Laura Tran in The Scientist:
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) are cellular factories that churn out blood and immune cells, but their production output varies significantly. This variation influences the success of bone marrow transplant therapies, which are heavily dependent on the quantity and type of blood cells in donor HSC transplantation.1 Although gene expression influences cell lineage, the regulatory mechanism remains unclear. “This is an example where therapeutic usage precedes our understanding of the fundamental mechanism. [HSC] are clinically proved to be useful, so it really drives further research to better understand their regulation,” remarked Rong Lu, a stem cell biologist at the University of Southern California.
When investigating HSC regulation to improve immune regeneration, Lu and her team identified associations between gene activity that modulate the variety and amount of immune cell production. Their findings, published in Science Advances, provide insights into how distinct genetic features can improve optimization of donor cell pools for therapies.
More here.