Exp Mol Med.  2013 Nov;45(11):e55.

Developmental changes in hematopoietic stem cell properties

• Copley MR
• Eaves CJ

Abstract

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) comprise a rare population of cells that can regenerate and maintain lifelong blood cell production. This functionality is achieved through their ability to undergo many divisions without activating a poised, but latent, capacity for differentiation into multiple blood cell types. Throughout life, HSCs undergo sequential changes in several key properties. These affect mechanisms that regulate the self-renewal, turnover and differentiation of HSCs as well as the properties of the committed progenitors and terminally differentiated cells derived from them. Recent findings point to the Lin28b-let-7 pathway as a master regulator of many of these changes with important implications for the clinical use of HSCs for marrow rescue and gene therapy, as well as furthering our understanding of the different pathogenesis of childhood and adult-onset leukemia.

Keyword

hematopoietic stem cells; HMGA2; Lin28-let7 pathway; ontogeny; self-renewal

MeSH Terms

Animals
Cell Differentiation
*Cell Lineage
Embryonic Stem Cells/cytology/*metabolism
HMGA2 Protein/genetics/metabolism
Hematopoietic Stem Cells/cytology/*metabolism
Humans
Leukemia/etiology/metabolism/surgery
MicroRNAs/genetics/metabolism
RNA-Binding Proteins/genetics/metabolism
HMGA2 Protein
MicroRNAs
RNA-Binding Proteins