An Outline of the Outset of Thrombopoiesis in Human Embryos At Last

By single-cell transcriptome profiling of human yolk sacs and fetal livers, Wang et al. (2021) (in this issue of Cell Stem Cell) track two alternative routes for differentiation of megakaryocytes. The authors have shown that these megakaryocytes have hemostatic- and HSC-supporting functions, and that hESC-derived thrombospondin1-positive endothelial cells are capable of generating megakaryocytes in vitro. By single-cell transcriptome profiling of human yolk sacs and fetal livers, Wang et al. (2021) (in this issue of Cell Stem Cell) track two alternative routes for differentiation of megakaryocytes. The authors have shown that these megakaryocytes have hemostatic- and HSC-supporting functions, and that hESC-derived thrombospondin1-positive endothelial cells are capable of generating megakaryocytes in vitro.