Disease modeling of bone marrow failure syndromes using iPSC-derived hematopoietic stem progenitor cells

The plasticity of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) with the potential to differentiate into virtually any type of cells and the feasibility of generating hematopoietic stem progenitor cells (HSPCs) from patient-derived iPSCs (iPSC-HSPCs) has many potential applications in hematology. For example, iPSC-HSPCs are being used for leukemogenesis studies and their application in various cell replacement therapies is being evaluated. The use of iPSC-HSPCs can now provide an invaluable resource for the study of diseases associated with the destruction of HSPCs, such as bone marrow failure syndromes (BMFSs). Recent studies have shown that generating iPSC-HSPCs from patients with acquired aplastic anemia and other BMFSs is not only feasible, but is also a powerful tool for understanding the pathogenesis of these disorders. In this article, we highlight recent advances in the application of iPSCs for disease modeling of BMFSs and discuss the discoveries of these studies that provide new insights in the pathophysiology of these conditions.