Hematopoietic stem cell

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are the stem cells that give rise to all the other blood cells through the process of hematopoiesis. They are located in the bone marrow and also circulate in small numbers in the peripheral blood.

Characteristics

HSCs are characterized by their capacity for self-renewal and their ability to differentiate into any mature blood cell type. HSCs are rare cells, making up less than 0.01% of cells in the bone marrow.

Function

The primary role of HSCs is to maintain the blood system by replacing old or damaged cells. They can also migrate to sites of injury to aid in tissue repair.

Clinical significance

HSCs are used in the treatment of cancer and other diseases. They can be harvested from the bone marrow or peripheral blood of the patient or a donor and then reinfused after treatment. This is known as a stem cell transplant.

Research

Research is ongoing to understand the exact mechanisms of HSC self-renewal and differentiation. This could lead to new treatments for blood disorders and improve the effectiveness of stem cell transplants.

See also

• Stem cell therapy
• Bone marrow transplant
• Hematology

References

Hematopoietic stem cell Resources
Need Help Finding a Doctor? Need help finding a doctor or specialist anywhere in the world? Explore our world directory. WikiMD's DocFinder can assist you in locating millions of physicians.	Medical Knowledge Access the latest research - Most recent articles Ongoing trials.

Translate to: East Asian 中文, 日本, 한국어, South Asian हिन्दी, Urdu, বাংলা, తెలుగు, தமிழ், ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian Indonesian, Vietnamese, Thai, မြန်မာဘာသာ, European español, Deutsch, français, русский, português do Brasil, Italian, polski