Endothelium-derived stromal cells contribute to bone marrow niche formation

Comprehensive transcriptional characterization of bone marrow stromal cells by RNA sequencing was performed to determine the molecular properties/signatures of endothelium during niche formation.Here, we identify a rare subset of cells in the human fetal BM that co-express endothelial and stromal markers, including low-affinity nerve growth factor receptor (LNGFR/CD271). They display transcriptional reprogramming consistent with endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndoMT), reflected in their potential to generate stromal cells with in vivo BM niche forming capacity.EGA study EGAS00001004946