Differentiation of Hematopoietic Stem/Progenitor Cells From Embryonic Stem Cells

Embryonic stem cells(ESCs) are pluripotent cells derived from the inner cell mass of blastocyst-stage embryos, possessing permanent self-renewal and indefinite proliferative capacity in vitro. And ESCs could differentiate into the hematopoietic cell fate. Therefore ESCs may provide an alternative for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and blood cells transfusion. Furthermore, ESCs differentiation could also provide a. powerful model system to better understand the hematopoietic development and the mechanism involved. The current status for efforts to differentiate ESCs into hematopoietic lineages were reviewed.