Surprising ability of blood stem cells to respond to emergencies
Wednesday, April 10, 2013 - 13:00
in Health & Medicine
Scientists have revealed an unexpected role for hematopoietic stem cells: They do not merely ensure the continuous renewal of our blood cells; in emergencies they are capable of producing white blood cells "on demand" that help the body deal with inflammation or infection. This property could be used to protect against infections in patients undergoing bone marrow transplants, while their immune system reconstitutes itself.