ABSTRACT
I. INTRODUCTION Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation has been shown to be a lifesaving procedure for a variety of malignant and hereditary diseases. The success of transplantation, both allogeneic and autologous, hinges on the abilities of the HSC to ‘‘home’’ to the bone marrow. Once homed in the appropriate microenvironment, the HSCs proliferate and make sequential decisions to self-renew as well as to produce progenitors that ultimately give rise to the mature blood cells. Hence homing to the marrow on the one hand and the dual abilities of self-renewal and differentiation on the other represent unique properties of HSCs.
