by Kerstin Wagner, Leibniz – MedicalXpress.com –
Scientists at the Leibniz Institute on Aging—Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI) in Jena have discovered a previously unknown function of immune cells in the bone marrow.
Embryonic macrophages—specialized phagocytes of the immune system—regulate the formation of blood stem cells and therefore the lifelong production of blood cells. They play a crucial role in the regulation of the size of the hematopoietic stem cell pool, which is essential for the continuous production of blood cells and the maintenance of a healthy immune system.
Our immune system is continuously renewed, as immune and blood cells have a limited lifespan and must therefore be constantly replaced. This is ensured by hematopoietic stem cells, which are found in the bone marrow. The process of blood cell formation is very important for the maintenance of a functional immune system and therefore for healthy aging.
