Dr. Sean Morrison’s laboratory used a generous supply of transgenic drivers of SCF (Stem Cell Factor, Kit Ligand) gene excision, a necessary component of the hematopoietic stem cell niche. Dr. Morrison found that the endothelial cells of the bone marrow, was a critical source of SCF to sustain the stem cell population.
Nature. 2012 Jan 25;481(7382):457-62. doi: 10.1038/nature10783.
Ding L1, Saunders TL, Enikolopov G, Morrison SJ.
1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas 75390, USA.