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Review
. 2010 Dec;90(4):229-42.
doi: 10.1002/bdrc.20194.

Establishment and regulation of the HSC niche: Roles of osteoblastic and vascular compartments

Suleyman Coskun  1 , Karen K Hirschi
Affiliations
Review

Establishment and regulation of the HSC niche: Roles of osteoblastic and vascular compartments

Suleyman Coskun et al. Birth Defects Res C Embryo Today. 2010 Dec.

Abstract

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) are multi-potent cells that function to generate a lifelong supply of all blood cell types. During mammalian embryogenesis, sites of hematopoiesis change over the course of gestation: from extraembryonic yolk sac and placenta, to embryonic aorta-gonad-mesonephros region, fetal liver, and finally fetal bond marrow where HSC reside postnatally. These tissues provide microenviroments for de novo HSC formation, as well as HSC maturation and expansion. Within adult bone marrow, HSC self-renewal and differentiation are thought to be regulated by two major cellular components within their so-called niche: osteoblasts and vascular endothelial cells. This review focuses on HSC generation within, and migration to, different tissues during development, and also provides a summary of major regulatory factors provided by osteoblasts and vascular endothelial cells within the adult bone marrow niche.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Blood cells first emerge in the extraembryonic YS at ~E7.0. The placenta and embryonic AGM region exhibit de novo HSC generation potential at ~E10.5. At E11.0 HSC migrate into fetal liver where most HSC expansion takes place. Finally, HSC home to and reside within bone marrow at ~E16.5 onward.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Primitive hematopoiesis, the generation of primitive erythroblasts, occurs within the extraembryonic YS. Definitive hematopoiesis begins within the YS at ~E8.25 and in AGM at ~E10.5, marked by the generation of adult repopulating HSC that Can differentiate into all mature blood cell lineages. EC: endothelial cells; BC: blood cells; SMC: smooth muscle cells.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Self-renewal and differentiation properties of adult hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) are tightly regulated within their bone marrow niche. Osteoblasts and vascular endothelial cells are proposed to function as two main cellular components of the bone marrow niche. HSC interact with these cells types via indicated receptors and soluble effectors.
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