Deficiency in WT1-Targeting MicroRNA-125a Leads to Myeloid Malignancies and Urogenital Abnormalities MicroRNA-125a (miR-125a) was identified as a miRNA that suppressed WT1 expression via binding to the WT1-3’UTR. miR-125a knockout mice overexpressed WT1, developed myeloproliferative disorder characterized by expansion of myeloid cells in bone marrow, spleen and peripheral blood, and displayed urogenital abnormalities. [Oncogene] Abstract RCAD/Ufl1, a Ufm1 E3 Ligase, Is Essential for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Function and Murine Hematopoiesis Researchers report that RCAD/Ufl1 is essential for embryonic development, hematopoietic stem cell survival and erythroid differentiation. Both germ-line and somatic deletion of RCAD/Ufl1 impaired hematopoietic development, resulting in severe anemia, cytopenia and ultimately animal death. [Cell Death Differ] Abstract Age-Related Increase of EED Expression in Early Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells Is Associated with Global Increase of the Histone Modification H3K27me3 EED is expressed at comparable amounts in neonatal and adult multipotent hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), early adult lineage committed progenitors of the lympho-myeloid and erythro-myeloid lineages expressed higher EED amounts than neonatal HPCs. Scientists demonstrated that EED overexpression directly led to higher H3K27me3 levels, a repressive histone modification that is mediated by the polycomb repressive complex 2 complex. [Stem Cells Dev] Abstract Human TM9SF4 Is a New Gene Down-Regulated by Hypoxia and Involved in Cell Adhesion of Leukemic Cells Investigators analyzed the expression and regulation of TM9SF4 in normal and leukemic cells and identified TM9SF4 as a gene highly expressed in human quiescent CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs), regulated during monocytic and granulocytic differentiation of HPCs, both lineages giving rise to mature myeloid cells involved in adhesion, phagocytosis and immunity. [PLoS One] Full Article Murine Hematopoietic Stem Cell Dormancy Controlled by Induction of a Novel Short Form of PSF1 by Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Scientists used trichostatin A, a histone deacetylase inhibitor, to enforce histone acetylation and showed that this suppresses cell cycle entry by dormant hematopoietic stem cells. [Exp Cell Res] Abstract CLINICAL RESEARCH Allogeneic Cell Transplant Expands Bone Marrow Distribution by Colonizing Previously Abandoned Areas: An FDG PET/CT Analysis Investigators applied a computational quantification software application to hybrid FDG PET/CT images to assess activity and distribution of the hematopoietic system throughout the whole skeleton of recently transplanted patients. [Blood] Abstract Recipient Expression of Ligands for Donor Inhibitory KIRs Enhances NK-Cell Function, to Control Leukemic Relapse after Haploidentical Transplantation Researchers compared the functionality of reconstituting natural killer (NK) cells, based on CD107α expression and interferon-γsecretion, in a cohort of 29 patients that expressed or lacked class-I HLAs for donor inhibitory KIRs following T-cell-replete haploidentical stem cell transplantation. [Eur J Immunol] Abstract Long-Term Outcome of HLA-Haploidentical Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation without In Vitro T-Cell Depletion Based on an FBCA Conditioning Regimen for Hematologic Malignancies One hundred and five consecutive patients with hematologic malignancies who underwent G-CSF-primed peripheral blood haploidentical hematopoietic stem cell transplantation without in vitro T-cell depletion in a single center were reported. [Bone Marrow Transplant] Abstract |