Exosome-mediated remodeling of hematopoietic and mesenchymal stem cell niches in the leukemic bone marrow

Acute myeloid leukemia, the cancer studied in this dissertation, is a malignancy that occurs within the myeloid branch of hematopoiesis. Hematopoiesis is the process by which the body constantly replenishes the supply of blood cells into circulation, and is maintained by a hierarchy of stem and progenitor cells that ensure lifelong function. This system is primarily sustained by supportive stromal cells in the bone marrow. Together, these stromal cell populations form discrete niches that maintain homeostasis. Despite the checks and balances that multicellular organisms have developed over time, neoplastic events in the hematopoietic lineage can result in a form of cancer known as leukemia.