Bone Abstracts

Over the past decade the importance of the bone marrow environment has been recognised for the development and maintenance of the haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) niche. Both osteoblasts and endothelial cells have been shown to provide a home for HSC within the bone marrow. This interaction is not a one sided affair and recent work has shown that HSC and myeloid cells are capable of driving osteoblast development thus perpetuating the niche itself. The coupled relationship betwe...

Haematopoietic stem cell (HSC) niches are complex structures located in the trabecular regions of the bone in association with bone-lining osteoblasts (endosteal niches) or with perivascular primitive mesenchymal cells (perivascular niches). These cells provide molecular signals that control HSC fate in terms of self-renewal, proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation, homing, quiescence, etc. Osteoclasts have been implicated in HSC mobilization in response to stress or pharmac...

Dysfunctions of osteoclasts are the pathophysiological hallmark of osteopetrosis (OP). OP is a group of rare inherited human diseases caused by mutations in at least seven different genes. All OP forms are clinical characterized by enhanced bone density. The most severe form infantile OP usually presents with hematological impairment, in particular anemia and thrombocytopenia associated with extra medullary hematopoiesis, leukocytosis and hepatosplenomegaly.<p class="abste...