Erythroid progenitors can be generated ex vivo from human embryonic stem cells (hESC) or human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPS). Development of laboratory scale culture conditions capable of generating mature functional erythrocytes from human embryonic stem cells or human induced pluripotent stem cells would open the possibility for manufacture of therapeutic quantities of red cells and thereby new clinical transfusion products. Current attempts to produce erythrocytes from human embryonic stem cells reveal the need for greater understanding of the process whereby primitive erythropoiesis switches to definitive fetal and adult erythropoiesis and the factors driving erythrocyte maturation. Studies with human embryonic stem cells have already yielded encouraging results but functional mature biconcave erythrocytes have yet to be generated from these cells.

Copyright 2010. Published by Elsevier SAS.