Engineering A Hematopoietic Stem Cell Niche By Revitalizing Mesenchymal Stem Cells With Five Transcription Factors

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are maintained by bone marrow (BM) niches in vivo, but the ability of niche cells to maintain HSCs ex vivo is markedly diminished. Expression of niche factors (Scf, Cxcl12, Vcam1 and Angpt1) by Nestin-GFP+ mesenchymal-derived stem cells (MSCs) is downregulated upon culture and lose its effect of maintaining HSC in vitro, suggesting that transcriptional rewiring may contribute to this reduced potential in cultured MSCs.