Molecule Crucial for Bone Marrow Stem Cells Identified

Molecule Crucial for Bone Marrow Stem Cells Identified

Scientists at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for Regenerative Medicine and the Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HCSI) have identified a molecule, called the calcium-sensing receptor (CaR), which affects how the stem cells transplanted into the blood travel to the bone marrow and establish production of more blood and immune cells. This is a typical procedure after some types of chemotherapy. A press release can be found on the website of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. CaR is already known to be important in the regulation of bone and calcium.

Researchers have not previously known how transplanted stem cells were able to make their way to the bone marrow and begin the production of new blood cells. In this study, the scientists found that mice lacking the CaR protein had very few hematopoietic (blood-producing) stem cells in their bone marrow cavities after transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells. Normal mice with irradiated (destroyed entirely) bone marrow who received fetal liver cell transplants from mice who were lacking the CaR protein also had far fewer stem cells.

The lead researcher said, “Since there are already drugs available that target this receptor, we may be able to quickly adapt these findings in animals to the treatment of human patients.”