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REVIEW article

Front. Hematol.
Sec. Hematopoiesis and Stem Cells
Volume 3 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/frhem.2024.1401713
This article is part of the Research Topic Editors' Showcase: Hematopoiesis and Stem Cells View all 7 articles

Dissecting dormancy and quiescence in hematopoietic stem cells

Provisionally accepted
Liliia Ibneeva Liliia Ibneeva 1*Tatyana Grinenko Tatyana Grinenko 1,2*
  • 1 Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany
  • 2 Shanghai Institute of Hematology, State Key Laboratory of Medical Genomics, National Research Center for Translational Medicine at Shanghai, Ruijin Hospital Affiliated to Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Quiescence is a fundamental state of adult hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) characterized by their residence in the G0 phase of the cell cycle. Despite being quiescent, HSCs retain their capacities for self-renewal and multipotency, enabling them to produce all blood lineages. Recent discoveries have shown that HSCs can dive into an even deeper state of quiescence with a very low division rate in steady-state conditions, known as dormancy. Dormant HSCs (dHSCs) have the most superior stem cell properties among HSCs, placing them at the top of the hematopoietic hierarchy. In this review, we argue that quiescence and dormancy are not synonyms in the context of HSCs. Specifically, dHSCs constitute a unique reserve pool of HSCs, mobilized only under stress conditions to protect the HSC compartment throughout life. While HSC quiescence is well-studied, the molecular features of HSC dormancy remain less well-defined. We will discuss the available methods for dHSC isolation and summarize the latest findings on the roles of niche factors, transcription factors, chromatin regulators, and cell cycle-related proteins in maintaining HSC dormancy. Additionally, we will explore whether insights from the quiescent HSC research can be applied to dHSCs. Lastly, we will assess the therapeutic potential of utilizing or targeting dHSCs to improve stem cell transplantation outcomes and treat hematological diseases, opening new avenues for research and clinical applications in regenerative medicine and oncology.

    Keywords: Hematopoietic Stem Cells, dormancy, quiescence, Bromodeoxyuridine, H2b-GFP, label retention assay, Retinoic acid signaling, CD38

    Received: 15 Mar 2024; Accepted: 05 Sep 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Ibneeva and Grinenko. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Liliia Ibneeva, Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany
    Tatyana Grinenko, Institute for Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.