title: Fetal Hematopoietic Stem Cells Are the Canaries in the Coal Mine That Portend Later Life Immune Deficiency.
abstract: Disorders of the blood system are a significant and growing global health concern and include a spectrum of diseases ranging from aplastic anemia and leukemias to immune suppression. This array of hematological disorders is attributed to the fact that the blood system undergoes a perpetual cycle of turn over with aged and exhausted red and white blood cells undergoing daily replacement. The foundational cells of this replenishment process are comprised of rare hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) located in the bone marrow that possess the dual function of long-term self-renewal and multilineage differentiation. This constant turnover makes the hematopoietic system uniquely vulnerable to changes in the environment that impact multilineage differentiation, self-renewal, or both. Notably, environmental endocrine-disrupting exposures occurring during development, when HSCs are first emerging, can lead to alterations in HSC programming that impacts the blood and immune systems throughout life. In this review, we describe the process of fetal hematopoiesis and provide an overview of the intrauterine environmental and endocrine-disrupting compounds that disrupt this process. Finally, we describe research opportunities for fetal HSCs as potential sentinels of later-life blood and immune system disorders.
authors.affiliation: Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211.
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Laiosa
authors.affiliation: Joseph J. Zilber School of Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53211.
authors.forename: Everett R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Tate
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D019070:Cell Lineage; D015509:Developmental Biology; D004147:Dioxins / Q000009:adverse effects; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004703:Endocrine System; D006402:Hematologic Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology; D006410:Hematopoiesis; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000503:physiopathology; D007154:Immune System Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D051379:Mice; D009538:Nicotine / Q000009:adverse effects; D010575:Pesticides; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry; D011987:Receptors, Steroid / Q000378:metabolism; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects
chemical_list: D004147:Dioxins; D052244:Endocrine Disruptors; D010575:Pesticides; D011987:Receptors, Steroid; D009538:Nicotine; D011078:Polychlorinated Biphenyls