30.07.2025 Resilience of myeloid stem cells

All blood cells are formed by so-called hematopoietic stem cells. Red blood cells (erythrocytes), a group of white blood cells (granulocytes, monocytes) and blood platelets develop from a subform of hematopoietic stem cells, the "myeloid stem cells". An international research team including the Institute of Pharmacology at the University of Marburg has now discovered that a protein called semaphorin 4A (Sema4A) protects these stem cells from inflammation-induced stress. If this protein is missing, stem cells exhibit hyper-responsiveness to inflammation, which leads to uncontrolled proliferation and loss of regenerative capacity with age. Sema4A acts via a specific receptor on the cell surface and preserves the "epigenetic state" of stem cells. This study shows that extrinsic factors such as Sema4A are crucial for maintaining the functional diversity of stem cells throughout life. 

Link to the original publication: https://www.nature.com/articles/s43587-024-00798-7