The beating of the heart inside an embryo doesn’t just circulate blood through the developing creature, it also triggers the formation of blood stem cells, the cells that give rise to all other forms of blood cells, according to two new studies. The surprising findings show that the physical force of the heartbeat and blood flowing through the aorta cause embryonic stem cells to differentiate–although researchers don’t yet understand quite how this is accomplished.
The findings could eventually have practical applications for people with blood cancers and other diseases that are treated with transplants of bone marrow, the site of blood stem cell production. Scientists can make red and white blood cells easily in the laboratory, but bone marrow patients need blood stem cells to constantly replenish their blood supply. Producing these cells, also called hematopoietic stem cells, is much more difficult…. Only about a third of patients who require ...
