The bone marrow niche for haematopoietic stem cells #MMPMID24429631
Morrison SJ; Scadden DT
Nature 2014[Jan]; 505 (7483): 327-34 PMID24429631show ga
Niches are local tissue microenvironments that maintain and regulate stem cells. Haematopoiesis provides a paradigm for understanding mammalian stem cells and their niches, yet the haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) niche remains incompletely defined and beset by competing models. Here we review progress in elucidating the location and cellular components of the HSC niche in the bone marrow. The niche is perivascular, created partly by mesenchymal stromal cells and endothelial cells and often, but not always, located near trabecular bone. Outstanding questions concern the cellular complexity of the niche, the role of the endosteum, and functional heterogeneity among perivascular microenvironments.