Hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) are the source of all blood cell types produced during the entire life of an organism. They appear during embryonic development, where they will transit through different successive hematopoietic organs, before to finally colonize the bone marrow. Nowadays, the precise origin of HSC remains a matter of controversy. Different HSC precursor candidates, located in different anatomical sites, have been proposed. Here, we summarize and discuss the different theories in light of the recent articles, especially those using in vivo confocal microscopy technology.
© 2011 médecine/sciences – Inserm / SRMS.