Open the gates: vascular neurocrine signaling mobilizes hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells

Mobilization of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) from the bone marrow (BM) into the peripheral blood is a complex process that is enhanced dramatically under stress-induced conditions. A better understanding of how the mobilization process is regulated will likely facilitate the development of improved clinical protocols for stem cell harvesting and transplantation. In this issue of the JCI, Singh et al. (1) showed that the truncated cleaved form of neurotransmitter neuropeptide Y (NPY) actively promotes a breach of BM vascular sinusoidal portals, thereby augmenting HSPC trafficking to the circulation. The authors report a previously unrecognized axis, in which expression of the enzyme dipeptidylpeptidase-4 (DPP4)/CD26 by endothelial cells activates NPY-mediated signaling by increasing the bioavailability of the truncated form of NPY. These findings underscore the importance of and urgency to develop pharmacological therapies that target the vasculature and regulate diverse aspects of hematopoiesis, such as HSPC trafficking, in steady-state and stress-induced conditions.