GUY SAUVAGEAU, M.D., Ph.D., F.R.C.P.(C)
- Chief Executive Officer and Scientific Director, Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer
- Principal Investigator, Molecular Genetics of Stem Cells Laboratory, Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer
- Full Professor, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal
- Adjunct Professor, Department of Experimental Medicine, McGill University
- Hematologist, Stem Cell Transplant Centre, Department of Hematology, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital
- Scientific Director, Quebec Leukemia Cell Bank
AWARDS & HONOURS
- Canada Research Chair in the Molecular Genetics of Stem Cells, 2004–
- Fellow, Canadian Academy of Health Sciences, 2008
- Stohlman Scholar, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 2007
- Scholar, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, 2002-2007
TRAINING
- Postdoctoral training with Keith R. Humphries, Terry Fox Laboratory, BC Cancer Research Centre, 1996
- Residencies in internal medicine and hematology, 1992
- Ph.D. in experimental medicine, University of British Columbia, 1995
- M.Sc. in immunovirology, Université de Montréal, 1989
- Ph.D. in medicine, Université de Montréal, 1987
RESEARCH SUPPORT
- Canadian Institutes for Health Research
- Génome Québec
- Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute
- National Institutes of Health
- Stem Cell Network
- The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Guy Sauvageau is the Founding Scientific Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer. He holds the Canada Research Chair in the Molecular Genetics of Stem Cells and is Full Professor with the Université de Montréal Department of Medicine.
Dr. Sauvageau is a researcher and clinical practitioner, specializing in the transplant of bone marrow-derived stem cells, called hematopoietic stem cells, and in the study of the molecular mechanism involved in their self-renewal.
A disruption of the production mechanism of these cells is responsible for a large variety of human illnesses and clinical problems. For example, uncontrolled growth of bone marrow stem cells causes leukemia; our current inability to stimulate their renewal is a serious impediment to successful human bone marrow transplants.
Over the last fifteen years, Dr. Sauvageau’s work has led to ground-breaking discoveries in understanding the production of hematopoietic stem cells. With his research team, he identified the potential of the HOXB4 and Bmi1 genes which are instrumental in regulating the self-renewal of these cells. His laboratory uses approaches in functional screening to identify genetic networks implicated in this process.
Dr. Sauvageau's teams has also developed the use of recombinant proteins allowing for the expansion of the hematopoietic stem cells. Clinical phase I of this work will soon begin, with umbilical cord blood as a source of essential stem cells for patients requiring a transplant when there is no compatible donor. These discoveries are a significant advance in the field of blood stem cell transplantation.
Dr. Sauvageau’s research on the Bmi1 gene may lead to new ways to destroy tumour cells. In tandem with his research and training activities at the IRIC, Dr. Sauvageau does bone marrow transplants at Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital in Montreal. His success with the expansion of stem cells paved the way for a major project conducted jointly by the IRIC and MRH to establish a cell therapy centre.
Dr. Sauvageau holds numerous patents on applications that are under development for industrial and clinical use.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Hope KJ, Cellot S, Ting SB, MacRae T, Mayotte N, Iscove NN, Sauvageau G. (2010) An RNAi screen identifies Msi2 and Prox1 as having opposite roles in the regulation of hematopoietic stem cell activity. Cell Stem Cell Jul 2;7(1):101-13.
Bilodeau M, MacRae T, Gaboury L, Laverdure JP, Hardy MP, Mayotte N, Paradis V, Harton S, Perreault C, Sauvageau G. (2009) Analysis of blood stem cell activity and cystatin gene expression in a mouse model presenting a chromosomal deletion encompassing Csta and Stfa2l1. PLoS One Oct 19;4(10):e7500.
Deneault, E., S. Cellot, A. Faubert, J.P. Laverdure, M. Frechette, J. Chagraoui, N. Mayotte, M. Sauvageau, S.B. Ting, and G. Sauvageau (2009) A Functional Screen to Identify Novel Effectors of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Activity. Cell 137(2): 369-379.
Sauvageau, M. and G. Sauvageau. (2008) Polycomb group genes: keeping stem cell activity in balance. PLoS Biol 6(4): p. e113.
Sauvageau, M., M. Miller, S. Lemieux, J. Lessard, J. Hebert, and G. Sauvageau (2008) Quantitative expression profiling guided by common retroviral insertion sites reveals novel and cell type specific cancer genes in leukemia. Blood 111(2): p. 790-9.
Sauvageau, G. and C. Perreault (2008) Killer granzyme B linked to N-myc- and c-myc-dependent HSC survival: isn't that comyc? Cell Stem Cell 3(6): p. 579-80.
Bijl, J., J. Krosl, C.E. Lebert-Ghali, J. Vacher, N. Mayotte, and G. Sauvageau. (2008) Evidence for Hox and E2A-PBX1 collaboration in mouse T-cell leukemia. Oncogene 27(49): p. 6356-64.
Cellot, S. and G. Sauvageau (2007) Zfx: at the crossroads of survival and self-renewal. Cell 129(2): p. 239-41.
Cellot, S., J. Krosl, J. Chagraoui, S. Meloche, R.K. Humphries, and G. Sauvageau (2007) Sustained in vitro trigger of self-renewal divisions in Hoxb4hiPbx1(10) hematopoietic stem cells. Exp Hematol 35(5): p. 802-16.
Bilodeau M, Girard S, Hébert J, Sauvageau G (2007) A retroviral strategy that efficiently creates chromosomal deletions in mammalian cells. Nat Methods 4:263-268
Chagraoui J, Niessen SL, Lessard J, Girard S, Coulombe P, Sauvageau M, Meloche S, Sauvageau G (2006) E4F1: a novel candidate factor for mediating BMI1 function in primitive hematopoietic cells. Genes Dev 20:2110-2120
Bilodeau M et Sauvageau G (2006) Uncovering stemness. Nat Cell Biol 8:1048-1049
Bijl J, Sauvageau M, Thompson A, Sauvageau G (2005) High incidence of proviral integrations in the Hoxa locus in a new model of E2a-PBX1-induced B-cell leukemia. Genes Dev 19:224-233
Lessard J et Sauvageau G (2003) Bmi-1 determines the proliferative capacity of normal and leukaemic stem cells. Nature 423:255-260
Krosl J, Beslu N, Mayotte N, Humphries RK, Sauvageau G (2003) The competitive nature of HOXB4-transduced HSC is limited by PBX1: the generation of ultra-competitive stem cells retaining full differentiation potential. Immunity 18:561-571
Krosl J, Austin P, Beslu N, Kroon E, Humphries RK, Sauvageau G (2003) In vitro expansion of hematopoietic stem cells by recombinant TAT-HOXB4 protein. Nat Med 9:1428-1432
Antonchuk J, Sauvageau G, Humphries RK (2002) HOXB4-induced expansion of adult hematopoietic stem cells ex vivo. Cell 109:39-45
Thorsteinsdottir U, Kroon E, Jerome L, Blasi F, Sauvageau G (2001) Defining roles for HOX and MEIS1 genes in induction of acute myeloid leukemia. Mol Cell Biol 21:224-234
Kroon E, Thorsteinsdottir U, Mayotte N, Nakamura T, Sauvageau G (2001) NUP98-HOXA9 expression in hemopoietic stem cells induces chronic and acute myeloid leukemias in mice. Embo J 20:350-361
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