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Updated: Apr 28, 2026

Competitive Transplants to Evaluate Hematopoietic Stem Cell Fitness
Published on: August 31, 2016
Effect of developmental stage of HSC and recipient on transplant outcomes
Natasha Arora1, Pamela L Wenzel2, Shannon L McKinney-Freeman3
1Stem Cell Transplantation Program, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, Children's Hospital Boston and Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
The first hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) that engraft irradiated adult mice arise in the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) on embryonic day 11.5 (E11.5). However, at this stage, there is a discrepancy between the apparent frequency of HSCs depicted with imaging and their rarity when measured with limiting dilution transplant. We have attempted to reconcile this difference using neonatal recipients, which are more permissive for embryonic HSC engraftment. We found that embryonic HSCs from E9.5 and E10.5 preferentially engrafted neonates, whereas developmentally mature, definitive HSCs from E14.5 fetal liver or adult bone marrow (BM) more robustly engrafted adults. Neonatal engraftment was enhanced after treating adult BM-derived HSCs with interferon. Adult BM-derived HSCs preferentially homed to the liver in neonatal mice yet showed balanced homing to the liver and spleen in adults. These findings emphasize the functional differences between nascent and mature definitive HSCs.
The first hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) that engraft irradiated adult mice arise in the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) on embryonic day 11.5 (E11.5). However, at this stage, there is a discrepancy between the apparent frequency of HSCs depicted with imaging and their rarity when measured with limiting dilution transplant. We have attempted to reconcile this difference using neonatal recipients, which are more permissive for embryonic HSC engraftment. We found that embryonic HSCs from E9.5 and E10.5 preferentially engrafted neonates, whereas developmentally mature, definitive HSCs from E14.5 fetal liver or adult bone marrow (BM) more robustly engrafted adults. Neonatal engraftment was enhanced after treating adult BM-derived HSCs with interferon. Adult BM-derived HSCs preferentially homed to the liver in neonatal mice yet showed balanced homing to the liver and spleen in adults. These findings emphasize the functional differences between nascent and mature definitive HSCs.
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