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Nature 423, 231-233 (15 May 2003) | doi:10.1038/423231a

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Stem cells: Self-renewal writ in blood

John E. Dick

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The ability to self-renew is a defining property of stem cells, and a protein in blood stem cells that controls their self-renewal has been discovered. That same protein is also crucial for the development of leukaemia.

Between birth and death, people produce of the order of 1016 blood cells of different types. These specialized cells are continuously produced from precursor cells, which in turn must be replaced by cells further up the blood hierarchy.