Rare Hematopoietic Stem Cells resilient to infection-induced stress sense yet withstand inflammation

The authors investigate the heterogeneity of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in response to inflammation induced by infection, specifically using a murine malaria model. They identify two subsets of HSCs, BiotinLo and BiotinHi, with distinct proliferation behaviors, revealing that BiotinHi HSCs remain functional and poised for cell cycle entry despite strong inflammatory signals. This study highlights the resilience of certain HSCs during infection, suggesting they maintain a stemness-associated metabolic profile that allows them to withstand inflammatory stress.