Functional Assays of Hematopoietic Stem Cells in Toxicology Research

The hematopoietic stem cell is the foundational cell of the entire blood and immune system and as such is particularly sensitive to toxicological insults. While this review will identify some of the classes of chemicals known to be hematotoxic, most of the discussion will focus on the strengths and weaknesses of various hematological assays used in toxicology research. Furthermore, protocols for isolating both human and murine hematopoietic stem cells are described. Methodologies are also described for various culture systems useful for testing the impacts of potential toxicants on hematopoietic stem cells both in vivo and in vitro.