Hematopoietic stem cells: Understanding the mechanisms to unleash the therapeutic potential of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Abstract

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a promising approach in regenerative medicine and serves as a standard treatment for different malignant and non-malignant conditions. Despite its widespread applications, HSCT is associated with various complications that compromise patients' lives and pose considerable risks of morbidity and mortality. Understanding the molecular physiology of HSCs is fundamental to ultimately enhance the mobilization, engraftment and differentiation of HSCs, thus unleashing the full therapeutic potential of HSCT in the treated patients. This review outlines the current understanding of HSC biology and its relevance to the clinical challenges associated with HSCT. Furthermore, we critically discuss the pros and cons of the preclinical murine models exploited in the HSCT field. Understanding the molecular physiology of HSCs will ultimately unleash the full therapeutic potential of HSCT. HSCs derived from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) might present an attractive tool which could be exploited preclinically and clinically. Nonetheless, further studies are warranted to systematically evaluate their potential in terms of improving the therapeutic outcome and minimizing the adverse effects of HSCT.