Maintenance and Commitment of Hematopoietic Progenitors: Role of flt3, c-kit and c-mpl
The need for red blood cells to transport oxygen and CO2, blood platelets to stop bleedings, and neutrophils, macrophages, B- and T-cells for host defense, is a prerequisite for life. These mature blood cells have a limited life span and are thus constantly replenished by an enormous cell production (estimated to 1012 cells per day) which primarily takes place in the bone marrow (BM). Mature blood