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Chapter category: Stem Cells
Hematopoietic Stem Cells during Embryonic Development
Chapter authors:
Catherine Robin, Katrin Ottersbach and Elaine Dzierzak
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It has been known for many years that the entire hematopoietic system derives from a pool
of stem cells residing in the bone marrow. This, together with the fact that they are readily
accessible, has made these stem cells a major focus for fundamental research as well as for
clinical applications in blood-related disease. An important milestone in hematopoietic stem
cell (HSC) research has been the identification of a number of surface markers. These have
become invaluable tools for the isolation of HSCs, thus facilitating further studies. Current
investigations on the embryonic origins of HSCs, in particular the mechanisms controlling
their emergence and expansion during development, begin to provide important insights into
how adult stem cells are regulated in vivo and a possible means for their manipulation ex vivo.
This review focuses on HSCs as they develop in the embryo and their functional and molecular
characterization.
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