Metabolic regulation of hematopoietic and leukemic stem/progenitor cells under homeostatic and stress conditions

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) exhibit multilineage differentiation and self-renewal activities that maintain the entire hematopoietic system during an organism’s lifetime. These abilities are sustained by intrinsic transcriptional programs and extrinsic cues from the microenvironment or niche. Recent studies using metabolomics technologies reveal that metabolic regulation plays an essential role in HSC maintenance. Metabolic pathways provide energy and building blocks for other factors functioning at steady state and in stress. Here we review recent advances in our understanding of metabolic regulation in HSCs relevant to cell cycle quiescence, symmetric/asymmetric division, and proliferation following stress and lineage commitment, and discuss the therapeutic potential of targeting metabolic factors or pathways to treat hematological malignancies.