Science spotlight: Depleting an HSC pool improves immune function; plus new MS immune signatures and more

A group led by serial entrepreneur Irving Weissman made the immune system of aged mice look and function more like that of young mice by depleting a specific pool of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs).

There are at least two previously established pools of HSCs, one that provides a balanced production of lymphoid and myeloid cells (bal-HSCs), and another that predominantly produces myeloid cells (my-HSCs). The ratio of the pools changes with age. Specifically, the pool shifts towards the my-HSCs, which results in decreased lymphopoiesis, increased myelopoiesis and reduced adaptive immunity...