Stem cell factor acts locally in the bone marrow to promote stem and progenitor cell maintenance
- 1Children's Research Institute and the Department of Pediatrics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Abstract
Stem cell factor (SCF) from Leptin Receptor-expressing (LepR+) mesenchymal stromal cells and endothelial cells is required for hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell maintenance in bone marrow. Consistent with this, Scf is highly expressed by LepR+ cells and at lower levels by endothelial cells in bone marrow. However, endothelial cells outside the bone marrow produce circulating SCF, raising the question of whether the SCF that promotes stem and progenitor cell maintenance is produced inside or outside bone marrow. We found that Scf deletion in spleen and liver endothelial cells reduces SCF levels in the blood without affecting stem or progenitor numbers in the bone marrow. Moreover, deletion of Scf from mesenchymal cells in the long bones, but not vertebrae, of Prx1Cre; Scf fl/fl mice depletes stem and progenitor cells in long bones but not vertebrae. SCF thus acts locally within the bones in which it is made to promote stem and progenitor cell maintenance.
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BibTeX
@misc{freitascortez2026stem,
title = {{Stem cell factor acts locally in the bone marrow to promote stem and progenitor cell maintenance}},
author = {M. A. Freitas-Cortez and S. Comazzetto and X. Gao and B. Shen and L. Ding and Z. Zhao and S. J. Morrison},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.64898/2026.09.28.755094},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.28.755094v1},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Stem cell factor acts locally in the bone marrow to promote stem and progenitor cell maintenance
AU - M. A. Freitas-Cortez
AU - S. Comazzetto
AU - X. Gao
AU - B. Shen
AU - L. Ding
AU - Z. Zhao
AU - S. J. Morrison
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/28
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.09.28.755094
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.09.28.755094v1
AB - Stem cell factor (SCF) from Leptin Receptor-expressing (LepR+) mesenchymal stromal cells and endothelial cells is required for hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell maintenance in bone marrow. Consistent with this, Scf is highly expressed by LepR+ cells and at lower levels by endothelial cells in bone marrow. However, endothelial cells outside the bone marrow produce circulating SCF, raising the question of whether the SCF that promotes stem and progenitor cell maintenance is produced inside or outside bone marrow. We found that Scf deletion in spleen and liver endothelial cells reduces SCF levels in the blood without affecting stem or progenitor numbers in the bone marrow. Moreover, deletion of Scf from mesenchymal cells in the long bones, but not vertebrae, of Prx1Cre; Scf fl/fl mice depletes stem and progenitor cells in long bones but not vertebrae. SCF thus acts locally within the bones in which it is made to promote stem and progenitor cell maintenance.
ER -