Infections can trigger hematopoiesis at sites outside the
bone marrow – in the liver, the spleen or the skin. LMU researchers now show
that a specific type of immune cell facilitates such “extra medullary”
formation of blood cells.
Balanced hematopoiesis is essential for the function of the
immune system. During fetal development, hematopoiesis takes place mainly in
the liver and the spleen. Later the process is delegated to the bone marrow,
and this tissue normally serves as the sole source of blood cells for the rest
of one’s lifetime.