Human HSPC clones balance stochastic diversification with cytokine-induced differentiation.

Human HSPC clones exhibit stochastic lineage diversification modulated by cytokine-induced biases, with differentiation rates varying within and across clones.

• Why it matters: Understanding how human hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) balance random fate decisions with directed differentiation is crucial for insights into blood development and related diseases.
• What they did: Using cHSPCTrack, an in vitro method, the study tracked thousands of single-cell-derived HSPC clones stimulated by different cytokine combinations to analyze their differentiation behaviors.
• The result: Findings show that individual HSPCs can produce multiple lineages randomly, with cytokines biasing probabilities toward specific fates, and clonal memory stabilizing gene expression, revealing complex clonal interactions.