An inflammatory and quiescent HSC subpopulation expands with age in humans
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Aging of the blood system impacts systemic health and can be traced to hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). Despite multiple reports on human HSC aging, a unified map detailing their molecular age-related changes is lacking. We developed a consensus map of gene expression in HSCs by integrating seven single-cell datasets. This map revealed previously unappreciated heterogeneity within the HSC population. It also links inflammatory pathway activation (TNF/NFκB, AP-1) and quiescence within a single gene expression program. This program dominates an inflammatory HSC subpopulation that increases with age, highlighting a potential target for further experimental studies and anti-aging interventions.
Source: Genome biology
Institutions: Broad Institute, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard University, Boston Children's Hospital, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Jackson Laboratory, University of Maine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Stem Cell Institute
Language: English
Subfield: Hematology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $5,490
Funders: Starr Cancer Consortium, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, American Cancer Society, MPN Research Foundation, Edward P. Evans Foundation, Vera and Joseph Dresner Foundation, Mark Foundation For Cancer Research, National Institutes of Health, Brigham Research Institute, Ludwig Center at Harvard, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Awards: G675594227, Deciphering Determinants of Somatic Evolution with Single-Cell Genealogy, Variant to Function Mapping of B-ALL Risk Loci, G9000001566, G9000049129, G9000077571, G9000178190, G9000198335, G9000234448, G9000353087, Next generation functional genomics of hematology traits, Systematic Genetic Dissection of Human Erythropoiesis, Clonal analysis of cancer by mitochondrial DNA barcoding
OpenAlex ID: W7124439335