About this Research Topic

Background

Hematopoietic microenvironment is a precise collection of cells and structures, including stromal cells, cytokines, and extracellular matrix, just like a niche. The regulative function contributes to the growth of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), which have an important impact on the development and stability of hematopoiesis and the immune system.

Hematopoietic microenvironment is always compared to the “soil” demonstrating its strong and vital support for HSCs’ physiological function such as self-renewal, proliferation, differentiation, homing, migration, apoptosis, and hematopoiesis. The disfunction of hematopoietic microenvironment is mainly manifested in the reduction of normal hematopoiesis and the disturbance of immune system and leads to the hematopoiesis failure. On the other hand, the tamed immune microenvironment would depress the normal immune response to malignant cells impairing the immunity to leukemia. Together, the bone marrow microenvironment promotes the proliferation of malignant cells and results in chemo-resistance and relapse. Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the most effective method for the treatment of hematological malignancies. The growth of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and leukemia stem cells are also directly regulated by the bone marrow microenvironment; therefore, the bone marrow microenvironment is one of the key factors in successful HSCT.

However, complications such as transplantation failure (GF), graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and recurrence are the main issues restricting the improvement of HSCT. To better treat the hematological tumors, it is necessary to improve the safety and efficacy of HSCT and to reduce transplantation related complications and mortality. From the perspectives of hematopoietic and immune microenvironment, we may find new methods and means fighting against hematological malignancies.

The Research Topic focuses on the role of hematopoietic and immune microenvironment in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, including three aspects (1) to explore the molecular mechanism of microenvironment mediated drug resistance and recurrence of malignant hematological tumors; (2) to reveal the relationship between bone marrow microenvironment changes and transplantation complications during HSCT and clarify its mechanism; (3) to explore and verify effective methods to repair hematopoietic and immune microenvironment functions, and improve the efficacy and safety of HSCT. We welcome manuscripts from the following subtopics:

1) The molecular mechanisms that transform the function of bone marrow stromal cells and mediate targeted drug resistance and relapse in hematopoietic malignancies after HSCT

2) The cellular crosstalk in repairing the microenvironment, thus comprehensively understanding the relationship between leukemia stem cells and bone marrow stromal cells

3) The cellular interaction between graft immune cells and leukemia cells and the influence caused by the immune regulating therapy during or after HSCT

4) The underlying translational cellular, molecular, or targeted treatment to provide therapeutic strategies for reconstruction of hematopoietic and immune microenvironment

5) The intervention of hematopoietic microenvironment that contributes to the treatment of the complications after HSCT

6) Other potential factors that exist in repairing the microenvironment, such as the interaction between cytokines, chemokines, or immune subsets

7) The changes in the BM microenvironment before and after HSCT

8) The interaction of therapeutic stem or immune cells for HSCT complication management or relapse salvage and immune microenvironment

9) Related clinical studies of hematopoiesis and immune microenvironment in HSCT

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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