LAUSR

Blood production is essential to maintain human health, and even small perturbations in hematopoiesis can cause disease. Hematopoiesis has therefore been the focus of much research for many years. Experiments determining the lineage potentials of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) in vitro and after transplantation revealed a hierarchy of progenitor cell states, where differentiating cells undergo lineage commitment - a series of irreversible changes that progressively restrict their potential. New technologies have recently been developed that allow for a more detailed analysis of the molecular states and fates of differentiating HSPCs. Proteomic and lineage-tracing approaches, alongside single cell transcriptomic analyses have recently helped to reveal the biological complexity underlying lineage commitment during hematopoiesis. Recent insights from these new technologies were presented by Drs. Marjorie Brand and Allon Klein in the Summer 2019 ISEH Webinar, and are discussed in this Perspective.