fig1

Figure 1. Adaptation of niches and hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) during the transition from healthy bone marrow to myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Niches and HSC interdependently generate gene regulatory networks. Niche functions gradually deteriorate with aging, tissue regeneration, and other stress. Changes in niche functions enforce enrichment of HSC subpopulations that have a growth advantage compared to healthy HSC. Pre-malignant and malignant cells remodel the niches. Bi-directional alterations are soil and seed toward MDS.