BoneKEy-Osteovision | Perspective
Hematopoietic-osteoblastic interactions in the hematopoietic stem cell niche
Laura M Calvi
DOI:10.1138/20060210
Abstract
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), rare primitive cells capable of reconstituting all blood cell lineages, are the only stem cells currently routinely used for therapeutic ends. Clinical experience has shown that HSC number is an important limiting factor in treatment success. Strategies to expand HSCs are of great clinical appeal since they would improve therapeutic use of these cells in stem cell transplantation and in conditions of bone marrow failure. To survive throughout the life of an individual, HSCs must balance self-renewal and differentiation. This essential regulation of stem cells has been postulated to be determined at least in part by the environment, or niche, in which these cells reside. The concept of a niche, which was hypothesized in the 1970s for HSCs and their regulation, has since been demonstrated for other stem cell systems, such as in the Drosophila melanogaster gonad. However, the niche harboring and regulating HSCs, likely the best characterized stem cells to date, has been difficult to define. This review focuses on our current understanding of the recently characterized pivotal role of osteoblastic cells in HSC control by the niche.
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