Blood to Muscle: Hematopoietic transdifferentiation to muscle

Providence, RI -

Numerous scientists, such as Irv Weissman, continually make the point that a hematopoietic stem cell will only differentiate into a cell of the hematopoietic lineage. Such statements appear, at face value, to contradict the numerous clinical trials ongoing using bone marrow stem cells for the treatment of conditions ranging from heart failure, to liver failure, to peripheral vascular disease.

At a preclinical level, numerous experiments have been performed demonstrating a differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells into non-hematopoietic cells.

A recent paper (Abedi et al. Haematopoietic stem cells participate in muscle regeneration. Br J Haematol. 2007 Aug 2) adds to the support that hematopoietic stem cells can differentiate into non-hematopoietic cells.

The researchers used cardiotoxin to injure the tibialis anterior muscle of recipient immune compromised mice and administered GFP positive bone marrow cells.

Green muscle fibers were found in recipients which were given hematopoietic lineage (lineage negative SCA-1 positive) bone marrow cells but not mesenchymal lineage stem cells.