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Researchers at the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona and Columbia University in New York City have identified a protein that is critical for the expansion of typically scarce, life-saving blood stem cells.

The discovery may lead to new methods for growing a large quantity of these stem cells, both inside and outside the human body, currently one of the greatest limitations for their use in a variety of medical procedures, from treatment of blood cancers to inherited blood disorders that require a bone marrow transplantation. The findings are published today in the journal Cell Reports.

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are responsible for the constant renewal of blood, producing billions of new cells every day. HSCs have unlimited potential to renew themselves for the entire lifespan of an organism, giving rise to every type of blood cell, including the cells that make up our immune systems.

HSCs have great potential in treating incurable cancers, autoimmune diseases and inherited blood disorders. However, just one in 2500 cells in the blood marrow are HSCs, a scarcity that limits their use in medical procedures.