Dynamic regulation of GATA transcription factors in hematopoiesis
Year: 2004
Type: dissertation
Abstract: The hematopoietic system is composed of a variety of cells, whose activity is essential \nfor the normal functioning of an organism. Erythrocytes, or red blood cells, transport oxygen \nand carbon dioxide throughout the body, platelets are essential for coagulation and white blood \ncells (lymphocytes, granulocytes and macrophages) are responsible for the protection of the \norganism against pathogens. All these different cells originate from a single cell type, the \nhematopoietic stem cell (HSC), through a process denominated hematopoiesis. \n \nTo understand how the HSC can originate so many different cell type has been the aim \nof many scientists over the years. Advances in molecular biology tools allowed the gathering of \nvast amounts of information about the hematopoietic system and the process of hematopoiesis. \nHowever, many questions remain without answers. \n \nThe HSC gives rise to the different hematopoetic cell lineages via a series of steps. HSCs \nare rare cells that have the capacity to duplicate themselves (self-renewal) as well as to give rise \nto all the different hematopoietic cell types (pluripotency). The descendants of the HSC are still \nable to give rise to all hematopoietic lineages but they lose the ability to self-renew. These cells \nwill further differentiate into other cells that can give rise to an increasingly restricted number \nof hematopoietic lineages until they reach a stage were they can only differentiate into a single \nlineage. Such process is called lineage-commitment and its accuracy is essential for the normal \nfunction of the hematopoietic system. \n \nHow this lineage commitment occurs is as yet not clear. It is known that it is dependent \non environmental cues as w
Author: Rita Ferreira
Language: English
Subfield: Hematology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1549262746