Stem Cell Mobilization

Definition

Stem cell mobilization is the directed movement of blood stem and progenitor cells from the marrow to the blood.

Characteristics

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are primitive, undifferentiated cells which give rise to all blood lineages. They also have self-renewal capacity to maintain themselves. In humans, all normal blood production occurs in the bone marrow, but through development, blood formation occurs in a series of non-marrow sites. In the embryo, the first known site of hematopoiesis or blood formation is the yolk sac followed by the aorta-gonad-mesonephric region of the embryo. Later, this production shifts to the fetal liver and then finally to the marrow where it continues throughout the lifespan, although in a more confined marrow space (sternum, lower spine, and pelvis) as aging occurs. Thus, even during development, blood stem cells must be mobile in order to move to successive environments to secure ongoing blood cell production and to allow for development...