In humans our understanding of the hematopoietic process and its regulation by the bone marrow environment remains elusive. Gaining further insight appears essential both from a fundamental perspective, but also in light of the potentially tremendous translational implications: from the identification of factors driving a targeted and on-demand blood production, to the understanding of blood cancer formation and subsequent refinement of clinical therapies. Nowadays our knowledge is essentially derived from animal models, proven to be instrumental in our progressive comprehension of the hematopoietic system. However, animals and humans display important molecular and cellular differences, calling for the development of human models of higher relevance.
In this collection, we aim to compile articles describing in vitro or in vivo methodologies allowing for the study of human hematopoiesis in healthy and malignant settings. This largely includes (i) the engineering of 2D or 3D bone marrow environments to decipher the organization/interactions of hematopoietic cellular components, (ii) the design of innovative systems/culture conditions facilitating the maintenance or differentiation of human hematopoietic cells, and (iii) approaches to model blood malignancies and test therapeutics.

The goal of this collection is to highlight the latest methodological developments in the field and prompt the collection of human-specific information.