Kirsty Spalding

Group members:
Kirsty Spalding, group leader
Kanar Alkass, PhD stud
Sarantis Giatrellis, FACS operator
Pauline Ocaya, postdoc
Isabelle Westerlund, Master stud

KIRSTY SPALDING
Department of Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB)
Kirsty.Spalding@ki.se

Much of the impetus in stem cell research and regenerative medicine is fuelled by the prospect of promoting cell replacement, or blocking unwanted cell production. However, the turnover of cells in physiological and pathological situations in most human organs is essentially unknown. This is largely due to difficulties in studying this process in humans. In recently established methodology, where we integrated biomedical approaches with developments in nuclear physics, it is now possible to establish the turnover of cells in human tissues. By measuring 14C derived from nuclear bomb tests in DNA, it is possible to retrospectively establish the birth date of cells.

Using such a strategy, the aim is to create a map of cell turnover in the human brain and body in health and disease, and thus provide fundamental information on the dynamics of cell replacement in humans. Increasing attention is been given to the turnover and maintenance of the fat mass in adult humans, in health and pathology.

5 SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:

Arner P., Bernard S., Salehpour M., Possnert G., Leibl J., Steier P., Buchholz B.A., Eriksson M., Arner E., Haunder H., Skurk T., Rydén M., Frayn K.N., and Spalding K.L. (2011) Dynamics of human adipose lipid turnover in health and metabolic disease. Nature 478:110-113.

Alkass K., Buchholz B.A., Ohtani S., Yamamoto T., Druid H., and Spalding K.L. (2010) Age estimation in forensic sciences: application of combined aspartic acid racemization and radiocarbon analysis. Mol. Cell. Proteomics 9:1022-30.

Spalding K.L., Arner E., Westermark P.O., Bernard S., Buchholz B.A., Bergmann O., Blomqvist L., Hoffstedt J., Näslund E., Britton T., Concha H., Hassan M., Rydén M., Frisén J., and Arner P. (2008) Dynamics of fat cell turnover in humans. Nature 453:783-787.

Spalding K.L., Buchholz B.A., Bergyman L.-A., Druid H., and Frisén J. (2005) Forensic medicine: Age written in teeth by nuclear bomb tests. Nature 437:333-334.

Spalding K.L., Bhardwaj R.D., Buchholz B.A., Druid H., and Frisén J (2005) Retroactive birth dating of cells. Cell 122:133-143.

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