Study Unravels Blood Stem Cell Discovery Capable of Producing Human Blood Cells

Research published in the journal Nature Biotechnology claims to have created blood stem cells that closely resemble those in the human body.

The research, conducted by Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) and published in Nature Biotechnology, has overcome a significant challenge in generating human blood stem cells. These stem cells are capable of producing red cells, white blood cells, and platelets that closely resemble those found in human embryos.

Human pluripotent stem cells (PS cells) can be turned into blood-forming hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) that could offer new treatments for various blood-related disorders such as bone marrow failure syndromes. Hematopoietic stem cells from a patient's own pluripotent stem cells can prevent transplant mismatches and graft-versus-host disease.

Genetically edited pluripotent stem cell-derived hematopoietic stem cells can correct genetic defects causing blood diseases. Also, Gene-edited pluripotent stem cell cells can mimic blood diseases accurately, aiding in the development of improved treatments.

In the study, immune-deficient mice were injected with laboratory-engineered human blood stem cells. The research showed that these stem cells developed into functional bone marrow at levels comparable to those observed in umbilical cord blood cell transplants, a well-established standard of success.

The study also revealed that the lab-grown stem cells could be frozen and then successfully transplanted into the mice. This process simulated the preservation of donor blood stem cells before their transplantation into patients.

Reference: Ng, E.S., Sarila, G., Li, J.Y. et al. Long-term engrafting multilineage hematopoietic cells differentiated from human induced pluripotent stem cells. Nat Biotechnol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-024-02360-7