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The bone marrow niche: habitat to hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells, and unwitting host to molecular parasites

Leukemia volume 22, pages 941–950 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

In post-fetal life, hematopoiesis occurs in unique microenvironments or ‘niches’ in the marrow. Niches facilitate the maintenance of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) as unipotent, while supporting lineage commitment of the expanding blood populations. As the physical locale that regulates HSC function, the niche function is vitally important to the survival of the organism. This places considerable selective pressure on HSCs, as only those that are able to engage the niche in the appropriate context are likely to be maintained as stem cells. Since niches are central regulators of stem cell function, it is not surprising that molecular parasites like neoplasms are likely to seek out opportunities to harvest resources from the niche environment. As such, the niche may unwittingly participate in tumorigenesis as a leukemic or neoplastic niche. The niche may also promote metastasis or chemo-resistance of hematogenous neoplasms or solid tumors. This review focuses on what is known about the physical structures of the niche, how the niche participates in hematopoiesis and neoplastic growth and what molecules are involved. Further understanding of the interactions between stem cells and the niche may be useful for developing therapeutic strategies.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Chris Jung for his artistic renditions and to Dr Yuri Shiozawa for editorial assistance. We also gratefully acknowledge Professor Joerg Huelsken (Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research, Epalinges, Switzerland) for inspiration for Figure 3. This work was directly supported by a Pediatric Oncology Research Fellowship (Y Shiozawa), CA93900 (RS Taichman and KJ Pienta), Department of Defense PC060857 (RS Taichman), P50 CA69568 (KJ Pienta), U19 CA113317 (KJ Pienta) and 2006 and 2007 awards from the Prostate Cancer Foundation (RS Taichman and KJ Pienta).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, University of Michigan School of Dentistry, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Y Shiozawa & R S Taichman

  2. Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    A M Havens

  3. Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    K J Pienta

Authors
  1. Y Shiozawa
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  2. A M Havens
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  3. K J Pienta
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  4. R S Taichman
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to R S Taichman.

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Disclosure/Conflict of interest

KJ Pienta receives support as an American Cancer Society Clinical Research professor.

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Shiozawa, Y., Havens, A., Pienta, K. et al. The bone marrow niche: habitat to hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cells, and unwitting host to molecular parasites. Leukemia 22, 941–950 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/leu.2008.48

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/leu.2008.48

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