Alpha lipoic acid help to promote the production of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells from human pluripotent stem cell

Hematopoietic differentiation from human pluripotent stem cell in vitro is an important approach for the research of hematopoietic stem cell regeneration. Small molecules that can maintenance low ROS level and inhibit cell apoptosis or autophagy are benifit for the maintenance or expansion of hematopoietic stem cells. Lipoic acid (ALA) as a small antioxidant molecule can regulate the ROS level and apoptosis of cells. This study found that lipoic acid promoted the production of hemogenic endothelial cells and hematopoietic progenitor cells. Transcriptome analysis of hemogenic endothelial cells showed that ALA upregulated the endothelial to hematopoietic transition (EHT) related genes and downregulated the EHT negative regulated genes. ALA also up-regulated ROS and apoptosis related genes to inhibit the apoptosis of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells.These results indicated that ALA might have an important role in the regeneration of hematopoietic stem progenitor cell in vitro.