A History of Stress Erythropoiesis: Past, Present, and Future
Open Access
Author:
Keane II, Andrew
Area of Honors:
Immunology and Infectious Disease
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Robert Paulson, Thesis Supervisor Pamela Hankey Giblin, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
Stress erythropoiesis Erythropoiesis Red blood cells Blood Hematology Paulson
Abstract:
Steady state erythropoiesis maintains erythroid homeostasis and occurs in the bone marrow. However, there are times when the bone marrow cannot keep up with the demand for red blood cells. Stress erythropoiesis makes up for this deficit through rapid red blood cell production in the spleen. Although the existence of the stress erythropoiesis pathway was known for fifty some odd years, characterization of the real mechanism did not begin until twenty years ago. This work consolidates the research on the pathway through a discussion of what is known and what outstanding questions need to be answered. In the process, the inner workings of stress erythropoiesis are explained, its connection to a vital physiological pathway examined, and future studies proposed based on this information.
