What is it about?
Blood stem cells are responsible for generating all blood and immune cells in the body. In this study, we show for the first time that the protein ACE2 is essential for the proper formation of these stem cells during early development. ACE2 protects early endothelial-to blood forming process by preventing excessive inflammation that would otherwise damage them. We confirmed this role using genetic and functional experiments in zebrafish and mice.
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Why is it important?
Understanding how blood stem cells form is crucial for developing better treatments for blood cancers, immune disorders, and bone marrow failure. Although ACE2 is widely known as the receptor for SARS-CoV-2, its role in early blood development was unknown. We show that ACE2 acts as a natural brake on inflammation during embryogenesis, enabling blood stem cells to emerge and survive. This is particularly timely as inflammation-driven stem cell dysfunction is increasingly recognized in disease and aging, yet therapeutic targets are limited. Identifying ACE2 as a regulator of this process offers new opportunities to enhance blood regeneration under stress and suggests future strategies to control inflammation for clinical benefit.
Perspectives
Writing this paper has been a rewarding journey. It grew from curiosity about how inflammation shapes early blood development and involved collaboration across model systems and technologies. I hope this work encourages more connections between developmental biology and inflammation research, and inspires others to explore ACE2 beyond its well-known role in viral infection.
Jun Xia
University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Ace2 safeguards embryonic hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell production by restraining Nlrp3-mediated pyroptosis, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, December 2025, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2515641122.
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