October 2024
Morrison Lab: Scientists discovered retrotransposons are activated during pregnancy and after significant bleeding in blood-forming stem cells to increase blood cell production. This is an important step toward defining the purpose of “junk DNA” in humans. Retrotransposon expression promotes stem cell division by activating the immune sensors, cGAS and STING, which induce an interferon response to stimulate blood cell production. Science 386:eado6836