Hematopoietic Stem Cells in Regenerative Medicine

Abstract

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are a common origin of blood cells and the intermediate progenitor cells and precursor cells including the myeloid or lymphoid lineages, which are the footstones of short-term and long-term blood regeneration. HSCs are precisely orchestrated by the constituents in the hematopoietic microenvironment in the bone marrow niches such as stromal cells, immune cells, and cytokines. The dysfunction and genetic variations of HSCs might lead to hematopoietic abnormality, haematopoietic equilibrium and even hematologic malignancies. Meanwhile, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of HSC maintenance and differentiation according to the niche are of great importance for disease administration via hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). In the chapter, we mainly focus on the works of literature on the definition, biological phenotypes, preclinical investigation and clinical trials of HSCs, which will collectively facilitate the clinical application of HSCT and the relative regenerative medicine for hematological diseases and immune diseases in future.