Chronic Salmonella Infection Impairs Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant Potency Transiently

Typically residing in a quiescent state in the bone marrow (BM), HSCs become activated during injury or infections to replenish hematopoietic cells. Chronic infections, such as those caused by Salmonella, disrupt this balance, driving persistent inflammation that depletes HSC reserves, impairs functionality, and skews differentiation.

This study investigates the impact of chronic Salmonella infection on HSCs, including functional changes, lineage bias, and recovery following antibiotic treatment, using a murine model and single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq). Infected mice exhibited weight loss, splenomegaly, and HSC exhaustion, by reduced transplantation potency, compared to healthy controls. Antibiotic treatment, initiated seven days post-infection, restored weight and HSC functionality, suggesting recovery of hematopoietic balance. scRNA-seq revealed significant depletion of HSCs, particularly dormant HSCs (dHSCs), in infected mice.