Hematopoietic Cytokines Can Instruct Lineage Choice

Abstract

Making the Choice The importance of cytokine signals for the generation of specific blood lineages is well known. However, whether cytokines only influence survival and proliferation of cells that have already committed to one lineage, or if they also influence the lineage choice is unclear. For decades, researchers disputed whether lineage choice of hematopoietic progenitor cells be influenced by cell extrinsic cytokines. Using bioimaging approaches that allow long-term observation of all cells in progenitor cell cultures, Rieger et al. (p. 217 ) now demonstrate that certain cytokines can indeed instruct blood lineage choice.