Mechanisms of erythrocyte development and regeneration: implications for regenerative medicine and beyond

Emery H Bresnick1, Kyle J Hewitt2, Charu Mehta2

  • 1Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, UW-Madison Blood Research Program, Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA ehbresni@wisc.edu.

Development (Cambridge, England)
|January 12, 2018
PubMed

Hemoglobin-expressing erythrocytes (red blood cells) act as fundamental metabolic regulators by providing oxygen to cells and tissues throughout the body. Whereas the vital requirement for oxygen to support metabolically active cells and tissues is well established, almost nothing is known regarding how erythrocyte development and function impact regeneration. Furthermore, many questions remain unanswered relating to how insults to hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells and erythrocytes can trigger a massive regenerative process termed 'stress erythropoiesis' to produce billions of erythrocytes. Here, we review the cellular and molecular mechanisms governing erythrocyte development and regeneration, and discuss the potential links between these events and other regenerative processes.

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