Characterisation of the myeloid differentiation process of human hematopoietic stem cells

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) can self-renew and/or differentiate into various functionally divergent progenitor cell types, such as common myeloid progenitors (CMPs), megakaryocyte-erythrocyte progenitors (MEPs) or granulocyte-macrophage progenitors (GMPs). When the process of self-renewal and differentiation is altered, e.g. upon genetic or epigenetic changes in HSCs, abnormal (pre)leukemic stem cell subpopulations may form, eventually resulting in the onset of hematological malignancies. To gain insight into the physiology and subsequent patho-physiology of self-renewal and differentiation, we performed RNA sequencing as well as proteomics analyses of human HSCs and downstream (myeloid) progenitor cells. RNA sequencing as well as quantitative proteomic analysis was performed for highly purified, FACS-sorted hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell subpopulations isolated from five healthy donors.