2006; 13(1): 40-51.