Description of Research Expertise

Our lab is focused on improving therapeutic approaches for sickle cell disease (SCD) and beta-thalassemia via the study of key signaling pathways that regulate expression of the fetal form of hemoglobin. Our work spans the entire translational spectrum from basic science to pre-clinical studies, and we utilize a variety of genomic, pharmacologic, and functional approaches in both in vitro and in vivo red blood cell models.

Selected Publications

Huang, P., Peslak, S.A., Shehu, V., Keller, C.A., Giardine, B., Shi, J., Hardison, R.C., Blobel, G.A., Khandros, E.: Let-7 miRNAs repress HIC2 to regulate BCL11A transcription and hemoglobin switching Blood 143 (19): 1980-1991,2024.

Peslak S.A., Abbas T., Khandros E., Traxler E.A., Abdulmalik O., Giardine B.M., Keller C.A., Hardison R.C., Shi J., Blobel G.A.: Protein Phosphatase 6 Complex: Novel Regulator of Fetal Hemoglobin and Potential Therapeutic Target in Sickle Cell Disease. American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA : 2023.

Cheng A., Traxler E.A., Peslak S.A., Cohen J., Russell J.E., Sayani F.: Patients with Non-Transfusion-Dependent Thalassemia May Evolve to Transfusion-Dependent Thalassemia in Adulthood American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA : 2023.

Li C, Shin H, Bhavanasi D, Liu M, Yu X, Peslak SA, Liu X, Alvarez-Dominguez JR, Blobel GA, Gregory BD, Huang J, Klein PS: Expansion of human hematopoietic stem cells by inhibiting translation bioRxiv : 2023.

Peslak, S.A., Akins, A.B., Foxwell, A.M., Iannelli, M., Grande, C., Breen, D., Russell, J.E., Uritsky, T.J., Sayani, F.A.: A novel, effective, and efficient strategy for treating sickle cell vaso-occlusive events in the infusion center setting. Blood Adv 7 (3): 410-413,2023.

Peslak, S.A.*, Demirci, S.*, Chandra, V., Ryu, B., Bhardwaj, S.K., Jiang, J., Rupon, J.W., Throm, R.E., Uchida, N., Leonard, A., Essawi, K., Bonifacino, A.C., Krouse, A.E., Linde, N.S., Donahue, R.E., Ferrera, F., Wielgosz, M., Abdulmalik, O., Hamagami, N., Germino-Watnick, P., Le, A., Chu, R., Hinds, M., Weiss, M.J., Tong, W., Tisdale, J.F., Blobel, G.A.: Forced enhancer-promoter rewiring to alter gene expression in animal models. Mol Ther Nucleic Acids 32 : 452-465,2023.

Wakabayashi, A., Kihiu, M., Sharma, M., Thrasher, J., Saari, M., Quesnel-Vallieres M., Abdulmalik, O., Peslak, S.A., Khandros, E., Keller, C.A., Giardine, B.M., Hardison, R.C., Shi, J., Blobel, G.A.: Identification and characterization of RBM12 as a novel regulator of fetal hemoglobin expression Blood Adv 6 (23): 5956-5968,2022.

Peslak S.A., Khandros E., Huang P., Wakabayashi A., Abbas T., Abdulmalik O., Keller C.A., Hardison R.C., Shi J., Blobel G.A.: Regulation of Fetal Hemoglobin Production in Adult Erythroid Cells by Protein Phosphatase 6C (PPP6C). American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting. Atlanta, GA. : 2022.

Adema, V., Ma, F, Kanagal-Shamanna, R., Thongon, N., Montalban-Bravo, G., Yang, H., Peslak, S.A. Wang, F., Acha, P., Sole, F., Lockyer, P., Cassari, M., Maciejewski, J.P., Visconte, V., Ganan-Gomez, I., Song, Y., Bueso-Ramos, C., Pellegrini, M., Tuyet, M.T., Bejar, R., Carew, J.S., Halene, S., Santini, V., Al-Atrash, G., Clise-Dwyer, K., Garcia-Manero, G., Blobel, G.A., Colla, S.: Targeting the EIF2AK1 signaling pathway rescues red blood cell production in SF3B1-mutant myelodysplastic syndromes with ringed sideroblasts. Blood Cancer Discov 3 (6): 554-567,2022.

Peslak S.A., Khandros E., Huang P., Wakabayashi A., Abbas T., Abdulmalik O., Keller C.A., Hardison R.C., Shi J., Blobel G.A.: Protein phosphatase 6C (PPP6C) loss raises fetal hemoglobin levels and reduces cell sickling. Red Cell Club Meeting (virtual), New Haven, CT. : 2022.

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Academic Contact Information

University of Pennsylvania, Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology
Biomedical Research Building II/III, Room 809
421 Curie Blvd
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Patient appointments: 800-789-7366