Megakaryotes may hold the ability to regulate the amount of blood that stem cells produce.
According to new research from the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, hematopoietic stem cells [stem cells that produce blood] are directly regulated by megakaryocytes, the blood cells responsible for healing wounds. The researchers found that megakaryotes produce two growth factors; one that signals for hematopoietic stem cells to proliferate, and one that keeps them in an inactive state. This relationship controls the amount of blood being produced in the body.
