Hwang, SunheeLee, Seung J.Park, Sang H.Chitteti, Brahmananda R.Srour, Edward F.Cooper, ScottHangoc, GiaoBroxmeyer, Hal E.Kwon, Byoung S.2016-10-252016-10-252014-11-01Hwang, S., Lee, S. J., Park, S. H., Chitteti, B. R., Srour, E. F., Cooper, S., … Kwon, B. S. (2014). Nonmarrow Hematopoiesis Occurs in a Hyaluronic-Acid-Rich Node and Duct System in Mice. Stem Cells and Development, 23(21), 2661–2671. http://doi.org/10.1089/scd.2014.00751557-8534https://hdl.handle.net/1805/11239A hyaluronic-acid-rich node and duct system (HAR-NDS) was found on the surface of internal organs of mice, and inside their blood and lymph vessels. The nodes (HAR-Ns) were filled with immune cells of the innate system and were especially enriched with mast cells and histiocytes. They also contained hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs), such as granulocyte-macrophage, erythroid, multipotential progenitors, and mast cell progenitors (MCPs). MCPs were the most abundant among the HPCs in HAR-Ns. Their frequency was fivefold higher than that of the MCPs in bone marrow. In addition, the system contained pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) capable of producing CD45(-)Flk1(+) hemangioblast-like cells, which subsequently generated various types of HPCs and differentiated blood cells. Although HAR-Ns did not appear to harbor enough number of cells capable of long-term reconstitution or short-term radioprotection of lethally irradiated recipients, bone marrow cells were able to engraft in the HAR-NDS and reconstitute hematopoietic potentials of the system. PSCs and HPCs were consistently found in intravenous, intralymphatic, and intestinal HAR-ND. We infer that PSCs and HPCs reside in the HAR-ND and that this novel system may serve as an alternative means to traffic immature and mature blood cells throughout the body.en-USPublisher PolicyHematopoiesisHematopoietic Stem CellsmetabolismHyaluronic AcidPluripotent Stem CellsArticle