Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are crucial for maintaining hematopoietic homeostasis and are localized within distinct bone marrow (BM) niches. While BM niches are often considered similar across different skeletal sites, we discovered that the alveolar BM (al-BM) in the mandible harbors the highest frequency of immunophenotypic HSCs in nine different skeletal sites. Transplantation assays revealed significantly increased engraftment from al-BM compared to femur, tibia, or pelvis BM, likely due to a higher proportion of alveolar HSCs. Moreover, hematopoietic progenitor cells (c-Kit+ Sca-1+ Lin-) in al-BM exhibited increased quiescence and reduced apoptosis, indicating superior maintenance and survival characteristics. We also observed an enrichment of mesenchymal stromal cells and skeletal stem cells in al-BM, suggesting a more supportive microenvironment. These findings indicate that al-BM provides a unique microenvironment conducive to higher frequency of HSCs, offering new insights into site-specific hematopoiesis.
Keywords: HSCs; MSCs; al-BM; alveolar bone marrow; bone marrow microenvironment; hematopoietic stem cells; mandible; mesenchymal stromal cells; niche; oncostatin M; quiescence; skeletal stem cells; stem cell frequency.
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