A new human study involving some of the longest-living survivors of hematopoietic stem cell transplants sheds light on how transplanted stem cells from donors change after engraftment and mutate over time.
Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), also known as blood stem cells, are immature cells in the bone marrow and blood that can develop into all types of blood cells
The results were published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
The study found that the rate of mutations and clonal expansion in transplanted stem cells remained relatively low, even after decades.
This suggests that the regenerative capacity of bone marrow is significant
The findings provide a foundation for studying the impact of factors like donor age and pre-existing clonal hematopoiesis on long-term transplant outcomes.
A better understanding of the long-term behavior of transplanted stem cells could lead to improved transplant procedures and patient care.
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