Human embryonic–derived hematopoietic repopulating cells require distinct factors to sustain in vivo repopulating function

OBJECTIVE: We have previously identified a novel circulating embryonic blood cell capable of pluripotent hematopoietic reconstitution, which may serve as a target for in utero stem cell therapy. Based on its unique biological properties and ontogenic origin, we aim to examine the ability to maintain and retrovirally transduce fetal blood (FB) reconstituting cells in ex vivo culture conditions previously optimized for pluripotent hematopoietic …