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Scientists Discover Blood Stem Cells In Lungs
In a groundbreaking discovery, researchers from the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) have found blood stem cells in the lungs for the first time. This unexpected finding has significant implications for the treatment of various diseases and could potentially revolutionize the field of medicine.
According to the study published in the journal Blood, hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which are responsible for producing different types of blood cells, were previously thought to be primarily found in the bone marrow. However, this new research reveals that these stem cells can also be present in the lungs, a spongy mass located in the middle of large bones such as the legs and hips.
The findings have significant potential to change the current treatment paradigm for diseases such as blood cancers like leukemias and autoimmune disorders. The extracted HSCs from lung tissue have been shown to produce red blood cells, white blood cells that aid in fighting infections and healing, and megakaryocytes, which are responsible for producing platelets.
The research began in 2017 when the team initially discovered HSCs in the lungs of mice capable of creating red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelet-producing cells. Building on this initial finding, the researchers analyzed donated human lung tissue and confirmed the presence of similar HSCs. These extracted cells were then grown in a lab setting, demonstrating their ability to produce different types of blood cells.
When these human HSCs were transplanted into immunocompromised mice that lacked their own HSCs, they successfully generated various blood cell types, including red blood cells and megakaryocytes.
