While research has uncovered many details about how blood cells function within bone marrow, the work of other cells existing in that space remained a relative mystery. Now, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) have published a "bone marrow atlas" in Cell that provides a first-of-its-kind, full view of all the cells existing within it, offering a better understanding of both healthy and diseased blood production. "For the first time, we will have a comprehensive framework to view the full gene expression and spatial organization of bone marrow cells," said senior study author Kai Tan, PhD, a professor of Pediatrics in the Perelman School of Medicine and an investigator in CHOP's Center for Childhood Cancer Research.
"Although our paper is foundational, we envision the atlas will be used to develop new diagnostic tests, identify new CAR-T or other therapeutic targets, and discover spatial biomarkers of disease." Bone marrow mostly consists of blood cells, however, a small percentage of non-blood cells may play an important role in conditions such as leukemia, other blood cancers, or bone marrow failure syndromes. Through the team's efforts, researchers and doctors now have a much clearer picture of the functions of the rarer, but key, cells in the bone marrow such as stromal cells, bone cells, and endothelial (blood vessel) cells.
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