Lineage tracking to reveal the fate of hematopoietic stem cells influenced by Flk2− multipotent progenitors after transplantation

Experimental & Molecular Medicine, Published online: 13 January 2023; doi:10.1038/s12276-022-00922-wGenetic barcoding technology reveals how a specific group of progenitor cells regulates the fate of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), the precursors of blood cells, following bone marrow transplantation. HSCs are used in bone marrow transplantation to boost blood regeneration in leukemia patients. HSCs differentiate into different groups of mature blood cells, which then form a ‘feedback loop’, influencing the fate of HSCs. The first descendants of HSCs are multipotent progenitor cells (MPPs), which are frequently transplanted alongside HSCs. Exactly how MPPs influence HSC differentiation is unclear. Rong Lu at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA, and co-workers used genetic barcoding technology to track individual HSCs when they were transplanted alongside MPPs into mice. One specific group of MPPs boosted long-term T-cell production from HSCs, and also regulated the fate of HSCs over time.
Source: Experimental and Molecular Medicine - Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Source Type: research