[Significance and purification of long-term hematopoietic stem cells in the hematopoietic system]

The hematopoietic stem cells, defined as blood stem cells with self-replication ability and multipotency, are key to successful hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. With the history of transplantation in the past 60 years and advances in stem cell technologies, our understanding of the hematopoietic system has deepened. However, the molecular mechanisms of self-renewal and pluripotency, which are the essence of the hematopoietic stem cells, remain poorly understood. One reason is that the identification/purification methods of the hematopoietic stem cells, particularly the long-term hematopoietic stem cells capable of lifelong self-renewal, is technically difficult owing to their scarcity in the bone marrow and has not been established to this date. Considering that a long-lasting blood production after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is crucial, it is essential to understand the biology of the long-term hematopoietic stem cells not only scientifically but also clinically. This review describes the scientific and clinical significance of the long-term hematopoietic stem cells by showing the results of the latest researches in the introduction of hematopoietic stem cell identification/purification history.